Grocery Store Finds: September 2017

Curious to see what ended up this dietitian’s cart this month?

Finally, the weather in NJ is starting to cool down and it’s starting to feel like Fall. Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp cool weather, wearing scarves and boots, and the seasonal food! Bring on the apples, squashes, and hearty soups and stews.

I’m sure going to be busy in the kitchen this season. While not everything I eat is a full recipe, I pair items together to create well-balanced meals and snacks. Ready to see what was in my cart this month?

StarKist Selects:Grocery Store Finds: StarKist Tuna Selects via RDelicious Kitchen @RD_Kitchen

I first learned about StarKist Selects at the Today’s Dietitian conference. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times (two servings) a week. It is a struggle for many to eat fish because they feel intimidated by cooking it. I hear that a lot in my sessions, that clients would like to consume more fish, but they don’t want to prepare it. StarKist Selects Wild-Caught Pink Salmon in extra virgin olive oil is the perfect solution.
In a shelf stable single serving pack, this is a fish solution for on the go and can easily be packed to incorporate in a meal. I like adding these on top of my salads. Since it is packed in extra virgin olive oil, it doesn’t dry out, plus creates a less of a need to add any salad dressing.

Oui by Yoplait:

Grocery Store Finds: Yoplait Oui via RDelicious Kitchen @RD_Kitchen
New Oui yogurt by Yoplait brings me back to my trip to France. Oui is a French style yogurt with simple ingredients and a great taste. The texture is silky smooth. I was scraping every last bit from the jar. I was curious why they are in glass jars, so I did a little research. The glass jars are not only recyclable and great for reuse, but it also protects the integrity of the yogurt’s texture during the production and shipping process. Right now, I’m recycling my jars to grow herbs on my kitchen windowsill. Thanks Oui for sending me some samples to try!

Nourish Snacks:

Grocery Store Finds: Nourish Snacks via RDelicious Kitchen @RD_Kitchen
I almost didn’t recognize Nourish Snacks on the grocery shelf when I strolled up the aisle. I’ve talked about Nourish Snacks before. They are now offered in larger bags. Nearly 25% of our daily calories come from snacks, so it’s important we make these snacks count, nutritionally. Joy Bauer, RDN, nutrition expert of the TODAY Show and founder of Nourish Snacks, set out to create a nutritious grab-and-go snack that can work for any kind of snacker.

New Siggi’s Flavors:

Grocery Store Finds: Siggi's via RDelicious Kitchen @RD_Kitchen
Have you seen the new Siggi’s flavors? Yes, I know I just was chatting about another yogurt above. What can I say? I like variety. I was too excited not to share Siggi’s newest flavors: 4% banana & cinnamon and 9% chocolate. I’m obsessed!

Pumpkin Bars Selection:

Grocery Store Finds: Pumpkin Bars via RDelicious Kitchen @RD_Kitchen
It’s not Fall without everything being pumpkin, right? I know this isn’t just one item for this grocery store pick, but they all have the common seasonal theme: pumpkin! When choosing bars, think about when and why you are having them. Are they for a quick snack? Will they be part of a meal? Are you looking for a boost of protein? Not all bars are created equal. Look for wholesome ingredients without an excess amount of added sugar and think about how they are going to fuel you.
This is a little bit of a teaser for you. Next month, pumpkin guru Maggie from @onceuponapumpkin is taking over for a grocery store tour: pumpkin edition!
What new products have you discovered? What should I be on the lookout for next?

RDelicious Kitchen @RD_Kitchen

Breakfast “Ice Cream” Sandwiches

On a hot summer morning, cool down with a this fun new breakfast twist. These raspberry chia Breakfast “Ice Cream” Sandwiches tastes like dessert and will nourish you through the morning!
Breakfast "Ice Cream" Sandwiches via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenI was super excited when KIND featured my recipe on their newsletter including my classic green smoothie to pair with their Raspberry Chia Breakfast Bars.

If you haven’t noticed, KIND came out with these new breakfast bars. These new bars (the raspberry chia flavor in particular) contain 5 whole grains including: oats, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa along with a filling 6 grams of fiber.
Breakfast "Ice Cream" Sandwiches via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenIt is always important to eat balanced meals. My go-to tip for anyone (myself included) is to enjoy at least 3 food groups per meal (with at least one of them being a fruit or vegetable).
Breakfast "Ice Cream" Sandwiches via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenThat little tip can go a long way. It will help with portion control because portion sizes will naturally start to shrink in order to include various other food groups on your plate. Plus, it will help reach the minimum recommendation of aiming to consume at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day. More matter!
Breakfast "Ice Cream" Sandwiches via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenWhen I first tried these breakfast bars I usually paired them by dunking them in a yogurt with a side of fruit, so I was inspired by my combo to turn it more into a fun breakfast!
It feels like eating dessert for breakfast!
Breakfast "Ice Cream" Sandwiches via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchen

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Breakfast “Ice Cream” Sandwiches on a cutting board

Breakfast “Ice Cream” Sandwiches

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 4

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 packages KIND raspberry chia breakfast bars (contains 2 bars per package)
  • 2 (5.3 oz.) containers plain (or vanilla) yogurt (I used Siggi’s)
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup raspberries

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, gently mash raspberries. Stir in chia seeds. Add yogurt and gently fold in raspberries and chia to make a raspberry swirl.
  2. Open up KIND breakfast bars packages. Scoop about 1/3 cup onto one side of the breakfast bar and spread evenly. Top with the other breakfast bar (not too tight, so filling doesn’t spill out!)
  3. Wrap each breakfast “ice cream” sandwich with plastic wrap and add to a sealed tight container. Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  4. Unwrap and enjoy a treat in the morning!

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Breakfast "Ice Cream" Sandwiches via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchen

Protein Smoothie (without protein powder)

Start of your morning satisfied with a wholesome smoothie. Boost your smoothie with protein by using whole food ingredients.

Protein Smoothie (without protein powder) via RDelicious Kitchen

Now that the weather is getting warmer, I’m craving smoothies in the morning. I love how quick and easy they can be. One quick tip that I have made a habit, is that the night before, I put all my ingredients in the blender. So all I have to do in the morning is give it a whirl and my smoothie is ready to go! Another prep trick is to make little baggies of all your smoothie ingredients and pop them in the freezer. Then in the morning, all you have to do is add your base (yogurt, milk, water). Smoothie in seconds!

I love my smoothies, but the key is finding the right combo of ingredients. Smoothies will fill you up because of their volume, but I like to make sure there is enough protein and fiber to really fill me up. I don’t want to feel hungry an hour after drinking it. I do use protein powders from time to time, but I don’t like to rely on them because 1) real food first 2) it can get expensive.

Siggi's Acai & Mixed Berry yogurt via RDelicious Kitchen

The protein star of this smoothie is Siggi’s Mixed Berries & Acai yogurt, packing in 14 grams of protein in 1 serving! Additional protein is coming from the powdered peanut butter (5 grams), chia seeds (3 grams), and a little more from the rest of the ingredients. Total this smoothie has 24 grams of protein, plus 12 grams of fiber!

After drinking this delicious recipe (ps tastes like a pb&j), I was full an satisfied! Of course, you can vary the flavor combos and sneak in some veggies, but always make sure to boost it up with some protein and fiber!

Protein Smoothie (without protein powder) via RDelicious Kitchen

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Protein Smoothie (without protein powder)

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Yield: 1

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 small banana
  • 1 container Siggis Acai & Mixed Berry yogurt
  • 2 tbsp powdered peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp ground flax seed
  • 1/2 cup strawberries
  • water, if needed

Instructions

  1. In a blender, combine all ingredients.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Add water to thin to desired consistency.

Notes

* Can substitute with regular peanut butter. Note that nutrition facts will change.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 339
  • Fat: 6
  • Carbohydrates: 54
  • Fiber: 12
  • Protein: 24
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Protein Smoothie (without protein powder) via RDelicious Kitchen*Note: Nutrition facts based on My Fitness Pal.

RDelicious Kitchen

Supermarket RD’s Pick: Siggi’s

Siggi’s yogurt makes the list of this week’s Supermarket RD’s Pick. See why Siggi’s is RD approved!

Supermarket RD's Pick by Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
Have you ever tried Siggi’s yogurt before? It brings Greek yogurt to a whole new level. Siggi’s is an Icelandic style cream-skyr. True to Icelandic tradition, Siggi’s products do not contain any artificial preservatives, thickeners, sweeteners, flavors or colors, and are made with milk from family farms who do not use growth hormones such as rBGH. Siggi’s dairy is fully committed to making rather delicious yogurt products with simple ingredients and not a lot of sugar, always. (source)

Supermarket RD's Pick: Siggi's
There are always questions about what rGBH is. rBGH, or recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone is a synthetic form of growth hormone injected into cows to increase growth rates and milk production. When used in lactating cows, rBGH can increase the milk production by 10-15%, by limiting mammary cell death. The increased milk production in cows can lead to mastitis, an infection that is treated by antibiotics. The increased milk production is very taxing on a cow and can often lead to shortened lifespan. Siggi’s does NOT use milk from cows injected with rBGH.
Siggi's all natural yogurt
Siggi’s is very thick and creamy compared to other Greek yogurts. It is made by incubating skim milk with live active cultures. The whey is strained to make a thicker, creamier, and more concentrated yogurt. This results in a higher protein content than most yogurts.
What really makes this RD approved is that there is always more protein than sugar in their products and no additives or preservatives are added either! Real food ingredients for the win!
Pumpkin & spice Siggi's yogurt
I haven’t tried a flavor I didn’t like, but my favorite flavor is the pumpkin & spice, with coconut being the runner up.
SignatureDisclosure: Siggi’s did not sponsor this post. All opinions are my own.

It is made by incubating skim milk with live active cultures. The whey, the water naturally found in milk, is then strained away to make for a much thicker, creamier, concentrated yogurt. So to make just one cup of skyr, with all that water going out, you need 4 times the amount of milk required to make a regular cup of yogurt. As a result of this process skyr comes out with 2-3 times the protein count of standard yogurt. – See more at: http://siggisdairy.com/products/detail/skyr/pumpkin-and-spice/9821/#sthash.cs3rmndi.dpuf

Skyr, pronounced “skeer,” is the traditional yogurt of Iceland. It is made by incubating skim milk with live active cultures. The whey, the water naturally found in milk, is then strained away to make for a much thicker, creamier, concentrated yogurt. So to make just one cup of skyr, with all that water going out, you need 4 times the amount of milk required to make a regular cup of yogurt. As a result of this process skyr comes out with 2-3 times the protein count of standard yogurt.

Since skyr is fat-free it has been an age old practice to throw a bit of cream back into it for a tad richer touch: generally called rjóma-skyr; or skyr with cream. Delicious!

– See more at: http://siggisdairy.com/products/detail/skyr/pumpkin-and-spice/9821/#sthash.cs3rmndi.dpufWhat really makes this RD approved is that there is more protein than sugar I like all the flavors, but my two favorite are pumpkin & spice and the coconut flavors!