Country Hen Eggs

The local HEB just recently started carrying Country Hen eggs, and I've been impressed with these (if for no other reason than at how YELLOW the yolks are of these eggs.)  The cost is a little steep, but I think it's worth it for the nutritional benefit of these eggs.  The hens are cage free, they get sun, they are fed certified organic, and the eggs as a result are high in omega-3s.  After watching the horrific Food, Inc, I'm always glad to find healthier chickens that aren't brutally clustered in windowless coops.

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Nancy's Organic Nonfat Yogurt

Just tried some of the this yogurt the other day (HEB had coupons for it) and I was really impressed.  Nancy's yogurt is basically packaged with the completely-unsweetened yogurt in the bottom, and a fruit container on top, and you mix them together.  Not completely original, I know, but the yogurt part is completely sugarless - it's like eating homemade.  More impressive is the fact that the fruit additives are, basically, just that: fruit puree, and sweetened with honey along (not sugar or hfcs).  Very nice stuff, and worth trying.  Much better than the sugary alternatives out there.

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Williams and Conner Beef Jerky

I just had a chance to try some Williams and Conner Beef Jerky the other day, now that HEB is carrying this, and I was really impressed with the flavor.  I also appreciate that, unlike most junkier brands of beef jerky, this one avoids a full trifecta of junk additives (the big three in most jerky: MSG, sodium nitrate and high fructose corn syrup.)  While it does still have hfcs, this is forgivable since there's not much else junky in it.  Previously, I could only find brands like this at Whole Foods, so it's nice to see this making its way into HEB.

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Panorama Organic Grass Fed Beef

I'm not a vegetarian, but at the same time, if I buy beef or chicken I'd prefer it to be from a more natural source (especially after watching the food-inc movie), and one of the sources for a really tasty grass-fed,organic burger is Panorama. I can find this at HEB thankfully, and I really apprecaite what this company is doing different. Per their site:

By raising only English breeds of cattle on organic grasses, legumes and range forage and in low-stress, humane conditions, Panorama is able to offer the most flavorful and tender grass-fed beef in the country. Our cattle are never implanted with hormones, fed animal byproducts or treated with antibiotics.

Burgers made with this meat are tasty and lean, and the price isn't that bad compared to normal shelf beef. I just wish that this was a little bit easier to find at stores.

I considered vegetarianism back in college, but the fact is I enjoy chicken, beef and fish enough that I couldn't ever make the switch. The other deterrent is the fact that research I've read suggests that "flexitarians", or those who only occasionally eat meat but mostly build their diets on plants, tend to live longer than vegetarians. Then there's always the B-12 argument too, that this can only be found in animal products, which seems to imply that we were not designed to be vegetarian. But that's just my own opinion.

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Mission burrito wraps and the quest for non-hydrogenated wraps

It can be a frustrating endeavor to find taco/burrito wraps that don't have hydrogenated oil or lard. Mission brand is one that I see the most of, and every single variety that I check at the store has the word "hydrogenated" in it. The word hydrogenated, be it partially, fully, or just plain, is an instant indicator for me to put said product back on the shelf again.

What I've found is that H.E.B. (a big Texas grocery chain) has a bakery that makes wraps without hydrogenated oils, and this is impressive, considering that its out of the same bakery that sells hydrogenated pastries galore. But what's odd is that, only ONE of the local H.E.B's actually carries these, and the other two ones near me do NOT! I can't figure that one out.

So the wrap quest continues. Of course, I could just make my own, and it's tempting to just do this from now on and just skip the headache. The mini recipe is along the lines of:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• an egg

This makes a very runny batter, that you basically cook in a preheated iron skillet like a crepe. Considering how hard it is to find wraps without junk in them, I'm considering just using this method from now on.

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Whole Foods: fantastic selection of foods yet just a little pricey

I visited one of the Houston 'Whole Foods' stores recently, and this place is just remarkable. Almost every thing that I wish I could find at my local grocers (HEB, Walmart, Kroger, etc) I can find at Whole Food. Their selection of meats, including grass fed beef, is amazing. I sampled a chicken noodle soup and was just blown away, not only by how good it was, but that I could find a tasty chicken noodle soup without hydrogenated oils, msg, hydrolized additives, preservatives or nitrates (take note, Campbells... and even your supposedly "natural" soups still have "yeast extract".... the same thing as MSG. Take out ALL the MSG and I'll start buying your soups again.)

Anyhow, the bakery, the fruits, the dairy, etc... it's all just fantastic at Whole Foods, but the prices.... ay-yi-yi! I've heard the store referred to as "whole paycheck", and there's something to that. The lunch and groceries that we purchased brought us a hefty bill, but oh, was it worth it. Even their bakery has good, non-garbagy, non-hydrogenated baked goods, and that's so refreshing to find. I wish more stores would take note of this place, and start carrying a similar lineup of foods (Market Street HEB in the Woodlands is sortof close, but it's got a long way to go.) This place was a nice grocery refuge, and the selection was fantastic nutritionally, but the prices make it a place I can really only visit on occasion (and besides, there isn't a location close to the Woodlands/Spring/Conroe area anyhow...)

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