POV: You've officially made the choice to cut out heavily processed & inflammatory foods and are now on the hunt for healthier food products...but now you're feeling overwhelmed on where to start. I totally get it!! This was me a little over four years ago, when I began my health journey. There were so many "healthy" foods that turned out to be not healthy at all once I looked at the ingredients...I was buying healthy food that was great in theory but tasted horrible (leading to a lot of food & money down the drain)...and let's not forget the obvious: it can get really expensive to eat healthy. I totally get spending a little more for better quality, but sometimes it feels like truly healthy food isn't an option unless you've got a lot of cash to spend.
***Links in this blog post may be eligible for commission
That's why I decided to start my Grocery Haul series! You can easily check out and shop my favorites to buy when grocery shopping at stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Trader Joe's. If I can link something that will potentially be a better price somewhere else, I'll clearly state that, as well as let you know if the item is usually on sale (so you can decide on whether or not you'd like to buy or wait!). I'll also list the ingredients in each product so you can decide if it's something that fits into your specific dietary needs. The prices may vary based on where you live, whether there's a sale, etc - but I included what the prices are at the time that I am writing this to give you an idea of what to expect.
I'll continue to update my Grocery Hauls as time goes on, so be sure to check back on these posts for new products or better yet - sign up for my monthly newsletter, and I'll let you know when there are updates - just head to the bottom of this page and submit your email!
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Beverages
Bulletproof Coffee
If you've read my May Healthy Swaps post, then you already know the importance of choosing a brand that regularly tests their coffee for mold & other toxins. That's why we love Bulletproof coffee! We usually buy their 12oz dark roast or medium roast ground coffee. It's also sustainably sourced from small farms and Rainforest Alliance Certified. Definitely wait for it to go on sale! If it's not on sale at Whole Foods, you can usually find a better price on Amazon.
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $18.69
Click to shop at Amazon: $15.89
**Often on sale for less than $13
Dairy & Alternative Dairy
Green Valley Creamery Organic Cream Cheese
This cream cheese is organic, minimally processed and not only lactose free but also FODMAP friendly (yay for less bloating)! I don't do cream cheese often, but when I do, this is what I get!
Ingredients: pure cream, sea salt, lactase enzyme and live, active culture
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $5.79
Siggi's Plant Based Coconut Blend Vanilla Yogurt
I really love the flavor & texture of this non-dairy yogurt! It's non-GMO, minimally processed, no artificial sweeteners, and great for during the week when I'm cutting out dairy. I also love the "vanilla & cinnamon" and "toasted coconut" flavors (which come in the 5.3oz size).
Ingredients: coconut milk, pea protein, cane sugar, coconut oil, macadamia nuts, tapioca flour, natural vanilla flavor, natural flavor, fruit pectin, vanilla bean specks, Iive active cultures
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $8.69, 24oz
**Sometimes on sale for less than $7
Dry Foods & Seasonings
365 Everything Bagel Seasoning
This is my favorite version of the popular "Everything But the Bagel" seasoning from Trader Joe's. That one is more heavy on the sesame & poppy seeds whereas this one is more balanced and also non-GMO. I love putting this seasoning on everything - especially scrambled eggs!
Ingredients: Organic Sesame Seed, Sea Salt, Roasted Dehydrated Garlic, Toasted Dehydrated Onion, Organic Black Sesame Seed, Poppy Seed
For whatever reason, this seasoning is not available online but I've been able to buy it in Whole Foods stores.
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour
This is my go-to baking flour for when I'm cutting out gluten. I love that it already has xanthan gum so you can easily swap out the flour in recipes with this flour to stay gluten free. I've tried other brands (including Trader Joe's 1:1 flour) and this has worked the best, in my opinion. It's also non-GMO.
Ingredients: sweet white rice flour, whole grain brown rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $16.79, 64oz
**Sometimes on sale for less than $12
Nature's Path Organic Gluten Free Instant Oatmeal
I love the Homestyle flavor the best, because I can customize my oatmeal without all the added sugar & salt. The other flavors taste great, but are sweeter than I'd prefer. I also like the convenience of the single serve packets. These are great to enjoy hot or as chilled overnight oats! I like these because they're gluten free, organic, and minimally processed.
Ingredients for Homestyle: gluten free whole grain rolled oats
Ingredients for Spiced Apple & Flax: gluten free whole grain rolled oats, cane sugar, dried apple, flax seeds, brown sugar flavor, cinnamon, sea salt
Ingredients for Brown Sugar Maple: gluten free whole grain rolled oats, brown sugar, cane sugar, maple sugar, rolled amaranth, rolled quinoa, sorghum flour, natural maple flavor, sea salt
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $5.29 - $5.99, 8 packets
**Sometimes on sale for less than $5
Click to shop at Target: $4.69, 8 packets (Brown Sugar Maple, Spiced Apple & Flax)
Dressings, Condiments, & Oils
4th & Heart Vanilla Bean Ghee
This grass-fed ghee has a nice subtle vanilla flavor and tastes delicious in my morning coffee, warm oatmeal, and as a spread on rolls & biscuits. It's non-GMO, lactose, casein & gluten free, and keto, paleo, kosher, & Whole30 approved. To read about the benefits of grass-fed ghee, check out my February Healthy Swaps post!
Ingredients: clarified butter (milk), vanilla bean
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $14.49, 9oz
Click to shop at Amazon: $13.99, 9oz
**Sometimes on sale for less than $13
Bachan's Gluten-Free Japanese Barbecue Sauce
We love using this sauce on fried rice or a stir fry dinner! When I first tried it, I was a little thrown off because I was expecting a thicker sauce more similar to teriyaki. This has a pretty thin consistency in comparison. However, it tastes delicious and now we love having this on hand! It's gluten-free, preservative free, BPA free, non-GMO, small batch, and vegan.
Ingredients: non-GMO tamari soy sauce, cane sugar, mirin (water, rice, koji seed, sea salt), tomato paste, organic ginger, green onion, organic rice vinegar, organic garlic, sea salt, organic toasted sesame oil.
Whole Foods (link not currently available): $8.99
Click to shop at Amazon: $13.99
Click to shop at Sprouts: $9.49**
**Currently on sale for $8.79
Big Tree Farms Organic Coco Aminos
I've tried a bunch of different coconut aminos, and this is by far my favorite. I'm able to swap out soy sauce with this in any recipe/marinade that calls for soy sauce, and it ends up tasting great - unlike other brands, that either dilute quickly when cooking, or need so much extra salt for flavor. To see why I swap out soy sauce for this when I'm eating clean, check out this post! It's organic, paleo, fair trade, gluten-free, Whole30.
Ingredients: organic coconut blossom nectar, water, balinese sea salt
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $7.99, 10oz
**Sometimes on sale for around $5
Click to shop at Amazon: $17.80, 10oz 2-pack
Redmond Real Salt: Ancient Fine Sea Salt
This is by far the best tasting & most nutritious sea salt I've had for the price. It's really difficult to over-do it with this salt, because it's loaded with minerals, which keeps your food from getting too salty. To read more on why this salt is good for you, check out this post!
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $9.99, 26oz pouch
Click to shop at Amazon: $8.75, 10oz shaker
Click to shop at Target: $16.35, 26oz pouch
Tessamae's Pantry Classic Ranch
This ranch has a tangy taste, and I love using it on my grilled chicken salads during the week when I'm eating clean. I like both the Classic Ranch & Creamy Ranch. This dressing is organic, gluten/dairy/sugar free, and is keto & whole30 approved. I will say that this won't taste like Hidden Valley ranch, but it tastes clean and it's a lot better than most non-dairy ranch dressings I've tried.
Ingredients: **high oleic sunflower oil, lemon juice, cage free salted egg yolks, water, mustard, distilled vinegar, onion powder, spices, black pepper, dried minced onion, garlic powder, sea salt, egg, rosemary extract
Click to shop at Whole Foods: Classic Ranch, $8.39, 10oz
Click to shop at Whole Foods: Creamy Ranch, $5.99, 10oz
**Sometimes can find this at a neighborhood grocery store like Ralph's for less than $6
**Yes, there is sunflower oil and usually I avoid this. However, I'm not as concerned about organic high oleic sunflower oil, especially if I'm not cooking the product with heat and I don't eat it all the time. If you'd like to read more about this, you can check out this Live Strong article and this Dr. Axe article. When I'm unsure, I'll check to see if the product is whole30 approved, and this dressing is.
Frozen Foods
Applegate Breakfast Sausage
I love my breakfast meats (sausage, bacon, etc). However, after reading about how it only takes a small amount of processed meat in your diet to increase your risk of developing cancer, I've done a hard course-correction. I've greatly limited the amount of processed meat I consume, and I'm very particular on the types and quality as well. That's why I love Applegate's fully cooked breakfast sausages (specifically the Savory Turkey and Chicken Sage). I still limit how often I purchase these, since they're also pricey (the serving size is 3 links, but I usually eat 1-2 with my breakfast), but if I'm doing breakfast sausage, this is the brand I go for. Applegate chicken & turkey livestock are never given antibiotics and are humanely raised, and these sausages have no GMO ingredients, preservatives, artificial ingredients, fillers, chemical nitrites and nitrates, and are very low in sugar (0% sugar in a serving size) and gluten free.
Ingredients for Savory Turkey: turkey, water. Contains less than 2% of: cane sugar, salt, spices (sage, black pepper, white pepper, ginger, red pepper, cayenne pepper), rosemary extract
Ingredients for Chicken & Sage: chicken, water. Contains less than 2% of: cane sugar, salt, spices (black pepper, red pepper, sage, white pepper, ginger), sage.
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $6.49
Click to shop at Target: $6.19
Nature's Path Organic Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Chip Waffles
These frozen waffles are so convenient when I need to add a carb to breakfast and I'm pressed for time. They're not too sweet and don't have many chocolate chips, so I don't ever feel like I'm overdoing it with the sugar. I just put about a tablespoon of vanilla bean ghee on top and it's a nice addition with my eggs & breakfast sausage. Once again, I eat these in moderation due to the organic soy oil & sugar, but I love that this brand is philanthropic (they annually donate to charities that support endangered species, environmental education, habitat conservation, and feeding low-income populations) and sustainable (their facilities are now zero waste). These waffles are organic, dairy and gluten-free, and vegan.
Ingredients: water, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, yellow corn flour, cane sugar, semisweet chocolate chips (cane sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), soy oil, potato flour, soy lecithin, leavening agent (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, and monocalcium phosphate), chocolate flavor, pear juice concentrate, sea salt.
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $3.39
Snacks & Dessert
EPIC Provisions Meat Snacks
I love that EPIC products are not only loaded with protein but also use quality meat, so it's a great choice for me when I need a nutritious snack on the go (my boyfriend & I always have these on hand when we have long work days on set or are traveling). Heads up: some of the bars can get a bit salty, but I love that the bars are thick, soft & filling. The strip snacks are more similar to typical beef jerky, whereas the bars are not. They also have bite-size snacks as well. My favorite flavors are the pork & maple, beef & apple, bison & cranberry bacon bars and the maple glazed salmon strip.
Ingredients for Pork & Maple: uncured smoked bacon - no nitrites or nitrates added* (Pork, Water, Sea Salt, Vinegar, Celery Powder), pork, maple sugar, encapsulated lactic acid**, sea salt, cultured celery powder.
Paleo friendly, Gluten-Free
Ingredients for Beef & Apple: 100% grass-fed beef, uncured smoked bacon - no nitrates or nitrites added* (pork, water, sea salt, vinegar, celery powder), dried apples, encapsulated lactic acid**, cultured celery powder, sea salt
Whole30, Paleo friendly, Gluten-Free, No Added Sugar
Ingredients for Bison & Cranberry: 100% grass-fed bison, uncured bacon - no nitrates or nitrites added* (pork, water, sea salt, brown sugar, vinegar, celery powder), dried cranberries (apple juice concentrate, cranberries), encapsulated lactic acid**, cultured celery powder, sea salt.
Paleo friendly, Gluten-Free
Ingredients for Maple Glazed Salmon: 100% wild-caught salmon, maple sugar, organic coconut oil, sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dill weed.
Paleo friendly, Gluten-Free
*except those naturally occurring in sea salt, celery powder
**not from milk
Click to Shop at Whole Foods: $3.49
Click to Shop at Target: $2.69
Jackson's Avocado Oil Sweet Potato Chips
We love these chips!! These are great for snacking when we're eating clean - their chips are cooked in either avocado or coconut oil. The Carolina BBQ flavor is my favorite! It's not a typical bbq flavor (think sweet & tangy tomato, vinegar, and spices), but I love it and it's clean. These are non-GMO, minimally processed, gluten-free and paleo.
Ingredients for Sea Salt flavor: sweet potatoes, avocado oil, sea salt
Ingredients for Carolina BBQ flavor: sweet potatoes, avocado oil, Carolina bbq seasoning blend (sugar, vinegar powder, sea salt, tomato powder, spices, citric acid, torula yeast, garlic powder, yeast extract, extractives Of paprika, natural smoke flavor, less than 2% of silicon dioxide added to prevent caking)
Click to shop at Whole Foods: $4.29, 5oz
**Sometimes on sale, 2 for $7
PopArt Rosemary Truffle Popcorn
This delicious, ready-to-eat popcorn is amazing in so many ways: it's non-GMO, gluten & dairy free, cooked in olive oil, tastes delicious, and also supports charities that empower children through art! What's there not to love?
Ingredients: popcorn, olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, black summer truffle, rice flour, natural flavor, tapioca, maltodextrin*, parsley.
Click to shop at WholeFoods: $4.99, 4.5oz
*The maltodextrin isn't too big of a worry for me because this product is certified non-GMO, and I eat this in moderation.
Sweet Loren's Cookie Dough
I can't rave about this pre-made cookie dough enough!! I love that Sweet Loren's Cookie Dough flavors are all made with clean ingredients, are non-GMO, and are gluten, dairy, and nut/tree nut free. They're also safe to eat raw! My oven is older, but I throw them in at 350 degrees for 13 minutes, and then let them cool on the pan for 3 minutes, and they're perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. We love the Chocolate Chip and Fudgy Brownie flavors! They do have palm oil* and a good deal of sugar, so we keep our intake to a minimum.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip: gluten free flour blend (oat, tapioca, potato starch), cane sugar, palm oil*, chocolate chunks (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, vanilla extract, salt), filtered water, molasses, natural vanilla flavor, sea salt, baking soda.
Ingredients for Fudgy Brownie: cane sugar, gluten free flour blend (oat, tapioca, potato starch), chocolate chunks (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, vanilla extract, salt), palm oil*, filtered water, cocoa powder, molasses, sea salt, baking soda.
*palm oil is sustainably sourced and RSPO certified
Click to Shop at Whole Foods: $7.79
**Usually can find these on sale at Target or at my neighborhood grocery store
Click to Shop at Target: $6.49
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