Making “good choices” can be tough. The labels and all the marketing aren’t making it any easier either.
While I will help make sense of labels, ingredients, and how to read them, I thought a little cheat-sheet of foods that aren’t terrible for you (in general, except where an allergy is playing a role) may also be helpful.
Categories thus far: Dietary Additives, Treats, and Teas & Remedies.
Dietary Additives
Swoon
Sweetener
I have tried a lot of sugar-free sweeteners, and they all have one thing in common: disappointment.
But this one’s different!!!
I am thrilled to introduce to you a monk fruit extract based simple syrup that can be used 1:1 like sugar based simple syrup, and it’s delicious.
I’ve been sweetening my coffee in the morning for the first time in 7 years. It’s soooo smoooooth.
You can order just one or 3 bottles at a time.
TasteSwoon.com — you can also order 3 bottles at a time via their website, and even set up a recurring order, if you’d like! For orders placed via their website, you can use my discount code for $8 OFF (which is basically ‘buy 2, get 1 free’)! CODE: ANDREA8
BONUS: some drink recipes to try from the makers of Swoon!
Unicreamer
Powdered Creamer
Generally speaking, I prefer liquid creamers, but the flavor of these powdered creamers is exceptional!
Just like everything I provide links to, this is a sugar-free option. It’s coconut based and is sweetened with stevia.
Since it’s a powder, it tends to settle in the bottom of the cup, but a little swirl or stir once in a while sorts that right out.
They come in single serves (which I carry with me) and ~30 serving tubs. Flavors: Original (unsweetened), Mocha, and Hazelnut (my personal favorite).
NutPods
Liquid Creamer
I know that cutting back on dairy can be tough, and that every time you find a product that leaves out something you’re trying to avoid, they add in a whole bunch of stuff that’s really unnecessary.
Here’s a coffee creamer that is non-dairy (Almonds & Coconut) and sugar-free! (Also compatible with these diets: Whole30, Paleo, Keto, and Vegan.)
Flavors: Original, French Vanilla, Hazelnut (my personal favorite), Caramel, Cinnamon Swirl, and Chocolate.
Natural Vitality – Magnesium
Magnesium Supplement
Only recommended if your labwork shows low magnesium levels, but if you need some magnesium, Natural Vitality makes a really good supplement. It absorbs well, doesn’t have a bunch of fillers, and has a delightful flavor. This particular brand also dissolves really well in water (the Lemon flavor works great in iced tea!).
Flavors: Lemon (my personal favorite), Orange, Cherry, and Raspberry Lemon.
Treats
Biltong
Like jerky, only better!
Biltong is a style of drying meat that comes from Southern African countries. It’s similar to beef jerky, but isn’t as tough and usually doesn’t have sugar in it! (Some of the flavors do, so check the ingredients, but generally speaking, this snack tends to be sugar-free.)
There are quite a few brands to choose from, but I’ve personally tried this one and it was delicious!
ChocZero
Chocolates & Syrups
If you’re looking to reduce or eliminate sugar (fructose and sucrose), everything these guys make is amazing. I’m not a fan of sugar-alcohols or artificial sweeteners, and these products are free of both (they use Monk Fruit Extract). I’ve tried a sampling of their product line, and I’m ordering more. Seriously. When I want a treat, without harming myself, these products deliver and don’t make me feel like I’m settling.
#CollectTheWholeSet
Things I’ve personally tried:
Things I’ve not yet tried, but fit the same ingredient profiles:
Enjoy Life – Lentil Chips
Crisps
Enjoy Life makes lovely products while leaving out many of the extra ingredients we don’t need.
These Lentil Chips in particular hit on all-cylinders: no sugar in addition to all of these other common allergens:
And believe it or not, they’re delicious!
Flavors: Sea Salt, Garlic & Parmesan, Margherita Pizza, and Dill & Sour Cream (my personal favorite).
Crumpets
Muffins
I used to love English muffins… until I started reading labels more closely.
I’ve switched to Crumpets (the original English muffin) which have a much simpler ingredient list and no sugar (fructose or sucrose).
Just about any brand will do, but my local stores don’t carry them, so I order these online.
Bach Rescue Pastilles
Gummies, gums, melts, drops, etc.
These natural stress relieving gummies are also tasty! Imagine that: a delicious treat that also calms your system.
While they do use sugar-alcohols, the serving size is so small that it’s incredibly unlikely to lead to any digestive issues.
Other stress relief and sleep aid products are available in: pearls, sprays, gums, creams, melts, and drops.
Flavors available: Original Orange & Elderflower (my personal favorite), Black Currant, Cranberry, and Lemon.
Teas & Remedies
Seagate – Olive Leaf
Teas & Sprays
We’re still learning a lot about Olive Leaves, but the soothing effects are noticeable almost immediately.
Some properties of Olive Leaf Extract include: anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant, so it’s a go-to when the system is inflamed.
Since sore throats and stuffy noses are doing their jobs of protecting the irritated spots, it makes more sense to reduce the inflammation than to dry up the protective layer.
Products: Throat Spray, Nasal Spray, and Tea.
Throat Spray flavors: Unflavored (Wild Indigo) (my personal favorite) and Raspberry-Spearmint.
Stinging Nettle Tea
Tea
This odd-sounding tea is incredibly anti-inflammatory and helps many people with allergies.
You can make one cup / kettle of tea at a time or make a concentrated tea, which keeps well in the refrigerator, then dilute with water to drink (or add to another beverage, as the flavor it quite strong). This ensures that some is ready whenever there’s a flare-up.
