I did a post a while back on Amy’s foods. I recently tried her California Veggie Burgers and thought they were very tasty and wanted to recommend them. They are similar to the Boca Burgers out there, but the California Veggie Burgers are much healthier (made with whole ingredients, nothing processed).

All you need is a whole wheat english muffin (which I got at Trader Joes), an Amy’s California Veggie Burger and fixings of your choice (spinach, mustard and onions are my top three) and you got yourself a healthy meal in a matter of minutes!

Where to get them:

Target: selected locations/$3.99 which is going to be your cheapest bet!

Henry’s: around $4-5

WholeFoods: around $5

Vons/Safeway (selected locations)

Check with your local super market!

Enjoy!

Clif Bar, Luna Bar, Balance Bar, PowerBar. Ever eaten one of these? Maybe you grab one before a long run or long bike ride …or maybe you grab one in the middle of the day to beat that mid afternoon slump. There are so many energy bars out there, what do you look for when you buy them? Do you fully understand all the ingredients in them? I pulled up the Clif Bar website and looked up some of the ingredients. Most ingredients I recognized, however, some ingredients I have no idea what they are like soy protein isolate. Sounds simple, but I don’t think it is as simple as it sounds. Also many of these so called healthy energy bars contain way too much sugar and processed ingredients.

I have found some energy bars that are healthy, have flavor and you actually recognize all the ingredients.

Energy Bar #1: Lara bars

-          Offer a wide variety of flavors

-          Sweetened with dates (natural sweetener)

-          My favorite is the Banana Nut (taste exactly like banana nut bread) and the Peanut Butter bar

-          Found at Trader Joes, WholeFoods, Henry’s and I have seen them at Vons/Safeway

Energy Bar #2: Bora Bora bars

-          Made mostly from nuts

-          Sweetened with agave syrup (natural sweetener)

-          My favorite is the Cinnamon Oatmeal

-          So far the only place I have been able to find these are at Costco, check your local markets I am sure they sold elsewhere (I think I saw them at Whole Foods, but I have not had time to confirm that)

Energy Bar #3: Trio Bar

-          Also made mostly from nuts

-          More of a crunchy texture

-          These are not particularly my favorite, but some of you might like them

-          Sweetened with dates (natural sweetener), evaporated cane juice, which isn’t the best, but at least you know what it is

-          I have also only seen these at Costco, but I am sure there are elsewhere as well

I do hope you get to try out one of these healthy energy bars. I am sure there are other healthy ones out there, but these are the ones I have tried, think they taste great and really recommend in place of your current energy bar.

I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t always have time to cook a healthy meal every single night! About a year ago I discovered frozen meals made by Amy’s Kitchen. Get this… they are frozen meals that are organic, healthy, have natural ingredients, are not processed and most cook in 5 minutes or less.  What more could you ask for right?

Amy’s Kitchen has a variety of meals to choose from such as pizza, soups, brown rice bowls, pastas and apple pie. One thing I like about Amy’s Kitchen meals is that they tailor some of their foods for people who are lactose intolerant (such as myself) and offer pizzas, burritos and enchiladas that don’t have cheese. I might also mention all the products are vegetarian, but don’t let that scare you.   There are plenty of meals I haven’t had such as the baked ziti, the toaster pops, the lasagna or the veggie burgers, but I can honestly say that I haven’t had a bad meal yet.

I think for those who are living the busy life and don’t have the time to necessarily cook every night and are looking for something healthy and easy I think an Amy’s Kitchen meal might just be what you are looking for.

Where to buy? I have found them at WholeFoods, Henry’s, Vons (aka Safeway) and believe it or not Target (although Target has a very limited selection).  Amy’s Kitchen meals also typically cost more than your average frozen meal, but hey… wouldn’t you rather spend an extra buck or two on something that isn’t processed and that is healthy rather than a medical bill down the line because you ate too many processed foods and your arteries were clogged?

On a side note I saw Amy’s Kitchen burritos featured on How it’s Made and I was so fascinated and so excited to see a product created with real ingredients!