What’s in store for January
This article was originally published in January 2013
In the grocery aisles
Hot cereal
Earnest Eats Hot & Fit Cereal is not your average oatmeal. A hearty, wheat-free breakfast option perfect on cold winter mornings, these cereals are brimming with whole grains — oats, amaranth and quinoa — and blended with fruits, nuts and seeds. Discover Mayan Blend (cocoa, pepitas, cashews) and Asian Blend (macha green tea, mangoes, cinnamon).
Glutenfreeda Foods Oatmeal is carefully crafted in a 100 percent gluten-free facility in Burlington, Wash., by a company committed to making gluten-free foods that taste good. Available in flavors such as Apple Cinnamon, Maple Raisin and Banana Maple.
Nature’s Path Q’ia (pronounced Kee-ah) is a superfood medley of Chia, Hemp and Buckwheat, bursting with protein, fiber and omega-3’s. Eat as a breakfast cereal, swirled into yogurt or stirred into hot cereal. Available in Apple Cinnamon, Cranberry Vanilla and Original flavor. Vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified.
In the meat department
Grass-fed beef
When you choose grass-fed beef over grain-fed, you’re enjoying the quintessential flavor of beef. Plus, grass-fed meat contains less fat and fewer calories (read: gentler on your waistline), and it’s full of healthful omega-3 fatty acids. We carry our own brand of pasture-raised beef as well beef from Eel River Organic. According to chef and PCC instructor Lynne Vea, cooking grass-fed beef to medium rare yields the most mouthwatering flavor. If you prefer to cook it longer, marinating the meat will keep it tender and juicy.
In the dairy case
Greek-style yogurt
Strain the liquid whey off yogurt and you get a thick, creamy sensation that’s typically higher in protein and lower in sugar than its American counterparts. Here are two of our favorites.
Nancy’s Organic Nonfat Probiotic Greek Yogurt, made by Springfield Creamery in Eugene, Ore., has the signature Nancy’s tang, up to 22 grams of protein per 6-ounce serving and a whopping 15 live culture strains (most yogurts have 2 to 4). Available in Plain, Honey and various fruit flavors.
Straus Organic Greek Plain Yogurt contains only whole milk goodness and live cultures. Besides making great yogurts, the Straus family practices sustainability in their facilities by using solar panels and repurposing cow manure into methane-charged electricity.