Supermarket Superfoods

When you are trying to eat cleaner it can get damn confusing and expensive. What the F is mesquite powder and why does it cost $25? While many superfoods and healthy ingredients work out cheaper to buy online, your local Coles or Woolies (or IGA for my bumpkins, holler!) now stock a pretty decent range of items that I regularly have on hand in my pantry.

The majority of our food shopping is done in the “safe zones” aka the outer perimeter of the supermarket where the fresh stuff is – Fruit & veg, meat, cold food. I am always armed with a shopping list so my time spent in the supermarket is kept to a minimum. Busy shop + confined spaces + kids throwing tanties = my idea of hell.

Below is a list of ingredients I will usually have on hand in my kitchen and where in the supermarket to find them:


GENERAL GROCERY

• Almond Milk (unsweetened) & Coco Quench (a mix of coconut & rice milks) – in the long life milk aisle, with soy milks. We use these nearly every morning in our smoothies.
• Brown, red or wild rice – usually found near the pasta section. I like to mix all 3 together and cook at once to have with salads, stir fries, curries and the like.
• Salt & sugar free peanut butter – found with all the other PB’s, honey, vegemite & jams. A little bit of PB is full of good fats and a bit of protein (obviously steer clear if you are allergic). Do not buy if you cannot be trusted not to eat it straight from the jar with a spoon. Or your finger. If it sounds like I’m speaking from experience, it’s because I am.
• Popcorn kernels – found in the same aisle as the chips. You will need to exercise some serious self-control to get to them. I recommend not even making eye contact with the cheezles. I like to air pop them on the stove with a tiny bit of coconut oil and then sprinkle some nutritional yeast over them.
• Organic canned kidney beans & chickpeas – obviously with the other canned vegetables. Makes a great base for some Mexican or a vege burger patty.
• Red Lentils & Puy Lentils (French Green Lentils) – also found around the canned aisle, sometimes near tinned soups. These packets of dried lentils are perfect for salads and curries.
• Mineral water – other than tap water, this is all I drink. Sometimes with a splash of iced tea.
• Almond Meal – found in the baking/nuts and dried fruit section, almond meal is a must have flour replacement for those who are gluten intolerant or on the paleo diet.
• Stevia – Found amongst the sugars, stevia is a natural, safe, low calorie alternative to sugar. Use it in baking or whenever you would normally use sugar

ASIAN FOODS 
(most of these you can find at your local Asian Grocer, and are usually cheaper)

• Full Fat Coconut Milk – This stuff is the bomb. I use it in everything from healthy cheesecakes, vegan dairy free ice-cream and also in curries.
• Soba Noodles – Made from buckwheat, these are a better version for those who are gluten sensitive.
• Nori – we like making homemade wild rice sushi rolls for an easy midweek dinner or even cut into small strips and sprinkled over salads. It is a nutritional powerhouse, high in iodine, calcium, magnesium, iron, Vitamins A, C & B, protein and tons of fibre.
• Tamari/Low sodium soy – make the switch to using tamari or reduced salt soy sauce to assist in cutting down your sodium intake. 
• Miso Paste – fermented foods, like miso are bursting with nutrients. Miso restores beneficial probiotics to the intestines & contains all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Mix with boiling water for a mid-afternoon snack, coat some chicken breast before grilling, or mix with some oil and lemon juice to make a salad dressing.

HEALTH FOOD SECTION

• Unhulled Tahini – a paste made from ground sesame seeds, high in calcium, potassium & iron. Use it to make hummus, raw power ball snacks or salad dressing.
• Almond butter – use in place of peanut butter and top some sliced apples, in a celery stick, or in your favourite raw dessert.
• Rice malt syrup – a fructose & gluten free replacement for honey.
• Apple cider vinegar – benefits include detoxification & maintaining your body’s healthy alkaline PH level. I like to add a teaspoon or 2 to my 1L jug and aim to finish this by lunchtime.
• Chia Seeds – I cannot speak highly enough of the benefits of chia seeds, as previously mentioned here. If you are new to chia, start gradually with 1 teaspoon per day, working your way up to about a tablespoon. 
• Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil – I’m going to do another post at a later date on the many uses for coconut oil, in a nutshell it is a “healthy” saturated fat which our body metabolises in the liver, immediately converting this into energy (fuel for the brain and muscle function) rather than it being stored as fat. One of the reasons I love coconut oil is for its high smoking point, making it perfect for cooking at high temperatures (other oils when they start to smoke in the pan are carcinogenic! Yuck!)
• Quinoa – referred to as “the gold of the Incas” and was believed to increase the stamina of its warriors, this nutty flavoured seed can be used in recipes as a grain replacement (even served with almond milk and fruit as a brekky porridge). It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids, making it perfect for vegetarians & vegans, and is packed full of iron, magnesium & lysine (for tissue growth & repair).

If you have never even heard of, let alone used many of the ingredients on this list, you may be slightly overwhelmed, however I encourage you to pick 1 or 2 items from this list and add them to your next shopping list and try them as a healthier replacement or in a new recipe. Good Luck!