soy free

Garden of Life

The other day I won a 23.4 ounce tub of raw organic protein (chocolate) from Garden of Life. It’s delicious and filling.

The product is vegan, though I am not. I like to blend it with either goat’s milk yogurt or water and two raw pastured eggs (and fresh blueberries!). This product blends so easily and there is no aftertaste.

Interesting, a few days before winning the product, I was re-reading “Patient Heal Thyself” by Jordan S. Rubin of Garden of Life. And in an effort to recharge my health regimen, I went back to eating all whole foods and feel amazing.

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta is an award-winning journalist and author and public speaker who has a great passion for health. Her health-oriented lectures are available to libraries, senior groups, Jewish Community Centers, etc. For more information and availability, email Maryanne at: maryannechristiano@gmail.com

De Canto’s Best Burger — Quinoa flavored

Since it’s summer and there will be a ton of outdoor parties and barbecues, I’ve decided to compile a list and guide of the top three easy to find and reasonably priced veggie burgers, as well as the “to avoid” burgers and the reasons.

Vegans and vegetarians can email this article to friends and family this summer so they know what to prepare for you on the grill!

How cool is that?

Top 3

1. De Canto’s BestBurger. I just tried this burger and it’s not only 100 percent natural, it’s pretty close to raw. There are limited ingredients in each one. The original has: sunflower seeds, organic brown rice, celery, carrots, squash, onion, red cabbage and seasoning. It’s soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, corn-free, wheat-free, oil-free with nothing artificial and low in sodium (only 140 mg!) And it is DELICIOUS, although a little heavy on the stomach — perhaps from the cabbage.

I’m excited that they have a quinoa flavored burger, which I’m dying to try, as quinoa is a complete protein and so very good for you!

2. Dr. Praeger’s California Burger. This was voted the best burger to lose weight by Dr. Oz. And I have to say, even though De Canto’s is a bit healthier, Dr. Praeger’s is my FAVORITE, as it just melts in your mouth. It’s all natural and has all the ingredients you could find in your own cupboard: carrots, onions, string beans, oat bran, soybeans, zucchini, peas, broccoli, corn, soy flakes, spinach, expeller pressed canola oil, red peppers, arrowroot, corn starch, garlic, corn meal, salt, parsley, black pepper.

3. Amy’s. God bless Amy’s, I’ve been using her products for YEARS! The veggie burgers are YUMMY, but they have a bit more sodium than the previous two and they also use a little bit organic cane sugar. However, on the plus side, all ingredients are organic. Note that they do contain soy and corn.

Bottom 3

1. Boca. I never liked these burgers. To me, they are the worst tasting veggie burgers on the market, plus they are loaded with artificial ingredients, cheese and milk.

2. Garden Burger. They taste good, but I haven’t had them in years because they put artificial ingredients in them. They do use dairy in some of their products, but it is kosher. The Veggie Medley and Black Bean are vegan.

3. Morning Star Garden. I don’t think I’ve ever tried these mainly because of all the artificial ingredients. If you can’t pronounce something, it doesn’t belong in your body. I mean, really, what the hell is this stuff?: DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, KONJAC FLOUR … SCARY!

DISCLAIMER TO ALL – While this list is meant to be a healthy guide, do not take your eating so seriously that you do not enjoy life! Nothing is more of a buzz kill than a militant Hitler-esque vegan or health freak that turns his/her nose up to something that isn’t up to his/her high standards.

If someone loves you and invites you over, but picks out the wrong veggie burgers, do yourself a favor and just ENJOY the damn thing! Stress and a bad attitude will have a worse effect on your health than a pinch of DISODIUM INOSINATE will!

Seriously!