Handpicked Spring Snacking from The Healthy Shopper

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Please welcome Shari back to the blog to discuss the handpicked spring snacking from The Healthy Shopper.  As you know, she has a houseful of bouncing not-so-baby boys, so they definitely enjoy their food – and healthy snacks are on the top of her priority list.  Interestingly, when discussing the Healthy Shoppers Spring 2014 picks, Shari had come up with her own version of easy pad thai, and this Spring (2015), she’s added a twist to a basic pad thai by adding a bit of coconut flavor to the mix by using the Earth Balance Creamy Coconut and Peanut Spread (sorry nut allergy friends…this one is definitely not for you, but it is gluten free)!  So if  you are bored with just normal old pad thai then definitely try this version!

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 The Healthy Shopper, Andrea Donsky, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and Healthy Shopper co-founder Randy Boyer, the authors and experts behind “Unjunking your Junk Food,” are offering a couple of unique ideas for snacking and eating healthy this spring.

In our family we love snacking on peanut butter products and popcorn, but sometimes these two snack items aren’t the healthiest products for you or your family.  Many of the peanut butter and popcorn products on the retail market have many chemical ingredients that, very often, you cannot pronounce.  I always say, if you cannot pronounce it, why would you put it into your body?  This is one reason I was so excited about the Earth Balance P.B. Popps.  It’s a delicious popcorn based snack coated with oats and coddled in a peanut butter cluster that makes a yummy, nutritious and all-natural snack.

These crunchy, savoury nuggets are non-GMO, vegan, dairy free and gluten free and have no trans fats (that’s right – zero grams!) in them. I found them very tasty – so tasty in fact, that I didn’t share with anyone – not even my sons!

I also got the opportunity to try Earth Balance Creamy Coconut & Peanut Spread.  It’s great on toast, in stir-fry dishes, smoothies and even as a warm dip for crisp apples, carrots or celery.  I wanted to try something a bit more adventurous with this product, though, so I went onto the Healthy Shopper website for some ideas. 

The awesome people at Healthy Shopper always seem to come up with the best-of-the-best, high-quality, quick-and-easy recipes and always seem to offer coupons to help you make their recipes reality.  And of course, the Healthy Shopper are also a chock-full of information on healthy snacks and foods – and not just on those used in their recipes.  Speaking of recipes,we are huge fans of Peanut Pad Thai in this household, so when I saw the Healthy Shopper recipe for Coconut and Peanut Pad Thai, I thought it was a perfect one for me to try and even more perfect for me to share with you!

Coconut and Peanut Pad Thai 2015-04-22 16:42:20 Serves 4 Healthy and all natural coconut and peanut pad thai recipe written by the Made Just Right Team and created by Michele Fife. Write a review Save Recipe Print Ingredients

1. 2 Tbsp Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread
2. 3 cloves minced garlic
3. 1 inch of minced fresh ginger
4. 1 head of broccoli – cut into florets
5. 1/2 cup of Earth Balance Creamy Coconut & Peanut Spread
6. 2-3 tsp lime juice
7. 2-3 Tbsp gluten-free tamari soy sauce
8. 1/2 cup coconut milk
9. sriracha sauce – to taste
10. small bunch of chopped green onions
11. 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
12. rice noodles or soba noodles

Instructions

1. Prepare noodles according to package and set aside to cool.
2. In a separate pan, melt coconut spread on medium heat. Add minced garlic and ginger, then stir until fragrant (1 - 2 minutes). Add broccoli florets and sauté until tender and bright green (3 or 4 minutes).
3. In a large sauce pan mix Earth Balance Coconut and Peanut Spread, coconut milk, lime juice, gluten free tamari soy sauce, and (optional) sriracha sauce to taste (I like to add around 2 tsp).
4. Heat and let thicken, stirring frequently. Add more coconut milk and/or gluten free tamari if the sauce gets too thick to pour easily. Time to thicken should be around 5 minutes at medium heat.
5. Add cooked noodles to the saucepan and mix until noodles are coated. Plate and top with broccoli and chopped peanuts.
6. Serve and enjoy.

By Michele Fife of WOTV 4 Women http://www.bewilderedbug.com/ ***************************************************** Unfortunately for me, Earth Balance products are not available in the UK.  Trust me I’ve tried to get them across here, and have even contacted several speciality online stores to request that they bring it in – but I’ve been told because of the cost of refrigerated transport across the Atlantic and customs issues, it was not worth their while to bring it to the UK.  I truly miss it, but, if you live in Canada, be sure to pick some up!  Alternatively, I am going to try this recipe with pure virgin coconut oil and some organic peanut butter I’ve found here….and will possibly add some dessicated coconut to the mix, just for some texture.   Do you like pad thai?  Would you try this coconut and peanut version?  

- ...just trying to navigate through this obstacle course called life...