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If you’re like me, you love to consider recommendations from those around you when making purchasing decisions. You ask friends for advice, your family members for recommendations, and then a trendy co-worker for new items she’s found.
Below, I’ll add items I’ve tried and loved in the past, as well as recent discoveries I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on!
Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if you click the link and make a purchase. This is at no additional cost to you. I will only recommend products that I’ve tried and would continue to use. Click the name or the picture of the product to check them out!
Bada Bean Bada Boom
This little product is awesome! You can get them in single servings or in larger packages to share. I first tried these out when Sprouts had a small promotional display. I reached out to the company, and they sent me 2 huge variety packs to check out.
Bada Bean Bada Boom is a snack made from broad (fava) beans that are roasted and then seasoned. Their ingredient list is short and pronounceable, and they are yummy!
My favorite is the Mesquite Barbecue flavor, though I do like all of them (with the exception of the cinnamon one – it’s the cinnamon, not the product). Other flavors include Cocoa Dusted, Sea Salt, Sweet Cinnamon, Mesquite BBQ, Garlic & Onion, Spicy Wasabi, and Sweet Sriracha.
Bobby Sue’s Nuts
We can all benefit from eating a serving of nuts and seeds every day. But sometimes they get a little boring, right? You could buy a variety of nuts/seeds from the bulk bin and create your own mixtures with your favorite seasonings. Or you can try Bobby Sue’s Nuts.
My favorite variety is the Everything Goes Nuts, which is almonds, cashews, and pecans flavored with sesame and poppy seeds, onion, and garlic.
Their original flavor is a blend of sweet and savory, and they also have spicy, Italian, chocolate, Mediterranean, and mocha versions.
If that’s not cool enough, BobbySue’s Nuts was founded to raise money for animals in need. They donate to the SPCA, and they plan to build a new, modern shelter facility to help even more animals!
Fossil River Balsamic Vinegar Salt
Gosh, I love balsamic vinegar, but sometimes it can really hit you over the head!
Another Sprouts find, this time on the clearance rack, is Balsamic Vinegar salt. We bought one to try it out, and man, do I wish I had taken advantage of the second one they had! Luckily, Amazon is to the rescue! (Update: this brand no longer appears to sell on Amazon. The link above is to their online store.)
This salt is impregnated with balsamic vinegar, giving the food you make a hint of the awesome flavor without knocking you over with it. I’ve used it on sauteed mushrooms and a wide variety of different roasted vegetables. I’ll definitely be buying more when I run out, unfortunately, not at the clearance price!
Also, they come in other flavors: 5 pepper, aromatic herbs, charcoal (skip it), and grilled meat (rosemary, parsley, and black pepper – sounds delicious, maybe on a grown-up grilled cheese). They also have liquid salt products, including cucumber, garlic, Mediterranean Essences, plain, and truffle. The spray salts are meant to disperse salt evenly, reducing the amount of sodium you add to your food.
ExtraLife Produce Preserver Disks
These little green disks are marvelous at keeping your produce fresh longer. They work by absorbing gases given off by fruits and vegetables that make your fresh produce go bad.
Each little disk lasts for a month and really does prolong how long your produce stays fresh.
I’ve been using them for a couple of years now, and I can definitely tell when I’ve left one in the fridge for too long! You can use them outside of the refrigerator as well, perfect for your onions, potatoes, and such that shouldn’t go in the fridge.
Little Bento: 32 Irresistible Bento Box Lunches for Kids
I bought this little book over a year ago. Roman was starting to get really nervous about switching from daycare 3 days per week to kindergarten 5 days a week. He was worried about handling all the information he was supposed to learn and leaving his buddies behind.
To make him feel a little better, I told him about “special lunches” that he could get in kindergarten and showed him lots of pictures of bento boxes online.
I informed him that I couldn’t make them look as good as some other mommies’ pictures, but that we could do something similar. He was totally into this idea, so I bought this book to help me!
It’s full of cute, creative ideas for kids’ lunches. For someone who is not particularly creative but wanted to give my kiddo something to look forward to every day, this book was a big help.
What do you think?
Do you like this idea? I hope it helps everyone either solve a problem they’re having or just enjoy a new product they haven’t tried before. Maybe you’ll even find some gift ideas for the vegetarian in your life!
Do you have a product you love that you think I should check out? Let me know in the comments below!
Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian, mom, wife, and vegetarian in North Texas. She has dedicated Dietitian Jenn to be a source of information, ideas, and inspiration for people like her, vegetarians that live with people with different dietary beliefs and/or needs in a multivore household.