You would think buying nut milk would be simple. It should be 2 ingredients, but these days there are so many options and some have a half dozen ingredients or more.

Today I want to help you navigate the fridge section of your local grocery store to help you pick the best nutmilk.

What to Look For

The less ingredients the better.

I have found Almond Milk’s on store shelves that had just a handful of ingredients. You want to find these milks.

Carrageenan Free

Carrageenan is a thickening agent that is made out of red seaweed. Although it seems natural, it has been linked to digestive distress ( gas and bloating), IBS, and colon cancer. It is also the cause of chronic inflammation which is the leading cause of all dis-ease.

Avoid Natural Flavors

Natural flavors are anything but natural. They are made using the same process as artificial flavors, see this quote from Bon Apetite

“Both natural and artificial flavors are synthesized in laboratories, but artificial flavors come from petroleum and other inedible substances, while “natural flavor” can refer to anything that comes from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf—yes, we’re still going—meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or anything fermented from those foods, according to Food and Drug Administration spokesperson Deborah Kotz.

Look for Added Sugar

Most flavored nut milks are loaded with added sugars. Be sure to read the ingredients to see what sources the sugar is coming from and opt for unsweetened or natural sweetened options (like dates).

No to Added Vitamins and Minerals

When you see additional vitamins and minerals on the nutrition labels this is usually a sign that it was fortified or enriched. This means that a nutrient is lost during the chemical process of creating a food and then a synthetic version is added back in. Your body does not absorb the synthetic nutrients in the same way.

Look For organic

Nuts and oats are some of the most highly sprayed food items we have. When we are consuming nut milks we are being exposed to higher concentrations of the chemicals that we normally would by snacking on nuts/seeds, or eating oats. It’s very important to choose organic to avoid being exposed to pesticides, herbicides, glyphosate, and insecticides.

avoid Added Oils

Something I have seen a lot of is nutmilk and oat milk brands adding oils to their milks. The oils they are using (sunflower, and rapeseed aka canola) are the most inflammatory oils you can ingest. Nuts are naturally oily (fat!) and don’t need any oils added!

my top grocery store picks

So now that you know what to look for, I wanted to make this a little easier. Here are my go to brands for nut milks that follow all the rules above!

Three Trees

This tastes the most like fresh homemade almond milk of all the milks I’ve tried. The ingredients in the original are just water and almonds, but the vanilla flavor is my favorite.

It doesn’t contain any sugar like most brands and uses vanilla bean and extract for flavor!

Malk

I really love with this brand stands for. They use organic ingredients, no gums fillers, artificial sweeteners, or carrageenan. They also have a nice variety of milks that are pretty uncommon like pecan and cashew milk!

New Barn

New Barn is another almond milk that I think tastes really fresh. Although this brand has some gums it is Whole30 approved and one of the cleaner versions on the shelf.

I haven’t found an Oat Milk brand that I like, Oatly uses Rapeseed Oil, and Califia Sunflower Oil - if you know of a clean oatmilk brand let me know and I can update!

Make Your Own

If you want to try making your own nut milk visit my instagram page for an easy recipe that requires no soaking or nut bag!

With Summer quickly approaching I find myself swapping out my heavier breakfasts for a lighter on the go options. One of them being smoothies.

The thing I love about smoothies is that they are portable, can be prepped in advance, and eaten on the go. While I was living and working in NYC this was my go to almost every morning from spring to fall. Over the years I’ve learned that they can be really healthy, or a health trap.

Today I want to break down building a better smoothie, from protein options to add on’s - you’re going to feel empowered to build your own breakfast by the end of this post!

Let’s start where all smoothies do - The Base.

My go to base options are - water, nutmilk, or coconut water.

A few things to keep in mind here:

1. Nut and Oat milks are obviously higher in fat and carbohydrates so you will want to balance the add on’s if you’re choosing these as your base.

2. To avoid using more than 1 serving of nutmilk measure out your liquid before pouring it into your blender/nutribullet

PRO TIP: Water alone can make for a very thin smoothie - I mix water with nut milk at a 3:1 ratio for a thicker smoothie without loading up my macros.

The Power Of Protein

Next up is the reason I drink smoothies - an extra hit of protein to start my day.

Before I share my top picks for protein I want to give you a run down of what to avoid when choosing a protein!

• Soy Isolates - I avoid soy protein powders because I don’t think they are the best resource. If you are okay with soy look for organic and clean options of soy protein. Soy Protein Isolates are not clean sources of soy. It is extracted from soy beans using a chemical process and lots of chemical residue is left behind.

• Avoid Natural Flavors - don’t let the word natural fool you, these flavors are just as chemically processed as their counterparts - I avoid this at all costs!

• Lecithin, Gums and Fillers - these are often the source of inflammation, and leaky gut syndrome - you may have to do some digging but there are protein options available that do not use these to bulk up their products!

• Sweeteners and Sugars - I like to be in control of the sweetness level of my smoothies and the source of it. Look for a sugar free version so you have a clean slate to start building your perfect smoothie!

Here are brands that making protein powders that don’t include any of the above ingredients! I have not taste tested all of them so look for samples sizes if you are not sure!

• Garden of Life - RAW PROTEIN + GREENS

• Four Sigmatic - Mushroom Protein - use code kaleismykarma to save 10%

• Nutiva Hemp Protein

PRO TIP: Don’t assume that all flavors or styles of proteins from the brands above are clean - each product is different so make sure to check ingredients before buying!

Add On’s

This is where you make or break your smoothie! It’s important to think about balance when it comes to add on’s. If you used nut milk as your base, don’t add nut butter at this point.

You also want to focus on building a smoothie that has Protein - Fiber- Fat -Greens

Things to keep in mind :

• If using nutmilk avoid adding nuts or nutbutter at this step

• If using coconut water don’t add additional fruit at this step to keep your sugar levels low and prevent an insulin spike

• Limit fruit to 1 -2 servings per smoothie

Here area few of my favorite add on ingredients

• Fruit

  • Berries

  • 1/2 Banana

  • Mango

  • Pineapple

• Greens

  • Kale and Spinach are neutral flavors that are easily masked

• Almond Butter

• Spirulina

• Anima Mundi Collagen Booster

• Chia Seeds

• Hemp Seeds

• Coconut Flakes

• Avocado

• Cacao

• Cinnamon

PRO TIP: Ice will water your smoothie down - freeze your fruit and buy frozen kale or spinach and it will make it cold while thickening!

You don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients for your morning smoothie- instead focus on clean ingredients while you build your pantry.

I very rarely mix up my smoothies and usually on throw in 3 ingredients but I make sure they are organic, clean, and filling me up with protein, fiber, and healthy fats!

Some parts of the plant based diet are not so glam.

One thing I get asked about a lot is how to reduce gas and bloating that sometimes comes along with eating more plants.

I've put together some tips that I think will help you feel more comfortable digging in to your veggies!

Drink more water

Plants are very high in fiber, so when you increase the amount of fiber in your diet you should be conscious of increasing your water consumption as well.

Soak your nuts, beans and grains.

Soaking these foods makes them easier to digest. Here’s a cheat sheet on how to soak specific grains.

Nuts have a coating called Phytic acid that prohibits the body from absorbing certain nutrients and can make them hard to digest. To soak place nuts with warm water and salt in a bowl overnight, drain and rinse in the morning and then dry out in the oven (150 degrees) or in the dehydrator

For rice and beans - soak with warm water overnight

Quinoa - rinse with cool water do not soak overnight

Include bile stimulating foods into your diet.

We need bile in order to begin the breakdown of foods and help with digestion. If you're experiencing these issues you may not be secreting enough bile. One way to increase your bile is by drinking celery juice first thing in the morning

add more digestive friendly foods to your diet

My favorite food to add into my meals to help with my digestion is fennel. If you are struggling with gas and bloating, try adding fennel seed to your dishes, snacking on fennel, or trying doTerra’s Digestzen.

Practice Mindful Eating

Gas and bloating can be a result of eating too fast, not chewing enough, or too much air being taken in while eating. Slow down when you eat, chew your food (at least 15 times per bite), and practice putting your fork down in between bites. You can also take a few deep breaths before eating so you get in a rest and digest state.

If these tips are not helping, start logging your foods and symptoms to see if you are having a reaction to anything in particular.

A few years ago I realized I had a problem.

I was addicted to Starbucks. Whenever I was traveling I would make sure we would be near a Starbucks, and it would be my first stop in the morning.

By the time I realized that this was an issue, I was a Quad Venti latte a day girl, and sometimes a 2nd in the afternoon.

If I didn't have coffee I would get the shakes, unbearable headaches, and I would be very cranky, but worse than all of that were the things that were happening to my bod on a deeper level.

The only non-dairy milk option they had at the time was soy. Consuming this much Non-Organic soy was so bad for my hormones. On top of that my adrenals were working in over drive to process all the caffeine, and I was struggling with terrible acne.

I quit coffee for a year to regain my health (and prove a point!). Then I learned about @foursigmatic mushroom coffee and at that point I was really missing my morning cup.

So I decided that it would be okay for me to start drinking coffee again as long as it was quality coffee (aka Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee)

Here’s what I love about Four Sigmatic

• Less acidic than normal coffee (no stomach burning)

• 
  Extremely high quality (no pesticides, no mycotoxins)

• 
  Jitter-free and I can go days without drinking it without any nasty withdrawals!

• 
  Includes powerful antioxidants and immune boosting properties

• 
  Boosts your brain & productivity

• 
  Reduces stress, improves concentration, memory, and alertness

The mushrooms also have amazing health benefits:

Chaga is one of the world's most potent superfoods. It is antiviral, antimicrobial, and high in antioxidants. Making it great for the immune system - if you immune system is depleted it raises it but if you have an overactive one (autoimmune disease) it helps to regulate it. 

Cordyceps (vegan friendly kind) is a natural energy booster, & enhances blood flow. Because of its adaptagenic properties it doesn't result in an energy crash or jitters

Lions Mane is great for boosting focus, cognitive function, and long and short term memory. It is also been known to have benefits on the heart and gut.

If you want to give Mushroom Coffee a try you can use my code kaleismykarma for a 10% discount.

Okay, now onto the recipe!

Mushroom Mexican Coffee

1” - 2” Orange Peel (make sure it’s organic)

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground Ginger

pinch of cayenne

Creamer of Choice

Coffee of Choice

Instructions:

If using a French Press: put the coffee grinds, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne into the coffee press. Pour in hot water and let brew according to the instructions of your french press (around 4 minutes usually)

If your brewing coffee in a coffee maker add all ingredients except for the creamer into the filter and brew regularly.

Enjoy!

A few weeks ago we celebrated Winter Solstice. This is the darkest and longest night of the year. I celebrated this with great friends at Remedy 11 where we shared a vegetarian potluck, vegan cheese, and this Winter Sangria Mock-tail.

A few years ago I gave up drinking, and as much as it doesn’t bother me to be the only one drinking seltzer when I go out, sometimes I want something a little more fun! This mocktail is a little bit spicy and a little bit sweet. Make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy for around 3-4 days. The longer the juices sit the more flavor you’ll get!

Winter sangria mocktail

What you need

• A large pitcher

• Ginger Seltzer

• 3-4 Cinnamon Sticks

• 1/2 Pear

• 1/2 Apple

• 1 - 1 1/2 Cups Cranberries

directions

• Wash all of your produce

• Cut the pear and apple into 1/2” cubes

• Place all ingredients into the large pitcher and let sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving

When I was 10 years old I decided that I wasn’t going to eat meat anymore. My parents had NO CLUE how to feed a 10 year old vegetarian in the 90’s. Plant based lifestyles were not nearly as common as they are now and I survived on lots of carbs.

In the last 20 years I have tried multiple times to move into a vegan diet and had lots of unsuccessful attempts.

The first time I tried it I reverted back to eating bagels and tofu cream cheese for breakfast, the second time I got through the mid afternoon slump by picking on snacks from the vending machine, and then there was that time where I had no energy and felt pretty crappy.

I wanted to share some of the things I picked up along my plant based journey with you so you can have the most successful veganuary.

Keep your protein sources clean.

it might be really tempting to cook up vegan hot dogs, and soy nuggets every night of the week, but it’s really important to keep your protein sources clean. There is a lot of controversial information about the effects of soy on the body, and my personal experience with processed soy was not great. I had major digestive issues, and acne. I haven’t deleted all soy from my diet though. I do indulge once a month on some high quality tempeh.

Some of my favorite protein sources are: lentils, beans, nuts and seeds, nutritional yeast, quinoa, and ORGANIC NON-GMO Tempeh.

meal prep or sign up for meal delivery.

If you’re new to the plant based lifestyle and are jumping into Veganuary it is going to be overwhelming. Trying to keep meals interesting, eating a variety of vegetables, and figuring out protein is a lot of work. Preparing each week by creating a “menu” and meal planning, or signing up for a meal delivery like The Hungry Hippie can take a lot of the pressure off.

If you’re in the NY/NJ area and want to sign up for The Hungry Hippie I am offering a special offer for veganuary. To find out more shoot us an email here!

If you’re not local and want to plan your own menu some of my favorite plant based blogs are Deliciously Ella, Oh She Glows, and My New Roots.

GRab a buddy and do it together.

When I went vegetarian at 10, my best friend did it with me. She’s still plant based and we have so much fun sharing meals, trying out vegan restaurants, and feel so much better when we are at parties together. If you can find a veganuary buddy in your existing circle that would be great, but don’t worry if none of your friends want to take the leap with you. Joining a FB community of local vegans is a great way to feel like you are part of a group! They share tons of tips on local restaurants, new product finds, and all kinds of support.

remember this is a process.

Like I shared earlier, going vegan is a challenge. You will probably eat something that had eggs in it at least once during the process. You might not have realized that something was sweetened with honey, or an additive was sourced from an animal. It’s OKAY. Things like this happen all of the time. Be gracious with yourself during this process and use each step of the way as a learning experience. Remember that the most important part of this experience is that you are feeling healthy, happy, and energized. As long as those are the results you are winning.

Get familiar with vegan brands.

The dozens of options at the grocery store is already overwhelming without having to sort through which ones are vegan or not. Getting familiar with brands and products before your head to the aisles will make shopping a breeze. You can even shop from the comfort of your own home with Thrive Market. Thrive has made it super easy to find vegan certified snacks and pantry staples with their filter features. It’s something I truly love and utilize weekly.

Some of my favorite brands that carry vegan products are: Simple Mills, Siete, Food for Live, Hilary’s

keep a stocked pantry.

Putting together a vegan meal doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. I keep my freezer stocked with vegetables and soup, and my fridge with greens, fruits, and nut butters. I always keep a pantry stocked with lentils, quinoa, and beans that are ready to go in minutes. When you are stuck just try different combinations of veggies with a grain, a protein, and a sauce, or make a big salad. A full pantry will help make things easier on you!

be careful of the processed carbs.

Like I shared above when I first went vegan I was all about the carbs. Pasta and bagels every day were bad habits, and nutrient void foods. Relying heavily or solely on these foods can cause energy crashes, digestive issues, bloating, and even acne. When you’re building your plate fill it with almost all vegetables, a clean protein source, and a healthy fat.

An example of a well balanced meal: Roasted Vegetables with Quinoa and Avocado

Supplement as needed.

I am a believer of the food first mentality ,but there are some vitamins that are hard and/or impossible to get on a vegan diet. There are a few supplements that I take daily and they may be things you want to look into.

Vitamin B12 - this is a vitamin that is not available through whole plant based foods. Meaning it is the one vitamin that you cannot get through a vegan diet. Without B12 you can run the risk of anemia, and damage to your nervous system. You can get some of the daily requirement through B12 fortified foods, or you can supplement. The B12 I use is from Garden of Life which is a spray and the B12 is in the form of methylcobalmin the most bio available form of B12 there is.

Algae Omega - You need omega’s for heart, brain, and immunity. You can get a variety of Omega’s from hemp but I love the added insurance of a supplement, plus my skin glows when I’m taking my Algae Omega. My favorite brand is Nordic Naturals.

Vitamin D - One of the most beneficial ways of getting Vitamin D is through sunlight, so when the fall and winter roll around I start upping my Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for energy, and is needed to absorb calcium.

One of the things that I do to ensure that I am getting a baseline for all of these vitamins is take Ritual daily. Ritual is a smart vitamin that looks at the most common vitamins women are deficient in, so unlike most multi’s they only have a few key ingredients. They also look at how our body absorbs these vitamins and group them together inside the capsules. They are subscription based and come out to just $1 a day!

If you have any questions about the Hungry Hippie services, veganuary, or anything mentioned in the above feel free to reach out!

This year one of my shopping goals was to shop consciously. Every single choice we make has an impact. I wanted to make sure that the impact I was making was aligning.

I pulled together some of my favorite gifts this year!

TenTree

This brand popped up on my Instagram feed and have been grateful ever since. The reason I fell in love with the brand is because they plant 10 trees for EVERY item purchased. You can even decide what your trees will impact (land, air, sea). In addition, their Bamone pants are the most comfortable lounge pants I own. I gifted them to my sister a few weeks early and we joke that we haven’t been without them for more than 12 hours at a time.

Rothy’s

The plastic situation is a huge issue, so any brand that is finding creative ways to reduce this waste gets my vote. Rothy’s makes fashion forward footwear out of recycled plastic bottles.

Cuddle and Kind

My brother is expecting his first child any day now, and so I have been searching for the perfect present. The Cuddle and Kind stuffed animals are ethically produced, fair trade, and each doll gives 10 meals to a hungry child!

Shop Small

If you know of a local business supporting the small guys is my favorite way to go! This year I am shopping mom and pop stores over Amazon, supporting my friends businesses, and more. Here are a few ways to do this: A Hungry Hippie gift card for the vegan in your life, A massage or 1:1 session with Valisha at my favorite wellness spot Remedy 11, a training package at your local gym.

Anima Mundi

This is one of my favorite Herbal Brands. I use the vegan collagen, the Blue Lotus tea, and the Immunity Blend almost every day and they are amazing products. If you have a friend into herbal remedies this is the perfect place to shop!

Thrive Market Membership

Thrive Market is an online Costco for all things sustainable, organic and non-GMO. Thrive also donates a membership to a family in need for every yearly subscription purchased. A yearly membership costs about $60 and is a great gift for a foodie friend!

Happy Shopping!

Eating out can be one of the most stressful things to do as a vegan. It’s even worse when everyone thinks you just “eat grass” so you’ll be okay with having a side salad.

I’m usually not okay with just eating a side salad while everyone has a full on dinner.

It also still astonishes me that in 2018 there is not a vegan option on EVERY SINGLE menu.

But I digress for now…

After almost 2.5 decades of not eating meat I’ve learned a few tricks to navigate eating out.

1. Check the menu in advance and call ahead. A lot of the times I didn’t get to enjoy dinner out was because I was so stressed that I was going to be the “annoying” one when it came time to order. So I started to look at the menu online and call ahead with my questions. Some time I couldn’t get all of the answers but could find out if the kitchen was willing to work with me and create a special dish.

2. Explain exactly what it is you do and do not eat. I went to a party recently and the lady understood that I didn’t eat meat but asked if they can cook the vegetables in butter. I had to explain what was okay and not okay. I also usually do this with soup. I NEVER ask if the soup is vegan, I always ask about the broth specifically and then ask if there are other meat products in it. People often forget about the broth. and will tell you that something is vegetarian because it doesn’t have chunks of animal products in it. It’s better to be very specific so that there is no confusion and no stress when your meal does come!

3. Sides + Salad. I know having just a salad is not ideal, but often times the veggies are lurking in the side dishes. I check to see which sides interest me and ask if they can make those into a plate for me. Adding all those veggies, a side of rice or potatoes + a salad can make a delicious meal.

4. Find a dish I like and remove the meat. A lot of times I find myself saying oh that sounds good, if only it didn’t have (insert meat here). When this happens I usually ask if I can sub the meat for a vegetable and make that work! Don’t worry if the waiter gives you a sideways look when you order the Chicken Stir Fry with no chicken!

5. Use Happy Cow. If I am searching for a restaurant in a neighborhood with vegan options I usually turn to Happy Cow. It will list which restaurants near you will have a vegetarian or vegan option for you.

6. Pack a snack. I usually carry a protein bar or a pack of nuts in my bag just in case my meal was not satisfying enough. This helps me from getting hangry and let’s me enjoy my night out.

7. Remember that when you’re eating out with friends and family it’s more about the company than the food.

I was sitting in a coffeeshop a few days ago when I overheard these two girls talking about how they had to go get coffee somewhere else because that place had weird coffee with mushrooms in it. I started laughing to myself and thought " they are seriously missing out!"

Then a few days later I had another conversation with someone who had heard that coffee was bad for you and wanted to know if that was true.

I wanted to share my thoughts since there is so many opinions about this bean.

First I want to say that if you react to negatively to coffee (jittery feeling, acid reflux, etc.) then you should listen to your body/doctor regardless of what I say below. Wellness is NOT a one size fits all model and it is important to do what feels right to you.

Coffee prepared correctly can be a source of antioxidants, help prevent the 2 diabetes, be a natural source for energy, and prevent liver disease.

For me there are a few non-negotiables when it comes to coffee

• It must be organic. Coffee is one of the highest sprayed crops- this means most conventional coffee is loaded with pesticides. Pesticides can have a number of ill effects on the body including overworked liver (hello acne!), leaky gut (bloat and upset belly anyone?), and inability to lose weight (pesticides are stored in our fat cells!).

• If I don’t know the source of the (nut)milk, I drink it black. Coffee often gets a bad rep for being loaded with sugar, but it’s all in the way we prepare it. Coffee creamers (and even plain nut milk) normally has a 10 ingredient list and sugar is almost always a part of it. Being mindful of the milk you’re choosing will help keep a coffee a healthy habit instead of turning it into a sugary treat.

Keeping Coffee a Healthy Habit: My Tips

• Buy organic coffee - My go to is Four Sigmatic. They pair organic, fair trade coffee with medicinal mushrooms. We are all really busy so when I find a product that does double health duty I am all about it! Four Sigmatic uses medicinal mushrooms like lions mane (brain health), cordyceps (natural energy source), chaga (immune booster + skin health savior) in conjunction with their coffee. They have instant packs (I love these when I’m traveling) and ground coffee. The mushrooms help to avoid caffeine crashes, withdrawal headaches, and all of the unpleasant side effects you might experience. I hate drinking coffee that isn’t laced with ‘shrooms. There’s a 10% savings code at the end of the article!

• Skip the store bought creamers. Like I said up top creamers are usually loaded with nasties that would make drinking coffee a disaster. Before I started making creamer for Hungry Hippie I was using Nutpods. They are not the worst option, but they do use fillers and gums. You can also purchase my homemade creamer here.

• I recently started paying attention to how the way I prepared my coffee made me feel and I started gravitating towards the French Press. I felt like it was less acidic, richer, and I didn’t have the added expense of organic unbleached paper filters ( the standard coffee filters are bleach!) I bought this one from Amazon and it came with a wooden spoon, a sponge, and extra filters!

• I limit my coffee intake to the mornings only since caffeine has a 6 hour half life (if you have a cup of Joe at 8AM you’ll still have 50% of that caffeine in you at 2PM, 25% at 8PM).

• I make sure to keep my water intake up since caffeine is a natural diuretic and may cause loss of fluids. I shoot for 2 full Swell bottles per day in addition to tea.

• I add BulletProof Brain Octane to my coffee. This is a higher power MCT ( Medium Chain Triglyceride) Oil that metabolizes into ketone (fat) energy. When you burn through fat energy you have longer periods of stamina without a crash. The opposite is true for sugar. This also helps reduce cravings, and increase your fat burn.

• I reach for natural sweeteners instead of packets or sugar or even Stevia. Cinnamon and Vanilla Extract are on the top of my list, but also reach for Cacao and Pumpkin Spice too!

So in my opinion I think in moderation, coffee does have a place for those who enjoy it, can tolerate it, and don’t have any adverse effects from it.

If you have any questions about coffee, vegan food, or wellness in general feel free to reach out!

P.S. That code to save on Four Sigmatic is kaleismykarma

Every week the Hungry Hippie team works hard at curated special menus that will give you the most well rounded plant based diet possible. You get mains, sides, soups, and snacks to make sure that there is variety in both flavor and nutrient profiles. That being said there are things that could enhance your meal plan and help you to make the most out of it each week, and founder LisaMarie Falcone wants to share some tips with you!

Below is a list of ingredients i always keep on hand to personalize our Hungry Hippie Meals and to make sure we’re hitting all the cravings all week long!

1. Lettuce. Every few weeks you’ll find a delicious salad on your meal plan, and we often make side salads for a lot of the entrees. But we want to be bringing you exciting and new meals each week and giving you salads all the time just doesn’t seem like the best way to provide for you! We always keep a tub of greens on hand (if your in Central Jersey check out Beyond Organic growers!) to pair with a soup, our Chickpea “Tuna”, or on those days when we are never satisfied no matter how much food we are eating! My favorites are Arugula and Baby Kale.

2. Siete Wraps. Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, and freezer friendly you cannot go wrong with Siete. I love all of their products but the thing you’ll never see my freezer without are the wraps. On days when I’m feeling extra hungry or hit the gym a little harder than normal I gravitate towards an almond flour wrap and my cauli-eggz. I also use them to dip into my soup in place of bread or croutons, and smash an avocado on one for a quick snack in between meals.

3. Avocado. Speaking of avocados, I always keep a few on hand to add a dose of healthy fats to my meals. I’ve used them to top off chili, chickpea “Tuna”, onto Hungry Hippie salads and so much more.

4. Eggs. Not all of the Hungry Hippie meal prep clients are vegan, so if you’re okay with eating eggs this is a great way to get in extra protein. Add this to one of our rice or grain bowls, scramble one into your cauli-eggz, or on top of our lentil ball subs.

5. Sir Kensington Ketchup. We try to supply you with all the condiments you need, but sometimes you just need ketchup. Whether for a veggie burger or the cauli-eggz (can you tell I have some favorites!) a little ketchup on hand can help round out the meal.

6. Yogurt. I love Cocoyo from GTS but any non dairy yogurt would do. It’s great to have a jar on hand especially when granola is on the menu! I also like to break up some of the Hungry Hippie muffins and use them as yogurt toppers.

7. Fruit. This is another staple I use to round out the Hungry Hippie breakfasts. We often use fruit in meals (bananas, apples, and pears have been recent favorites) but it’s nice to have on hand to add to granola, muffins, and more!

8. Ezekiel Bread. Sometimes the carbo-holic in me starts rearing its head and that’s when I reach for some Ezekiel Bread. I find that I love my Chickpea “Tuna” and Greek Chickpeas with a slice of toast especially on those days I’m feeling extra hungry.

9. Tempeh. We are a no soy delivery service, but sometimes I really want a piece of tempeh. Fermented soy is a great way to occasionally add in protein as long as it comes from an organic source. I make mine tex mex style and add to our loaded sweet potatoes, or do dijon style cubes and throw them into a salad.

In addition to hitting up the grocery store make sure you are utilizing your freezer. All of the Hungry Hippie soups, and most of the meals can be easily and safely frozen. If you’re unsure of what can and cannot be stored in the freezer reach out!