MPM Mini-Bite: try to purchase all natural or organic products whenever possible; if you are new to healthy cooking, build up your staples collection slowly, experimenting with new foods as your budget allows
MPM Mini-Bite: look for organic non-irradiated dried herbs and spices without additives such as Frontier and Simply Organic; for variety, experiment by trying spices from different regions of the world
Basil
Bay Leaves
Anice
Cayenne
Celery Seed
Cinnamon
Cloves
Coriander
Cumin
Curry Powder
Dill
Fennel Seeds
Garlic Powder
Ginger
Gomasio, Seaweed Sesame Salt (Eden)
Italian Seasoning
Marjoram
Mustard Powder
Nutmeg
Oregano
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Rosemary
Salt, Sea and Kosher
Turmeric
MPM Mini-Bite: Look for 100% unsweetened natural and organic juices – brands such as Santa Cruz, Knudsen, Mountain Sun, Lakewood, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods
Apple
Blueberry
Cranberry
Tart Cherry
Pomegranate
Vegetable Juice
MPM Mini-Bite: For canned beans, look for brands such as Eden, Westbrae, Woodstock Farms, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s
Black beans
Chickpeas (Garbanzos)
Kidney beans
White beans
Lentils (green and red)
MPM Mini-Bite: For nut butters, look for brands such as Woodstock Farms, Tree of Life and Marantha which are made from 100% nuts with no hydrogenated oils and sugars
Almond Butter
Peanut Butter
Macadamia Nut Butter
Tahini (sesame seed butter)
Almonds
Pecans
Pine Nuts
Walnuts
Flaxseeds (ground)
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
MPM Mini-Bite: Look for natural and organic brands such as Lundberg Farms, Ezekiel 4:9, BioNaturae, Eden and De Boles
Whole Grain Pasta (Bio Naturae, Hodgson Mill)
Whole Wheat Couscous (Hodgson Mill, Rice Select, Roland)
Brown Rice and Other Gluten-free Pastas (Tinkyada, Eden)
Brown and Wild Rice (Lundberg Family Farms)
Buckwheat
Farro (Roland, Rustichella), Millet
Oats, raw, quick and steel-cut (Bob’s Red Mill, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods)
Popcorn, air-popped
Quinoa (Bob’s Red Mill)
Chips, whole grain (Foods that Taste Good)
Crackers, whole grain or gluten-free (Suzy’s Whole Grain Crackers, Mary’s Gone Crackers)
MPM Mini-Bite: Look for natural and organic brands such as Eden, Muir Glen and Woodstock Farms with little or no added sugar
Tomato Sauce
Whole Tomatoes
Diced Tomatoes
Crushed Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Marinara Sauce
Pizza Sauce
MPM Mini-Bite: Look for brands (unrefined if possible) such as Eden and Spectrum
Coconut Oil
Flaxseed Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Olive Oil
Toasted Sesame Oil
Mayonnaise
Salad Dressings, natural and organic with little or no added sugar (Annie’s Natural, Spectrum Naturals)
MPM Mini-Bite: Look for natural and organic brands whenever possible
Almond Milk, unsweetened (Blue Diamond)
Artichoke Hearts (Native Forest)
Baking Flours, Whole Wheat, Spelt, Oat, Quinoa, Almond (Arrowhead Mills)
Baking Powder, non-aluminum (Frontier, Rumford, Calumet, Clabber Girl)
Baking Soda
Broth, Beef, Chicken and Vegetable (Imagine, Pacific, Kitchen Stock)
Canned Tuna and Salmon (Crown Prince, Vital Choice, Whole Foods)
Cacao Nibs, unsweetened (Tierra Farm, Terr Amazon)
Chocolate, Dark (Green & Black, Scharffen Berger, Endangered Species
Cocoa, unsweetened (Rapunzel, Green & Black)
Coconut Milk, unsweetened (Native Forest, So-Be, Thai Kitchen)
Coffee, fair-trade (Newman’s Own, Green Mountain
Dijon Mustard (Annie’s, Westbrae, Woodstock Farms)
Dried Cranberries and Cherries, sweetened (Eden, Trader Joe’s)
Fruit Preserves, all natural, no added sugar (BioNaturae, Eden, Cascadian Farms)
Extracts, vanilla, almond, orange, peppermint, etc. (Frontier, Simply Organic)
Hearts of Palm (Native Forest)
Healthy Sweeteners, pure maple syrup, honey, date sugar, brown rice syrup, molasses
Olives (Mediterranean Organic, Lindsay)
Salsa (Green Mountain, Amy’s, Muir Glen, Walnut Acres)
Soups, reduced sodium preferred (Amy’s, Fig Food Co., Imagine, Pacific)
Tamari, reduced sodium, (San-J)
Teas, Herbal and Green (Alvita, Traditional Medicinals)
Vinegars, balsamic, apple cider, red wine (Spectrum, Eden, Bragg’s)
Water Chestnuts
