Dave's 2008 Fall Rave's

When I first started writing the 101 Foods book, one of my patients said, "I hope you will include name brands under each of the 101 Foods that you rave about." I decided not to do this in the book but thought it would be better listed in this blog and on the new 101 Foods website. That way I could update it - new products could be added and old ones that are no longer made could be eliminated - and also offer seasonal recommendations, suggestions for the holidays...well, you get the idea!

Welcome to my first set of Dave's Raves! These were introduced to me through family, friends, patients and readers. They have now become my family's favorites and I hope they will become yours, too! Enjoy!

101 Food: Almonds
Product: Trader Joe’s Almond Butter
Website: www.traderjoes.com

Comment: You’ll find a recipe for almond butter berry pizza in the “101 Foods” book on page thirteen. My kids love the recipe but really flip when we use the Trader Joe’s version made with roasted California almonds. By the way, roasting and processing almonds into nut butter is every bit as healthy as eating un-ground almonds!

101 Food: Beans
Product: Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans
Website: www.bushbeans.com

Comment: I love baked beans and I have found this variety to be one of the lowest in calories and sugars but still very tasty and the bonus is that my kids even like this variety.

101 Food: Cherry
Product: Tart is Smart®
Website: www.tartissmart.com

Comment: Tart Montmorency cherry concentrate was the stuff that helped my dad and brother fight the pain of gouty arthritis. Tart is Smart® offers delicious cherry concentrate in a variety of sizes. Just mix 2 tablespoons with water or seltzer water for a refreshing drink.

101 Food: Chocolate
Product: Dove Dark
Website: www.dovechocolate.com

Comment: Maybe it’s a south-side of Chicago thing but I grew up loving the taste of Dove chocolates (Leo Stefanos created the now famous DOVEBAR® in his candy store which was located on the south-side of Chicago). Ironically, as I type this, my kids and I just finished making smores with Dove dark chocolates. OMG!! I know…the other ingredients may not be “lifesavers” but it sure was fun and delicious. Besides a wonderful taste that rivals more expensive imported chocolates, Dove is made using the Cocoapro® process which preserves heart healthy cocoa flavanols, a component often destroyed in traditional cocoa processing.

101 Food: Dried Plums
Product: Sunsweet “Ones”
Website: www.sunsweet.com

Comment: My kids love these and they are great, single-wrapped servings of dried plums that you can pop in your kid’s lunches, briefcases,purses, front seat of the car…wherever! Word of caution. My youngest daughter thought they were candy and proceeded to eat the entire container! Four or five would be considered a serving.

101 Food: Oats
Product: Quaker Steel Cut Oats
Website: www.quakeroatmeal.com

Comment: The funny thing about this “rave” is that I spend so much time in the media explaining that instant oatmeal has the same nutritional and health benefits as steel cut oats because instant oats are made from them! However, I really love Quaker’s Steel Cut Oats. They take a little longer to cook (about 30 minutes) but they are worth the wait. They are not always easy to find but your local grocer should carry it. If not, you can go to Quaker’s online store and order it.

101 Food: Olives
Product: Sonoma Farm Olive Products
Website: www.sonomafarm.com

Comment: Sonoma Farms prides itself on using only early harvest northern Californian olives. The olives are picked while they are still green and cold pressed resulting in a very flavorable and aromatic EVOO. We love the lemon infused and the rosemary and basil infused varieties…drizzled over an artisan crusty whole grain bread is FANTASTIC!

101 Food: Onions
Product: Vidalia Onions
Website: www.vidaliaonion.org

Comment: These make the recipe for Simple Southern Italian Onion, Tomato and Basil Salad (found on page 214 of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life) really yummy. The Vidalia is sweeter than most varieties so I find that the kids really like them. You can use them in salads, soups, on sandwiches or even eat them “straight up”!

101 Food: Raspberries
Product: Frozen Raspberries
Website: www.raspberryinfo.com

Comment: Frozen raspberries are big, sweet and exceptionally juicy. They are flash-frozen to preserve the excellent nutritional and flavor qualities of fresh. You can enjoy them all year round and can typically find them at your local health food store or at any grocery store.

101 Food: Romaine
Product: Earthbound Farms Organic Romaine Hearts
Website: www.ebfarm.com

Comment: Cleaned, trimmed and ready to eat from the bag, these hearts of romaine have that fresh picked from the field taste that makes a salad really enjoyable.

101 Food: Salmon
Product: Splendid Spreads Salmon Antipasto
Website: www.splendidspreads.com

Comment: This is a great spread made from premium Atlantic salmon that can be used for sandwiches, on crackers, appetizers or straight out of the jar. With only 60 calories, less than 2 grams of fat (that's 35% fewer calories and 60% less fat than traditional tuna salads made with mayonnaise!) and only 30 mg of sodium per ¼ cup serving, this spread is nutritious and delicious!

101 Food: Tomato
Product: Wholemato Agave Ketchup
Website: www.wholemato.com

Comment: With flavors such as original, spicy and exotic, Wholemato Organic Agave Ketchup is big on flavor with its wonderful blend of organic tomatoes, artfully blended spices, and the delicious and healthy sweetener, organic agave nectar. Use it on anything you’d use ketchup on – it’s really tasty!

101 Food: Assorted Fruits and Veggies
Product: Lakewood Fruit Garden Summer Gold
Website: www.lakewoodjuices.com

Comment: Here’s a delicious and great way to get in a bunch of the “101” fruits and vegetables such as orange, pineapple, grape, passion fruit, banana, papaya, goji berry, lemon, carrot, lettuce, celery, parsley, peppers and a whole lot more! You can find this blend in most health food stores.

101 Food: Whole Wheat
Product: Healthy Handfuls Organic Chocolate Chip Chimpies
Website: www.healthyhandfuls.com

Comment: These are cute and delicious little bite-sized cookies that feature whole wheat as the first ingredient. They are 130 calories for 18 cookies – more than enough to satisfy your cookie\chocolate craving! Available at several major grocery store chains and also online buying is available.

101 Food: Yogurt
Product: Berry Chill Frozen Yogurt Berry Blender
Website: www.berrychill.com

Comment: The all-natural yogurt bar is the first of its kind in the Chicagoland (but plans are to rapidly expand), offering a daily menu of “chilled yogurt” (a tangy, frozen treat).
Berry Chill offers such decadent flavors (besides “original”) as Chocolate Amaretto, Pina Colada and Pink Guava. Though you feel like you’re “cheating”, Berry Chill averages only 20 calories per ounce allowing you enjoy a decent sized serving without have to work it off in the gym. Limit yourself to a few toppings to keep the calories low and not overshadow the great fresh taste of Berry Chill. Berry Chill contains additional friendly, live active cultures (probiotics) not found in traditional frozen yogurt which is great for digestive health.

Next month I will offer my set of holiday Dave's Raves, just in time to give the gift of health!