Friday Favorites – Food Finds Edition

TGIF – this week was a bit of a doozy but I’m still standing and it’s the weekend so all is good. Last weekend I pulled a few food items out of the fridge/freezer/pantry to share with y’all. These are products that I’ve been enjoying recently and they run gamut from snacks to soups to sauces to sweets.

10 RECENT FOOD FINDS 

Here’s our lineup for today. I always like discovering new food items and it’s especially great when they’re recommended by a friend or trusted source. So I hope you like these! 🙂

CLEVELAND KITCHEN CLASSIC DILL PICKLE SPEARS

I first bought these over Thanksgiving when I was in Florida. I was shopping at Publix and passed by the refrigerated pickles. I don’t know what came over me but the urge to buy and eat pickles was crazy strong so I not only bought these Cleveland Kitchen dill pickles but ate one the minute I walked in the door to my grandmother’s condo. I had tried Cleveland Kitchen’s kimchi and really liked it so I had a feeling their pickles would be well worth the $7 price tag. And they were! I have not been without these pickles in my fridge since. They are so fresh, crunchy and have a perfect dill/garlic balance. While they are very flavorful, I’m not tasting them all day after eating one which I really appreciate.

AMY’S ORGANIC HEARTY FRENCH COUNTRY VEGETABLE SOUP

I am not much for canned soups but my mom enjoys them so I always pick up a few cans when she visits. She heated this Amy’s Organic Hearty French Vegetable Soup for dinner one night and didn’t care for it. I tried a few bites of the leftovers and thought it was REALLY GOOD! I have kept cans of it stocked in my pantry for the last few months and it makes for a tasty, comforting and easy lunch or dinner. This soup is packed full of white beans, red rice, tomatoes and veggies like zucchini, mushrooms and peppers.

SCHMIDT OLD TYME EVERYTHING BAGELS

BREAKING NEWS! I like everything bagels – who knew!? I have not been a big fan of the everything bagel seasoning trend that’s been going on the last few years. I generally don’t care for the taste of dried onion and garlic. I’ve never bought an everything bagel in my life but when Schmidt sent me two packs of their everything bagels in a gift box, I decided to give them a try. I have really enjoyed these bagels – like a lot! I’ve had them for breakfast with cream cheese and butter and just today I had one for lunch with cream cheese, avocado and smoked salmon. I think they’d also be great for a breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese and for a turkey sandwich.

TRADER JOE’S SOYAKI SAUCE

I’ve been buying Trader Joe’s Soyaki Sauce for years and years but I’ve been on a kick of using it pretty regularly over the last few months. It’s such an easy and delicious way to season salmon and I recently used it on a pork tenderloin as well. It’s also great in sautéed veggies! Main ingredients are soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and other spices.

And a plug for my braised red cabbage with apples if you’ve yet to experience that!

BEANVIVO BAJA BLACK BEANS

These BeanVIVO Baja Black Beans are versatile, fast and easy and taste really great. They’re great as black bean soup, in tacos or on taco salads, in a breakfast quesadilla or burrito or my personal favorite – in a bowl with rice, avocado, cilantro, sour cream and salsa. Here’s the ingredients list: water, black beans, onions, avocado oil, sea salt, garlic, spice. Short and sweet! They’re ready in just 60 seconds and have 14 graces of plant-based protein per bag!

CHIPOTLE BITCHIN’ SAUCE

Still hooked on Bitchin’ Sauce over here and the chipotle flavor is a new fave! It’s just the right amount of spicy and also very smoky and flavorful. I like dipping tortilla chips in it and putting it on bowls like the above black beans and rice that I mentioned!

TRADER JOE’S LIGHTLY SMOKED CANNED SALMON

I first discovered Trader Joe’s lightly smoked canned salmon in January 2023 and it’s had a permanent spot in my pantry since. Each can has 190 calories and 21 grams of protein making it an excellent choice for a salad topper. This salmon is packed in oil and it’s almost like you’re getting a piece of a salmon filet out of the can. It’s very moist and chunky and not dry or stringy at all. The smoked flavor is very subtle!

QUESO FRESCO

While we’re on the topic of salads – I get asked a lot how I keep my salads fresh and don’t burn out on them. One big way is switching it up! I default to feta but sometimes love to swap it out for queso fresco. If you’ve never tried it in your salads – highly recommend! Of course it’s also great in burrito bowls, on tacos or in quesadillas. I buy the queso fresco in the roundup photo at the beginning of the post at ALDI and it’s super affordable – around $2-$2.50.

HEAVENLY HUNKS ORGANIC OATMEAL DARK CHOCOLATE COOKIES

I saved the sweet things for last. OMG I AM IN LOVE WITH THESE HEAVENLY HUNKS COOKIES! One of my neighbor friends picked them up for me at Costco and I’m so grateful she introduced me to them. I keep them in the fridge and they’re a perfect sweet treat that’s on the healthier side. I pop one in the microwave for 10 seconds so it’s warm and the chocolate is a little melted. I’ve been eating one after lunch most days. So chewy and chocolaty! I cannot wait to try more Heavenly Hunks flavors!

KIND FROZEN TREAT BARS

One of my personal training clients recommended that I try these KIND Frozen Treat Bars and I’m glad I did! They’re plant-based and you can find them in the freezer aisle. They’re yummy and a nice mid-afternoon treat or after-dinner dessert.

YOUR TURN!

Which of these 10 products are you most likely to add to your shopping list?

Have you tried any new products lately that you’re raving about?

Favorite canned soup?