I’m finally sitting down after a morning of teaching. I taught yoga at 6 a.m., 8:15 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. I haven’t done a triple header in a while but it went well! I taught my normal flow but we workshopped forearm balance a bit during a break.
After I posted on Monday that I was teaching 14 classes this week, I thought that I should probably clarify (again) that I do not practice with my yoga classes when I teach. I may very occasionally demo something but for the most part I walk around the room, call out the postures and assist. It can be tiring/demanding in that there is a lot of energy exchanged, I’m working in a 100 degree room for an hour+ and assisting can be quite the workout but it’s nothing like actually doing the practice with them. That would be insane (and I would be exhausted!).
But…I’m not here to talk about yoga again. I figured I did enough of that on International Yoga Day! Instead, I have a mid-week grocery haul today. I swung by Whole Foods yesterday and stocked up on some good stuff so I thought I’d do a peek at my early summer groceries.
I have to post the fruit first. This is the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR when it comes to fruit. We are going through tons and tons of it, especially all of the berries and cherries. I can’t wait for peaches and figs to come into season next! At Whole Foods I bought bananas (I buy at least 3-4 bunches per week), pink lady apples (<– my fave!), strawberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries and some frozen fruit for smoothies.
I was light on veggies because I really only needed a veggie for one night’s dinner along with some things to have on hand for lunches and the weekend. I got Tuscan kale, spirialized beets from Veggie Noodle Co. (can’t wait to share my creations with you!), sauerkraut, cauliflower and yukon gold potatoes.
I bought a rotisserie chicken to shred for lunches and a beautiful peace of black cod for last night’s dinner.
I splurged on this Napa Valley Barrel-Aged Balsamic. I think I paid $12-$13 for it but a nice, aged balsamic makes all the difference in the world when it comes to dressing salads or finishing off dishes. I use the cheap stuff for cooking but when I’m eating it straight up, I like the good stuff. I find it to be a lot thicker in texture and naturally sweeter without so much vinegar bite. I never have to mix it with honey or maple syrup, it’s delicious on it’s own with a drizzle of olive oil.
I also bought a couple of cans of light coconut milk. I usually keep a stock of light and full-fat coconut milk in the pantry to use in sweet potato bowls, chia pudding and smoothies, and my fiance uses it in his coffee. It’s SO much better than the stuff in the carton. I usually buy the Whole Foods 365 Organic brand but they were sold out so I tried this one instead. I noticed when I was editing the picture that they’re both Unsweetened Organic Light Coconut Milk from the same company but the labels are different and one says, “60% less fat” and the other says, “66% less fat.” Interesting! The thing you want to look for in your canned coconut milk is that it doesn’t contain sulfites. This usually reads like potassium metabisulphite or sodium metabisulfite on the label.
And finally, Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos. This was a Whole30 discovery that I have stuck with after (along with the canned coconut milk and homemade almond milk). I use the coconut aminos in place of soy sauce now. They have 65% less sodium than soy sauce and work great as a replacement for soy sauce when eating sushi or making recipes that call for soy. They are made from the sap of coconut trees and contain 17 amino acids. Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos are gluten-free, organic, non-GMO, soy-free and contain no MSG. You can read more about the benefits of coconut aminos on their site.
I splurged for a stock of kombucha because Whole Foods had a locally brewed kombucha on sale 2/$5. I love Lenny Boy’s Lost Rose flavor. It’s so light, crisp and has a lovely green tea flavor.
So there’s my mini-midweek grocery haul. I always leave Whole Foods with more than I anticipated buying but it will all be eaten and enjoyed!
Have you every tried coconut aminos?
Are there any items you are willing to pay a little more or splurge on? Another item that I always splurge on is coffee. It makes such a difference.
We will splurge on organic and fresh fruit, veggies, and meat. I would much rather pay a little extra and know where the food I eat comes from (for the most part). At the Farmer’s Market, I always know where the food comes from. At the grocery store, I trust that organic MEANS organic!
I use coconut amigos in so many things! Marinades, salad dressings,stews. I love whole foods and shop 2-3 times a week .
I don’t use much tamari, but I love coconut aminos because it isn’t so salty, I’d say it is a balanced sweet/salty. I started using a few dashes of it, along with nutritional yeast on soupy greens/rice.
I LOVE coconut aminos! I have the garlic flavor and it’s so good with stirfry…actually, it’s good on pretty much everything. I also like the Bragg’s liquid aminos (tastes exactly like soy sauce) for sushi or asian dishes. Yuuuum.
What kind if sauerkraut do you get ? Is it frozen ?
I have a veggie dish you’re going to love that I just discovered this week (and I’ve already made it 3 times). Start by softening one sliced onion in a pan with oil (I use avocado oil) then add in 1/2 a head of thinly sliced cabbage. Season with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and – the magic ingredient – coconut aminos. I don’t know why this tastes so good but it does. The same brand also makes teriyaki coconut aminos and those take it up to an even higher notch.
I use organic Tamari instead of soy sometimes too (in addition to CA’s) ! Love both
I also got hooked on coconut aminos because of Whole30! They’re great and so tasty. Good for salad dressings, dips, curries, etc. I definitely splurge on nut butters, good quality meats, kombucha, dark chocolate, and coffee.
Love the coconut aminos! Switched to those about 6 months ago. And I just got the beets the other day. Tossed together a quick snack of the beets with shredded cabbage, roasted nori and rice vinegar!
Coconut secret makes a teriyaki as well that’s amazing!!
I’m with you on the coffee! I never buy cheap coffee (except that jar of instant in the cupboard because the builders aren’t getting my good ground stuff!) because it’s just not worth it. I’d rather pay more and really enjoy my drink.
i’ve never tried coconut aminos but need to. i like tamari GF soy sauce but really dont eat asian a ton. i splurge on GF items since i have to. i had such sticker shock when i had to eventually remove gluten, but now its a bit less. i dont have a whole foods or trader joes around me at all as we have some local shops that are sorta like it but they are so so expensive. for me im still making a slow transition to buying organic and grass fed items. my wallet only allows so much. plus in my area organic produce simply doesn’t last compared to conventional and often i see has spoiled when its still in the store. i think its a combo of the prices being so high, people just don’t buy, then it spoils, then they jack up the price, etc. i keep hoping things will get a bit better in the future.