These are a few of my favorite things. I am a typically a twigs 'n bark kind of guy when it comes to my diet, but I admit that I too have my weaknesses. Here are a few things I like to eat that are health-conscious and delicious.
1. Terra Exotic Vegtable Chips. These are delicious and nutritious! I find that they have a slightly higher sodium content that I prefer, but in comparison to their competition-no other chips-they stack up great. A variety of flavors packs every handful with unique and wonderful flavors.
2. Lundberg Honey Nut Rice Cakes: Rice has a significantly lower glycemic index than does flour...that said these cakes are delicious for breakfast with a little banana and peanut butter or better yet-almond butter. My favorite variety are the Honey Nut but there are plenty of other great flavors too! These guys are also GLUTEN FREE and KOSHER!
3. MaraNatha Almond Butter: I must say that Trader Joe's Almond Butter is pretty exceptional, but I think that the consistency of the MaraNatha butter is slightly smoother and spreads on breads, pitas, and rice cakes easier. I pick up a jar of this at my local Costco and it will last me for a month and a half!
4. Pink Lady Apples: A perfect blend of crisp, tart, sweet, and savory. These are by-far my favorite variety of apples. With them being produced both in upper and lower hemispheres, they are pretty much available all year 'round. I find that in picking the right one-I look for both pink and green coloring with slight dimples on them...almost the way a golf ball would have. Typically they are best slightly chilled with cheese, caramel, peanut butter, or all by themselves.
5. Caribou Mahogany Roast: This roast produced by Caribou Coffee (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa) is a dark roast that capitalizes on overtones of nuts, woods, and smoke. For those not familiar with different roast intensities, dark roasts tend to have a lower acidity and lower caffeine content. This makes it smoother on the stomach and easier on the kidneys and the hydration-conscious individual. My sister works at Caribou so I have some allegiance to Caribou coffee, but also greatly love Dunn Bros as well. Caribou has a leg-up in that they sell 2.5lb bags of whole bean roast at Costco. 
6. Trader Joe's 72% Dark Chocolate: This chocolate is a top pick because it is a perfect blend for my wife and I. My wife really likes dark chocolates and I like dark and milk chocolate varieties. This happy medium between the two is mildly rich, but smooth enough for the milk chocolate lover in me. There are also some periphery health benefits to dark chocolate, but I won't go into full rationalization of eating copious amounts of chocolate through this venue-EAT CHOCOLATE! It's a favorite at our house and I am sure you'll enjoy it as well. (note:this isn't my finger in the photo!)
Do you have a favorite food or snack? Why do you like it, and what's unique about it? Shoot me a link at triathloncoachk (at) gmail . com.
