Chelle’s Healthy Finds

Welcome to my first blog post!

So excited to be sharing my healthy finds for a healthier you. For my first post I picked a snack that I am pretty sure we’ve all had at some point in our lives. They are so easy to pack, and well honestly tasty. Any guesses? I’ll give you a hint its a cracker. Nothing yet? Drum roll please, CHEEZE IT! I admit CHEEZE ITs are sooo delicious almost addicting. However it is a processed food. Processed food is defined as a food item that has gone through some chemical or mechanical operation to preserve it. I feel that if something has been changed chemically in our food it can damage the integrity of the nutrients, I describe it as empty calories. These calories shouldn’t count because our bodies aren’t actually benefitting from what we are choosing to eat but unfortunately they still do. There are three main reasons why I choose not to eat CHEEZE IT.

1. My first reason is because the ingredient list includes soy. Soy has isoflavones, estrogen like compounds, which are the natural way for the soy plant to protect itself from insects. Studies have shown soy to interfere with the human thyroid function in the body. Soy has also been thought to cause fertility issues especially in women. I think its important to state that not everyone will have a negative effect from consuming soy but the two reasons above are enough for me to keep soy out of my diet.

2. The second reason is the canola oil. Canola oil is very common in tons of foods we eat everyday. So much so that we may think its a normal ingredient to find. However canola oil was made from rapeseed oil which is very high in omega 6 fats. When our diets are high in omega 6 it can cause inflammation in the body! Inflammation is a natural way of our bodies wanting to self heal but if its on high alert ALL the time it causes a stressful environment and when the body may in fact need to heal it can be too worn down.

3. My third reason is that these CHEEZE IT crackers are not allergy friendly! I respect everyones choice decision in what they choose to consume in their bodies. For this reason alone I like to buy products that everyone can enjoy! It can feel quite isolating when you are in a social setting around food with no options. I always want everyone around me to feel included and thought about even down to the food.

   
   CHEEZE IT Nutriton Fact Label

Well now there are crackers that look, feel and even taste just as yummy as the processed junk food crackers that we are use to. Let me introduce you to a new favorite nutrient filled snack of mine that even the kids will love, Butternut Squash Crackers! That’s right these babies are made from a veggie!

An ingredient list is ordered from highest quantity to lowest. So that means that if butternut squash is the first ingredient listed that its the highest in quantity. Thats the first time I’ve ever seen a packaged food with this kind of a list and tastes this good. I had a couple of non healthy conscious friends of mine try these before sharing with you all and they love them!

Reasons why I love From the Ground Up Butternut Squash Crackers:

1. First Ingredient is a veggie! Im always looking for new ways to get my daily veggie servings in. You can literally munch on these delicious snacks and be getting your daily serving of veggies, depending on how many you eat ;) 44 crackers in one serving size. Chances are you’ll feel full before eating that which is the goal, to feel satisfied! Clean ingredients are so important to me. I think the quality of our food choices influences our mood on a daily basis. I believe that when we make healthy choices we feel better about ourselves which then puts us in a happy mood. Its a domino effect that spills into all the other areas of our life. You can feel good about eating these crackers.

2. Only oil used is responsibly sourced Palm Oil. There is a bit of controversy out about using Palm oil because when it comes from a non sustainable source it most likely contributed to deforestation. It sucks! I wish palm oil wasnt used at all but I do appreciate that From the Ground Up is at least getting theirs from a responsible source. Aside from this its only 2grams of fat! That is super super low especially when it comes from a boxed food. Take a look at the food labels next time you’re eating a snack. You’ll notice most things are around 7grams or higher! This might be a personal preference but I personally like to keep a really low fat diet. It just works better for my body. Lower fat intake makes it easier for my body to digest and no bloating.

3. Allergen friendly! Soy free, Gluten free and vegan! These crackers are great because everyone can enjoy them. Maybe its an LA thing but most people have some type of food restriction whether its a personal choice or for a medical reason. I love having guests over my home. I like to entertain. I enjoy serving my friends and making them feel at home. I also respect everyone’s food choices and never push anyone to follow my lifestyle. I need to have food that will satisfy multiple taste buds. I want to feel good about what I am feeding others. I treat their health as I do my own. These Butternut Squash Crackers give me that liberty.

I hope you guys are open to giving these amazing delicious crackers a try! This brand From the Ground Up also has other flavors of the crackers and pretzels as well! When you do please share your thoughts with me on my social media platforms under @chelle_hayden. See you guys next time for Chelles Healthy Finds.