Being the label-reading food nerd that I am, I found some of the tags to be more helpful than others. For example, "Gluten Free", "Organic", and "Good Source of Calcium" were more useful than the mysterious "Made with Whole Grains" or "Natural". It would be great to also see labels for "Vegan", "Vegetarian", "Good Source of Iron", or "Good Source of Protein" (I didn't notice any of those in my store).

All in all, I think this is a very positive addition to our grocery store shelves. I'm all for bringing light to the contents of our food. Anything that gets the attention of consumers who usually don't consider nutritional value when selecting products is a good thing!


The folks at the SimpleNutrition program provided me with two $25 gift cards to give away to you!

TO ENTER: Please leave a comment on this post telling me whether you read labels when you shop or if you base your purchases on something else.

The fine print: Two winners will be chosen via random drawing. Each winner will receive one $25 gift card that is good at Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Genuardi's, Dominick's, Carrs, Randalls, and Tom Thumb. Contest ends Wednesday March 30th at 11:59pm PDT. Winner will be announced on Thursday the 31st.

Good luck!!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (vegan)

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour works well)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cup non-dairy milk
• 2/3 cup real maple syrup (this is a pretty sweet bread and this could be reduced to 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup oil (canola, coconut, olive - your choice)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups grated zucchini
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds (optional, adds protein, iron, and omega 3s)

1. Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C). In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the milk, syrup, oil, lemon juice, vanilla, and zucchini. Add to the dry mixture and stir gently to combine. Fold in the raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, and hemp seeds.
3. Pour batter into a loaf pan* lined with parchment paper (or lightly oiled). Bake for 45-50 minutes, until lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Note: You can also bake this as muffins. Reduce baking time to approximately 20-25 minutes.

• 1/2 cup slivered or chopped almonds (or other nuts)
• 1/2 cup sunflower or other seeds
• 1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit (or a combo)
• 2 tbsp hemp or other seeds
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (or chocolate pieces)
• 2 cups rolled (old-fashioned) oats
• 2 cups toasted rice cereal (like Rice Krispies, I use the Barbara's brand brown rice version)
• 1/2 cup nut or seed butter (I like almond)
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine the first seven ingredients (almonds through rice cereal) in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Combine the nut butter, rice syrup, maple syrup, and vanilla in a microwave safe bowl. Warm in the microwave until pourable. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
3. Firmly press the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer. When cooled and hardened, remove from the pan by lifting it out by the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. Cut into bars and individually wrap.