READY TO GO FOOD

All of the products here fit the elimination phase – or at least they did when we bought them. Remember to check ingredients every time you buy something or you will eventually, as we have, end up spending money on a product that used to be wonderful but now is filled with strangeness you don’t want to eat. The links on the pictures should take you to the producer’s home page where you can learn where to buy the product. Usually they’ll also have some great recipes but be careful, they’ll often have a variety of other products that look tempting but don’t fit the TQI plan, let alone the elimination phase. If the link doesn’t pop up automatically, click on the picture.

SOME FOODS TO TRY

NO CHOPPING

I frequently hear from students basically complaining that they are too busy, too tired, and/or too achy to stand in the kitchen chopping “all these vegetables.” What follows is a selection of pre-cut, pre-chopped foods you could pick up at the store to save yourself the trouble. As well, there are some pantry items that easily convert into varied sauces to add flavor to your vegetables. It really is not all that difficult once you make up your mind that you want to do it. These happen to be mostly from Trader Joes but all grocery stores offer similar options as do online resources such as https://www.thrivemarket.com/ So what follows is an example only.

Good quality ingredients that meet TQI requirements. Carried in many grocery stores

Another ready made dinner with good ingredients

Organic pumpkin seeds turned into a tofu alternative. Got mine at the local supermarket.

Maya Kaimal Everyday Dal
The Everyday Dal comes in different flavors: Red lentil, black lentil, green split pea, green garbanzo and kidney bean. While they are good on their own, I like to make them proportionate and yet more flavorful by dicing up any vegetables I might have around, such as sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, sliced Brussels sprouts, etc. I let them simmer in the dal until soft which if diced small just takes a minute and at the end maybe add some minced spinach or frozen peas. I end up wit a tasty, healthy, ever changing meal. It uses up odds and ends in the fridge, and travels well in a soup thermos. https://www.,mayakaimal.com/

Just another example of a meal you could use to flavor your pre-cut vegetables for a proportionate meal.

Zucchini and carrot spirals replace pasta, add a tomato sauce for a 100% vegetable dish https://www.traderjoes.com/

Sweet potatoes peeled and cut for quick cooking. https://www.traderjoes.com/

Another way to get both vegetables and omega 3s without having to chop at all. https://www.traderjoes.com/

Cauliflower rice fools both children and adults, it really tastes like rice but is an omega 3 rich vegetable. https://www.traderjoes.com/

For the nightshade sensitive, a tomato sauce made without tomatoes. Nomato.com, Amazon.com

There are many stir fry kits, salad kits and such in all stores. Yes, you have to toss the dressing/sauce but it is a great way to get tasty, varied mixtures of vegetables.

Just examples of pre-chopped veggies, these are frozen, others are fresh. https://www.traderjoes.com/

Can sit on a shelf marinating in the olive oil until you are ready to add them to the sauce for some veggie pasta. https://www.traderjoes.com/

Frozen Beets
These come in handy when you just don't want to spend the time cooking and peeling fresh beets. There is a downside though: You don't get the beet greens to add to a stir fry. https://www.traderjoes.com/

Seapoint Farm products (Soy used is non-GMO verified): Riced vegetables (riced edamame and riced edamame with cauliflower & sweet potato) Frozen edamame (a vegetable) Many varieties of edamame pasta (a protein) Dry roasted edamame (a protein) note wasabi flavor contains dextrin; Seaweed snacks are off plan https://www.seapointfarms.com/

Pop some sweet potatoes in the toaster oven, stir in some other frozen vegetables for dinner. https://www.traderjoes.com/

The pieces of sweet potato are a bit big for my taste but easy to cut up. https://www.traderjoes.com/

South River makes fabulous miso, stir a teaspoon in hot water for a simple soup, add to your vegetables for an Asian style sauce. https://www.southrivermiso.com/

Vegan Kale Pesto
This pesto is one of my favorites. It keeps for a long time in the fridge so it's easy to keep on hand. It is good on vegetables (steamed, fried, or roasted), veggie and other burgers, pasta, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, stirred into soups, and more. I like it as a dip, sometimes mixed with a hummus. I sometimes add a tad to a kraut. https://www.traderjoes.com/

If you love garlic, this belongs in your fridge, try it on some roasted vegetables! https://www.garicsauce.com/

Golden Star is my favorite coconut milk. It is widely available. I suspect it is identical to some of the Thai brands available at Asian markets that also contain only coconut and water. It is fine to use coconut milk with added guar gum but avoid those with meta bi sulfite (and ask if eating at a Thai restaurant). I personally skip those with added guar gum and definitely avoid Lite coconut milk. If I want to water down my coconut milk, I add my own water. 🙂

Thai & True makes great curry pastes without added sugar. Stir in some coconut milk and you have turned your vegetables into a tasty curry.

Sonoma Gourmet makes a great butternut squash pasta sauce; they also make a cherry tomato & basil, a plum tomato marinara, and a plum tomato pizza sauce. Be aware Dave's Gourmet makes a butternut squash sauce with added sugar. You do not want that one. https://www.sonomagourmet.com/

Biodynamic farming is many steps above organic in terms of avoiding chemicals and poor agricultural practices. Yellow Barnis working on creating a market for biodynamics. Right now they offer a Tomato concentrate, tomato & basil, puttanesca, roasted eggplant and a tomato puree. https://www.yellowbarnfood.com/

Classico has a few suitable pasta sauces, the Riserva roasted garlic and Riserva marinar and the spicy red flavor pasta sauce. The other sauces come with natural flavor, sugar, beef, and/or dairy so pick carefully. https://www.classico.com

Organic, sugar-free pasta sauces made with olive oil: Chunky tomato & herb, classic marinara, fire roasted tomato, garden vegetable, Italian herb, portabella mushroom, roasted garlic, and tomato & basil pasta sauces. https://www.muirglen.com

TJ's says all you need are some eggs, a microwave, and a few minutes for a great breakfast. Probably other brands out there as well. https://traderjoes.com/

PASTAS

Today, there are many alternatives to wheat pasta. Here are a few choices.

I like the texture of lentil pasta. A few years ago, it vanished from the market but now is back in a big way, even Barilla now offers a lentil pasta. Although there are so many organic brands, why not go with one of them? Organic red or green lentil or chickpea pasta<a href="https://www.tolerantfoods.com/">https://www.tolerantfoods.com/</a> or <a href="https://www.explorecuisine.com/">https://www.explorecuisine.com/</a> Organic yellow lentil & brown rice or red lentil pasta <a href="https://www.traderjoes.com/">https://www.traderjoes.com/</a> — I like the texture of lentil pasta. A few years ago, it vanished from the market but now is back in a big way, even Barilla now offers a lentil pasta. Although there are so many organic brands, why not go with one of them? Organic red or green lentil or chickpea pastahttps://www.tolerantfoods.com/ or https://www.explorecuisine.com/ Organic yellow lentil & brown rice or red lentil pasta https://www.traderjoes.com/

Although made from edamame (a vegetable), the edamame has been dried to make flour so edamame pasta counts as a protein. The pasta comes in a variety of shapes from a variety of manufacturers including https://www.explorecuisine.com/, https://www.seapointfarms.com/, and Explore Asian a brand found at Costco and Sears.

King Soba has a wide variety of organic pastas: Buckwheat, brown rice, black rice, brown rice & wakame seaweed, brown rice, pumpkin & ginger, buckwheat & sweet potato, buckwheat & quinoa, brown rice & millet noodles. They also make black or brown rice or buckwheat ramen. https://www.kingsoba.com/ Eden foods also offers 100% buckwheat soba noodles https://www.edenfoods.com/ as do many Asian markets. Read labels carefully: Many soba noodles are primarily wheat.

Tinkyada is the original rice pasta maker and their pasta always consists of brown rice without strange ingredients and in two cases they add some powdered vegetables. (which is great) I like their pasta and it is widely available. https://www.tinkyada.com/ Lotus foods also offers some nice rice pastas, more pad thai style. https://www.lotusfoods.com/ There are probably many others . . .

Brown rice and buckwheat flour form Lotus Foods (https://www.lotusfoods.com/)

Ramen noodles made with Forbidden Rice from Lotus Foods (https://www.lotusfoods.com/)

Brown rice ramen from Lotus Foods (https://www.lotusfoods.com/)

Pad Thai noodles from Forbidden rice by Lotus Foods (https://www.lotusfoods.com/)

Brown rice Pad Thai noodles by Lotus Foods (https://www.lotusfoods.com/)

Spaghetti squash pasta, is & counts as a vegetable. (https://solely.com/product/organic-spaghetti-squash-pasta/)

CRUNCHY THINGS

One of the habits the TQI changes is our tendency to overindulge in crackers, toast, and other crunchy things that are often high in omega 6s, bad fats, refined grains, and all kinds of strange additives. But there are choices that allow us to enjoy a piece of toast or some crackers such as the following:

Sliced thin and toasted, this is tasty and elimination phase appropriate https://livepacha.com/collections/all

I found these at Costco. No crunch but I use them at room temperature to soak up the last of a sauce or soup. Or with mashed avocado & lots of lettuce as a wrap.

These crackers come in original, black pepper, and jalapeno. https://www.marysgonecrackers.com/

These crackers are crunchy and thin which makes it easier to maintain proportions. Flavors: Brown rice, red rice & quinoa,basil & thyme, sorghum, black rice, crushed red pepper, cracked black pepper. Two of Lundberg's rice cakes also work: Brown rice and wild rice. The rest of Lundberg's products come with white rice and/or rice syrup. https://www.lundberg.com/

I've yet to try Flackers but they sound interesting. Basic cracker of flax but now comes in quinoa, rosemary, savory, sea salt, tomato & basil, black sesame & pepper, and hemp seed & hatch chili. https://www.flackers.com/

Mary's pretzels aka twigs come in sea salt, chipotle tomato and curry flavors. https://www.marysgonecrackers.com/

Many varieties of super seed crackers: classic, basil-garlic, seaweed-black sesame, rosemary, chili-lime and lemon-dill. https://www.marysgonecrackers.com/

Be careful when buying crackers. Most, even "healthy" brands like Mary's have crackers with high glycemic starches, sugars, additives and more. Many sneak white rice in, called "rice flour." On the other hand, there are many raw foods crackers available at health food stores that are fabulous. Let me know if you have a favorite.

No store bought chips of any kind but you can crisp up these tortillas in your oven at home if you are looking for something crunchy. https://www.foodforlife.com/ BTW, these tortillas are often hiding in the frozen food section of your grocery store.

Of course, the best crunchy, salty treat is crispy kale. A source of satisfying, healthy omega 3s. There's a recipe for them in your cookbook. Do give them a try. Photo by Andy Melton

PANTRY ITEMS

For lack of a better term, I’ve called these pantry items, they could also for the most part be viewed as condiments.Many will need to be refrigerated once opened.

Thrivemarket.com carries this pizza dough mix.

Finally, a chicken stock without natural flavors and added sugar, based on organic chicken.

This unsweetened ketchup tastes just like the "real deal!" and the Spicy version has a nice kick. Available at most grocery stores

There are many great balsamics out there, often with prices to match. This is an inexpensive, thick, tasty balsamic that you can afford to drizzle on many different foods. https://www.napavalleynaturals.com

Spicy peppers are sprayed with fairly toxic pesticides so I was glad to find these organic green chiles at Whole Foods and Thriftway.

Whole Foods now carries these organic water chestnuts. Essential ingredient in Buddha Balls but I like the crunch of water chestnuts in almost any stir fry as well.

Unfortunately, Katz is no longer in business. It is well worth the effort to explore the world of small wineries and apple growers for things like a gravenstein apple vinegar. In the process you likely will find fabulous olive oils as well.

The best mayo is homemade with EVOO. The store bought are useful (despite their refined soybean or avocado oil) to make great dips for veggies and things like egg or wild salmon salad. You avoid over-consuming these mayos by ensuring that EVOO dominates your fats. They count as a little protein (the egg) but are mostly fat. https://www.traderjoes.com Woodstock makes a mayo with the same formula that also comes in a large jar and in a less sustainable squeezable form. https://www.woodstpck-foods.com/

Avocado oil based mayo but with same comment as re Trader Joe’s mayo: Provides a few trans fats, not as healthy as homemade EVOO mayo but acceptable in moderation. Primal comes in plain, Chipotle lime, garlic aioli (not wild about use of lemon oil instead of lemon but ok here). Primal's egg yolks and their eggs are organic https://www.primalkitchen.com/ Chosen Foods also has a avocado oil based mayo. Unlike primal their whole eggs are organic but their egg yolks are not. Flavors: Plain, black garlic mayo, wasabi mayo, harissa mayo NOTE their coconut oil mayo has added sugar. https://www.chosenfoods.com/

This was my favorite salsa but Trader Joe's is changing and starting to discontinue some of its healthiest products. There are other great salsas out there though.

Muir Glen makes a variety of organic, sugar-free salsas:, black bean & corn, garlic & cilantro, medium & mild tomato salsa. https://www.muirglen.com

Lilly's Salsas
I've not found these salsas to be widely available where I live,but they all look good. Flavors: Mango, black bean & corn, "plain," and pineapple. Lots of ways to use salsa, one of my favorites is on top of veggie burgers. https://lillysfoods.com/

Primal finally came up with an acceptable ketchup. It is not very different from the recipe Richard posted on the TQI Board.

A dab of one of these to add some heat or flavor to a stew or stir fry. https://olofood.com/

I try to avoid plastic (for my own and the environment's sake) so I am very fond of Eden's organic brown and organic yellow mustard in glass. https://edenfoods.com/

There are quite a few acceptable mustards in plastic, and they come in yellow, stoneground and "faux" Dijon (without wine). Read labels though, some will have honey and the famous Coleman's comes with wheat flour, sugar, and a stabilizer. https://woodstock-foods.com/, https://annies.com/, https://traderjoes.com/

A traditional Japanese condiment for grain, noodles, baked potatoes, cooked vegetables, and more. It enhances salad dressings and dips, it is tasty and low in salt. https://edenfoods.com/

So far, this is the only dressing I have found that can be used freely. Olive oil based, no sugars, no nonsense. https://www.traderjoes.com/

Lots of choices but all with avocado oil (=some transfats) and other additives so for occasional use, that is once or twice a week at most. Ranch, Ceasar, Green goddess, balsamic, Greek, Italian https://www.chosenfoods.com/

Lots of choices but all with avocado oil (=some transfats) and xanthan gum so for occasional use, that is once or twice a week at most. Lemon garlic, green goddess, chosen goddess, golden goddess, Baja goddess and Greek goddess. https://www.chosenfoods.com/

Nut butters from almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios are available at most stores. Just watch out for added oils: A waste of your money, they are cutting the more expensive nuts with a cheap oil. added sugar: nut butters do not need sugar. Added anything: Go for a real 100% nut butter!

Seed butters: Hemp, pumpkin, flax, sunflower, soybean, lots of alternatives and just as good as nut butters. Same warning as for nut butters: Get the pure, unadulterated seed butters.

Tahini is a seed, so this is a seed butter but its ability to turn into a tahini sauce with the addition of a little lemon, evoo, water, makes it special. TJ used to carry a spectacular tahini sauce but no longer does. 🙁 https://traderjoes.com/

SWEETER THINGS

Our foods taste differently when they do not have to compete with concentrated sweeteners. Things that used to seem bitter now seem tangy or tart. Fruit that used to be sort of blah now are sooo sweet. And there are dishes that will fully satisfy an occasional craving for something sweet. All of the following will — the unsweetened chocolate will need the accompaniment of a banana, some cashews or such though.

Ready To Go Foods