Do you buy these muffins?

I'm sorry if you have these muffins in your pantry…

If you do, I can see why. 

Little Bites and Mini Muffins are smack dab in the middle of the grocery store aisle. Kids can't miss them - especially with the cute characters on front. 

Parents buy them because they sound good:

"No High Fructose Corn Syrup" 

"No Artificial Colors or Flavors" 

"Made With Real Blueberries"

But the ingredients tell the truth! 

Besides the eggs and blueberries… I don't have any of these ingredients in my own kitchen:

• BLEACHED WHITE FLOUR: This is the worst type of flour, stripped of fiber and nutrients, and comes from a heavily hybridized wheat crop, which was likely sprayed with Roundup weed killer, linked to cancer.
• TONS OF PRESERVATIVES: Like Sorbic Acid and Potassium Sorbate.
• EMULSIFIERS & GUMS: Linked to weight gain, inflammation and digestive problems.
• SOYBEAN OIL & WHITE SUGAR: From GMO crops. Increase the risk of obesity & inflammation in the body.

If you know someone who eats these muffins or buys them for their children, please share this video with them. 

If you're looking for an alternative, make the blueberry mini muffins from Food Babe Kitchen or try this recipe for Mini Zucchini Banana Muffins on the blog. They have no added sugar and healthy ingredients. I like to have a batch of these ready in the freezer for a quick snack or to pack in a lunch box. They take minutes to thaw out in a toaster oven. They're super moist, taste absolutely delicious and perfect for kids and adults.

Speaking of snacks, one of the most common questions I get is what brands I recommend for yogurt. Here are my picks that I recently posted on Instagram:

Here's why I choose the brands on the right:

• Dairy products that aren't organic can come from cows fed GMO feed and antibiotics to prevent infections in a factory farm operation. Non-organic yogurt also puts you at a greater risk of pesticide exposure.
• Avoid brands filled with added sugar, flavors, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. The ingredients should be very simple.
• Most yogurts contain added flavors to make them taste like fruit. This may save on calories, but it's better to add real fruit to yogurt so that you get the nutrition. Simply add your own fruit to unflavored yogurt. Once you stop eating sugary yogurt, this may take some getting used to, but now I absolutely love unsweetened yogurt with berries. 

If you know anyone buying Yoplait, Activia, Chobani, and all those overly processed yogurt brands, please share these swaps with them! 

Here's what's coming next….

I'm working on an investigation that will blow the lid off a new popular fast food sandwich. Reply to this email if you can guess which one it is! 

Make sure to stay tuned to this newsletter so you don't miss it. 

If you know anyone who would love these swaps and investigations, please forward this email to them and ask them to subscribe here.

Until then…

Xo,

Vani

P.S. If someone forwarded this email to you, make sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter here. I'll send you updates, life-changing health tips, recipes, and breaking investigations each week.

 

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