As someone who has struggled with my weight my entire life, my vice has always been salty snacks.  You can keep the chocolate – give me the potato chips, pork rinds, popcorn, french fries and beef jerky any day!  Let’s be real – a road trip isn’t really a road trip until you’ve stopped at the gas station and picked up a bag of BBQ flavored, fried pig skins to keep you company.

But as I’ve gotten older and found myself in charge of three rambunctious children, I’m learning that I can’t quite eat like I used to.  My body can’t handle certain foods – including beef/pork products and dairy – as well as I once did.  They trigger inflammatory reactions that cause me to swell, retain fluid, and develop pain in my legs.  But OH how I love them!  So, how exactly do you balance the want for your comfort foods with the reality that you really shouldn’t eat them anymore?

This is why I’m so glad I came across Outstanding Foods.  They have developed a line of plant-based pigless pork rinds called Pig Out.  One serving of Original Pig Out Pigless Pork Rinds contains only 6 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein.  And if you’re like me and can’t stop at one serving, the entire bag only has 21 grams of fat, while boasting a whopping 25 grams of protein and a reasonable 460 calories.  Pig Out Pigless Pork Rinds come in a variety of flavors, so they have something for every taste.  They offer original, Nacho Cheese, Texas BBQ (my fave!), Salt &

Vinegar, and Hella Hot.  And with the first ingredient being rice, these pigless pork rings are not only gluten free, they are also vegan, soy free, and certified kosher.  Being vegan means that these pigless pork rinds are also dairy free.  And since dairy is one of my big inflammatory triggers, it is the food group I try the hardest to stay away from.

Sometimes, snacking is unavoidable.  Especially when you’re a working parent on the go.  But Pig Out by Outstanding Foods makes you feel a little less guilty about snacking.  I love the convenience of individual bags – this gives me the freedom to throw one in my tote at the beginning of my day as I’m wrestling three kids out the door.  I am less likely to run through a drive-thru and grab an order of fries if I have a plant-based alternative with me.

Trying to eat healthier isn’t always easy – especially if you’re trying to eat a vegan diet.  But foods like Pig Out Pigless Pork Rinds offer you a peace of mind of knowing that even in the thousand little moments of chaos that make up every day, you can still keep your health and body in mind – even if your mind is going every which way at once.  It’s all about finding a balance in this crazy world!

Enjoy, y’all!

Even as a fully grown adult with three small children, I still love a good PB&J sandwich every now and then.  But as I get older, I realize that some of the “comfort foods” that we have come to know and love aren’t necessarily the best for our bodies.  While peanut butter has an abundance of “good fats”, it also has the potential to have a lot of sugar, which is not good for you.

But looking beyond the nutritional benefits and potential pitfalls, peanuts are one of the top 5 allergens in the US.  As such, most schools have asked children to refrain from packing peanut-containing foods in their lunches.

So how do you appease that picky child while still taking the health and well being of others into consideration?

Beyond the Equator has developed an AMAZING line of 5 seed butters that are out of this world!!  I was skeptical at first, but after the first bite, I was hooked!!  These 5 seed butters are made from a combination of sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax and hemp seeds.

The first one I tried was the crunchy 5-Seed butter.  Beyond the Equator’s 5 Seed Butters are free of the 8 most common allergens, including peanuts and tree nuts.  This variety contains only the 5 seeds listed above and brown cain sugar.  There are no oil fillers that are commonly found in peanut butters.  And the taste is like nothing I’ve ever tasted before!!  Beyond the Equator’s 5 Seed Butter is so flavorful without being overly sugary.  The texture of the crunchy variety was perfect – I actually found whole sunflower seeds in some bites.  I could have literally stood in my kitchen and consumed the entire jar with a spoon.  It has a buttery flavor that really made me feel like I was doing something wrong.

Beyond the Equator’s 5 Seed Butters are high in mono- and poly-unsaturated fats.  One serving of the crunchy variety has 8 grams of protein and less than one gram of added sugar.  Chia and flax seeds both are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and are great sources of fiber.  Hemp seeds are full of both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids making them a great compliment to the other seeds in this blend.

These seed butters are the best compromise for those seeking the convenience of PB&J while also avoiding potentially deadly allergens like peanuts.

After trying this brand of seed butters, I can honestly say I will never go back to traditional peanut butter again!!

Enjoy, y’all!!