Jessica

Some people can get through the day without snacks. And then there’s the rest of us. Snacks are a great way to get from one meal to the next when you’re not quite ready for a full meal but still want to avoid hunger pangs. Also, with the madness of the pandemic, it’s totally normal to feel hungrier than usual for a few reasons. (Or to feel any number of things when it comes to food, really.) If you’re spending more time at home and you find yourself feeling hungrier, it might be because you’re more attuned to your appetite. These past few months have forced a lot of us to slow down and be present with whatever is happening. If you’re normally multitasking and rushing through the day, it’s easier to rush through eating and not pay such close attention to our actual hunger. Feeling extra hungry can also be a sign of the stress of it all. Either way, making sure you’re eating consistently throughout the day is super important right now.

Here are 18 snacks from POC-owned brands to help you do that. Continuously investing our dollars into POC-owned companies is vital to those companies’ survival and success. Keep in mind that most of these snacks come in multipacks and the prices reflect that. Now, let’s get to snacking, shall we?

Click here to see the full roundup 

I’m not gonna lie. I never used to shop at Whole Foods. I’m a die-hard farmers market/Trader Joe’s/Costco/Berkeley Bowl/occasionally Sprouts kinda gal. My grocery routine usually involves going to at least two to three of these locations per week and scouting out the deals.

Then the pandemic happened. And quite honestly that meant that Whole Foods had a shorter line. Seriously. My Trader Joe’s still has a 30-minute wait. At my Whole Foods, you can walk right in. This is appealing because I can’t stand waiting in those long grocery store lines, especially because if I had a dollar for everyone wearing a mask as a chin guard I’d be rich.

But rich enough to shop at the infamous Whole Paycheck? That’s actually what I want to talk about. With a little due diligence, I’ve been able to scout out some meals at Whole Foods that give Trader Joe’s a run for its money. Each of these gems is less than $5 per serving.

Before you keep scrolling, a couple of notes:

• Across the board, the Whole Foods 365 brand was the best bang for my buck. I tried to find a variety of different brands to highlight, but Whole Foods’ own brand seemed to beat all of the other prices. Intentional? Probably.

• Frozen fruit and veggies didn’t necessarily seem that much cheaper than their fresh counterparts, which is why I didn’t use frozen produce. I’ll stick to Costco for frozen produce in bulk and Trader Joe’s for the frozen produce in smaller sizes. Besides, if you shop in season, fresh produce is often comparable to prices I may find at my local grocer.

• It is still very much possible to spend your whole paycheck here, so always go with a plan for exactly what you want to buy. There are things that I noticed were more expensive at Whole Foods than at other stores (for example, fresh bread). And there were items that were pretty much on par with my local prices (beans, some produce, oatmeal, frozen TV dinners, eggs, yogurt, pasta, etc).

Click here to see the full roundup

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Life Extension. Thank you for supporting the work we’re doing at Food Heaven!

Did you know that up to 82% of African Americans have insufficient vitamin D levels?

Let’s talk.

You’ve probably heard about the sunshine vitamin. But what exactly is it and why do we need it? In short, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s both obtained from foods and produced by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. 

Today we partnered with Life Extension to talk all about vitamin D. In this article, we’ll cover why we need vitamin D, which foods are good sources,  considerations for vitamin D and sunlight, how to know if you are vitamin D deficient and what to do if your levels are low.

You may be wondering what exactly we need vitamin D. In short, vitamin D plays a key role in: 

• Bone health
• Immune function
• Brain health
• Heart function 
• Maintaining optimal blood pressure levels

How much Vitamin D do I need? 

The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years.

Which foods contain vitamin D? 

Food, Serving Size, Vitamin D (IU) 

• Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon, 1,350 IUs
• Halibut, 3 ounces, 510 IUs
• Catfish, 3 ounces, 425 IUs
• Salmon, canned 3 ounces 390 IUs
• Mackerel, 3 ounces, 306 IUs
• Sardines, canned 1.75 ounces 250 IUs
• Tuna, canned, in water drained 3 ounces, 200 IUs
• Egg Yolk, 1 yolk, 20 IUs
• Swiss cheese, 1 ounce, 12 IUs
• Fortified Soy Milk, 1 cup, 119 IUs
• Fortified Almond Milk, 1 cup, 102 IUs
• Fortified Cow’s Milk, 1 cup, 100 IUs
• Fortified breakfast cereal, 1 cup, 20 – 100 IUs
• Fortified yogurt, 6 ounces, 80 IUs

How do I get vitamin D from the sun?

The amount of sun exposure a person needs to create adequate amounts of vitamin D varies, depending on an individual’s age, skin color, and underlying health conditions. For example, people with darker skin need more sun exposure to promote adequate vitamin D synthesis. Additionally, the synthesis of vitamin  D from the skin decreases with age. Research suggests that approximately 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10AM and 3PM at least twice per week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen is adequate for vitamin D synthesis. However, initially, time spent in the sun without sunscreen should be done in small doses during non-peak sun hours (peak hours are 10-3 or 11-4 depending on the season).

If I do decide to take a supplement, how much should I take?

If you suspect that you’re not getting adequate vitamin D through foods or sun exposure, you may want to consider getting your vitamin D levels checked by your primary care provider or through a third party. Life Extension also offers a reliable vitamin D blood test at a fraction of what most commercial blood labs charge, this is a helpful resource for anyone having a hard time getting a prescription from their PCP. If you are vitamin D deficient, and unable to meet your needs through food and/or sun exposure, supplementation is often recommended. The amount you take depends on your Vitamin D test results and should be determined by your doctor and/or Registered Dietitian. If you are looking for a quality supplement brand to try, Life Extension makes an affordable vitamin D3 supplement that has been independently tested for quality, purity, and potency. The crazy thing is that my doctor JUST diagnosed me with vitamin D deficiency a couple of weeks ago, so I’ve been taking these supplements my darn self. Check it out here! Please note that not everyone is a good candidate for supplementation (especially those on medications that may interfere with supplements). ALWAYS speak with your doctor, dietitian or pharmacist before starting any supplement regimen. 

We got a discount code for you guys to use too! Details below:

• Code is FOODHEAVEN
• Offer is $5 off $50 + free shipping
• Effective 10/06/20
• Expires 12/31/20

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References:  

Dawson-Hughes, Bess. Vitamin D deficiency in adults: Definition, clinical manifestations, and treatment. In: UpToDate, Drenzer, MK; Rosen,  CJ; Mulder JE (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA, 2017. 

“Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D.” Office of Dietary Supplements – HOME. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2017. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Adult Nutrition Care Manual. http://www.nutritioncaremanual.org.

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium; Ross AC, Taylor CL, Yaktine AL, et al.,  editors. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2011. 6, Tolerable Upper  Intake Levels: Calcium and Vitamin D. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56058/