The following grocery items are ones we in the Tada family have been regularly featuring in our home cooking, many for 30+ years. Many of the items in this list are compatible with the heart-healthy Mediterranean Food Guide (explained on the Healthy Food Tips page). Feel free to try however many you'd like, and to add other organic foods, too.
When buying long-standing favorites or trying new items, we try as much as possible to purchase according to the guiding principle God gave to Cheryl at the beginning of our family's wellness journey:
“Choose foods that are as close to the way God created them, with the least amount of tampering by man.”
KEY: READ LABELS CAREFULLY when making food choices.
Have fun shopping! :-)
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STAPLES (For home cooking, baking):
__ Organic Whole Wheat Flour (may call for slightly more liquid in recipes than when using white flour)
__ Organic Cornmeal
__ Organic Buckwheat Flour
__ Baking Powder (Beware: Most contain sodium aluminum sulfate. Aluminum is controversial and may cause a bitter taste in recipes. Alternative: “Rumford” Baking Powder does not contain any aluminum, and the cornstarch ingredient is from non-genetically modified corn.)
__ Baking Soda
__ Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (Bragg brand)
__ Soy Sauce (avoid “hydrolyzed” ingredients/MSG) (Alternative: BRAGG Liquid Aminos, which is alcohol-free and is not heated or fermented.)
__ Organic Mustard
__ Organic Ketchup
__ Organic Onion, Garlic Powder
__ Organic Fresh Garlic
__ Organic Olive Oil (use raw for home-made salad dressings; conventional olive oil is high in pesticide residues — buy organic)
__ Herbs for seasoning
__ Vanilla Extract (unsweetened)
__ Organic Brown Rice Syrup (Lundberg brand, from California)
__ Honey — use sparingly (buy raw, organic if possible)
__ Sea Salt — use sparingly (Alternative: BRAGG Liquid Aminos)
__ Organic Tofu, Organic Miso Soup Paste
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WHOLE GRAIN BREADS (healthy complex carbs):
__ "Ezekiel 4:9" Sprouted-Grain Bread (Food for Life) — Sesame, Cinnamon-Raisin or Plain
__ Whole Wheat Bread (Vital Vittles)
__ Sprouted Multi-Grain Bread (Alvarado Street Bakery)
__ Whole Wheat Pita Bread
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WHOLE GRAIN CEREALS (Buy organic when possible):
__ Puffed Millet
__ Puffed Rice
__ Puffed Kammut
__ Whole Grain Flakes (avoid ones with sugar, or artificial sweeteners like Aspartame or Splenda; instead, choose flakes sweetened with fruit juice and other natural sweeteners)
BULK GRAINS
(Buy separately and store in labeled, dated jars; may be mixed together to cook as multi-grain hot cereal. Buy organic whenever possible. TIP: Refrigerate grains to prevent rancidity and moths):
__ Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (not instant oatmeal)
__ Millet — Very mild taste, incredibly versatile: Hot cereal, casseroles, rice substitute, etc.
__ Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) — Mild taste, non-sticky texture, pleasant crunch; use like rice
__ Amaranth — Sweet, nutty flavor: Another good rice substitute
__ Whole Wheat — Many forms: Bulgur, cracked wheat, wheat berries (cracked wheat is from whole wheat kernels ground into different granulations for quicker cooking)
__ Flaxseed — A good source of essential omega-3 fatty acids vital for good health. Use food grinder to make into course powder for better assimilation by the body. Use in moderation.
__ Cornmeal ("Polenta") — Versatile, can be used in many recipes such as side dishes, casseroles and breads. Adds nice color and texture to cooked cereal recipe.
HOT CEREAL RECIPE: See the Recipes, Vol. 2 page and try a delicious hot cereal using most of the above grains.
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PRODUCE
__ Vegetables: Lettuce, radicchio, dandelion greens, parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, radishes, onions, celery, avocadoes, broccoli, squash (zucchini, butternut, acorn), cauliflower, green beans, beets, sweet anise (gives salads a pleasant hint of licorice taste) Note: Buy organic produce whenever possible; leafy greens in particular should be organic to reduce exposure to pesticide residues)
__ Fruits (buy organic when possible): Apples, oranges, grapes, pears, bananas, kiwi fruit, papaya, pineapple, honeydew, grapefruit, cherries, blueberries, mangoes, various melons.
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DAIRY PRODUCTS
__ Nonfat Organic Yogurt (occasionally use)
__ Organic Cottage Cheese (occasionally use)
__ Soy Cheese (dairy cheese alternative)
TIP: Transfer dairy products to glass containers. Research has shown an indication that synthetic chemicals in plastic contains and cartons may seep into the product itself.
Note: Our family daily uses a clinically tested, natural and balanced calcium supplement in lieu of most dairy products. Please refer to the Teaching Page for criteria in choosing a reliable brand of supplements.
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POULTRY, FISH, MEAT
(Use sparingly, as flavoring and not necessarily as main entrée):
__ Chicken (Rocky Jr. or any “range-fed” without hormones or antibiotics. “Rosie” brand [grown by Petaluma Poultry, Petaluma, Calif.] is one example of certified organic chicken)
__ Fish (wild [NOT farm-raised] salmon, trout, snapper, etc.) TIP: Eat smaller-sized fish species; avoid larger species such as tuna, swordfish, tilefish, etc. that may contain mercury.
__ Organic Turkey
__ Beef — very seldom purchase; perhaps once or twice per year (Coleman Beef is a reliable brand [hard to get] or any beef that is range-fed without hormones or antibiotics)
__ Organic Eggs (without antibiotics or hormones)
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MISCELLANEOUS DRY GOODS
("Bulk" food section of stores):
__ Organic Brown Rice
__ Organic Lentils
__ Organic Blackeyed Peas
__ Organic Split Peas
__ Organic Beans (kidney, pinto, etc.)
__ Raw, Unsalted, Organic Nuts (buy separately and mix together: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts*, almonds*, pecans, cashews, pistachios*, etc.)
__ Raisins* (buy organic when possible; non-organic raisins may contain high levels of pesticide residues)
__ Organic Figs*, Dates*, Dried Fruits (non-sweetened, and not treated with sulfur dioxide)
__ Organic Whole-Grain Pastas (for home-made spaghetti)
* Asterisked ingredients are featured in a delicious recipe, “God’s Candy”, on the Recipes, Vol. 1 page.
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BEVERAGES
__ Purified Water (home reverse osmosis purification system)
__ Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Juices (dilute with purified water)
__ Soy Protein Shake (water-washed soy, and certified non-GMO)
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DON'T FORGET to visit the Healthy Shopping Tips Page for MORE IDEAS for your precious health!
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