top 5 picks from the healthy shopper

Each season The Healthy Shopper releases it’s must have products to add to your shopping list and this time around they’ve included the products below that I’ve had the opportunity to review.  The picks turned out to be a fantastic line up of products and definitely ones that will help your family live a healthier life while keeping it easy on the environment. Some I’ve been a fan of for years and others were a new experience. Do you use any of these already?

Natracare tampons are made from only certified organic 100% cotton and are the only fully certified organic cotton tampons available in the world today. They are non-chlorine bleached and do not contain synthetic materials, such as rayon, or chemical additives such as binders or surfactants. I’ve tried just about every option (including the cups, sponges, natural pads & tampons, etc.) but always go back to the “name brands” for no reason other than it’s what I’m used too. But since trying Natracare I’ve decided to switch to the brand for good now. The products aren’t fancied up in neon packaging or turn into crazy shapes when you use them, they’re just classically and simply designed to do the job.  Make use of your healthy shopper coupons to save a bit of money because the price point is a tad higher.

These 100% organic fruit juices and iced teas have been equally enjoyed by everyone in our house! I’ve always had a really difficult time finding premade popsicles for my boys that don’t have a ton of sugar or color added to them and finally accepted that making my own is the only option. Kiju juice (specifically the lemonade!) is the perfect treat. Add in some sliced fruit to the popsicle mold or paper cup before pouring in the juice and your kids will think you’re supermom  🙂

A line of buttery spreads, sticks, shortening, a soy-free spread and coconut spread. Earth Balance makes the switch to healthy alternatives a little less daunting.  Their products are 100% plant-based, vegan, non-GMO, lactose-free, gluten-free, egg-free, casein-free, have 0g of trans fat but really do taste delicious! My boys (and me too!) love the coconut spread on toast with cinnamon.  Earth Balance has a fantastic blog with tons of fresh, healthy recipes so make sure you check them out here.

Plant and mineral based cleaning products that really work. No but really. I was surprised to see my dishes come out crystal clear after using the Ecover dishwashing tablets. Keep in mind though, that we have city water, so if you have hard water and still want to be able to use safe alternatives try using  Ecover with a bit of lemi-shine in the pre-wash. It’ll help you avoid this  🙂

I’ve been using the Simply Natural Certified organic pasta sauces for a long time. Their organic Marinara and Tomato & Basil pasta sauces are my favorites and both delicious for homemade pizza sauce or as a dipping sauce for garlic fingers. I also use them for lasagna, add them to my spaghetti sauce and never have any complaints. This brand has been a longtime staple in my pantry. And thanks to Simply Natural for using glass jars…they’re excellent for storing craft supplies!

Related posts:

1. how to be a healthy grocery shopper & $100 giveaway
2. spring clean your body: get healthy from the inside out with probiotics
3. natural mommie’s travel picks {sneak peek for mexico}
4. in the kitchen: make your own healthy & delicious chocolate bars in 5 minutes! (with just 5 ingredients!)
5. in the kitchen: kid-friendly healthy & “fancy” crackers.