I’m not prone to making formal New Years’ Resolutions, but one thing I learned while hunkered down at home was how to develop healthier eating habits and stick with them. No one loves to eat more than me, so dieting isn’t my thing; but when I decide to make a change one step at a time, what originally seems daunting can become second-nature. For me, it’s all about baby steps: figuring out what works and making little adjustments as I go, so I don’t get bored or discouraged. Before I even realized how much my habits had changed, I’d dropped ten pounds. It’s been life-changing.
The simple pleasures of enjoying a bowl of cereal with milk has returned to my life recently, thanks to a line of shelf-stable, plant-based milks from Koita, a natural foods company based in Italy (check out my review of Koita’sOrganic Coconut Milk at This Link). This week I am reviewing Koita Oat Milk, made from Italian oats and water, and fortified with vitamins and calcium. I’ve reviewed oat milk-based beverages on the blog before and found them to be quite delicious, and ideal as a milk-substitute in smoothies and shakes, thanks to its creamy texture that’s very similar to dairy milk.
When Covid dictated a shift from working at an office to working from home, my daily routine changed in many ways. One small but significant shift involved what I regularly enjoyed eating for breakfast each morning while sitting at my desk. The office pantry always stocked fresh milk in the fridge for our coffee or cereal, so it was super convenient (and saved me a few bucks) to keep a box of my favorite cereal — Barbara’s Peanut Butter Puffins, available at Trader Joe’s — at work. At home, I rarely purchase dairy milk because it basically starts to go bad as soon as it’s packaged, and it’s easy to forget to use it up before the expiration date hits. Needless to say (but you can see I am about to) when I started working from home — one year ago — I stopped eating packaged breakfast cereal entirely. That changed recently, when I found out about Koita, a line of shelf-stable, plant-based milks from Italy! Today I’m going to review Koita Organic Coconut Milk, which has brought the joy of breakfast cereal back into my life.
I will be the first person to admit that I am not the most creative home cook, so having seriously-restricted access to restaurant-prepared meals means I am fighting food boredom. While I’m relying more than ever on the amazing frozen food section at my local Trader Joe’s, I’m also exploring my ability to make tasty rice and pasta dishes with minimal effort. When it comes to pasta, the more cheese, the better, so Parmesan cheese is always in my pantry. Now, vegans and others following a dairy-free diet can also enjoy the cheesy, umami flavor of Parmesan with Parma! Vegan Parmesan seasoning. Continue reading Product Review: Parma! Vegan Parmesan Seasoning→
More and more it seems, food allergies or intolerances to commonly used ingredients such as nuts, wheat, soy and dairy no longer have to keep you from indulging in your favorite foods. For example, Yogurt lovers who have been missing out on this creamy treat due to a lactose intolerance can now enjoy healthy and great tasting Good Karma dairy-free yogurt, which I recently had the chance to taste test at home, after first meeting product representatives last summer at a food show.
Vegan-friendly and free of major allergens, Good Karma is versatile, creamy, fresh and delicious. This dairy free yogurt is made with flax milk (derived from cold-pressed flaxseed oil) which is a rich source of Omega-3 healthy fats. Each serving of Good Karma contains 5-6 grams of plant-based protein, plus 7 live and active cultures to aid digestion. Even better: each 6 ounce serving has only 90 calories!
As you can see by the photo above of the Blueberry variety spooned into a serving dish, Good Karma is very creamy in texture and not at all gelatinous, as is Greek-style yogurt. The fruit is already blended in, rather than being at the bottom of the cup, so you get a very consistent fruit flavor in every bite.
Good Karma Raspberry
Using plant-based milks, the company’s goal is always to create a delicious yogurt that gets as close as possible to a traditional dairy yogurt, while also being free of all major allergens, with added protein and a tangy, fruity taste that makes you smile!
Besides these three luscious fruit flavors, Good Karma dairy free yogurt also comes in comes in Plain and Vanilla varieties.
I tasted the Vanilla Good Karma at the aforementioned food show, where I was served a tasty fun yogurt parfait recipe that knocked my socks off! Find out more about Good Karma dairy-free products (made with Flax Milk, which, as you can see below, they also offer), plus get recipes like the one you see above, and download money-saving coupons good towards your first purchase of Good Karma, at this link!
Good Karma Non-Dairy Yogurt and Flax Milk Products!
