Eating right can be easy and delicious when you are armed with knowledge. Otherwise, our hectic lives make it all too easy to eat a microwaved burrito or a donut on the way to the office, snack on processed chips and pretzels at our desks, eat a fast food lunch or skip it altogether, and maybe throw some pasta together for a quick meal at the end of a busy day. The problem is that all of these foods are devoid of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that we need to help our minds and bodies thrive.
There’s nothing more important than good health, and yet it always seems to take a backseat to almost everything else. A major part of the problem is the perception that healthy food can either taste good, or be convenient, but not both. It’s not that you don’t want to eat healthy — it’s just that there never seems to be enough time to create healthy, satisfying meals.
Almost every day in the news, in magazines, or on the internet, so called experts tell us to eat a healthy diet. However, healthy may mean different things to different people and often the term “healthy” is never defined very clearly. For those of us who want to make better dietary choices without compromising on flavor, we compiled some information to guide you on your journey to better health and wellbeing. Best of all we can share how eating better can be easier than you think.
If you don’t have the time or desire to plan and prepare quality snacks, meals, and desserts, then Awesome Foods is just what you need. Awesome Foods offers a diverse line of snacks that are certified organic, certified gluten-free, and verified non-GMO. Our prepared foods contain only fresh ingredients, making them as delicious as they are convenient. Our desserts contain equally high quality ingredients and are perfect for those with a sweet tooth. You no longer need to purchase expensive ingredients that wither in the bottom of your fridge or try to carve out time to prepare a healthy lunch between kids, activities, and work. We’ve done the work of preparing premium-quality, affordable, and delicious foods that you can’t find anywhere else.
Our offerings are plant based, handmade without artificial ingredients or flavors, and our prepared foods and desserts are made with organic ingredients whenever possible. We take the time to sprout our nuts, beans, and seeds for increased digestibility and nutritional value. Our foods deliver a balance of healthy fats, complex carbs, and protein, while maintaining the naturally occurring fiber, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. We make it easy for you to replace processed and overcooked foods that are found in supermarkets and restaurant chains.
Best of all, our foods are absolutely delicious, with simple whole ingredients clearly labeled, to let you know exactly what you are eating. We believe that once you’ve tried our real food, that is full of flavor, and packed with nutrients and fiber, you will feel full and satisfied without overeating. Making better choices in prepared foods, snacks, and even desserts has never been so easy.
Table of Contents
Eat Enough Fruits and Vegetables
According to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in November of 2017, only 12 percent of Americans consume the minimum daily recommended dietary allowance of fruit (around two cups), and only 9 percent eat the minimum amount of vegetables (around 2 ½ cups).
So how can you get the minimum daily requirements of fruits and vegetables into your diet? It’s not difficult—it’s more a matter of being aware and using a little bit of forethought. First, a helpful guideline to follow is that two large pieces of fruit will meet the daily recommended serving of fruit (2 cups). So an apple, a grapefruit, a nectarine, or a large banana can be counted as half of your daily intake. A cup of blueberries or strawberries as a midmorning snack at your desk or after a workout also gets you halfway there. So will a cup of applesauce. A cup of baby carrots or celery sticks with a healthy dip, like humus, is an easy and satisfying addition to your daily meals or snacks. Awesome Foods makes a delicious sprouted chickpea hummus, made with organic ingredients. A salad will help you get to 2 ½ cups, two cups of leafy greens is equal to one cup of vegetables. Add a cup of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or sliced bell pepper to that salad, and you’re getting close. As you can see, getting enough fruits and vegetables is just a matter of getting into the habit! For more information on eating enough fruits and vegetables click here.
Pad Thai
Eat Whole Fruits and Vegetables
While the CDC does count fruit juice as a fruit, there are many good reasons to eat your food rather than to juice it. First, most of the fiber is lost when a fruit or vegetable is juiced. Juicing is when a machine pulls all the liquid from the fruit or vegetable and discards the pulp and fiber. Smoothies are a great alternative to juices because they are blended to keep all of the fiber intact. Awesome Foods’ best selling product is the green smoothie, which blends dark leafy greens and organic apples for sweetness. There are a plethora of reasons why consuming more dark leafy greens is beneficial; they contain vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Secondly, a high-fiber diet has been proven to have a host of health benefits—including a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, and constipation—trading juice for whole foods is an easy way to give your health a boost. Store bought juices, which are often loaded with extra sugar and no fiber, can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity. Whole fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, and fiber. The best way to eat better is to eat whole fruits and vegetables. Fiber content is not the only reason to eat your produce and fruits whole or blended. Juicing fruit can double the sugar content. That means more sugars, more calories, and a higher risk of diabetes from drinking juice than eating fruit. And since juice lacks fiber, it is less satisfying despite being higher in calories. The findings related to diabetes and fruit consumption are particularly eye-opening. A 2013 study by the Harvard School of Public Health, which was published in the British Medical Journal, found that eating certain whole fruits was associated with a lower risk of diabetes—as much as a 23% drop. However, those who drank one or more servings of fruit juice per day saw an increased chance of type 2 diabetes—as much as a 21% risk! Trading only three servings of juice per week for a whole fruit decreased the risk of diabetes by 7 percent. High sugar consumption, even from fruit, is one of the most detrimental impacts on human health.For more information click the following:

Green Smoothie
Eat a Healthy Balance of Quality Foods
While researchers have been attempting—and failing—for decades to prove that one diet over another is ideal and works for everyone; one thing seems fairly clear: The quality of your food is just as important as the total number of calories you consume. In other words, the calories found in a large salad with dressing may be similar to a piece of chocolate cake, however, the amount of nutrients in the salad are more plentiful than those found in the cake. Selecting quality protein, quality complex carbohydrates (in the form of vegetables) and healthy fats is the best way to give your body what it needs to thrive. A study of over 120,000 healthy men and women conducted over a period of 20 years by the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health published findings in 2011 suggesting that:- Subjects tended to gain weight especially when eating potato chips, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed red meats. Processed foods containing high levels of refined carbohydrates, fats, and sugars also tended to contribute to weight gain.
- Consumption of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts, and yogurt were correlated with weight loss.

Collard Wrap
Use Whole Grains and Seeds
Science does not always have a definitive answer for complex questions about health and nutrition, but research has left little doubt that whole grains are far more beneficial than their refined counterparts. But what exactly is a whole grain, and how can you distinguish it from a grain that has been stripped of most of its best properties? A whole grain is simply a grain that has its natural properties intact. Technically speaking, all whole grains contain the bran (which contains the fiber), the germ, and the endosperm. A refined grain is stripped of its bran and germ, which contain the healthy, disease-fighting parts of the grain such as B vitamins, antioxidants, healthy fats, and other nutrients and healthy compounds. We may enjoy the light, airy texture of breads and pastries that are made with highly processed flour, but we are paying a price in terms of our health when we consume these products. Some of the many health benefits of eating whole grains include:- Help in the maintenance of steady, balanced blood sugar
- Added fiber which promotes lower cholesterol, healthy digestion and bowel activity, and possibly protection against heart attacks and strokes
- Possible protection against some cancers
- Protection against inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease
- A lower risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease, and a lower risk of overall mortality
- Possible protection against type 2 diabetes
For more information click the following:

Egg(less) Salad
Choose Complex Carbohydrates
As with calories, the type of carbohydrate you eat is as important as the quantity you consume. Soft drinks, French fries, and pastries are composed of carbohydrates; but so are nuts, beans, vegetables, and whole grains. So if you are looking for a low carb diet, it’s extremely important to distinguish between good and bad carbohydrates. It’s important to understand the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs when planning a healthy diet. Complex carbs are those found in whole, unprocessed foods and have significant health benefits. These include all the green leafy vegetables like kale, collards, and mixed greens, and the highly beneficial cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. Conversely, simple carbs are refined carbs that have been artificially stripped of their fiber and other health-promoting compounds. They offer very little or no vitamins, minerals, and digestive enzymes. Simple carbs are items like popcorn, candy bars, pretzels, soda, and everything in the junk food isle of the grocery store. Americans load up on these low cost, low quality foods while they offer no benefit to a healthy diet, and they are extremely detrimental to your health due to an increased consumption of sugars. Carbohydrates are converted into glucose in order to provide the body with a usable form of energy, but it’s important to obtain them from the best possible sources. Foods such as kale, quinoa, hummus, beets, carrots, and zucchini are all high-quality sources of carbs. Complex carbohydrates include fiber which slows the absorption of sugars and reduces an insulin spike, which can help diminish food cravings. White bread, pastries, sweetened drinks, potato chips, and white pasta should be limited or eliminated. Some benefits of eating complex carbohydrates include:- Decreasing your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease
- Contributing dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant compounds to your diet
- Possible lowering of “bad” cholesterol and increasing “good” cholesterol
- Lowering blood sugar levels
- Increasing healthy gut bacteria and supporting healthy digestion
- Promoting a decrease in inflammatory conditions in the body
- Encouraging overeating due to the spike they cause in blood sugar. Sudden increases in blood sugar have been shown to cause cravings, hunger, and overeating.
- They increase triglyceride levels, which are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Increased incidence of type 2 diabetes due to the insulin resistance caused by overconsumption of simple carbs
- Sugar addiction
- Obesity

Sprouted Chickpea Hummus
Avoid Artificial Ingredients and Colors
What would you say if someone offered you or your child a snack that included known carcinogens? What if you were told that the “food” contained petroleum? Would you eat it—or allow your child to eat it? Unfortunately, most Americans are paying to eat “foods” on a daily basis that contain substances—albeit in small amounts—that are proven to cause behavioral problems, hypersensitivity reactions, and cancer. Shockingly, food dye consumption in the United States has increased fivefold since 1955. So why are these risky substances added to processed foods? The answer is very simple: it’s cheap and makes the food look and sometimes taste more appealing. It’s more difficult to sell bland-looking cereals or cookies than bright and colorful ones. Since the natural color of food will fade the longer that it’s stored, dyes are added in order to keep them looking fresh—even if they aren’t. The sad fact is that Americans are paying for these substances not only with their money, but with their health as well. When it comes to artificial sweeteners, these may be even more harmful than good old-fashioned processed sugar. The five artificial, “non-nutritive” sweeteners—saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame, neotame, and sucralose—and bleached stevia, a natural low-calorie sweetener, may cause more problems than they solve. There are also sugar alcohols that are in so called sugar-free products that you should be aware of. Look for hidden sugars called erythritol, maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. In some people, these sugars can cause digestive upset and headaches. With their unnaturally intense sweet flavor, artificial sweeteners may alter our sense of taste, causing us to lose appreciation for naturally sweet foods such as fruit and to find non-sweet foods unpalatable. Artificial sweeteners may also disrupt our sense of taste overall, causing us to be unable to enjoy or even detect more subtle flavors. And if that’s not enough, studies show that artificial sweeteners may be addictive. When given the choice, most lab animals choose saccharin over cocaine! Perversely, one study showed that drinking diet soda on a daily basis was associated with a 36% greater risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Another study showed subjects who consumed more than 21 diet drinks per week were twice as likely to become overweight or obese as those who don’t drink diet soda. It should be clear from the data that artificial sweeteners are part of the problem rather than the solution.For more information click the following:
Eat a Fiber Rich Diet
It’s been common knowledge for decades that eating enough fiber is important for digestive health, but many people may be unaware of the extensive benefits that fiber can have beyond smooth bowel function. Fiber is the component of plant foods that cannot be broken down by the human body. The optimal daily fiber intake for both children and adults is at least 20 to 30 grams per day; however, the average intake is only about 15 grams. Before we jump into the many health benefits of fiber, let’s take a look at the two types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber, so called because it dissolves in water, helps to regulate blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water, encourages the movement of food through the digestive system. It adds to stool bulk, aiding in regularity. Sources of soluble fiber include oats, peas, beans, apples, blueberries, carrots, and psyllium. Sources of insoluble fiber include whole wheat flour, wheat bran, brown rice, and vegetables. Health benefits of eating your optimal daily fiber intake include:- A feeling of satiety, therefore a lower tendency to overeat
- Maintaining even blood sugar levels and lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- A lower risk of heart disease
- A lower risk of diverticular disease
- Avoidance of constipation
- A possible reduced risk of breast cancer
- Decrease in cholesterol levels
- Maintenance of a healthy weight
For more information click the following:

Mediterranean Wrap
Don’t Use Cooking Methods that Devalue the Nutrient Profile of Your Food
There is much evidence to suggest that adding more raw foods to your diet provides important health benefits that may be difficult to obtain when eating only or mainly a cooked-foods diet. Let’s broadly consider the pros of eating uncooked or lightly cooked, unprocessed fruit and vegetables: Raw foods strengthen our immune system: Raw vegetables and fruits are loaded with digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and fiber necessary for good health. It provides energy and satisfies your hunger, so you don’t overeat. When we cook food, we destroy most of the helpful benefits found in our vegetables. If we eat too much overly-cooked, microwaved food, it can clog our colon leading to a host of health problems, like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Raw foods keep beneficial enzymes intact: Cooking food at a temperature above 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys almost all of the naturally occurring enzymes it contains. These enzymes are important in decreasing the workload on the body, because they “pre-digest” food. In other words, they begin to break down the foods we ingest before stomach acid begins to work on it. When those enzymes have been cooked out of our food, the pancreas must step in to produce those needed enzymes, which puts a demand on the digestive system. Heat denatures proteins: Cooking food destroys vitamins like B and C as well as naturally occurring fatty acids. Cooking food does make some foods more digestible; however, the proteins in certain foods, such as dairy products, change their structure when heated, causing allergic reactions. So, eating a good mix of cooked and raw foods, which for most people, means increasing their raw food intake, seems to be a good idea.For more information click the following:
- Fact or Fiction: Raw Veggies are Healthier than Cooked Ones
- Food – Raw Versus Cooked
- Effects of Different Cooking Methods
Soak and Germinate Nuts and Seeds for Increased Digestibility and Access to Proteins
It’s a little-known fact that nuts and seeds contain potent compounds that can be detrimental to health. While nuts and seeds can have tremendous health benefits, it’s important to properly prepare them by removing much of the harmful compounds, so you can benefit from the protein and nutrients they contain. All grains, nuts, and seeds contain phytic acid enzyme inhibitors. Phytic acid allows a plant’s seeds to pass through an animal’s digestive system intact so that the seed is deposited remotely and another plant can grow. However, those same inhibitors that protect the seed can create digestive and other health issues in humans over the long term unless they are removed before we eat them. Nuts, whole grains, beans, and seeds should be soaked in a salt water solution (the amount of time depends upon the particular food), which will remove the phytic acid enzyme inhibitors and make them healthier and more digestible to humans. Benefits of soaking and sprouting seeds include:- The removal of tannins, which can have an adverse effect on kidney function
- An increase in B vitamins
- Activation of beneficial enzymes that remove enzyme inhibitors
- To prevent the action of phytic acid on bones, thereby protecting bones and mineral loss
- To make the proteins more digestible
- Benefits of Soaking Nuts and Seeds
- Are Sprouted, Soaked, & Fermented Grains Healthy?
- Importance of Soaking Nuts and Seeds

Kale Hemp Seed Salad
Eat Certified Organic
Eating organic food is one of the most important things you can do for your health—and for the health of the planet. Consuming non-organic foods means that you are consuming residues and byproducts of toxic petroleum-based fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, hormones, antibiotics, and more. You will likely also be eating genetically modified foods, the safety of which has not been established through independent studies. The toxins in non-organic foods build up over time, creating a dangerous level of toxins in the body that the liver must work harder at to remove. Some people detoxify better than others, therefore, the impact of toxins may not bother you until you are older. Also, the impact of toxins can cause problems in children, since they are still developing. There are numerous potential health issues that can be created by this “body burden,” some of which may include headaches, birth defects, immune system deficiencies, leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Hundreds of millions of pounds of Roundup (a herbicide) are used in the United States annually despite it having been established as a “probable human carcinogen.” Other widely used pest control chemicals have been linked to developmental delays in infants, ADHD, and reduced sperm quality in men. Multiple studies published in the British Journal of Nutrition over the last several years found that organically grown foods have more nutritional value than their pesticide-laden counterparts.- Organic produce was found to contain greater amounts of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds such as anthocyanins and flavonols, which may reduce inflammation and protect against a variety of diseases.
- Organic dairy and meat products have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids since grass-fed animals raised without hormones and antibiotics have access to their natural environment and diet of grass. Omega-3s have been shown to prevent cardiovascular disease, improve neurological development and function, and increase immune function.
For more information click the following:

Vegetable Tempuraw
Eat Certified Gluten-Free
The gluten-free diet has gained enormous popularity in recent years. As much as 26-30% of adults in the U.S. alone claim to be reducing their gluten intake or avoiding gluten completely, despite not being diagnosed with any form of gluten sensitivity. Some nutritionists believe that those without Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity do not need to limit gluten intake, while others believe that it is harmful to everyone and should be completely eliminated from a healthy diet. Gluten is a protein that naturally occurs in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and most other grains. It lends wheat bread and dough products their soft, light, chewy quality. Gluten is the only completely indigestible protein found in food. Gluten can also be found in MSG, lecithin (which is added to many food products), soy sauce, and modified food starch. People who are completely intolerant to gluten have an autoimmune condition called celiac disease. Gluten prevents individuals with celiac disease from being able to absorb nutrients in food, so over time they may become malnourished. Symptoms include bloating, constipation, anemia, fatigue, depression, skin rashes, infertility, osteoporosis, and more. People with celiac disease who eat gluten will cause damage to the small intestine over time. Others without the autoimmune condition may still experience adverse reactions to gluten, with many of the same symptoms listed above. Research suggests there may be a connection between gluten sensitivity and autism, as autism symptoms often can be reversed when gluten is eliminated from the diet. Many people find that they just feel better on a gluten-free diet.For more information click the following:

Kale Krackers
Eat Verified Non-GMO
A GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there. If you ever read a study claiming that GMO foods are safe, make sure you find out who is paying for the study. It is undoubtedly funded by a corporation with deep ties to the biotech industry.
Genetically modified foods are designed in a lab to create artificially high crop yield, resistance to specific pesticides, resistance to disease, or drought tolerance. Natural seed is part of a delicate ecosystem that evolved in tandem with its surroundings, while GMO seed is the spawn of scientists. There are no studies that have been conducted in humans to assess the safety of consuming genetically modified foods. Lab rats that are fed a genetically modified diet long-term experience impaired liver, kidney, heart, adrenal, reproductive, and spleen function. Because genetically modified foods(GMOs) have been altered to be able to tolerate toxic pesticides, when you consume them, you are also consuming high concentrations of those pesticides. Some pesticides have been correlated with nervous system disturbances, skin and visual irritation, endocrine disorders, and even certain cancers. Of course, the wide use of these pesticides is also harmful to the environment. More than 88% of soy, corn, canola, sugar beets, and cotton produced in the United States are genetically modified. Each one of those plants is doused in pesticides, which contaminates rivers, soil, groundwater, and the air we breathe. For more information on the disadvantages to genetically modified food click here.
Hot & Spicy Kale Chips
Awesome Foods- Discover what food is meant to be: At Awesome Foods our passion is to revolutionize the way people eat by offering high quality, plant based prepared foods and snacks. You don’t have to be vegan or a vegetarian to enjoy our food. All our snacks are Certified Organic, Certified Gluten-free, Verified non-GMO, plant based and minimally processed. We air crisp (dehydrate below 118 degrees) our snacks, never bake, fry or freeze dry. By simply removing the moisture slowly at low temperatures, all the nutrients, enzymes and minerals are retained in our food. After all, you should eat to nourish your body with the vitamins, minerals and enzymes you need for good health and vitality. By adding more raw foods to your diet, you will feel full and satisfied which will keep you from over eating. Our flavorful Kale Chips are first marinated to reduce the bitterness, our quinoa crackers are handmade with sprouted quinoa and our Poppadoms are made with sprouted lentils. All our snacks are alive with flavor! We make eating your vegetables fun and easy. The variety in our prepared foods means that you will never get bored of healthy eating, whether you indulge in our creations for lunch or at dinner. Many of our prepared foods, such as our Pizza, Lasagna, Eggplant, Pad Thai, Taco, and Falafel can be eaten right from the refrigerator or warmed to your taste. We also make it easy to consume more greens with our Kale Hemp Seed Salad, Kale Krackers, Kale Chips and our delicious green smoothie. And for those with a sweet tooth; Awesome Foods offers mouth-watering fudges and sandwich cookies all without refined sugar. Our coconut balls do not contain any added sugar at all. We took all the junk out of the food and simply left the awesomeness! Eating right is easy, less complicated and delicious with Awesome Foods.