Are You a Cautious Label Reader?.....

Yesterday I came across a blog call My Whole Food Life.  She has a lot of great clean recipe ideas.  She also does a little segment called Processed Foods Exposed.  I looked through a few of them and was particularly interested in the one she did on Progresso Plain Bread Crumbs.  Seems like a pretty harmless food right?  I was actually quite shocked at how many ingredients went into plain bread crumbs, including high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.  I suppose that is why bread crumbs have such a long shelf life.  It was a good reminder to ALWAYS look at the ingredient list to see what you are really eating.  

Ways to get around using store bought bread crumbs...

1. I often use old fashion oats in place of breadcrumbs.  Especially when I am making meatloaf (I love me some meatloaf:).  
2. Make your own breadcrumbs from the crusts and heel of your bread.  Just freeze them until you have enough to make a batch of breadcrumbs.  (this is perfect for me because my girls don't like to eat the crust and my husband gets mad at me for catering to them and cutting it off and throwing it away.  Now everyone can be happy:) 

I am going to try making these Homemade Coconut Cream Larabars from the My Whole Food Life blog this week.  I need to grab a few of the ingredients next time I go grocery shopping...

Coconut Cream Larabars

15 Medjool Dates
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 T coconut oil
2 T water

Mix the almonds, coconut and cashews in the food processor until fine. Then add the dates, oil and water and pulse until a dough forms. Line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper leaving enough room for some to come out the sides. That way, the bars will be easy to remove and cut with a pizza cutter. Press down the down so that it is packed well and place in the fridge to set. It will take an hour or two. Slice and eat. These should keep in the fridge for a couple weeks.