Turns out, the best things in life are free (today anyway)

On Monday we sent out our September “Foodtrainers Fall Finds” newsletter. We only send one update a month and so it is always chock full of information. That’s the good news; the bad news is that while some readers order goodies from us or head to the market, others get angry. We start to field questions “where do I find this product in Plano?” Or the truly testy “you mention these great things and then I cannot find them.” Well that’s not my intention. I don’t like to be the mean girl showing off my super duper gluten free cookies when you can’t have them. I don’t. I want you to have the goodies too. And guess what? It’s giveaway day (actually giveaway week Monday we had hemp goodies and Quinn Popcorn). These great companies wanted to share their healthy goodness.

Ginny Bakes

Once upon a time I was a Samoa girl. While I no longer eat Girl Scout Cookies because they’re full of gluten (among other things), I loved the coconuty taste and texture.  I had sort of forgotten about my Samoa soft spot until I sampled Ginnys. Coconut Oatmeal Bliss. Fortunately, unlike Girl Scout cookies, Ginny makes single serving packs. Ginny, the mother of 4 boys, has a whole amazing line of organic, gluten free goodness. And they’re giving a lucky reader a Ginny Bakes basket.

Health Warrior

Perhaps you’ve been around the health block and think, “I already know about Health Warrior bars.” Well, do you know about their new flavors coffee, banana nut and apple cinnamon? If you’re saying, “actually I do” then you don’t need the 2 boxes they are giving away. If you’re open minded and nice (can you believe I can fight with an imaginary know-it-all reader) I’ll let you know the bars are widely available for sale throughout NYC, including at Foodtrainers, Whole Foods Market, Fairway Market, Juice Generation, Just Salad, and many other independent retailers such as Foodtrainers. They are only 100 calories but chia is a natural appetite suppressant (swells as it digests) so it's a powerful 100 calories.

Naked Edge

While I love, a la Ginny, when someone takes a typical treat foot and makes it healthy using quality ingredients, I also love when a childhood favorite is made over in a grown up version.  Enter Naked Edge’s Veggie Gos. Surely you remember fruit leathers well these are veggie leathers. My boys like Mountain Berry Spinach; I’m partial to Carrot Ginger. Did I mention that they’re less than 20 calories? Or, that the Naked people are giving away a mixed case?

Sure each of these products these are great for kids and  “back to school” but they’re even better for post summer “back to reality” for us adults. Don’t we deserve fun foods too? Yes, so here’s how to get them.

To enter

1. Comment below, tell us which of these you’ve seen or tried and which you’re most curious about.
2. Tweet “The best snacks in life are free @Foodtrainers @ginnybakes @thenakededge @health_warrior #giveaway” http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2013/09/turns-out-best-things-in-life-are-free.html
3. And like these 3 great companies Ginny’s, The Naked Edge and Health Warrior on Facebook.

You have until Tuesday 9/24 to enter.

Weight Loss Confessions from Behind the Cafe' Car Curtain

Yesterday, I boarded the aptly named Amtrak “Vermonter”. I was home for the week to see clients, do some much-needed, post ski grooming but looked forward to getting back to Vt. Weirdly, I love traveling by train. I book the business class car, connect to Wifi, get a ton of work done, and as you travel further North, the scenery is beautiful. The only issue yesterday was that the only open seats in the car were the closest to the café’ car. I was hesitant as I’m completely smell-averse, what I didn’t realize was the insider peak into other customers’ food orders, requests and confessions I was about to be privy to.

I took my comfy, maroon seat and decided to have lunch before I edited our resolution-themed January newsletter. I was convinced that the passenger across the aisle, we’ll call him “Cruise” was giving me weird looks as I made my way through the kale salad and multigreen kombhucha I brought with me. I also had a chuckle as I heard the first café’ order which happened to be a woman ordering a Bud Light at 11:40am. Maybe her resolution was “drink earlier”.

 As the trip continued I was disheartened listening to “Cup of Noodles please”, “DiGiorno Pizza” and “pack of peanut M&Ms”. I will give a shout out to the man who clutched his aluminum mug (the curtain was temporarily open) and asked if there was a tap for water. There was and I was thrilled he wasn’t directed to the bathroom faucet, ick. I was having fantasies of pulling open the curtain handing out business cards and the snacks in my purse (health warrior bar, oloves and chia butter).

Throughout the ride passengers, in the car, made phone calls. It amazes me what people will say knowing full well that not only can others hear but also that, chances are, they are listening. For a long hour early on Meyer Weiss announced himself on his phone. He had one of those rockin’ earpieces and talked about a new CEO, Japanese markets, and a trip to Mexico… if SNL is casting a dorky, corporate guy, I’d look this guy up. 

Then, the somewhat rough and tumble person across the aisle, Cruise, took to his phone.  First call, I heard a prescription order and was immediately more interested than I had been in any of Meyer’s calls. The next call, to whom I now gather was the girlfriend, first reminded her “you better not be late to the train I’ve been on this thing since 10 in the damn morning”. Part of me hoped she would never pick him up, at all, after talking to her like that but I listened on. There was a mention of less booze and more church. I could’ve sworn I heard something about a cruise and a speedo but assumed I eavesdropped incorrectly. I heard bits as I was ironically emailing with Carolyn about a Today segment she was prepping for on…resolutions of course.

Cruise got up and went into the café, closing the curtain behind him. He ordered water and then added, to the person taking the order,

 “Yeah I’m going on this cruise with my girlfriend, no booze till the cruise man and that’s not till March.”

“See, I’m wearin’ this speedo, ok so it’s not a speedo but it’s tight.”

I promise, I tried not to pay attention…impossible. 

“My girl" she got me this bathing suit and it was super tight you see I was a 34 and now I’m like a 38.”

 “ I sent her to return it but she didn’t right away and then it was too late.” “So now I’m losin’ and eatin’ right and all that shit.”

All I wanted was a photo of Cruise to post here but I wimped out. I even tried to get a photo via reflection in my window as I feigned snapping a sunset pic. I turned the flash off and still no good. I’ve written about “pre beach” and swimsuit slim downs and never, ever would someone like Cruise be in my mind as my potential audience. And yet, chauvinism and misogyny aside, he has his specific goals, a timeline, means to his "end".  With clients I've learned,  you can never know in advance who is going to be determined and succeed and who will not. Or who will order the mid day drink or who wants to slim down. We don’t know what will cause us to turn things around and whose resolutions will stick…so we have to try and see.

If you were designing a café car menu for Amtrak, what would you offer? Do you think men are as focused on weight as women and just talk about it less? Would you have had the guts to snap a photo of Cruise? Finally, we have a hashtag email us #ResPledge @Foodtrainers your resolutions and we'll help keep you honest.