Most of us know that packaged and processed foods are to be avoided as much as possible. Processed foods generally contain less nutrients, more chemicals, and more inflammatory ingredients like sugar and seed oils. But, sometimes you just want a nice cracker or cookie without having to make it yourself. Enter: Simple Mills, my latest Handpicked Health Fave. As always, I’m sharing my genuine thoughts without any company paying me to do so. Your trust means everything to me!
Gluten Free
Simple Mills is a Chicago based company (yay, local! For me, at least). They make a fantastic array of gluten free products. “But I don’t eat gluten free,” you might be thinking. Well, here’s the thing: even for those of us who don’t have Celiac’s disease or any particular allergy or intolerance to gluten, it’s still inflammatory to our systems. This is especially true in the U.S. due to the way wheat is processed. And very briefly, inflammation is bad because it is the basis of all chronic disease such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Okay, returning from that tangent, all Simple Mills products are made from almond flour, coconut flour, seed flour, veggie flour or cassava flour, which are great for everyone. Even if you or a loved one has a nut allergy, you can still find products from this brand that work for you.
Sweeteners & Seed Oils
Aside from no gluten, I love that they use no refined cane sugar and only use coconut sugar and honey to sweeten their products. Coconut sugar and honey raise your blood sugar less than cane sugar, and this is helpful because every time your blood sugar rises, insulin is released. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. Long story short, spiked blood sugar leads to more fat storage. So, yes, technically you’re still eating sugar, but it’s a better option if you’re looking for a sweet snack.
In terms of oils, Simple Mills gets a B- from me. The good part is that many of their products use coconut oil, which is much preferred to inflammatory seed oils. However, some of their savory products like their crackers use organic sunflower oil. Points for organic, boo for inflammatory sunflower oil. Speaking of organic, it appears as though about half of their ingredients are organic, which is a great start.
Bottom Line
Finally, Simple Mills adds no preservatives, artificial color or flavor. Their ingredients are few and, well, simple! You know exactly what you’re getting without any chemicals. Every ingredient is something you could find in your own kitchen. I saved the best part for last: they’re delicious! In my household, their Seed Flour Crackers in Original or Everything, and any flavor of sandwich cookies (Creamy Peanut Butter or Cocoa & Cashew Butter) do not last long. We’re also big fans of their baking mixes and bars.
Simple Mills products can be found at Target, Jewel, Mariano’s, Amazon, Thrive Market, Meijer, and Fruitful Yield. I would say all of their products fall under the “carby snacks” category, in which case I recommend eating in moderation, and for optimal health pairing with a healthy fat or protein. So, next time you’re craving a salty OR sweet snack–or need something to throw into a lunchbox–find yourself some Simple Mills!
~Nicole