Not long ago, I wrote a post about Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), why it may be in your favourite cereals, and how to avoid it. Since then, I have received a few messages from readers saying that they would like to start buying cereals that do not contain this and other artificial preservatives but they weren’t sure where to start or how to find versions of their children’s favourites (and theirs!) that were BHT-free.
A good tip is that if a cereal is certified organic (meaning, the packaging carries one of the official certified organic seals), then it does not contain BHT or any other artificial additives or preservatives.
Here is a list of healthier substitutes to get you started:
Nature’s Path Crispy Rice Cereal is all organic along with all of their other products. There are many reasons to support this conscientious Canadian company, two of them are that their products are all GMO-free and they take care and pride in all the ingredients they put into their products.
PC Organics Wheat Squares cereal is just one of the organic cereals offered in this line.
Another Nature’s Path favourite is their fruit juice sweetened Corn Flakes. If you like your corn flakes on the sweeter side, they also make Honey’d Corn Flakes that are sweetened with evaporated cane juice and, you guessed it, honey.
Kashi’s Cinnamon Harvest Whole Wheat Biscuits make an excellent organic (and GMO-free) substitute if this type of cereal is a fave in your home.
Not many children like Raisin Bran cereal, but many parents do. Nature’s Path’s Flax Plus Raisin Bran is a great stand-in.
Kids love this type of cereal, and again, Nature’s Path comes through with a healthier organic version, Whole O’s cereal.
There are many excellent organic granola cereals on the market, but my absolute favourite is by a company called Love Grown Foods. Their cereals are not certified organic, but they are made with quality ingredients and contain no artificial preservatives or additives, just straight-up wholesome ingredients.
All of these cereals can be found either in the natural section of your grocery store or at your local health food store.
Have you found any other preservative-free cereals that have become new family favourites?
Try this delicious, homemade breakfast quinoa recipe for breakfast and learn why eating breakfast each day has huge health benefits.
What if you could give back to a charity that has special meaning to you each time you buy groceries? Thanks to DonateNaturally.com, this is now a reality.
Donate Naturally is an ethical online grocery store that raises funds for local causes through the sales of natural and organic products. With a wide selection of items to choose from—including meat, produce, personal care, and household products—the convenience can't be beat. Donate Naturally also offers price-matching, so if you find a product being sold for cheaper at another store, they will match the price.
Donate Naturally offers Canada-wide shipping of non-perishable items through Canada Post, but for residents of the GTA, next-day home delivery is offered.
If convenience, a huge selection of organic and natural products to choose from, delivery, and price-matching aren't enough to convince you that this is a smart way to shop, then maybe this will—Donate Naturally has over 300 registered donation recipients that range from national and local charities, teams, and elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools. When placing your order, you choose a charity from the list and 10% of your order total will be donated directly to the charity. Even better, if the charity you want to donate to is not in their system, simply send them a message and they will add it for you. Simple as that.
Founded in 2011, by Jasmin von Teichman and her husband Matthew, Donate Naturally has raised close to $30,000 to date for local charities. Jasmin combined her passion for philanthropy and desire to increase awareness of sustainability and the organic and natural food industry into a business.
“I started Donate Naturally after endless hours of baking for my children’s school fundraisers and realized there had to be a more effective way to fundraise,” said Jasmin. “Donate Naturally allowed me to combine my business savvy and my passion for volunteerism, creating an online retailer that is convenient for consumers while giving back to the community at the same time.”
To Jasmin and her husband, it is very important that the products they carry in their store are of high quality, which is why they have created a "No-No list." In their store, you will not find any products that contain the chemicals and additives found in the list. So you can shop with peace of mind knowing that what you are buying has been researched before being added to their store.
Learn what produce sticker codes mean and watch these seven documentaries that will change the way you think about the food you buy.
I bought my first car when I was 19 and I live in Ottawa. Based on those two facts, you would think that I am an expert when it comes to winter driving and snow tires—I sure did. But, after attending a day at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, I felt how Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow must have felt after Ygritte chewed him out that first time...because coming in, when it came to winter driving and snow tires:
You know nothing, Gwen Leron.
So here’s the thing. I’ve driven through many Ottawa winters, and for those of you who have done the same, you know that driving in these conditions can be very treacherous and difficult at times. The techniques I have been using aren’t techniques I was taught, I just learned by experience. What I have been doing has worked really well for me so far, but chances are, these thing may not always work.
The day I spent at the school was filled with lots of great information and I came away feeling more confident with my winter driving skills. The big take-away for me was that winter tires are always a necessity, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. If it snows where you live, no matter how much or how little, winter tires should be mandatory when it comes to staying safe on the roads. A good tip they gave us was: If you can see your breath, it’s time to consider switching to winter tires.
The star of the day at the driving school were the new Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 winter tires that will be on the market this July, in time for the 2014/2015 winter driving season. We got to test them out in a few different situations.
First, we had the chance to try out the new Blizzak’s on an ice rink to mimic black ice conditions. We started at one end of the rink and we were asked to floor the gas. When we got to about the middle of the rink, we were told to slam on the brakes. Thanks to ABS and the Blizzak’s, there were no crashes into the wall. We were also given the chance to do the same using a competitor tire. The results were less impressive.
We then had the chance to try the tires out on the snow and ice-covered courses at the driving school and to work on our winter driving skills:
In all the testing and comparison’s to competitor brands we did throughout the day, the Blizzak WS80's came out on top each time.
Still not convinced you need winter tires? Here are some myths and truths about winter tires that all drivers should know:
When it comes to winter tires, temperature matters. All tire rubber will begin to stiffen as the weather gets colder, but the latest generations of winter tires remain flexible in freezing temperatures, maintaining traction and available grip. Your tires are the one thing between your car and the pavement. As temperatures approach freezing, winter tires can provide increased traction, braking, and handling.
Four-wheel drive gets you going by making the most of tire traction, but it doesn’t improve stopping or cornering. That depends on tire grip. It doesn’t matter whether you have four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive, when it comes to stopping it’s all about tire grip. That’s when winter tires are especially important. Installing winter tires on all wheel positions will improve surface grip in most winter road conditions.
All-season tires are designed with both winter and summer performance in mind, but they do not offer maximum performance in either season. Winter tires are designed to remain flexible even at extremely low temperatures.
An all-season tire will not provide maximum traction in wintery conditions as a true winter tire does. When you equip your vehicle with winter tires you may be better prepared for changing road conditions.
Never reduce tire pressures in an attempt to increase traction on snow or ice. Deflating your tires simply doesn’t work in this situation. In fact, you could end up damaging your tires if you drive on them under-inflated.
The bottom-line is, to stay safe when driving in the winter, you need a combination of good-quality winter tires and good winter driving skills. Two things I now know a lot about.
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Speaking of tires, did you know that when you change over your tires this spring, you can purchase eco-friendly tires for your car? And don't stop there, here are 10 ways to make your car more eco-friendly.
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