You’ve really got to stop cramming your maw with sugar and strange lab concoctions that have colors never seen in nature. They aren’t doing your taste buds any good, your waist line any good, or even your wallet any good. But hey, who wants to eat just celery and carrots every day? Nobody. But calm down baby bird, it’s not an either/or question. There are plenty of healthy, tasty, wholesome snacks around to fill your belly, not make you feel like a total POS for eating them, and keep your wallet intact.

How about chips that are whole grain, gluten free, made with real ingredients, and have no artificial preservatives or flavors – oh, and come in 4 flavors and are delicious? They exist. And they are from Walmart. No kidding. Buck Wild Tortilla Chips, available now for the first time, are not your mamma’s chips – unless your mamma works in the Buck Wild kitchen, and then they literally ARE your mamma’s chips… Asking you to Snack The Path Less Ordinary, these snacks are a really interesting blend of traditional bold chip flavors and more farmer’s market-type ingredients such as flax seeds, beet powder, and chia seeds. The taste is intense without masking the real corn of the chip underneath. In all, Buck Wild Chips come in 4 flavors as follows:

Cheddar Chipotle – There’s real red peppers in the chips! You can see them! And the taste is instant cheddar followed by a smooth chipotle flavor on the back of your tongue. I’ve taken down three quarters of a bag just writing about them.

Garlic Sea Salt – The first flavor I tried, because I’m a garlic fiend. Which is good, because the garlic dropkicks you in the mouth and doesn’t let up. My favorite flavor, but probably not for date night.

Jalapeno Jack – You don’t know jack until you’ve tried these chips. Imagine your favorite county fair nacho cheese dip – that’s exactly what these chips taste like. Childhood, excitement, and rollercoasters all wrapped around a corn chip.

Roasted Tomato Herb – Here’s the sophisticated choice, for when you want to be fancy and impress your in-laws. Or hey, maybe you just want to feel like an adult for once. No judgements, just enjoy the flavor with your bad self.

So now I’ve been eating all four of these bags while writing this, and it’s kind of sad how many I’ve eaten. Collectively, I’ve probably mowed down 2 bags worth in the last hour. Despite the general sense of gluttony, I don’t feel absolutely terrible like I would from noshing this hard on other chips or snacks. I’ve got energy from whole grains and orange fingertips from spices – not a bad life. Speaking of doing well, all bags sold go to support skill-building programs to help a new generation secure meaningful employment opportunities through FareStart’s Youth Programs and the MISSION BUCK WILD initiative. There is the proof that you can eat well and do well at the same time. Next time you’re prepping for a campout or just a day at the beach, grab some Buck Wild and upgrade your snack game. Your gut, wallet, and sense and self-worth will thank you.

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One of the best things to come from your favorite chef watching their diet is the creation of fun recipes that meet the needs of a diet driven consumer, while still delivering amazing taste. I have and continue to learn that what I consume affects everything from my mood to overall well-being. A few everyday changes that have helped me are: more proteins, power greens and vegetables. While it’s hard as a chef to find time to eat right all the time our already busy days I’ve found that a smoothie is a great and quick way to eat healthy.

Below is a recipe I love which utilizes some local spinach. As always with our recipes, use them a baseline and tweak to meet your needs. I love toasted hemp seeds in my smoothies as well as some chia.

My new Mountain bike is waiting for more time on the trail and it’s going to be a great summer. Happy blending my friends.

Green Monster Smoothie

Serves 1ea – 20 oz Smoothie

PREP METHOD:                      PREP TIME: 5 Minutes                       BLENDING TIME: Desired Consistency        

1. Place the ingredients in order into your blender. (Vita Mix works GREAT)             
2. Cover the blender pitcher.
3. Pulse to start the blending.
4. Turn on high and blend until desired consistency.
5. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.

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