Whole Story

I don’t mean to rub it in…but I grew up in Hawai’i. At least one day out of the Memorial Day weekend—and many other weekends during the summer—was usually spent hanging out at Hapuna Beach. Hapuna was a two-and-a-half hour drive from our small town. We’d leave really early to try and get there before the crowds and we’d spend the entire day there, literally waiting until the last bit of sun sunk below the horizon before packing up and heading home, exhausted, sunburned and happy. Our weekend cooler was usually full of sandwiches, fruit, salty snacks and sodas. My mom was really big on healthy eating (back before it was cool), so standing waterlogged with my hand in a bag of chips or guzzling a soda is surprisingly memorable to me. Fast forward twenty-five years. Some things have changed a little. Now I’m the mom who’s big on healthy eating, but it’s actually pretty cool now. And living in central Texas means we spend the day at the lake, not the beach. We still fill up our cooler with snacks and drinks but now there are great options so I can splurge on snacks and still stay true to my family’s food standards: organic, no hydrogenated fats or high-fructose corn syrup and no artificial colors or flavors. Here are a few of my current favorites: Garden of Eatin’ Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips, Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and Red Hot Blues

• Made with organic yellow corn or organic blue corn
• Uses expeller-pressed oil, not hydrogenated fats
• The Yellow Corn is a classic, dipped or otherwise, the original Blue Corn has a uniquely hearty texture and Red Hot Blues turns up the heat with a sprinkling of spices over blue corn tortilla chips.

Kettle TIAS!

• Made with organic corn
• Packed with flavor, straight out of the bag—no icky artificial flavors or colors
• Nacho Cheddar, Zesty Ranch, Toasted Corn, Salsa Picante, Sweet Baja Barbeque or Chili con Queso

Honest Tea Organic Bottled Teas

• All varieties are made with the highest-quality organic ingredients
• Lightly sweetened and unsweetened varieties
• Company is committed to creating healthy and honest relationships with its suppliers, customers and the environment

IZZE Sparkling Juices and Sodas

• A fizzy take on fruit juice or standard soda that’s fun for kids and adults alike
• Crafted with no refined sugars, no caffeine and no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors
• Pick from Sparkling Natural Sodas in Ginger or Birch and Sparkling Juices in Pomegranate, Grapefruit, Lime, Blueberry, Clementine, Peach, Blackberry or Apple

What snacks or drinks will fill your family’s cooler this summer?