Here I am again in friendly Manitoba. I always enjoy coming to Winnipeg because the people here are so nice. Zero pretension, just realness everywhere. Love it.

I arrived last night to do a pair of segments on BT Winnipeg this morning with the lovely Pay Chen. As always I stayed at the Inn at the Forks because of proximity to CityTV, but now it’s mainly because I really love it here. The food at the Current Restaurant and Lounge is amazing, the bed is… insanely comfortable, the bathroom reminds me of a spa… and the actual spa here, the Riverstone Spa is one of my favourites anywhere.

As many of you already know, March is Nutrition Month in Canada (and USA) so in my first segment I focused on healthy Canadian made foods. Click here to watch the whole segment on BT Winnipeg’s Video Channel.

Shoal Lake Wild Rice

First up was Shoal Lake Wild Rice based right here in Winnipeg. I love the nutty earthy flavour of their wild rice. I really feel like I do my body good when I have wild rice with my dinner. I was fortunate enough to have received some samples last year from the great people at Shoal Lake Wild Rice and have been hooked ever since. I always smile when I see their packages on the shelves at the supermarket because I know their story. Aside from all the wonderful health benefits of eating wild rice (there are plenty), Shoal Lake Wild Rice deserves all the success and accolades they’ve received. And I’m also pleased because thanks to me, my boyfriend now eats wild rice, which is an accomplishment in itself (he’s normally a “white processed minute rice” type of guy :) For a limited time, you can download a discount coupon here.

Join Shoal Lake Wild Rice on Facebook here and on Twitter here. They are bran’ new to social media so pop by and say hi won’t you?

Earth’s Own

Next was British Columbia-based Earth’s Own‘s Almond Fresh and Ryza dairy free drinks. I LOVE these guys. I stopped drinking milk about 6 months ago in my quest to be more vegan and I found a great alternative with Almond Fresh and Ryza. You can easily swap out dairy milk for any of these in your recipes, in your coffee, cereal, etc. I actually warm up a bit of the Vanilla Almond Fresh in my cup in the microwave and take my frother to it before adding my coffee. Just yummy and no extra sweetener is required! Almond Fresh also has an unsweetened version, original flavour and new to the family is the chocolate flavour. I haven’t tried it yet but I can’t wait! Apparently is tastes just like chocolate covered almonds… which I love… but with a fraction of the calories and way more health benefits. You really need to try some to see for yourself. We should all be decreasing the amount of dairy we consume (don’t even get me started on how unnatural it is) and products like these from Earth’s Own will make that transition that much easier and more enjoyable.

Join Almond Fresh on Facebook here and on Twitter here. Join Ryza on Facebook here and on Twitter here.

Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps

Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps are simply divine. I first tried these about 5 years ago. I was in a new fruit and veggie gourmet store and saw the boxes on the shelf. I’m a sucker for logotypes and remarkable packaging and I loved hers immediately. Much to my delight, the crisps were just as delicious as they looked. All the crisps are made in small batches using whole grains and dried fruits. Lesley Stowe oversees the production of her delicious creations herself. The newest flavour, making it the 6th, is Cinnamon Raisins. Raincoast Crisps really do taste homemade with the purest and best ingredients possible. But don’t take my word for it. Try them out yourself, you won’t be sorry.

Find Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps on Facebook here and on Twitter here.

Vega by Sequel Naturals

Next are more of my faves Vega by Sequel Naturals out of British Columbia too. Like I’ve previously written I’m working on losing weight while trying to be as much of a vegan as I possibly can be. Vega is totally up my alley because their products are 100% vegan, gluten free and solely plant based protein. I didn’t even think this was possible! I’d long been searching for dairy free and soy free protein bars and powders and then one day I discovered Vega products at my local health food store. I’ve been a consumer for the past year and I have to say, for a gal like me who basically lives behind a desk and laptop, getting my nutrition right and eating regularly has been a real challenge but since I started having a Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion for breakfast everyday I already feel a million times better. I’m sure you sometimes skip meals too, right? That’s where Vega can help with that too. Their Whole Health Food Optimizer is a meal in itself but imagine the healthiest meal you could possibly prepare for yourself, right? Well this stuff is even better for you. And if you’re on the go and have to eat or drink something, get some Shake & Go. They come in really delicious flavours: Bodacious Berry, Tropical Tango, Choc-A-Lot and Vanilla Almondilla – All completely suitable for kids (way better for them than that Gatorade crap or any of those drinks).

Follow Vega on Facebook here and on Twitter here. They are really active in social media and share really useful and healthy information. Not to mention the many giveaways they do :) so definitely follow them. You’ll learn a lot!

So what about you? I featured 4 great companies on the show, what other healthy Canadian made food products would you add to these? There are so many, I know…