The 50 Mile Diet

You know those “sample” folks in the grocery stores that give you a taste of something wonderful and then you buy it? Or maybe you’re one of the shoppers who knows precisely when these folks are going to have their little tables with samples set up and you go hungry to the store and eat away? (You know who you are.) Well, I’m the person who looks and keeps walking. (Don’t think me noble — it’s partly my imagining all these disparate foods joining together in my gut that bugs me.)

At Lakewinds last Saturday, during the Eat Local kickoff event, there was this interesting product. The story goes that it was developed by a local (Edina) cardiologist, mostly for her family. Dr. Elizabeth Klodas’ product is organic and is called fibre (accent on the e). It’s a “sprinkle” — a blend of stuff you already know of including (in the blueberry flavor) organic: dried wild blueberries, flax, oat bran, wheat germ, almonds, walnuts and raisins. This does not resemble a granola — it resembles, well, a sprinkle!

Two tablespoons contains 3 grams of fiber, 900 mg omega-3 and antioxidants. Also 3 g of protein and 80 calories.

I didn’t buy it.

The next day, I decided to buy it. It’s not cheap($13.99 a can) but it’s intended to be sprinkled on yogurt or something like that and will last a couple of months. (The web site has other recipes too.)

Okay, this stuff is fabulous! First, it tastes sinfully good. (Remember, I don’t eat ice cream or chocolate any more, so my standards are different. ) When I eat it, I feel as if I’m eating a candy bar sprinkled on my food. Really. It’s that good. I am no expert on heart-healthy foods. Actually, I’m not an expert on any sort of food. But this is an interesting product, made locally, that is worth reading about — and trying.