This post is sponsored by Smart & Final, as always, all opinions are 100% my own.
Summer is almost here and along with less structured days and longer nights, summer means more snacking, more grabbing food “on the go,” and lighter meals. We are a different kind of busy in the summer months. Is it the same for you and your family?
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to munch my way through the Good & Well Expo at the Smart & Final Extra store in Laguna Niguel. If you have not been to a Smart & Final Extra store, you are missing out! Find your closest store.
I was excited to meet Chef Jamie Gwen, a Celebrity Chef, Certified Sommelier & Lifestyle Expert. Her delicious recipes have been featured on The Talk, MasterChef, Emeril Live and Martha Stewart, on the radio and in print. See more of her creative recipes and ideas in her book, Entertaining in Style.
Chef Jamie made this amazing chicken salad using Garbanzo beans and lentils from Melissa’s Produce, one of the event sponsors.
These Ojai Pixie Tangerines were the star of the show! I’m going to start adding them to my summer salads too. They taste and look like the best of summertime.
Watch Chef Jamie in action!
Here are a few of the new foods that I really enjoyed: (find them at Smart & Final Extra stores)
Melissa’s Product Garbanzo Beans and Lentils
Bakery on Main – Gluten-Free Granola
Annie’s products and Clif Bars are some of my pantry staples. I always have some bars stashed in my purse and both of these are delicious and filling. You will find these and other smart snacking options at Smart & Final stores.
Smart and Final stores are for families and foodies alike, Enjoy the lowest prices in town, high quality produce, and quality meat. It’s the best combination of the low prices of a traditional club store without having to buy in huge quantities to save money.
Here are a few other reasons to love Smart & Final:
- Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
- Clearly labeled wide aisles
- Bins for bulk items
- A Great Selection of Meat, Poultry & Fish
- Well Stocked Shelves
- Flowers, Plants and even Fresh Herbs
Smart and Final combines some of my favorite features of a grocery store, all under one roof:
Fresh fruit (#1 on my list)
Fresh vegetables
Clearly labeled aisles
Bins for bulk items (I like these better than the open scoop type, don’t you agree?)
A great selection of meat, poultry and fish
Well stocked shelves
Wide aisles – you can easily fit two carts side by side, love that!
Smart & Final supports the communities they serve through their First Street, First Percent program. When you buy First Street items, Smart & Final will contribute the first percent of net profit to our Smart & Final Charitable Foundation which supports local community nonprofits.
The Smart & Final Charitable Foundation supports four important areas – health and wellness, education, hunger relief, and team sports and youth development. The Foundation gives to nonprofits in California, Arizona, and Nevada where the company has stores.
Follow Smart & Final on Twitter and Facebook.
Jeni says
May 26, 2017 at 1:54 pmSo many great foods in this post, I wouldn’t know where to start with trying them all. The Annie’s bunnies are fantastic, I buy them in a house without kids because they remind me of Cheez It’s, only healthier and cuter.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
May 26, 2017 at 3:07 pmThere’s so much good stuff here! I have to check and see if we have a Smart & Final near us. Thanks!
Bill Sweeney says
May 26, 2017 at 3:15 pmThat food looks really good. The ingredients looks extra fresh, as well. I’ll have to see if we have one of these stores in our area. I think I saw one a couple of weeks ago.
Marcie W. says
May 26, 2017 at 4:04 pmWow, the dishes Chef Jamie made look beyond delicious! I believe we have a Smart & Final here in Las Vegas and I plan to make it a point to check them out.
Kelly Hutchinson says
May 26, 2017 at 5:32 pmI love to see healthy snack options for my kids. I don’t have a Smart & Final near me, but I wish I did!
Joely Smith says
May 26, 2017 at 5:37 pmYES to all of this! I am a big fruit and veggie eater but when it comes to meals nothing beats a great salad of any kind and this chicken salad has EVERYTHING for a HEALTH INFUSED meal! YUM!
I also always have a Cliff bar on hand for low blood sugars and LOVE Annies we have bought Annies for at least the last 15 years!
Claudia Krusch says
May 26, 2017 at 6:03 pmI love to support companies that give back. All of this food looks so delicious. I will have to look for some First Street items this weekend.
Dogvills says
May 26, 2017 at 8:21 pmBoth the salad and Parfait look yummy. The store looks amazing. Everything looks fresh and I love the wide aisles.
Victoria Heckstall says
May 26, 2017 at 11:32 pmThese are really great for summer! Thanks for sharing all of these! SO YUMMY! I might to try this .
rika says
May 27, 2017 at 1:19 amThose foods look so delicious and healthy! I love healthy snack and food options, simply better for our body!
Amanda Love says
May 28, 2017 at 3:25 amIt’s important for me to have healthy choices for me and my kids. It’s nice to see all of these awesome ingredients and snacks to choose from!
Carol Cassara says
May 28, 2017 at 3:26 amI have been making healthier choices for me and my husband and I love using fresh and organic (if possible) produce and ingredients. It looks like there’s more products to look forward to.
Lynndee says
May 28, 2017 at 7:00 amLooks like a great store and I love the fact that they have a foundation which supports local community nonprofits. I will check if we have Smart & Final here in our area.
Shannon Gurnee says
May 28, 2017 at 10:34 amWe love Smart and Final! This sounds like it was a really fun event to attend.
uprun4life says
May 28, 2017 at 12:53 pmI would have enjoyed going to this event. Things aren’t going in the direction that I want wuth my weight loss journey. My health has been causing the last 5 months. The doctors are doing what they can but it is a slow process. Those parfaits look delicious. We love Cliff Bars.
Chubskulit Rose says
May 29, 2017 at 9:37 amWhat a great event to be part of, it looks fun and educational. The granola looks super delicious.
Michelle Waller says
May 30, 2017 at 5:25 amThese look so yummy and perfect to enjoy over the summer. I am going to have to get these for our beach trip.
Paula Schuck says
May 30, 2017 at 7:37 amWhat an amazing event this looked like! The granola looks amazing and delicious. YUM!
Shirley Martinez says
May 30, 2017 at 8:06 amThe chef’s Dishes look delicious! The granolas looked awesome. This event would’ve been on my list to attend