You’re reading: Hilary’s Eat Well Review.

You’re reading: Hilary’s Eat Well Review.

“Who doesn’t love the classic flavor of balsamic dressing? Well, even if you don’t think balsamic is your thing, we challenge you to give ours a try! You’ll love the earthy organic thyme with a hint of sweetness.  Top it off with innovative ingredients like organic eyebright and you’ll be hooked.

Ingredients:

Hilary’s Eat Well Review

This review will be a little bit scattered and full of random thoughts, as I have so many jumping into my head with this brand.
Out of all of the reviews I’ve written, this is one of my favorite. It added an extra layer to my appreciation for this brand to get to tour their facility with my husband. Becky at Hilary’s Eat Well could not have been more welcoming and eager to show us how Hilary’s Burgers are made–and she did so with enthusiasm. That, perhaps is my favorite aspect of the people behind this brand. You can tell that they believe in it, are passionate about it, and enjoy coming to work because of that. It’s infectious! Paul and I were lucky enough to meet Hilary, herself while touring the facility. She couldn’t have been more bubbly, free spirited and awesome. What a treat!
Hilary’s creates their burgers in Lawrence, Kansas, which is right down the road from us in Kansas City. It feels really good to genuinely feel supportive of a local brand–believing that they are doing great things and positively impacting how people eat.
I’m appreciative for the fact that this brand has reminded me that not all grain-like seeds are empty calories. I typically advocate and practice a way of eating that is loosely-based on the Paleo approach to eating. In summation, Paleo eating doesn’t allow any dairy, grains or processed foods. Needless to say, that idea is neat in theory, but not everything I eat has been picked fresh from our garden, and I’d be lying if I said I never took a bite out of a block of cheese. The idea is good, though–to refocus yourself to eat real, organic food. I aim to keep my percentages good–meaning that 80-90% of the time, I’m eating nutrient dense, real foods. The other 10-20% of the time I don’t beat myself up if I feel that I want to splurge.
I say all of that to say, Hilary’s has reminded me that you don’t need to be scared of healthy legumes (like beans), grains and seeds (that are commonly labeled as grains), as strict-paleo followers will have you doing. If you are consuming large amounts of real, whole foods, including lots of fresh vegetables, then there’s no need to be neurotic about eliminating these food groups. Just pick good ones that are rife with nutrients. It’s all about the quality of these products. You don’t want to eat a bunch of over-processed bread from your local grocery store, but you can seek organic, whole grain-like seeds and beans that will provide you with a dense nutritional profile. That said, I also believe very much in BALANCE. Allowing grains and beans doesn’t mean eating them all day every day, it just means that you can appreciate what they offer your diet and you can incorporate them in some fashion.

Burger Variety

This variety of burgers allows you to do that, in an organic, junk free way. Though my husband and I do consume meat, I’d imagine that the fact that these Hilary’s burgers are vegetarian will appeal to many. They are also free of many common foods that contribute to sensitivities like: gluten, nuts, soy, dairy, yeast and corn. All of these ingredient lists are organically sourced, top to bottom. During our tour, I also learned that Hilary’s sources only high quality, organically grown ingredients that often times are from local farms. They even donate burgers that don’t pass their quality tests (shape & thickness) to a local food bank–so thoughtful and neat to me.
To elaborate on the grain discussion: By grains, I am referring to the millet and quinoa used in most of these burgers, and the black rice used in the black rice burger. Though I consider millet and quinoa to be seeds, many lump them into the grain category and avoid them because of that. I personally do not enjoy the calories from rice as much as quinoa and millet, thus the black rice burger isn’t one that I’ll come back to often. I also hardly ever buy rice, simply because I enjoy getting my carbohydrates from other sources instead. I do realize, though, that many enjoy rice and to them, I’d recommend that burger, because it’s got a great, tasty, hearty flavor. For those looking to stick to just seeds, sans a grain like rice, you can eat all of these burgers (exempt the black rice) and keep within your parameters. I realize those last two paragraphs were a whole lot of rambling, but that is the best way I know to get all of my thoughts out.
As far as which burgers I’ve enjoyed most and see myself purchasing often: I am loving the Root Veggie Burger and the Hemp & Greens Burger the most. I’m so impressed with the seasoning in both of these burgers–they are right on the money and make them so palatable and tasty–even to those who eat meat-based burgers. Hilary & Becky even shared a fantastic idea in combining some organic, grass-fed ground meat in with these veggie burgers to create a more robust, protein filled circle of goodness. I have yet to try it but eagerly await testing it out!

Dressings

As for the dressings–WHOA! All of them are so good in their own right. What a genius idea to put chia seeds in an organic ranch dressing recipe. As far as initial wow factor in regards to the taste, my husband and I both agreed that the Creamy Remoulade Dressing is to die for. Hilary’s even mentions that it was a favorite at Hilary’s restaurant in Lawrence, Local Burger. It tastes like creamy, mustardy, zippy goodness. My husband suggested even using it as a dip, all by itself–its that good. I typically lean towards thick dressings, but actually really enjoyed the flavors in the Balsamic Thyme & Apple Fennel dressings. I was impressed to see the use of Dandelion root & Eyebright, two healing plants that give these dressings an extra punch of health. Becky at Hilary’s mentioned using the Apple Fennel dressing on a bean salad. After trying it, I’d agree it would be delicious when used that way. Even if you are unsure about these flavor combinations, trust Hilary! These dressings will really “wow” you.
My 5 year old stepdaughter tried the bites last night at dinner with the Ranch Chia alongside and had nothing but good things to say about them. She was “mmmmm”ing the whole time while eating them. It’s safe to say they are a hit with our young in! They’re a convenient food you can feel good about feeling your child (and your whole family!).
I’ve had such a pleasant experience interacting with the Hilary’s team and can’t sing their praises enough. This kind of company is RARE. They truly put the time and effort into making sure they heard my feedback in person, as well as making it abundantly clear how much they value quality and how they source their ingredients–& I think they’ve only just begun! Their passion for what they create will continue to grow and “infect” more people with this positive health bug. It’s so refreshing and I am eager for all of you to try their products. Get one of everything! You can shop on the Hilary’s Eat Well site or use their store locator to find your closest grocery store that carries them. Let me know how you like them in the comments below 🙂

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