Health's Food Awards: The Best New Eats of 2011

Good-for-you grub

Who says you have to shop the perimeter of the grocery store to be healthy? We put 500 new convenience foods to the test and found great picks in every aisle. Shop smarter with our list!

Granola

Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Granola Cereal in Pumpkin Fig

The judges cheered for this great-tasting standout in a sea of too-bland or too-sweet granolas, thanks to its dried figs and organic cinnamon. This low-sugar (only 6 grams) pick also scores for its fiber-rich puffed amaranth and quinoa flakes and fiber-and-omega-3-loaded chia seeds.

$7.99 for 12.5 oz; select whole foods markets and purelyelizabeth.com

Cereal

Post Selects Great Grains Crunchy Pecans

We tried lots of cereals with the word "almond" or "pecan" in the name, but a search failed to turn up enough nuts to fill a thimble. This one had a surprisingly generous amount of pecans, plus whole-wheat flakes and rolled oat clusters, which serve up 35 grams of whole grains plus 5 grams of fiber (and just 8 grams of sugar) per serving.

$4 for 16-oz box; grocery stores

Grab-and-go breakfast

Eggland’s Best Hard-Cooked Peeled Eggs

It’s not rocket scienceto boil an egg, but if you’re like us, you rarely have the time in the a.m. to do it. This winner lets you get a protein hit in a hurry. And because Eggland’s hens are fed a vegetarian diet, these eggs are 25% lower in saturated fat and twice as high in omega-3 fats as regular ones.

$2.79–$2.99 for 1/2 dozen; grocery stores

Grab-and-go runner up

Cookiehead Snacks Grainy Brainy Banana Flaxseed Wakey Cakes

While they’re not available nationwide just yet, the yummy banana bread flavor and soft, chewy texture of these cakes landed them a spot on our list (and the cute name didn’t hurt).

$5.99 for 12 mini muffins; Whole Foods Market and select grocery stores

Frozen waffle

Kellogg’s Eggo FiberPlus Buttermilk Waffles

Waffles aren’t just for kids: We adore the light, fluffy texture of this toaster-ready breakfast, which indulges a morning sweet tooth while slipping in 9 grams of fiber and 35% of your calcium needs. And judge Jackie Newgent, RD, liked that these waist-friendly waffles are low in saturated fat and sugar (only 1.5 and 3 grams respectively).

$3.19 for 8 waffles; grocery stores
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