Usually gluten-free cookies are crispy and delicate. Not so with Wow's Lemon Burst goodies, which are chewy, moist and addictive. Made with brown rice, sweet rice and tapioca, these buttery delights satisfy. Trends: Gluten-free indulgence Learn more about Wow Baking Co.
Kombucha purists might hate that Kevita is fortifying a line of newly launched kombucha with a proprietary blend of probiotics, but I believe the more the merrier. Made with USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients, this new product is also sweetened with stevia, making it just 40 calories per bottle. Available in six flavors. Trends: Functional kombucha; Probiotics Learn more about Kevita
Made from evaporated nectar of the palmyra jaggery tree, this low-glycemic, unrefined sugar substitute drew tons of attention at Natural Products Expo East 2014. Deep and earthy, the chestnut brown sweetener also contains natural vitamin B12. Indeed, one teaspoon offers 12 percent of your daily B12 needs. Trends: Better-for-you sweeteners; Conscious sourcing Learn more about SugaVida
We love 34 Degrees even more now that they've launched two new delectable flavors: Poppy Seed and Toasted Onion. Picture elegant, whisper-thin crackers either dotted with crushed poppy seeds or tinged with onion powder. Plus, we adore the back-of-package recipe "Inspirations." Trends: Natural gourmet Learn more about 34 Degrees
You know Autumn is here when you start craving belly-warming soups like Pacific's new USDA Organic Vegetable Quinoa, packed with totally pronounceable ingredients including onions, tomatoes, zucchini, red bell pepper, carrots and more. Just 90 filling calories per serving. Trends: Simple ingredients; Meal in a hurry Learn more about Pacific Foods
Developed by a personal trainer who saw his clients struggling to eat well, Fit Wrapz burritos are straight-forward frozen meals that contain ample protein and whole wheat. Available in five flavors, our fave includes roasted potatoes, mustard, cage-free egg whites and lean ground turkey flavored with organic maple sugar. Trends: Breakfast solved Learn more about Fit Wrapz
Just because it's in a squeeze bottle doesn't mean it's that fake HFCS-laden syrup. Props to Butternut Mountain Farm for packaging organic Vermont maple syrup into a handy squeeze bottle ideal for better portion control (hey, maple syrup is still sugar) and avoiding the sticky mess associated with traditional syrup jugs. Love it! Trends: Better sweeteners; Package innovation Learn more about Butternut Mountain
Frozen vegetable lasagna is available at most conventional groceries. But one made with organic KAMUT wheat pasta is a bit more challenging to find. Also includes organic tomatoes, broccoli, kale, cauliflower and carrots. Organic honey adds a touch of sweetness. Trends: Quick eats; Fun with ancient grains Learn more about Michael Angelo's
I was pleasantly surprised by Desert Farm's raw camel milk, which tastes like a slightly sweeter, more delicate version of cow's milk. Sourced from small family farms across the United States (the average herd size is just six cows), camel milk might be the next easily digestible milk on store shelves. Desert Farms ensures that camels are always pasture-raised without antibiotics. Bonus: You can see photos of camels on the Desert Farm website—they're really cute! Is it weird that I would love to see camel milk cheese, too? Trends: Alternative milks; Conscious sourcing; Evolving palates Learn more about Desert Farms Camel Milk
Sambazon's new acai bowl is super tasty. Keep this cup of acai, tapioca syrup and cane sugar in the freezer; let it thaw for three minutes; sprinkle with the included Nature's Path granola and enjoy. True, I wish it had a touch less added sugar, but acai berries are naturally bitter ... I understand why sweetness is needed. A novel way to reinvigorate this antioxidant-rich superfruit. Trend: Grab 'n go antioxidants; Breakfast solved Learn more about Sambazon
Made from dried bananas, apples or strawberries mixed with spices and cane sugar, Kickers are intended to be sprinkled into yogurt, oatmeal, pancake batter, smoothies and more to add flavor and color. One teaspoon will set you back just 15 calories. On one hand, I can see Kickers being a hit with parents of picky kids. But are fruits such as bananas and strawberries really so offensive that kids would rather eat them dried and powdered? Aren't bananas and strawberries almost unequivocally loved by children? I'm asking because I truly don't know. Whatever the case, I think the added sugar could have been left out. Trends: DIY natural flavors Learn more about Kickers
Handmade in Martha's Vineyard, this 75 percent cacao chocolate features local sea salt, organic lavender, raw cacao, maple syrup and raw cacao butter. Dairy free and slightly softer than most chocolate bars, we also love this company's neat mantra, "spreading the love one kickass chocolate bar at a time." Trends: Raw chocolate; High vibration foods Learn more about Not Your Sugar Mamas
Handmade in Martha's Vineyard, this 75 percent cacao chocolate features local sea salt, organic lavender, raw cacao, maple syrup and raw cacao butter. Dairy free and slightly softer than most chocolate bars, we also love this company's neat mantra, "spreading the love one kickass chocolate bar at a time." Trends: Raw chocolate; High vibration foods Learn more about Not Your Sugar Mamas
Unboxed, Edition 6
Sugar and spice? It's no longer nice. And given the variety of better-for-you sweeteners we saw this week, it's clear that manufacturers are heeding consumer concern about sugar.
Winning product formulations continue to employ minimally processed sweeteners such as maple sugar to boost nutrition. And it's twice as sweet as cane sugar, allowing companies to use less than cane sugar. Likewise, consumers might want to use just a small amount of the lastest alternative—palmyra jaggery sugar—a low-glycemic, vitamin B12-rich sweetener relatively unknown in the United States.
On another note, we tasted raw camel milk this week. Yup. Surprise: it's nearly a dead ringer for cow's milk!
Message me on Twitter @JennaBlumenfeld; and follow @newhope360 on Instagram for even more natural product reviews.
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