Wild Zora Foods Real Soup

Wild Zora is famous for its portable meat bars that contain yummy fruits and veggies. But the new line of instant soup mix will give the bars a run for their money! Made with ultra-clean dried vegetables, spices, herbs and consciously sourced chicken stock, they just require hot water and a stir to become a meal accouterment or mini-snack. This is one example of how natural brands can radically improve an existing (but subpar) product category.

Taste Republic Plantain Linguini

Most fresh or frozen grain-free pasta is made with a blend of nut-based flours (often almond) and blended with egg, tapioca and salt for flavor. This proffers a delightfully delicate texture that works well. But we’ve never seen fresh pasta made with starchy, mild-flavored plantains, as Taste Republic does. NEXTY judges thought this was a very innovative pasta option—particularly for people who eschew grains and nuts.

Base Culture paleo sweet breads

Base Culture whips up Certified Paleo baked goods infused with sweet, healthy add-ins such as banana or pumpkin. When this women-owned brand was primed to expand, founder Jordann Windschauer couldn’t find a contract manufacturer that could craft her grain-free products without compromising quality. So she spearheaded the construction of her own facility in Florida, which makes these honey- and maple syrup-sweetened goodies ones that anyone—paleo or not—would love.

Boulder Organic Foods Gluten-Free Chicken Noodle Soup

A high-quality USDA Organic chicken noodle soup is hard to find. A high-quality USDA Organic and Certified Gluten Free chicken noodle soup? Almost impossible to find. That’s why we were thrilled to see Boulder Organic’s new launch that contains corkscrew noodles made with rice flour and quinoa flour. A medley of healthful veggies including celery, onion, mushrooms, peas and turmeric adds immunity-supporting qualities and just-like-Grandma-made flavor.

Wildway Smoothie Bowl Starter Mixes

Founders Kelli and Kyle Koehler have always manufactured grain-free breakfast items that never contain unnecessary food additives. Their new line of protein-rich smoothie bowl starters upholds such values. Made with egg whites, probiotics and collagen peptides, all four of the SKUs (Recharge, Recover, Restore and Relax) contain no sugar and notably, no added flavors. Ingredients such as reishi mushroom, ashwagandha root, maca root, muscle building acetyl L-carnitine and more add a functional boost.

Birch Benders Micro-Pancakery Frozen Waffles Paleo

Fun packaging, a cleaned-up ingredient list and unparalleled just-add-water convenience has made Birch Benders a beloved brand in the pancake aisle. Its expansion to the freezer case is a natural move—and these cassava flour-based breakfast staples will have consumers saying, “L’Eggo my paleo waffle!” And yes, these waffles are still paleo when doused in maple syrup.

Bourbon Barrel Foods Bluegrass Soy Sauce

A Kentucky product that’s locally sourced, Bluegrass Soy Sauce is the latest innovation for traditional condiments. It is the only microbrewed soy sauce in the U.S., and each batch is aged in bourbon barrels, making each bottle a one-of-a-kind.

Picaflor Fermented Hot Sauce

Feel better about eating that extra taco with Picaflor’s fermented hot sauce. Full of flavor, this hot sauce is teeming with billions of good-for-you probiotics and is always raw and organic.

Yondu Vegetable Essence

For those who are looking for a condiment that helps food pop with flavor, Yondu Vegetable Essence is it. It's a delicious and complex all-purpose liquid seasoning made from naturally fermented soybeans and vegetables.

ICONIC Protein

Today’s beverage market is flooded with protein shakes, so what makes ICONIC Protein drinks stand out from the pack? The answer is in the ingredients list you can actually read. With 20 grams of New Zealand grass-fed milk protein, antioxidant and adaptogenic ingredients such as turmeric, ginger and black pepper, ICONIC Protein has delivered a low-calorie product that is both delicious and trustworthy.

Picnik Butter Coffee

Picnik’s Butter Coffee is the answer for a 3 p.m. crash. Utilizing grass-fed butter and MCT oil sourced from coconuts, this beverage provides long-lasting, sustainable energy while promoting cognitive brain function. Not only does the macro-friendly drink deliver 10 grams of grass-fed whey protein, but the coffee itself is 100 percent organic and is sweetened with organic maple syrup. 

Vermont Village Daily Detox Activated Charcoal

Don’t let the color of this drink fool you—this black beverage is a fantastic detoxifier. One shot of Vermont Village’s Daily Detox mixed with a glass of water combines the benefits of raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar with activated charcoal—two ingredients that promote a healthy gut.

Alteya Organics Bio Damascena Rose Otto Regenerating Concentrate

A pure, high-end beauty product that really works is a find. One that also comes from a vertically integrated brand committed to traceability and organic certification is a gem. Alteya grows, distills and tests its own organic Bulgarian roses, making it a case study in both supply chain excellence and natural beauty sophistication.

Mmtum Inc. DIY Mask Kit

Do-it-yourself beauty products are an excellent way for consumers to connect with the products they put on their skin—and when they’re made with pure ingredients (including detoxifying kaolin and bentonite clays, cold-pressed organic oils and antioxidant-rich algae) and packaged in cool recycled containers, the connection is real. While anyone can appreciate the purity and levity, we think the product’s greatest potential is in reaching young women as they start to develop their preferences and brand affinities—and realize they are in control.

Vermont Village Beauty Boost

Vermont Village, which processes apples at its Vermont facility to make a range of apple-licious products, blended one of its signature ingredients, apple cider vinegar (thought to help support digestion, healthy weight and energy) with today’s nutricosmetic darling, collagen. The equally tasty and functional beauty shot is on point, combining ancient wisdom with the beauty trends of today.

Five Star Foodies Vegan Frittata

Five Star Foodies gives us the only vegan frittata on the market. This women-owned and plant-based company recreates the traditional egg-based Italian dish with a blend of pumpkin seeds, vegetables and spices, leaving out gluten, soy, nuts and added sugars and oil. The tasty frozen option provides a hefty 14 grams of protein to satisfy on cold mornings.

The Honest Stand Spicy Nacho Dip/Mild Nacho Dip

The Honest Stand’s honest approach to nacho cheese with its short, recognizable ingredient deck (potatoes, cashews, carrots, onion) offers up an organic, whole-food alternative to soy-based “cheeses.” The mission-driven company focuses on maintaining a low carbon footprint by operating its own manufacturing facility with eco-friendly practices, and donating its product surplus to a local food bank.

Daiya Foods Meatless Meat Lover's Pizza

This fully plant-based pizza is reminiscent of the frozen pizza you likely ate as a kid, and joyfully so. This better-for-you alternative keeps those with dietary restrictions from wanting. In addition to Daiya’s surprisingly convincing meatless pepperoni, the plant-based pioneer partnered with newcomer Beyond Meat to create a sausage-style crumble. This swap-worthy pie is dairy-free, soy-free, meat free, gluten free and guilt free.

LoveTheWild fish bowls

The next step in LoveTheWild’s mission to help consumers add omega-rich, sustainably farmed fish to their diets is incorporating it into delicious frozen meals that can be ready in just five minutes. This new line of microwavable bowls contain high-quality sustainable seafood from LoveTheWild’s carefully selected partner farms to guarantee accountability and traceability, and make fish a practical and approachable option for a quick weeknight dinner.

RollinGreens Millet Tots

We’re big fans of these crispy, savory, can’t-eat-just-one bites that call attention to an underrated ancient grain. Born from a husband and wife’s Boulder food truck business, millet tots check all the boxes for a great snack or side: organic, allergen friendly, nutrient dense (each serving packs 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein), tasty and made from a simple, short list of ingredients.

Tribali Foods Beef Patties

As more Americans demand humanely raised animal products, this new brand makes eating high-quality meat a breeze with its line of globally inspired frozen organic protein patties. Tribali uses pasture-raised beef that's grass fed and finished to create patties that are packed with flavorful spices and can be cooked up on a skillet in just 10 minutes. Wholesome ingredients, adventurous flavors and lots of integrity—that’s what the NEXTYs are about.

Adeo Health Science Inspired Start

A deliciously simple way to introduce allergens to babies, Inspired Start incorporates small doses of tree nuts, shell fish, wheat, soy and other common allergens into eight different products. Inspired Start makes it approachable for parents to serve their little ones organic, delicious baby food inspired by the latest research on early allergen introduction.

ColorKitchen Rainbow Sprinkle Color Set

ColorKitchen brings vibrant, plant-based colors to your mixing bowls. ColorKitchen makes its products from non-GMO ingredients like beets, spirulina and turmeric that are tested for over 450 pesticides. Now children can enjoy colorful cakes and sweets without artificial colors.

MADE OF Baby Shampoo and Body Wash

MADE OF Baby Shampoo and Body Wash is all about transparency. The company promotes the use of plant-based ingredients while having nothing to hide. The product is sulfate-free to protect baby’s skin and sooth with organic herbs like chamomile and calendula.

Nurture Ranch Traceable 100% Grass Fed Beef

Meat would seem a natural front-runner in the movement toward traceability, but the category has conspicuously lagged behind, making companies like Nurture Ranch stand out. The Texas-based company takes its, “Hey, where did you get that meat?” tagline seriously with every package traceable past the basics of “when” and “where” all the way to the individual animal.

Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea

Wize Monkey’s mission-based model tied a new product to a new way of thinking about building community prosperity in areas too often left behind. Using the otherwise discarded coffee leaves to make tea provided a new line of income to people who needed it. The concept was impressive enough, but the effort to drive the importance home by featuring the community where it all happens on the box makes traceability matter.

Bee’s Wrap Lunch Pack

A beautifully designed alternative to plastic wrap and baggies, Bee’s Wrap is handcrafted in a Vermont workshop by infusing organic cotton with beeswax, organic jojoba oil and tree resin. The end result is washable, reusable and compostable. And there’s more. Bee’s Wrap is committed to using its business as a vehicle for social change; it donates all of its scraps locally to be used as fire starters and partners with The Bee Cause to implement bee education into classroom across the U.S.

Repurpose 100% Compostable, Flexible Straws

Most disposable straws are made from petroleum-based plastics, and because hundreds of millions of straws are used each day in the U.S., they’ve become a big contributor to our waste and ocean plastic problems. But not these! Repurpose spent two years perfecting a plant-based straw that can stand up to the traditional variety in both quality and price.

Bay State Milling SowNaked Mindfully Farmed Oats 

Not your run of the mill oats, SowNaked Oats provide a higher protein yield grain, providing an innovative vegetarian protein solution from a sustainable source. These oats are kinder to the farmer and the environment. They are grown from a hull-less oat cultivar in a closed system, traceable to the seed. Because these oats are hull-less, they provide a 30 percent improvement in grower returns. They are minimally processed, requiring no heat or steam, plus "mindfully farmed oats" are identity preserved to the individual farm and grower. We like it!

DDW The Colour House NaturBrown

DDW Colour House gives another great natural solution to the most ubiquitously required food color—brown. Until lately, there were few readily available scalable alternatives to caramel coloring, burnt and/or artificial. DDW's NaturBrown provides a clean-label option with versatile applications. We think this innovative solution has big game-changing implications for the natural food and beverage industries.

SpinLabel Technologies SpinLabel

What can you do to make bottle packaging more innovative? SpinLabel Technology designed a label that increases a product’s label space by up to 90 percent. With this technology, you see the brand first, and then clear window slides around the bottle, allowing a consumer to read more about the product on the under-layer.

The Gluten Free Bar Power Breakfast

Sustainability and convenience is a priority for The GFB with Power Breakfast, a gluten-free, high-protein oatmeal with no added sugar and a healthy mix of add-ins. The oatmeal is packaged in a collapsible bowl that can be microwaved and then recycled for an eco-friendly breakfast on the go.

MegaFood B12 Energy Ginger Gummies

OK, gummy vitamins aren’t exactly new. But we liked what we saw here: a certified organic, vegetarian and dairy-free delivery for vitamin B12. We also liked what we tasted: a ginger-forward, real-food gummy bursting with actual ginger from an actual farm in (actual) Kauai, and free of gelatin, HFCS and fake stuff. MegaFood also boasts being the first supplement brand to have its entire line certified glyphosate residue-free.

Nutri-Rich Soft Magnesium

Magnesium is necessary for hundreds of bodily functions, yet many magnesium supplements come in forms that are difficult to swallow, digest and assimilate. Nutri-Rich is not the only exception to this, but it’s an exciting one: a rapid release, easy-to-swallow softgel with a formidable 400 mg dose of magnesium bisglycinate—a bioavailable amino acid chelate form of the essential mineral—and coconut derived MCT oil for improved absorption. Each product is batch number traceable, too, revealing manufacture date, C-of-A results and more. 

LoveBug Probiotics Labor of Love

LoveBug is one of those next-gen supplements companies that is not afraid to wear its snark on its sleeve. It does that through snarky product names. This one contains proprietary strains of probiotic bacteria that help nurture mom and baby before and after delivery. B vitamin folate is added to help prevent neural tube birth defects.

NatureWise Ashwagandha Herbal Blends

The ashwagandha ingredient KSM-66 has more than a dozen published studies showing that 600 mg/day can help with stress, endurance, body weight management, memory and cognitive function. Each SKU starts with KSM-66, then adds select botanicals to deliver targeted support for stress, endurance, brain health, libido and healthy aging. And the company has unparalleled transparency—download the app and read lab reports vouchsafing ingredient integrity for each bottle.

Aurora Nutrascience exoFlex

Old-school joint health supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin would take six weeks or more to take effect on joint pain and range of motion. This liquid contains fast-acting ingredients like eggshell membrane and boswellia that consumers should feel before the first bottle is gone. The liposomal technology turbo-charges bioavailability.

Empact Protein and Energy Bar

Empact is a mission-forward company made by women, for women. This brand creates impact by partnering with a Denver-based nonprofit to offer job training opportunities for chronically underemployed and disadvantaged women. Beyond living its mission, this Peanut Butter Party Protein & Energy Bar packs a solid amount of fiber and protein with only 5 grams of sugar.

Straus Family Creamery Organic Chocolate Milk

Straus Family Creamery has built mission into its story from the beginning, prioritizing collaborative, mutually accountable relationships with independent family farms by offering stable prices and predictability. Its organic chocolate milk is sold in reusable glass bottles and combined with organic Fair Trade Certified cocoa powder to deliver a creamy chocolate taste without additives or stabilizers.

The Soulfull Project Multigrain Hot Cereal Family Size

The Soulfull Project is on a mission to give people opportunities to connect back to their own communities. For each serving purchased, a serving is provided to a local food bank in the region it’s purchased. This 4 Grain Blend was created alongside the brand’s first partner, The Food Bank of South Jersey, which validated the needs for convenient whole-grain breakfasts (without sugar) for its clients. This brand supports healthy food as a right, not a privilege, and for busy consumers, helps make the giving choice the easy choice.

Choice Organic Teas Reishi Detox

This reishi detox tea won over judges with a delicious blend of beneficial ingredients that make reishi enjoyable and accessible. Our judges believe functional mushrooms and reishi are well poised for growth in consumer awareness and interest. Delicious, functional and backed by a confidence-boosting collaboration with Bastyr University’s expertise in herbal sciences gives this tea the ability to introduce new consumers to the benefits of reishi. The icing on the cake is Choice Organic’s commitment to organic, energy offsets, use of recyclable shipping materials, plant-based inks and biodegradable tea bags.

organicgirl Clear Greens Waters

There are some delicious, refreshing flavors in this innovative brand extension from organicgirl. The romaine lettuce “water” base of these juices is a refreshing way to help reduce waste from the company’s flagship product, salad greens. These refreshing, hydrating drinks are also rich in antioxidants and polyphenols and are blended with fresh fruit. Our judges appreciated organicgirl’s sustainability minded business practices, waste and fuel/mileage reduction practices.

Remedy Organics Blue Oxidants

This exciting, vibrant new beverage from Remedy Organics was fun to explore and delicious to drink. This uniquely blue beverage takes plant-based functional nut milks to a new level with a long list of organic, non-GMO functional ingredients, including almond, coconut, maca, MCT oil, protein, probiotics, and antioxidants from blueberries and blue spirulina. It won points for innovation, but our judges also appreciated their organic and non-GMO sourcing as well as the company’s social mission to help nourish children in under-served areas.

Anabella Water Buffalo Yogurt

It turns out that there is another milk beyond the goat and bovine varieties. Anabella holds that water buffalo provide, “subtle, rich, creamy milk that tastes better than cow’s milk.” Flavors like passionfruit and honey add to the experience, and the company’s “an entirely different animal” tagline reinforces the novelty.

Know Brainer Ketogenic, Organic Grass-Fed Creamers

Know Brainer takes a multi-tasking approach to creamer with a healthy-fat formula of MCT oil and grass-fed butter that offers the promise of a healthier and less sugary start to the day. A creamer with benefits both mental and metabolic pulls off the notable feat of making the world’s No. 1 functional beverage—coffee—even more functional.

LoveTheWild fish bowls

Aquaculture must jump a number of hurdles to sit with environmentally conscious and health-aware consumers, but LoveTheWild helps ease them over the obstacles with a clear message about how it’s done, where it’s done and why it’s done as well as intriguing recipes, like Spicy Korean BBQ Bowl with Salmon. The company makes fish at home interesting and easy.

Rose Acre Farms EggLife Wrap

A sandwich wraps that’s high in protein and egg-based presents a low-carb option that’s entirely new in the wrap category and promising in its execution. The low-carb options can be unexciting, but EggLife’s entry shakes things up.

Barlean’s CBD Oil

Agricultural hemp-derived cannabidiol is the hottest ingredient this side of ephedra. Barlean’s is a pioneering brand of healthy oils, so it makes sense that it just introduced a line of CBD oil. What makes this hemp oil different from all the rest is it’s the first certified USDA Organic hemp oil available nationwide.

Clean Machine Clean Green Protein with Lentein

Lentein is described as the world’s most complete food source, higher in essential amino acids than pea, rice, soy and other plant proteins. It’s said to be the only plant comparable to whey protein in branch-chain amino acid composition and is higher in nutrient density than kale, spinach, spirulina or chlorella. An excellent source of calcium, iron, vitamin A and antioxidants. And it’s sustainable, being aqua-farmed in the US of A. It’s non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, grain free and solvent free. Each scoop contains 20 grams of protein and another 7 grams of fiber.

Fidobiotics Good Guts for Medium Mutts

Oh sure, it’s fun to blame the dog for somebody’s gas passing in mixed company. But really, maybe the pooch would prefer less gas, constipation relief and better digestion. This pet supplement contains 12 billion CFUs of belly-quieting probiotics in 10 different strains, two prebiotics and five digestive enzymes. To ensure compliance, this powder is flavored with peanut butter and coconut. Sit. Stay. Supplement.

Reserveage Nutrition FibeHER Powder

Reserveage might be the best supp company to direct its efforts squarely at the female market. This FibeHER powder contains a blend of collagen peptides and protein, plus a high-quality fiber blend that includes prebiotics to help feed her tummy’s friendly bacteria and feel fuller longer.

Base Culture Almond Butter Brownie

The innovation behind the women-powered brand Base Culture happens in a 44,000-square-foot manufacturing plant. This certified paleo, gluten free and non-GMO facility was the result of ensuring product integrity and built in order to raise the bar of ingredient quality. And with a modest ingredient list, spearheaded by honey, egg and cashew butter, this treat is creamy and decadent.

Chill Pop Frozen Fruit Pops

Chill Pop brings savory to frozen desserts with ingredients like avocado, ricotta and black pepper. The Avocado Mint Chip formulation is a creamy, refreshing treat, made with actual mint leaves, coconut milk and avocado, and speckled with vegan dark chocolate chips for that added crunch. With both vegan and dairy-based offerings, this brand is approachable to various consumers, but its bold eco-conscious mission—from sourcing to composting—appeals to the spectrum of environmentally purposeful shoppers.

Honey Mama’s bars

Honey Mama’s has introduced a new cacao-nectar bar concept to the chocolate bar line. With pure and simple ingredients, Honey Mama’s brings soft, smooth silkiness to the chocolate bar experience. It’s paleo positioned and sweetened with Oregon-sourced raw honey. Look out for innovative flavors such as Ginger Cardamom, Mayan Spice and Peruvian Raw. 

GoodPop Cookies N’ Cream Frozen Pops

GoodPop has all the “goods”: certified B Corp status, organic and fair trade ingredients, and Rainforest Alliance certified palm oil. Be on the lookout for its new-to-market, highly decorated (certified) vegan Cookies N’ Cream Pops. Verifications mean this brand lives up to its “Good” name to prove ingredient quality, but it's also on a mission to give back to its nonprofit partners. Remember, it’s vegan, gluten free, only 110 calories per pop… and its creamily delicious.

Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Wheat & Coffee Flour Pumpkin Berry Bread

Made with sprouted wheat and coffee flour, Alvarado Street Bakery’s Pumpkin Berry Bread is marvelous toasted with some butter on top. We love the company’s innovative use of the would-be discarded coffee “cherry” that surrounds the bean. This solar-powered, worker-owned bakery gets high marks for integrity and inspiration, too.

Bonafide Provisions Organic Soups with Bone Broth

Bonafide is changing the soup game with its innovative frozen soups in a bag. These nutrient-dense soups are not only delicious but also an accessible way to get the many health benefits of bone broth. Loaded with fresh, organic veggies and grass-fed, organic dairy, the savory soups were a big hit among our judges.

Haven Row Do Anything Sauces

Created by a busy mom, Do Anything Sauces are anything but ordinary. With flavors like cauliflower alfredo and kale pesto, these sauces and marinades are loaded with organic vegetables for convenient, delicious meals. They maintain a short and clean label, and use innovative HPP technology to preserve freshness and maximize nutrients.

Banana Joe Banana Chips

Banana Joe chips have the perfect crunch, without a sweet banana taste. This is achieved by harvesting the bananas when they are green—a process with the added benefit of making these chips naturally high in prebiotic fiber. Banana Joe then adds probiotics for an extra functional punch. These tasty chips come in intriguing flavors such as Gruyere and Sriracha with Pickled Garlic.

Crunchsters

Crunchsters is the first snack product in the U.S. crafted from whole mung bean sprouts, and it's a minimally processed snack with a short list of ingredients. These perfectly seasoned roasted beans are utterly snackable. Each serving of Crunchsters packs 7 grams of allergen friendly plant protein and 5 grams of fiber.

Fresh Bellies Toddler Snacks

Fresh Bellies created a unique line of snacks made from freeze dried whole vegetables, herbs and spices with the goal of training palates early to eliminate picky eaters. While these are called Toddler Snacks, our adult team of judges couldn’t stop munching on them, and Fresh Bellies encourages snacking from age 12 months to 100+ years. These snacks focus on building a palette in youngsters by never masking vegetable or herb flavors with fruit.

Myrtle Greens Vegan Jerky

Myrtle Greens provides the satisfying chewy texture we look for in a jerky with 100 percent plant-based ingredients. The brand’s variety of robust flavors such as Five Spice and Sriracha were inspired by Asian cuisine and provide a savory meat alternative. This jerky is made from soy, so it's high in plant protein.

One Culture Foods Sauté & Marinades

We love One Culture Foods’ one-jar solution for the busy home cook. Apart from convenience, One Culture’s mission is to encourage discovery by delivering ambitious global flavors—and deliver they do, with ingredients like Chinese fermented black beans. The products are inspirational, highlighting flavors rooted in heritage and still appealing to today’s consumer.

Simply West Coast Spicy Thai Seafood Soup

Simply West Coast soups come in recyclable glass jars, making them easy to heat and eat. They are delicious and full of exotic and exciting flavors like lemongrass and galangal. We love that each soup contains sustainably fished, wild-caught seafood along with fresh veggies.

The Soulfull Project Multigrain Hot Cereal Family Size

We admire the Soulfull Project’s mission to give people an easy way to connect back to their communities by donating a serving for every serving purchased, in the same region it’s purchased. Each family-size pouch of hot cereal is a hearty blend of whole wheat and quinoa, made without sugar, and is delicious to boot.

Lotus Foods Rice Ramen with Vegetable Broth

Lotus Foods has reinvented the ramen category with its new noodles made with antioxidant-rich superfoods like purple sweet potato, wakame seaweed, turmeric and buckwheat. A fully certified B Corp, Lotus Foods is committed to partnering with small-scale farmers who use less to produce more, doubling and even tripling their yields using up to 50 percent less water and 80 to 90 percent less seed.