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We don’t know about you, but we can’t think of a better way to spend our Sunday mornings than strolling down the aisles at Whole Foods and viewing all the new products they have. These days, there are so many health food companies putting new products on the market for almost every consumer known — from cassava chips to protein ice cream. You can even find vegan jerky these days! We thought we would never see the day.
Here is a list of some of our favorites to help guide you at the grocery store.
1. Banza Pasta
In a time when everyone was replacing pasta with zoodles, gluten-free advocates had no good replacement for pasta that actually filled them up. Then came Banza, the chickpea pasta company. Their pasta not only tastes just like pasta, but it is also a great source of fiber and protein (and it’s gluten-free!). We recommend swapping your regular pasta for this stuff as it will help you stay full longer and can even help with weight loss.
2. Siete Foods
No one has quite changed the Mexican food game quite like Siete Foods founded by The Garza Family. When one of the family members was diagnosed with a number of autoimmune disorders, they changed their diet to be gluten-free, paleo and preservative-free. With most generic tortillas being out of the picture, the family created gluten-free, higher-fiber tortillas so that they could continue to eat meals from their culture without compromising taste. That is how Siete Foods was born.
Their chips are cooked in avocado oil versus refined oils, their hot sauces contain superfoods like chia seeds and flax, and their queso is made dairy-free and vegan. We highly recommend this company for healthier alternatives to your favorite Mexican foods. Just beware: the chips are addicting, so eat responsibly.
3. Birch Benders
Nothing reminds us more of Sunday mornings as a child than making pancakes. But what if we want to make a gluten-free or protein-rich option? Well, now Birch Benders sells pancake mixes of all kinds — and all you need to do is add water. They carry regular, paleo or protein pancake and waffle mixes that are tasty and make it easy like Sunday morning.
4. Primal Kitchen
Primal Kitchen is a health food company created by a health enthusiast himself, Mark Sisson. He has been on a quest to put out products that he feels confident will help improve people’s health, just like they have for him. From natural protein bars to bottled salad dressing loaded with herbs, cold pressed oils and superfoods, we love all the products that have come out thus far.
5. Navitas Organics
Navitas is a Latin word for “energy” — and we agree that Navitas Organics’ line of superfoods and powders are bursting with vitamins and minerals that support a healthy body producing amazing energy levels. The company states that they “search the globe for the highest quality superfoods to keep you energized” and all of their products are certified organic. From super seeds like chia and hemp to super green mixes, Navitas has all you need to address your health ailments holistically. If you are wondering what would be best for you, they have in-depth explanations of all of their superfoods’ benefits.
6. Forager Foods
Being lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy is not fun, but Forager Foods has made it much more tolerable. In 2013, Forager Foods started making dairy-free, low-sugar smoothies and dairy-free milk that were some of the best on the market. They were one of the only ones who kept their nut milk free of binders like guar gum and carrageenan, making it one of the cleanest on the shelves from artificial and added ingredients. As of late, they came out with a probiotic alternative to yogurt and kefir with “cashewgurt” and cashew kefir. In our opinion, it is one of the only dairy-free yogurts that tastes just as good as cow’s milk yogurt.
7. The Perfect Bar
Finding a protein bar that doesn’t taste like chalk and isn’t as hard as a rock can be super tough! We have tried almost every protein bar on the market and nothing is as tasty and healthy as The Perfect Bar, the original refrigerated protein bar. The Perfect Bars have all natural whole-food based protein, more than twenty superfoods included and use honey and dates to sweeten. No artificial sweeteners, no fake ingredients.
8. Four Sigmatic
We have to admit something. We are addicted to taking shrooms. Superfood mushrooms, that is! Though the jury is still out on whether medicinal mushrooms like cordyceps, chaga, and lion’s mane actually produce helpful long-term benefits, we have enough right now to convince us to start experimenting. Some of the reported benefits are amazing and Four Sigmatic is the first company that makes it easier for us to try it out. Want to learn more about the powerful benefits of mushrooms? Enroll in their 3-hour shroom academy and you may end up a believer.
9. Luvo Inc.
We love meal prepping here at ClassPass, but some nights we just don’t have the time. Thanks to Luvo, we have a healthy, tasty meal ready for us in minutes at any time. Luvo is the first company to truly show that frozen meals do not need to be unhealthy and tasteless. Their meals are balanced and nutrient-dense as well as interesting and flavorful. We recommend the Power Plant Bowls!
10. Bob’s Red Mill
Bob has been using a stone mill method of preparing organic grains for many years, but it wasn’t until he retired to Oregon City where he purchased his first grain mill where he started to make organic, stone mill grains for locals in the area. Now it is a wildly successful company that is employee-owned and producing organic stone mill grains for everyone around the United States.
They have a wide variety of products from whole wheat flour to almond flour and everything in between. So next time you are at the grocery store, look for Bob in his carpenter hat, white beard and old-school glasses and purchase some of their amazing products. We recommend these chocolate protein cookies for your first recipe!
There is one thing that all these companies have in common. They took common foods and trends and totally revolutionized them into amazing products. We recommend trying out all these products so you can see for yourself. We are certain pasta night, smoothie time or baking won’t be the same without them.
