Veggie Bits

Clif Kids Makes Snacking and Lunch-Packing Easy and Fun

Clif Kid is a new child-friendly line of products from the company that brought those popular energy bars to market. Their Organic ZBaRs are chewy, baked whole grain snacks that come in three vegan varieties, each drizzled with stripes of chocolate on top. The Chocolate Brownie sports a fudgy taste and texture, while the Peanut Butter flavor is aromatic with nutty goodness. Plus, the Chocolate Chip variety will make you feel good about giving your kids cookies for dessert!

Another product that recently made its debut is Organic Twisted Fruit. These snacks, reminiscent of Fruit Roll-Ups, are made almost entirely of organic ingredients, but the real appeal is their fun, rope-like strands that can be eaten whole or pulled apart for additional thrills. Organic Twisted Fruit is available in four flavors — Sour Apple, Strawberry, Tropical Twist, and the particularly tangy Mixed Berry.

Clif Kid products are available from many retailers that carry natural foods. For more information, contact Clif Bar, Inc., at 1610 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1715. The company's phone number is (800) 254-3227, and its website is <www.clifbar.com>.

Incredible Spreadable Sheese

Sheese is a Scottish company that produces one of the largest arrays of vegan cheeses around. Their newest offerings include Creamy Sheese, 9-ounce tubs of soft, cream cheese-like spreads in five fantastic flavors. The Original would feel right at home on any toasted bagel, the Chives evokes a perfect baked potato, and the Garlic & Herb is simply daring raw veggies to come in for a dip. In addition, the Cheddar-Style will have all of your party guests reaching for the crackers, while the Mexican-Style, with its hint of salsa, will have them grabbing for the corn chips.

These products are available at some natural foods stores, from online retailers, and through Sheese's distributor in the United States, Black Duck Imports, LLC. Write to the company at 706 East Pine Street, Suite #7, Orlando, FL 32801, or call (407) 401-4153. Their website is <www.blackduckimports.com>.

For a Spoon Full of Sugar...

Florida Crystals produces an incredible family of items made from organic sugar cane and processed without the use of bone char or any other animal byproducts. Among the company's most sought-after confections are its Organic Brown Sugar and its Organic Powdered Sugar. Both products easily replace their traditional white sugar counterparts, adding the same ease of use and sweetness to baked goods, drinks, and more!

Contact Florida Crystals Corporation at P.O. Box 33402, West Palm Beach, FL 33402, or call the company at (877) 835-2828. More information is available at the company's website, <www.floridacrystals.com>.

Hot Cereals for Cold Mornings

Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") is a staple in South American diets, and it's starting to gain a foothold north of the equator as well. AltiPlano Gold has introduced this wheat- and gluten-free grain in an instant hot cereal form that's similar to oatmeal in many ways. This simple-to-prepare product comes in five hearty varieties — Chai Almond, Natural, Oaxacan Chocolate, Orange Date, and Spiced Apple Raisin — so a different flavor will entice you from even the coziest bed every morning of the workweek.

Write to AltiPlano Gold, LLC, at P.O. Box 156678, San Francisco, CA 94115-6678, or call the company at (415) 380-5050. You can learn more about these products at <www.altiplanogold.com>.

Please Pass the Gravies!

'Tis the season for veggie turkey, mashed potatoes, and other foods that just taste better when swimming in a puddle of vegan gravy. Leahey Foods offers three gluten-free mixes that will liven up your holiday get-togethers. Their No Chicken Golden Gravy adds a savory mushroom flavor to vegetables, while their No Beef Brown Gravy is a wonderful topping for potatoes in many forms. Plus, the unique No Beef Mexican Style Gravy provides a spice combination ideal for any taco, burrito, or bean dish. Can't decide on a single flavor? Leahey offers a Sampler Pack that includes one pouch of each.

For more information, contact Leahey Foods at 4630 Richmond Road, Suite 265, Cleveland, OH 44128, or call the company at (866) 9-LEAHEY. Their website is <www.leaheyfoods.com>.