Veggie Bits
Luscious Yogurt
Because Follow Your Heart is expert in all things vegan, it is no surprise that they
created a line of luscious vegan yogurts. The range of flavors includes Blueberry,
Cherry, Key Lime, Peach, Pina Colada, Plain, Raspberry, Strawberry,
Strawberry-Rhubarb, and Vanilla Bean. These yogurts are thick, smooth, and silky.
They will remind you of retro yogurts from the ’90s, with a balance of whipped,
velvety texture and just the right amount of fruity sweetness. Testers enjoyed all
the varieties, and both Blueberry and Cherry were standouts for their spoon-coating
creaminess and classic taste. Topped with vegan granola, Vanilla Bean was a tasty
breakfast option. Gluten-free with live probiotic cultures. Available at retailers
nationwide. followyourheart.com
Rissa Miller, Senior Editor
Veggie-Packed Burgers & Sides
For those who love vegetables in their veggie burgers, Strong Roots has you covered.
The entire product line features veg-packed and convenient frozen foods that are
familiar enough to please picky kids and savory enough to satisfy adults. Most of
the line is ready in 10-15 minutes in the oven. Burgers include Beetroot & Bean
Burgers, Kale & Quinoa Burgers, and Pumpkin & Spinach Burgers. The Kale & Quinoa
Burgers were a tester favorite with their crunchy outside and hearty flavor. The
sides are secretly healthful — add Cauliflower Hash Browns to your breakfast
line-up to sneak in a portion of veggies. Testers also raved over Spinach Bites,
especially served with vegan ranch dip. Other sides include Beetroot Wedges,
Broccoli and Purple Carrot Bites, and Mixed Root Vegetable Fries. Available at major
retailers including Fresh Market, Walmart, and Whole Foods. More online at strongroots.com
Rissa Miller, Senior Editor
Oat-So-Creamy Vegan Chocolate
Treat yourself to a heavenly chocolate treat with a bar from Vesta, a New
Jersey-based chocolatier. They use oat flour for every batch of vegan chocolate,
which offers a creamy mouthfeel and no strong aftertaste like coconut. A selection
of bars is available for Valentines’ Day, including Ashwagandha Maca, Black and
White Roasted Coconut, and Strawberries and Cream. Other always-available vegan dark
varieties include Belize 84% cacao; Caribe 66% cacao; Guatamala 79%; and Vegan
Non-Dairy Milk 60% cacao. Indulge in other chocolatey treats such as Dark
Mini-Squares, Orange-Ginger Cacao Nib Granola, and Vegan Cacao Hazelnut Spread. Find
them online: vestachocolate.com/collections/shop-vegan
Rissa Miller, Senior Editor
Cheers to Vegan Wine!
With a vegan label directly on the bottle, Avaline wines are easy-drinking and
refreshing. Both varieties were designed to accompany meals. The White is dry and
crisp with European-style complexity, made with grapes from Spain. The airy flavors
have hints of citrus and flowers, with a fruity aroma. Avaline White finishes with a
subtle sweetness and was the tester favorite. The Rosé offers a blend of five
grapes from France. It’s dry and the delicate flavor makes the ideal brunch wine
that will complement food without overpowering it. Avaline’s Rosé is drier than
most rosés and has hints of berry with a light finish. Both wines are free of
added sugar, colorings, and isinglass (protein from fish bladders used in wines);
contain organic grapes; sell for about $25 each; and are available in 43 states and
online. Serve chilled. drinkavaline.com
Rissa Miller, Senior Editor
Speedy Plant "Eggs"
In a follow-up to their successful bottled plant eggs, Just Foods has released a
folded plant egg. It’s wildly fast to prepare in a microwave, oven, skillet, or
toaster and makes an ideal stuffer for breakfast bowls, sandwiches, and burritos.
Breakfast before school or work will take only minutes to prepare, and these “eggs”
have the same fluffy texture of actual scrambled chicken eggs. Try it in vegan Pad
Thai or brunch bakes. Only 100 calories each, mung bean protein is the main
ingredient and brings in 7 grams of protein per serving. Just Egg Folded is non-GMO,
is free of cholesterol, and according to the company, uses less water and carbon
emissions than conventional chicken eggs. Available in the freezer case at major
retailers nationwide. Find more online at ju.st/en-us#!
Rissa Miller, Senior Editor
Crunchy Sweet Potato Puffs
Crunch on some sweet taters with Spudsy’s new Sweet Potato Puffs. Using leftover
“ugly” potatoes, as well as pea protein, rice flour, and tapioca starch, these
snacks are fun to eat and are on a mission of sustainability. Spudsy sources their
potatoes from the 150 million pounds of sweet taters that are mishapen, or oddly
colored, helping to save “imperfect” food from landfills. Testers loved the snap and
crunch, as well as the traditonal junk food taste reminiscent of old school
puff-curl snacks from childhood. Speaking of which, children loved them too,
especially the Churro variety! Flavors include Bangin’ BBQ, Cinnamon Churros, Vegan
Cheesy Cheddar, and tester favorite Vegan Sour Cream and Onion. Available at Food
Lion, Wegmans, Whole Foods, or check online, spudsy.com
Rissa Miller, Senior Editor
Savory Baby Food Pouches
Testers of all ages — from babies to adults — enjoyed Serenity Kids
Organic Savory Veggie pouches. The brand features simple ingredients with healthy
fat, and no added sugars or colors. Advised for eaters age 6 months and older,
Serenity’s purées made a wonderful baby meal as well as a tasty adult on-the-go
snack. The well-blended veggies and oils were not only savory but deeply flavorful
— simple enough to please a child’s palate and yet hearty enough to satisfy
nutritional needs. Varieties include Butternut Squash and Spinach with Avocado Oil,
Roots (Sweet Potato, Carrot, Beet, and Olive Oil), the tester favorite —
Squashes (Kabocha, Butternut, Pumkin, and Olive Oil), and Sweet Potato and Spinach
with Avocado Oil. All varieties are vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. myserenitykids.com
Rissa Miller, Senior Editor
Exotic Dinner in a Flash
While sourcing ingredients for their jackfruit line, Upton’s Naturals became
inspired by the flavors of Thailand to create a line of Real Meal Kits. Each meal is
a little different. Massaman Curry, Pad See Ew, Thai Curry Noodle, and Thai
Spaghetti all have bold flavors and fresh ingredients that come together in just
minutes. Each shelf-stable kit comes with a curry sauce, either rice or noodles,
tofu or tempeh, fresh vegetables, and crunchy topping packets. My personal favorite
is the Massaman Curry. The combination of the savory peanut tofu, purple rice, and
potato, carrot, and green bean veggie mix all bathed in a creamy coconut curry sauce
reminded me of a meal I would order in a Thai restaurant. Available nationwide, uptonsnaturals.com.
Clare Broud, VRG Intern
