Hasta La Ideas

Superfoods and cocoa nibs in a guilt-free bar

Combining superfood favorite quinoa with delicious organic coca nibs, Venice Beach-based YogaEarth presents Keen-Wah Decadence. The nutritious bar offers yogis and other health-minded people a gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO snack on the go and, in addition to quinoa, includes cacao, chia seeds, almonds, almond butter, coco nectar and Himalayan sea salt, as well as protein powder made from brown rice. The fully organic concoction doses out high levels of protein, omega-3 and antioxidants.

The dark chocolate coating lends a sweet edge to the savory health food core, while chopped almonds and crispy quinoa give texture and a bit of satisfaction. To support the claim of healthy ingredients, one bar of Keen-Wah Decadence has 12% of your daily protein and 18% of your recommended fiber intake.

YogaEarth set out to provide yoga practitioners with products that complemented the health-centric lifestyle. Focusing on superfoods, the company reached out to the yoga community—notably strong around Venice Beach—to develop a line of healthful and delicious products. The grassroots effort was initially carried in yoga studios, and is gearing up to launch at Whole Foods. We loved the “Chocolate Chia” flavor of Keen-Wah Decadence, and are eagerly awaiting the release of “Coconut Almond” and “Cayenne Cinnamon”.

A 12-pack of Keen-Wah Decadence is available from YogaEarth for $35.

The leading stateside farmers of the world’s superfood

Even the most informed food trend followers may not know that quinoa’s status among current superfoods was decades in the making. The story of how Quinoa made it from its native land to North America goes back to two intrepid gentlemen who wanted to grow the Andean crop stateside. In 1987 John McCamant and Ernie New first attempted to grow Quinoa in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. After adapting the grain to the local climate, White Mountain Farm became the premiere source for Quinoa in the United States.

Certified organically grown since the first crop, White Mountain Quinoa offers all the well-documented nutritional benefits of the magic crop (extremely high in protein, it contains calcium, phospherous, iron, vitamin E, as well as a full suite of amino acids), but can also deliver peace of mind for the consumer. Since the soaring popularity of Quinoa has put major stress on the Bolivian market, elevated costs have essentially priced out local communities from consuming it. All the Quinoa from White Mountain Farm is grown in Colorado, without impacting the native diets of Peruvian and Bolivian populations.

White Mountain Farm Quinoa can be ordered online starting at $5 per one-pound bag, and each one comes with easy-to-follow Quinoa recipes.