Susan O’Brien founded snack company Hail Merry on the island of Maui, crediting yoga and meditation as the inspiration for creating healthy food. We sampled the line of raw, vegan and gluten-free macaroons and tarts at CH HQ and were pleasantly surprised with how satisfyingly rich the treats seemed…
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Delivering healthful omega-3s to vegans and habitual snackers
As one of the few vegan and vegetarian sources for omega-3 fatty acid—the essential fatty acid with a slew of healthful benefits to its name—it’s no wonder flax seed bears a “superfood” designation. But for all its known advantages, flax seed isn’t exactly a common ingredient in everyday foods—at least not yet. From a meal replacement bar to a dairy alternative, here are three new ready-to-eat flax products that are pushing the trend.
Intended to satisfy the nutritional requirements of a single meal, these vegan whole food bars pack organic flax seeds in with a mix of other superfoods, including organic acai, mangosteen, camu camu and purple corn. The bars aren’t baked, so they retain a moist and chewy texture that pairs well with the sweetness of the dried fruits, while the absence of preservatives means eating cleanly as you fuel up.
Sold at select grocers nationwide and online for $2.99 per bar
As the latest addition to KIND’s Healthy Grains line, this whole grain granola is a healthy and delectable snack that bears the distinct flavor of blueberries, without being overly sweet. As a marquee ingredient, the granola’s flax seeds provide 750 mg of omega-3 fatty acids while other whole grains like amaranth, quinoa, oats, millet and buckwheat make for clusters that are big enough to be enjoyed as bite-size pieces — to be enjoyed by the handful or the bowlful. Bags sell for about $5 at KIND’s online shop, or click here for store locations
Adding to your grocer’s expanding aisle of non-dairy products, Good Karma’s flax milk is a low-calorie, non-GMO, soy-free alternative to the other dairy alternatives. Its amount of omega-3s alone —1200 mg per serving — is reason enough to start pouring it onto cereal, or into coffee and blended smoothies. Flavors include Original, Unsweetened, and Vanilla, all ranging from 25-60 calories per one-cup serving — much fewer than most milk-like products, yet the flax milk is surprisingly creamy. The slightly sweetened vanilla, our favorite, pairs nicely with coffee, without the need for additional sweetener. Good Karma is available on Amazon in packs of 12 ($28 per pack), and at select natural grocers natural grocers for $3.50-$4.50 per half gallon.
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 sweet shop warms up with Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Churning out a flavorful variety of portable ice cream, yogurt and sorbet snacks from their NYC shop, popbar has us hooked on a warmer sweet.
The newest addition to the brand’s all-natural, kosher-certified lineup (including vegan sorbet varieties) is Hot Chocolate on a Stick, a treat as simple and sweet as the name implies. To whip up an instant mug, dip a chunk of dark, milk or vanilla-white chocolate into hot milk, stir for a minute and sip. Popbar’s chocolate-bar consistency seems to blend more easily than typical powder cocoas and, most importantly, does so quickly. Add more milk to temper the sweetness, or split one between two cups for just a hint of flavor.
Hot Chocolate on a Stick is available at popbar’s West Village shop and, for those outside New York, on Amazon for $3 a piece or in gift sets of six for $18 and 12 for $36.
Superfood snack-makers combine all-natural, gluten-free ingredients for a surprisingly tasty treat
Touted as the only whole grain that’s a complete source of protein, South American quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids and has thus become one of the most favored superfoods in recent years. To harvest the health benefits of the gritty grain in a tasty way, I Heart Keenwah makes surprisingly delicious little snack squares packed with gluten-free, all-natural ingredients.
Of the four available flavors—almond, cranberry cashew, ginger peanut and chocolate sea salt—we preferred the chocolate sea salt and almond for their modest, yet distinctive flavor. Although some of us were a bit apprehensive to dive headfirst into the superfood snack when Josh and Evan brought them in to the office this morning, after one little Keenwah cluster I was hooked. The salted almonds added to the intense crunch from the quinoa, while the sweet honey flavor was the perfect compliment to really pull the natural ingredients together.
Unlike artificial snack foods these tasty little morsels are filling, healthful and actually taste really good. For now Keenwah is only available in stores across Chicago, Milwaukee, Mineapolis and New York, with additional availability through their online store where a four-ounce bag goes for $5.
A tasty new snack with a side of wit
It’s no secret that we’re obsessive fans of unique and flavorful snack foods, especially modern updates to familiar classics. Bringing together bold favors, clever packaging and just the right dose or irreverence, Crave Canyon popcorn hits all those requisites as a relatively new addition to the snack scene.
The Arizona-based brand recently debuted five all-natural, globally-inspired flavors bearing witty, long-form names including To Be Eaten Gingerly, Wasabi-San (wasabi and ginger kettlecorn), Bit O’ Land & Sea (cane juice and sea salt kettlecorn), and Tomato, Tomato Pomodoro (sundried tomato and asiago cheese).
Riffing on the popularity of anise in British cooking, the spice’s addition to an otherwise basic sea salt and cane juice kettlecorn gives a surprisingly warm backbone to From Olde England With a Kiss—our personal favorite—while Hatch Has Met Its Match, nods to the company’s southwestern origins with a wave of fresh heat that’s tempered by rich and creamy white cheddar. Ironically, we found ourselves stuffing more of the stuff into our burning mouths for the cheese’s soothing balance.
Not that looming New Year’s resolutions need to be motivators for scooping up handfuls of this addictive snack, Crave Canyon does stand in as a healthier alternative to the abundance of holiday cookies and candies ubiquitous this time of year (as seen on its front packaging, which follows the FDA’s newest food labeling guidelines). Currently available in 4.25-ounce bags, the company plans to roll out single serving portions in the near future.
Crave Canyon popcorn is available for $3.49 at Whole Foods and other food stores, listed here.
A new snack perfect for the couch or the bar gives you half the pop and all of the crunch and flavor
One of the great joys of eating a bowl of popcorn is picking out the half-popped kernels that settle to the bottom. Imagine the gluttonous excitement of finding Halfpops—a bag full of only half popped kernels. What it takes away from the satisfaction of the popcorn bowl search it makes up for with its all natural, nothing artificial, gluten free and tasty crunchy goodness.
CEO and co-founder Mike Fitzgerald (a former professional race car driver) came across a patent for the process and acquired it in 2009. It took more than a year to find the right methodology and tweak the otherwise standard industrial popping equipment to create Halfpops. The process involves both “manipulating the moisture content” of the kernels and then preventing them from fully popping. Interestingly, the process doesn’t produce any fully popped kernels, so nothing is wasted. Mike says that the process is “actually pretty difficult to do.” Now if they could only remove the shells…
Halfpops are currently available in two flavors—Natural Butter and Pure Ocean Sea Salt and Natural Aged White Cheddar, though voting has already begun on their site for the next flavor. Halfpops are made in Seattle and available in local markets. The rest of us can order online directly from Halfpops. A case of 16 2oz bags sells for $24.
A creative meeting of oats and regional ingredients capture local flavors in these new snack bars
Rather than stick with traditional ingrediants and bland oat-based recipes, Naked Granola‘s new Naked Granola Squares satisfy healthy snacking with an emphasis on flavor over filler. Six years in the making, their geography-inspired product seeks to capture the local flavors of six places using local ingredients: Seattle Nights, Maine, California, Key West, Maui and Down Under.
The idea behind Naked Granola is simple—use the best ingredients to make the best granola. With that in mind, each product is made with only 25 percent oats, leaving significantly more room for superior ingredients. Naked uses no sugars or glycerin either, favoring extra virgin olive oil and agave nectar to hold it all together.
A sampling of the Squares was quickly devoured at CH HQ, with Seattle Night’s chocolate flavor with whole chocolate chunks, almonds and cranberries a favorite.
Naked Granola Squares are available in bulk directly from Naked Granola for $50 per box of 24 squares. Individual bars are available at stores everywhere for around $2.50.
Make your own delicious and nutritious cereal bars with this super-simple recipe
Always on the look out for a healthy new snack, we called on our friend Janice Lipman from Eleven Eleven Wellness to introduce us to a new recipe. Lipman, originator of the Greeno Mojito we made together recently, introduced us to the basic Cereal Bar recipe by Tricia Williams of Food Matters. The healthful bars require minimal prep time, a short list of ingredients and most importantly taste great.
Reminding us of childhood, these straight forward bars are an organic option that’s sure to be devoured by kids and adults alike. The bountiful bars hold a foundation of oats and rice cereal, held together by almond butter and honey and spiked with dried cranberries and sea salt. Below are the details on how to create a heaping serving of the delicious cereal bars.
1/2 cup Almond Butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup rolled oats—toasted
1 cup puffed brown rice cereal
1/2 cup almonds—toasted and chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
pinch of sea salt
Thoroughly melt the honey and almond butter in a small sauce pan, then add the melted mixture to a medium bowl containing the oats, cereal, almonds, dried cranberries, and sea salt. Stir until all is well combined. With wet hands or using a piece of wax paper press the cereal bar mixture into an 8 inch square pan that’s been lightly coated in oil and lined with parchment paper. Once the mixture is pressed flat and even set the pan in the fridge for an hour to harden. Remove, cut into individual bars and enjoy.
Once you’ve given the original recipe a try we recommend experimenting with other dried fruits and even substituting the cranberries with coconut or chocolate chips to turn the bar from snack to dessert. Head to Food Matters for more information on eating healthy with their private chef services and nutrition counseling services.
Savory Native American-made buffalo snack bars
After our camping kick last month we’ve had an eye out for great snacks that would work just as well in the outdoors as they do in the office. Achieving just that is the Tanka Bar, a meat-based snack high in protein and low in calories. This unconventional bar is sustainably made by Native American producers in South Dakota using 100% natural prairie-raised buffalo, cranberries and a very short list of natural flavors for seasoning.
The hearty bars are subtly accented by whole cranberries, which add a subtle sweetness and counterpunch to the meat. Fortunately, the cranberries are not overpowering or overly sweet. The one ounce bars have only 70 calories and a shelf life of one year, and they’re available in traditional and a spicy pepper blend—which we prefer. Pick up a bar for around $2.50 at your local store or buy in bulk from Tanka directly.
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