Beards are (or, at least, were) often associated with wisdom. While the scientific jury may be out on this one, the facial hair-donning fraternal partnership at Austin’s Bearded Brothers might lend a little weight to the…
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The Blissoma line of 100% vegetarian skincare products (most of which are also certified vegan) raises the bar for the term “natural skincare.” Herbal chemist Julie Longyear started Blissoma in 2005, but it’s been flying under…
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by Mya Stark Imagine ice cream and bicycles—two childhood icons of summer—combined in a new business model with very serious goals. That’s what’s going on at Peddler’s Creamery, a new sweets haven in Downtown Los Angeles…
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by Tara Lange Chickpea Magazine is a high quality, visually rich food magazine. Though similar in some ways to other magazines featuring food, Chickpea is set far apart by its dedication to a 100% vegan lifestyle. In 2011, after Cara…
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While the raw food revolution transforms the eating habits of health conscious humans, Brad’s Raw Foods—known for their savory vegetable based chips, crackers and crunchy kale—is launching a line of raw treats for dogs. We found the exuberant Brad’s Raw team at the Fancy Food Show, sharing samples of…
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We drink a lot of juice at CH. Pressed juice is always our preference because we find it better tasting and more nutritious than that made with traditional juice machines that shred. While it’s easy to get our hands on great pressed juice in NYC, it’s not readily available…
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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.
Whole food candy bars inspired by the roaring ’20s
Bixby & Co. is a fledgling candy bar company with a knack for making delectable sweet treats from whole foods and organic ingredients. Hoping to reinvent the classic American snack, McAleer began producing vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free treats with half the sugar of a traditional candy bar, drawing inspiration from her adventurous great-great-grandparents, Lillian and William K. Bixby, for the chocolate’s 1920s packaging and irreverent attitude. Combining a health-conscious culinary sophistication with that sense of sporty nostalgia, Bixby bars are all about the fusion of whole foods and silky chocolate in a compact treat.
First launched in December 2011, McAleer’s unlikely education spanned Chinese, art history and design before settling in the pastry arts. Her shop, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, produces each of Bixby & Co.’s handmade bars. Eco-conscious to the last, the packaging is composed of soy ink printed on FSC-certified paper. McAleer’s sustainability efforts have won the bars Rainforest Alliance Certification and a membership in Youth Trade.
McAleer’s art and design education shines through in the throwback packaging. Cheeky names like “Whippersnapper” and “Knockout” theme the bars, which are mostly inspired by leisure sports of the ’20s. “Heart’s Delight“—a seductive combination of dark chocolate, almonds, dried strawberries and ceylon cinnamon—features an etching of famed ballroom dancers Vernon and Irene Castle. The newly introduced “Mulligan” and “Birdie” flavors are a his-and-hers pair that pay tribute to McAleer’s days as a golfer.
As the popularity of bean-to-bar chocolate compels confectioners to reconsider sweets, Bixby & Co. is turning that same passion for ingredients toward the candy bar. The flavors are inspired by McAleer’s time abroad in China, where unlikely flavor marriages along the silk road have bred rich regional cuisines. McAleer’s tribute to China, “To the Nines” brings together white chocolate, goji berries, pistachios, almonds and cardamom. “I had this equation of chocolate, fruit, nut and spice that occurred to me,” says McAleer. After a a dose of sweet chocolate and sour fruit, the lingering taste is often a spice—ranging from savory fleur de sel to spicy tellicherry black pepper. The addition of organic brown rice crisp lightens the bar considerably, separating elements and making for a more delicate texture.
Bixby & Co. chocolate bars are available from the company’s online shop.
Images by James Thorne
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