Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS MAY 2016 www.gourmetnews.com NPEW WRAP-UP 1 8 The Healing Tree Launches #SoapForGood Campaign After 11 years in busi- ness, The Healing Tree, which creates wellness products that improve people's lives, decided to incorpo- rate a way to support homeless shelters. "A way to further our mis- sion was to help those who are struggling," said Joe Lam, the company's Marketing Director. "Our #Soap- ForGood campaign was launched on Jan- uary 1 this year, and with every online order, we are donating a travel-sized soap to a local homeless shelter. We'll be doing it every month and documenting the ex- perience on social media. We call it a 'Win-Win-Win scenario,' which means the company, customer, and charity each benefits." Every day, an average of 600,000 peo- ple live on the streets without a roof over their heads and one fourth of them are children, according to Lam. They are there because they can't help themselves due to any number of reasons such as mental illness, job loss, drug addiction, etcetera. "With the various organizations I've dealt with, I've learned that nobody ever chooses to be homeless. But things happen, and it's very difficult to get back on your feet with- out support," Lam said. "We believe that homeless shelters are doing the best they can, and we want to support them." The Healing Tree's bamboo charcoal soap is appreciated for its ability to draw out so much dirt, toxins, and dead skin cells from a person's body, according to Lam. "This is especially helpful for individuals who are exposed to so many germs and bac- teria while living on the streets." Consumers can participate in the cam- paign by visiting Healing Tree's website and then following of the company's so- cial media sites for regular updates. Or they can make any purchase on the com- pany's website, and the company will do- nate a travel soap on their behalf. The Healing Tree 844.400.7585 www.healingtreeproducts.com BY LORRIE BAUMANN Natural foods manufacturers have been very busy this year thinking up ways to cater nutritious snacks for a generation that's making frequent snacks a regular part of their eating plan. This new gener- ation of better-for-you snacks, launched at this year's Natural Products Expo West held March 9-13 in Anaheim, California, offers clean labels, nutrition density and bright, savory flavors. Wilde Bars, for instance, is a line of Paleo-friendly meat snacks that will ap- peal to carnivores looking for a protein boost. Each slow-baked lean meat bar with superfruits, vegetables and ancient grains contains just 100 calories and de- livers 10 grams of protein with low fat and low sodium. The bars are made with a proprietary baking process that allows the use of lean meats such as premium chicken and turkey – the bison and beef bars are made with sirloin – rather than the fatty cuts often used for other meat bars. The bars' shelf life is 12 months, and they retail for $2.49 to $2.79. Caveman offers similar Paleo-inspired meat snacks for protein-craving snackers. Three flavors of Chicken Primal Bites – Sun-dried Tomato and Kale, Toasted Sesame Ginger and Habanero Green Chile – deliver 30 grams of protein for a 2.5- ounce pouch that contains 2.5 servings. The bite-size snacks are made of pure chicken infused with other healthy ingre- dients to make a meat snack the company considers a little more accessible than jerky. Each pouch retails for $6.99, and the snacks have a 12-month shelf life. Caveman also launched a line of pro- tein bars five months ago that's doing very well with consumers, according to Chief Marketing Officer Jim Taschetta. "It really is revolutionizing the protein bar market," he said. "You can use Paleo principles to make really delicious foods. You don't have to sacrifice." These are no-compromise protein bars with no preservatives and no added sugars. Unlike many of the protein bars on the market, the protein in these comes from chicken rather than whey or soy isolates. Chicken, which has a lower carbon footprint and requires less water than beef or bison, also has a milder flavor that doesn't com- pete with spices and other ingredients that provide variety. The Blueberry Pep- per flavor, for instance, is made from chicken, blueberries and spices, and that's all, Taschetta said. A new flavor, Honey BBQ, launches in May. "It's one of the most popular flavors on the mainstream market, but we've come up with really clean ingredients," Taschetta said. Each bar retails for $2.89. For those who want protein without meat, GrandyOats offers a line of organic snacks from its solar-powered plant in Maine. Garlic Herb Cashews and Maple Roasted Cashews are the top-selling prod- ucts in their line of roasted nuts, while High Antioxidant Trail Mix is the com- pany's best-selling trail mix. The Maple Roasted Cashews are made with locally sourced maple syrup, and the High Antioxidant Trail Mix was voted the #1 Quick Fix food by Sierra and Mother Earth News magazines. The trail mix combines goji berries, mulberries, jumbo raisins, cranberries, almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, and a 1/4-cup serv- ing delivers 4 grams of protein in a 150- calorie snack. GrandyOats' move into its new solar- powered facility will allow the company to dedicate a portion of its plant as a gluten-free fa- cility, and we can expect to see a whole g l u t e n - f r e e line from the c o m p a n y soon, includ- ing all of its bulk roasted nuts and trail mixes. HempsGood offers three flavors of a snack product called HempSeed Bhang: Thai Coconut Lemongrass, Southwest Barbecue and Sweet Cinnamon. These flavored hemp seed products are pack- aged in "stickpacks," pouches about the size of a candy bar from which the crunchy mix of unshelled and shelled hemp seeds is poured. HempSeed Bhang is gluten free, vegan and low in sugar, and each 20-gram stickpack delivers 7 grams of protein as well as Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils. HempSeed Bhang is a natural source of dietary fiber and has no artifi- cial ingredients. popchips are a healthier alternative to fried potato chips. The newest varieties, popchips RIDGES are crinkle-cut potato chips with 55 percent less calories and 72 percent less fat than ordinary ruffled po- tato chips. The four newest flavors are Salted, Cheddar & Sour Cream, Tangy Barbeque and Chili Cheese. popchips RIDGES are packaged in two sizes: the 3- ounce bag retails for $2.99 and the .8- ounce single-serve size retails for $1.19. Natierra deliv- ers crunch with- out compromise with seven fla- vors of Chia Crunch. These gluten-free and non-GMO disks are made from freeze-dried chia seeds and super- foods for crunchy texture and intense flavor without added sugar. They're gluten free, organic and fair trade with 90 calories and 2 grams of protein in a single-serve pouch that retails for $4.99. GN Satisfying Snacks for the Nutrition Conscious Consumer Sweet & Salty Snack Mix from Virginia Diner In 1929 America was headed into the Great Depression, but along a dusty high- way in southeastern Virginia a small rail- road dining car opened its doors and started selling meals to hungry travelers. Established in the heart of Virginia Peanut country, it was only natural that peanuts would end up on the Virginia Diner menu. Today, Virginia Diner nuts and confections are available at fine retailers nationwide. After 87 years, Virginia Diner has learned how to roast and blend specialty nuts, and this Sweet & Salty Snack Mix is no exception. This mix is a combination of the finest buttery tropical cashews, crisp southern pecans, and crunchy California almonds, sprinkled with roasted and shelled pistachios, all roasted and salted to perfec- tion, and then blended with equal portion of the finest honey roasted Virginia peanuts. The end result is sweet and salty perfection. Virginia Diner 888.482.6887 wholesale@vadiner.com Discover Brio Ice Cream Brio is the delicious way to add quality protein plus Omegas 3, 6 and 9 to your diet. And, special bonus: Brio has 35 per- cent fewer calories, is non-GMO and cer- tified gluten-free. Brio is available in six different flavors: Madagascar Vanilla, Vanilla Caramel, Dark Chocolate, Café Latte, Very Strawberry and Tropical Mango. These delectable, yet healthful ice creams are flavored nat- urally with Madagascar vanilla, organic sea-salt caramel, dark cocoa, real coffee, ripe strawberries and Alphonso mango. There are no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners in Brio, nor are there sugar alcohols, monk fruit, stevia or high fructose corn syrup. Choose from 14-ounce pints or 3.6-ounce single serves with built-in spoons. Brio 844.800.4441 www.briolovesyouback.com

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