Rise in flexitarian eating spurs increase in vegan options.
In February, Modern Table unveiled a line of vegan macaroni and “cheese” made from a blend of lentils, rice and peas. The certified gluten-free, non-G.M.O. pastas contains 15-16 grams of plant-based protein per 3.5-oz serving and comes in three flavors: Southwest, classic cheddar style and white cheddar style.
“Vegan food is not only for strict vegans anymore,” said Rachel Ercole, brand marketing manager at Modern Table. “It’s now spreading to the mainstream, and nothing is more broadly appealing than mac and cheese. Some of our most loyal customers are strictly vegan, but many more think of themselves as flexitarian — looking to eat less meat and dairy. We worked hard to develop vegan sauces we enjoyed eating ourselves. So it’s exciting to finally be able to share these three new vegan mac flavors with everyone.”
In October, Monster Beverage Corp. added a plant-based variety to its line of Java Monster energy beverages. Java Monster Farmer’s Oats is made with oat milk, coffee and Monster’s energy blend, which includes taurine, ginseng and guarana. The beverage contains 200 mg of caffeine and 150 calories per 15-oz can.
“The sheer amount of vegan alternatives available in 2019 allows for both passionate vegans and flexitarian consumers to eat and drink together like never before,” said Geoff Kutnick, chief executive officer of food publication Foodbeast.com, which is sponsoring a launch party for the beverage. “Farmer’s Oats entrance into the marketplace couldn’t come at a better time.”
In September, Califia Farms expanded its portfolio of plant-based beverages with a new line of canned Nitro Draft Lattes with Oatmilk.
The lattes are available in four flavors: black and white, espresso, salted caramel, and mocha. All varieties are non-G.M.O., kosher and vegan.
The shelf-stable beverages are packaged in 7-oz cans featuring nitro widgets that release nitrogen into the coffee and froth the oat milk upon opening.
In October, Nasoya unveiled a spate of new and reformulated Asian-inspired vegan foods.
Nasoya Superfood Skillets are made with the brand’s organic super firm tofu and are gluten-free.
The savory tuscan style skillet combines slow-cooked ragù-flavored tofu with a sofrito of cauliflower rice and vegetables, including onion, green and red bell peppers, carrots and eggplant. The skillet contains 270 calories and 19 grams of plant-based protein per 7-oz package.
The zesty Mexican style variety includes tofu, cauliflower rice, kidney beans, corn, carrots, onion and red bell pepper. Featuring 20 grams of plant-based protein, the skillet contains 280 calories per 7-oz package.
Additionally, Nasoya reformulated its Asian-style wraps portfolio — including egg roll wraps, won ton wraps and round wraps — to be vegan.
Nasyoa egg roll wraps contain 60 calories per wrapper and come in 1-lb packages of 20 wrappers. The won ton wraps contain 50 calories per 3 wrappers and come in 12-oz packages of 51 wrappers. Nasoya round wraps contain 60 calories per 4 wrappers and come in 12-oz packages of 60 wrappers.
Nasoya’s recently launched vegan kimchi is now 100% gluten-free. Made from Napa cabbage or radish that has been salted and fermented with spring onion, garlic and chili pepper, the kimchi comes in four varieties: spicy Napa cabbage, mild Napa cabbage, mild white Napa cabbage and mild cubed radish.
Angelic Bakehouse, a standalone brand of Lancaster Colony Corp., expanded its snack portfolio in September with a new line of 7 Sprouted Whole Grains Crisps in sweet and savory flavor profiles.
The crisps are made with a medley of sprouted and fresh pressed whole grains, including red wheat berries, quinoa, oat groats, rye berries, barley, amaranth and millet. Providing four grams of protein and three grams of fiber per serving, the crisps are egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free, sesame seed free, non-G.M.O., kosher and vegan.
Angelic Bakehouse 7 Sprouted Whole Grains Crisps come in four flavors: beet savory crisps with pickled sweet onion, sweet potato savory crisps with harissa and green chile, savory crisps with fig and tarragon vinaigrette, and blueberry sweet crisps with zesty lemon.
Fresh Cravings stretched beyond the salsa category in October with a new line of plant-based, dairy-free dips in savory and sweet flavor profiles.
Made with almonds or cashews, Fresh Cravings organic plant-based dips are vegan and gluten-free and include ingredients such as coconut aminos, chia and hemp. Savory flavors include spicy garlic almond dip, dill cashew dip, zesty ranch cashew dip, queso-style cashew dip, creamy garlic almond dip and smokehouse almond dip, all of which are available at Walmart stores. Two sweet flavors include organic creamy vanilla cashew dip and organic chocolate mousse cashew dip.
Beyond Better Foods expanded its Bada Bean Bada Boom line of crunchy broad bean snacks in October with two new flavors: zesty ranch and sweet onion and mustard. Made with fava beans, sunflower oil and seasonings, the snacks are vegan, gluten-free and non-G.M.O. Each 1-oz serving provides 6 grams of plant-based protein and 3 grams of fiber.
"Every aspect of Bada Bean — from the bright packaging and catchy name to the bold flavors and satisfying crunch — is designed to put a smile on your face," said Michael Shoretz, founder and chief executive officer of Beyond Better Foods. "I'm especially excited about this launch, because we were able to take non-vegan flavors and create healthier, vegan-friendly versions that pack the same delicious punch."
Revelé vegan frozen yogurt bars, launched in October, are made with organic coconut milk, organic almond milk and probiotics. The bars are sweetened with allulose, a naturally occurring rare sugar that is absorbed by the body but not metabolized, resulting in lower calories.
Containing 100 calories and 9 grams of sugar per bar, Revelé vegan frozen yogurt bars come in five flavors: yellow chocolate covered cinnamon banana, pink chocolate covered matcha tea, dark chocolate covered toasted coconut, milk chocolate covered snickerdoodle and toffee bits, and milk chocolate covered coffee toffee.
Unilever P.L.C. in February added Magnum non-dairy frozen dessert bars. Available in classic and almond varieties, the non-dairy bars are certified vegan by Vegan Action. The bars feature a vanilla-flavored base made with coconut oil and pea protein encased in non-dairy Belgian chocolate.
“We're thrilled to bring our next-level chocolate to the vegan and dairy-free market,” said Leslie Miller, marketing director of ice cream at Unilever. “This is our first launch in plant-based indulgence, and we can't wait to share with Magnum ice cream fans.”
Two new vegan tortillas joined the lineup at Maria and Ricardo’s, a brand of Harbar L.L.C., in May. Both varieties are Non-GMO Project verified.
The quinoa flour gluten-free tortilla is made with a blend of quinoa flour, tapioca and potato starch combined with avocado oil. Free of dairy, wheat, soy and egg, the tortillas contain 100 calories each and are certified vegan, kosher and gluten-free.
The whole wheat plus tortilla is a keto-friendly option that provides three net carbs, six grams of fiber and three grams of protein. Made with avocado oil, each tortilla contains 45 calories and is both vegan and kosher certified.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams launched a line of dairy-free frozen desserts in March. Featuring a base of coconut cream, the dairy-free collection includes four flavors: dark chocolate truffle, cold brew with coconut cream, Texas sheet cake and roasted peanut butter and strawberry jam.
"This is dairy-free ice cream that's not jealous of dairy, made by people who love dairy,” said Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. “Bringing people together is the core of what Jeni's is all about — building and inspiring our community. And we're excited to be able to offer the pleasure of ice cream to our dairy-free, vegan and dairy-loving friends."
Optimum Nutrition, a Glanbia P.L.C. brand, debuted plant-based protein bites in June. Nature Bites snack cakes feature whipped plant-based protein composed of hydrolyzed pea protein, brown rice protein and sacha inchi protein all enrobed in dark chocolate. Each two-piece serving contains 210 calories or fewer and provides 14 grams of plant-based protein, 6 grams of sugar and 26 grams of carbohydrates. The gluten-free, vegan and non-G.M.O. bites come in four flavors: dark chocolate truffle, chocolate coconut, chocolate mint and dark chocolate sea salt.
"Nature Bites are a satisfying snacking source of non-dairy protein for those craving a vegan-friendly chocolate flavored snack option," said Sarah Teeter, director of marketing for Optimum Nutrition. "Meat-eaters, vegetarians, flexitarians and vegans alike will be amazed at the flavor and rich texture our product developers accomplished with this indulgent plant-based protein snack."
Purely Elizabeth brought cauliflower to breakfast in July with its new Cauli Hot Cereal. Made with a freeze-dried diced cauliflower base, the grain-free, single-serve hot cereals mimic the look and mouthfeel of traditional oats, according to the company. Cauli Hot Cereal is paleo and keto friendly, certified gluten-free, Non-GMO Project verified, vegan and made with organic ingredients. Sweetened with coconut sugar, both varieties contain 8 grams of protein, 15 grams of net carbs and 190-200 calories.
Cinnamon Almond Cauli Hot Cereal is made with almond protein powder, coconut flakes, almonds, freeze-dried cauliflower, coconut sugar, freeze-dried banana, chia seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon and coconut milk powder.
Strawberry Hazelnut Cauli Hot Cereal contains almond protein powder, coconut flakes, coconut sugar, freeze-dried cauliflower, hazelnuts, freeze-dried strawberries, chia seeds and flax seeds.
Sky Valley Foods in September launched a line of 12 sauces inspired by global flavors from Latin America, South America and Asia. The sauces are non-G.M.O., certified gluten-free and certified vegan. Five of the sauces are Whole30 Approved, and two are U.S.D.A. certified organic.
The organic sambal oelek paste is a Whole30 Approved blend of red jalapeños, garlic and spices.
The organic red sofrito sauce is a Whole30 Approved combination of tomatoes, peppers and spices.
The aji rocoto hot sauce is a Whole30 Approved blend of aji rocoto peppers from Peru.
The hot sauce with arbol peppers is a Whole30 Approved combination of cayenne and arbol peppers.
The salsa verde sauce is a Whole30 Approved medley of tomatillos, chilies, jalapeños, peppers and cilantro.
The aji amarillo sauce is made from full-bodied aji amarillo peppers from Peru and offers a subtle heat, Sky Valley said.
The organic fajita sauce is a mild combination of tomatoes, peppers and spices.
The red enchilada sauce is a classic red sauce with tomatoes, peppers and spices.
The green enchilada sauce is a blend of tomatillos, peppers, garlic and cilantro.
The mole sauce features mild peppers, roasted tahini and spices.
The organic hoisin sauce is a sweet and savory sauce made with miso and a blend of peppers and spices.
The taco sauce is made with tomatoes, cayenne peppers and zesty spices.
“We are thrilled to make authentic flavors from around the world accessible to the everyday home cook with our new line of premium international sauces,” said Rachel Kruse, founder and director of sales in the natural channel for Sky Valley Foods. “We partnered with Whole Foods Market to develop unique sauces that deliver adventurous and bold global flavors, from an Aji Rocoto sauce made from Peruvian peppers to the first organic, vegan and Whole30 Approved sambal oelek paste.”
Apr
2024
May
New product innovation swept the show floor.
More product innovation introduced at the show, including new plant-based offerings.