Believe it or not, there was a time when there was no energy bar aisle in the supermarket and you were lucky if your frozen foods section carried flavors beyond chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream. Now, just when you think you’ve found your favorite new snack, someone’s always got to come up with something new. It’s fabulous and dizzying at the same time.
While subscription snack boxes are the perfect way to get a little dose of newness delivered to your doorstep, it’s always fun to know what the year ahead is poised to offer. Judging from the foods on display at Expo West, one of the biggest industry shows in the US, here are some 2015 food and bevs you won’t want to miss.
Brown Rice Gets in Chip Shape: Move over corn, brown rice is trotting into your tortilla chip territory. Beanfields is now blending USDA certified organic whole grain brown rice and Non-GMO Project verified whole grain brown rice to create a healthful chip that’s got flavor you’ll love and crunch like no other. These groundbreaking chips have more protein (5 grams) than a one-ounce serving of eggs and more fiber (6 grams) than a one-ounce serving of the leading raisin bran cereal. Dip or not, here we come!
Cottage Cheese Gets a Face-Lift: At long last, grandma’s favorite food is coming back in style. Leave it to LA, baby! Good Culture recognized the virtues of cottage cheese as a superfood and took a shot at bringing it up to date. In addition to using organic ingredients to produce a creamy, well-balanced classic flavor, their full line offers both sweet and savory tastes with ingredients that range from acai to kalamata olives (but-thank god-not together!).
Gluten-Free Soups Now on The Front Burner (and fridge): No need to break out your old stock pot. Boulder Organic has a new line of gluten-free, organic soups that are fully prepared and ready to roll in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. Healthy and delicious, you can also feel good slurping ‘em up knowing that they donate 2% of their fresh soups to Community Food Share and other Boulder non-profits.
Chocolate Bars Take on Breakfast: It was only a matter of time before Chuao Chocolatier, the same people that brought us the Baconluxious chocolate bar, would come up with a line based on our other favorite breakfast bites. With new Cinnamon Cereal Smooch and Strawberry Waffle Wild, breakfast 24/7 is a chocolate lover’s dream come true.
Macadamia’s are Mooing: The latest in a long line of vegan milk alternatives, Macadamia milk is about to make its mark. Suncoast Gold from Australia is launching the first of it’s kind-available in two flavors, Original and Unsweetened. Rich, smooth and creamy, it’s perfect for smoothies, with cereal or simply on its own. Macadamia milk is naturally lactose, cholesterol, gluten and GMO-free, so bottom’s up health nuts!
Food Trucks are Driving Snack Flavors: Nothing like a taco truck to get that mouth-watering! Late July recognized this Pavlovian effect and put it to good use with a new line of non-GMO, organic chips. They’ve got bold flavors you’d likely find at your favorite taco stop and a crunchy free-baked feel. From Bacon Habanero to Jalapeno Lime, we’re talking snackin’ goodness that’s gluten-free, nut-free and totally satisfying.
Ancient Grains Baked into New Gluten Free Foods: In response to the growing need of gluten-free baked goods, companies like Nature’s Bakery are turning to flours made from Ancient grains like teff, sorghum and amaranth. After finding a blend that has premium texture, terrific taste and outrageous health benefits, the company launched a gluten-free line of fig bars that’s already flying off the shelves.
Milk Moustaches Now For Everyone: A breakthrough in dairy research led to the creation of the all new A2 Milk. Free of the protein A1, that causes digestive problems for a significant portion of the population, here’s one more reason to raise a glass to modern science.
Do you have any food predictions for 2015? Share them in the comments section below.
