![The best of Unboxed: Our favorite foods and beverages from 2015 The best of Unboxed: Our favorite foods and beverages from 2015](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt7d61a2097bc6ddd8/64f1d670edca0162ec7e2f87/yir_20promo.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
These chips are awesomely good! Classic tortilla chips infused with nutrient-dense ancient grains like teff, amaranth and chia, fried in rice bran oil and dusted with lime juice and sea salt. The folks over at Cabo Chips are experts at combining ingredients for an authentic, zesty flavor. The brand employs rice bran oil instead of canola or vegetable oil for added nutrition. Plus, I’m impressed with how seamlessly nutty ancient grains and chia seeds meld into the tortilla chip. cabochips.com
We’re ridiculously excited about Juniper Ridge’s new wild-harvested teas. Known for their forest-infused fragrances and home care products like sage sticks, incense and colognes, this intrepid brand recently launched its inaugural teas in White Sage and Wild Mint—a bright, sinus-clearing blend, and Douglas Fir Spring Tips—which smells floral and sweet. Each sip of these inspiring blends will place you in either the Pacific Northwest or the Mojave Desert, where the ingredients were hand-harvested. juniperridge.com
A recent packaging redesign and a slew of new SKUs makes Kalot (formerly Kolat) one of the most promising up-and-coming nut butters. Developed by a nutritionist hoping to make necessary nutrients easier to consume, each two-tablespoon serving contains 50 percent of the daily value of non-GMO vitamins per serving (a boon for kids or adults who have a hard time swallowing pills). I'm obsessed with the Fruit & Cashew Butter—made with cashews, coconut oil, dates, blueberries, vanilla extract, chia seeds and sea salt. Eat it by the spoonful. thinkkolat.com
Rich, ricotta cheese gets a dairy-free makeover with Kite Hill’s zero-cholesterol substitution. Made just with almond milk, salt, enzymes and cultures, this subtly sweet, slightly salty “cheese” can be used in recipes like homemade ravioli or even as a mascarpone swap (I would love to try an almond-milk cannoli!). Or eat it like I did, with cucumber slices, crackers and a touch of salt. kite-hill.com
This fledgling brand based out of Boulder, Colorado wants people to eat more sustainable fish but recognizes that it can be intimidating to buy, let alone cook. Each box contains two hefty fillets, perfectly sized baking parchment and heart-shaped flash-frozen cooking sauces that infuse flavor into the seafood. This flavor contains rockfish and a tasty, olive-tomato tapenade. lovethewild.com
Wow! Nello’s recently launched the first U.S.-grown biodynamic marinara sauce that’s Demeter USA certified. The brand sources its heirloom tomatoes, Italian purple garlic and Genovese basil from one farm in North Carolina. Unlike most jarred pasta sauces, Nello’s requires preparing the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes to thicken into a flavorful, carefully crafted tomato sauce. We love how the packaging educates consumers on biodynamic farming practices, too. nellositaly.com
My perspective on natural, gluten-free graham crackers is sullied by too many experiences of dry, crumbly crackers that break no matter how wimpy my s’more fillings are. But these thick, robust crackers made with rice flour, organic butter, brown sugar, organic honey and grain- and aluminum-free baking powder can withstand a jumbo, oozing marshmallow and a double-dose of melty chocolate. Also available in Mini Chocolate Grahams and Cinnamon. pamelasproducts.com
This popular USDA Organic granola brand made waves with its gluten-free, coconut sugar-sweetened granola. But consumers said on Instagram that they were tempted to eat the entire bag—which is obviously a lot of calories. Purely Elizabeth responded with a minimally sweetened granola-cereal hybrid that sets you back just 130 calories and 4 grams low-glycemic sugar. Picture chunky granola combined with puffed millet and puffed amaranth. A beautiful way to revitalize the sleepy cereal category. purelyelizabeth.com
New from Sweet Earth comes frozen vegetarian and vegan breakfast sandwiches. Made with its signature seitan-based meat substitutes, each sandwich is under 400 calories and delivers up to 26 grams of protein per serving. We’re smitten with the version made with cage-free eggs, sharp cheddar, heavily spiced seitan bacon ("Benevolent Bacon") and bread made with wheat flour, semolina, oats bran flax seeds and more. The sandwiches cook in under two minutes. sweetearthfoods.com
Each tasty coffee or matcha-flavored disc of il Morso provides 7 mg to 18 mg caffeine for a small boost and a melt-in-your-mouth treat. We love how these tasty morsels contain just a few natural ingredients. The Americano, for example, is made from organic coffee beans, organic cocoa butter and organic unrefined cane sugar. All for just 20 calories. ilmorso.com
For one of the cleanest meat substitutes we’ve seen in a while, Upton’s Naturals branches out of seitan with jackfruit, a massive fruit native to Southeast Asia that has a texture remarkably similar to meat. Plus, the fruit is high in protein, potassium and vitamin B. Upton Naturals marinates underutilized jackfruit in a traditional BBQ sauce (tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, onion, spices) to make it more accessible. Just heat, stuff in tacos and eat. uptonsnaturals.com
For one of the cleanest meat substitutes we’ve seen in a while, Upton’s Naturals branches out of seitan with jackfruit, a massive fruit native to Southeast Asia that has a texture remarkably similar to meat. Plus, the fruit is high in protein, potassium and vitamin B. Upton Naturals marinates underutilized jackfruit in a traditional BBQ sauce (tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, onion, spices) to make it more accessible. Just heat, stuff in tacos and eat. uptonsnaturals.com
We saw a lot of natural foods and beverages in 2015. From Fair Trade Certified chocolate to probiotic-infused pizza, the sheer range of products now in the natural products industry is astounding. Each and every brand that values sustainable and conscious sourcing, cleaner ingredients and making eating healthier easier is a winner in my book.
But every now and then, we stumble upon a product that makes us pause, savor the taste, scrutinize the company’s mission and most importantly, reinvigorate our excitement for natural foods (if it's even possible for our excitement to grow even more).
Here, in no particular order, are some of our favorite products we sampled in 2015 that rose to the top for unparalleled tastiness and social and environmental innovation.
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