![Unboxed: 10 new clean-label natural products Unboxed: 10 new clean-label natural products](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt4ed644e33d239a3d/64f1cf18bdac001be74ed981/primal-kitchen.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
The nosh: Verdant green, antioxidant-packed USDA Organic gyokuro shines in this grassy, earthy tea. Beautifully packaged as part of Aiya's new Tea Taster's line. What's cool: Aiya sources tea from Southwest Japan, where volcanic soil lends a unique terroir to these two green teas. We love how green tea also contains L-theanine, which relaxes you without putting you to sleep. Packaged in pyramid-shaped bags for a perfect brew. aiya-america.com
The nosh: Ideal for vegans who eschew honey, this single-ingredient sugar alternative contains just organic concentrated apple juice—that’s it! Packaged in a handy squeeze bottle for easy use. What’s cool: While it's still a sugary product, Dolcedi delivers 25 percent fewer calories than white sugar, and a drastically lower glycemic index: Compare Dolcedi’s GI of 22.5 to sugar’s 100. Drizzle into tea, atop baked goods, over ice cream and more. rigonidiasiago-usa.com
The nosh: My experience with horchata is limited to the fresh stuff: rice soaked with spices and milk, spiked with vanilla extract and sometimes, with rum. So does this packaged version from Elmhurst Naturals stand up? Well, it’s hard to replicate the homemade stuff, but it’s not bad. I wish this horchata was made with a milk alternative—maybe rice or almond milk?—to make a more compelling reason to purchase it. What’s cool: While there are a whopping 30 grams of sugar in one 10-ounce bottle, I appreciate the relatively short ingredient list: Water, low-fat milk, sugar, rice starch, cocoa, natural flavors and carrageenan. steubensfoods.com
The nosh: We're really excited about these frozen breakfast or lunch options from evol, makers of frozen burritos. The scrambled cups contain eggs or egg whites from certified humane hens, and cheese from cows raised in the USA; the veggie cups deliver a quick, easy and delicious side. Our favorite: Truffle Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower, flavored with porcini mushrooms, ample truffle shavings and more. What’s cool: Props to Evol for expanding their product line out of the crowded burrito-sphere for a filling, tasty meal. evolfoods.com
The nosh: The classic Argentinian sauce made simply with oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Slather onto beef or chicken, serve with empanadas, stir into sauces and more. What’s cool: Lazo Foods is a fledgling brand launched by Rincon Argentino, a Boulder-based restaurant that cooks up crazy-good empanadas. Also keep an eye out for Lazo’s signature frozen empanadas for retail. Pop in the oven, bake and enjoy. lazofoods.com
The nosh: With brightly colored packaging and kid-focused product names, this just-launched line of cereals from Love Grown Foods is designed to appeal to kids, but still deliver nutrient-dense ingredients. For example, the Blueberry Vanilla Polar Puffs are a wheat- and corn-free blend of navy beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, brown rice, dried cane syrup, blueberries and natural flavoring. Purple carrot extract lends color to these crispy orbs. What’s cool: We love how this conscious company is dedicated to inspiring kids to eat better via fun graphics and tasty products. All products deliver a reasonable 6 to 8 grams of sugar and 90 to 100 calories per serving. lovegrownfoods.com
The nosh: Don’t you love the packaging on this beautiful new tea? You’ll love the unique tea delivery system, too—USDA Organic tea “crystals” that instantly dissolve into hot water. Available in Sencha Green Tea, Jasmine, Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Mint Sencha Green Tea flavors. What’s cool: It’s rare to see true innovation in the tea category, but Pique partnered with tea master Roy Fong to produce perfectly balanced tea that can be made on the fly—sans brew bags. Bonus points for Pique's strong relationships with organic tea growers. piquetea.com
The nosh: New from Primal Kitchen, founded by Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint (Primal Kitchen, 2009), is this paleo-friendly bar that contains 15 grams of protein derived from almonds and pumpkin seeds. Also filled with toothsome cassava root, coconut flakes, honey, coconut oil, bitter chocolate, cocoa nibs, Himalayan pink salt and monk fruit extract, allowing the sugar content to be only 3 grams per bar. There’s one more special ingredient in this chocolate bar—grass-fed hydrolyzed collagen for even more nutrition. What’s cool: Given Sisson’s celebrity status among paleo enthusiasts, I expect Primal Kitchen’s growing line of soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free products will attain popularity among the CrossFit set. primalkitchen.com
The nosh: The low-calorie version of Sambazon’s new Amazon Energy is a stevia- and erythritol-sweetened beverage filled with pep-you-up ingredients like Fair Trade Certified acai juice, yerba mate, green tea and guarana extract, pomegranate juice and more. While Sambazon’s full-calorie “Jungle Love” version contains 29 grams of sugar, this beverage delivers a reasonable 7 grams sugar. What’s cool: We’re continually impressed with Sambazon’s commitment to source acai responsibly, and the brand’s acknowledgement that success isn’t just based on financial performance, but social performance too. sambazon.com
The nosh: New from gluten-free brand Van’s are chocolate-filled snack bars made with GF oats, cane sugar, non-GMO canola oil, cashew butter, sweet rice flour, molasses, rice bran, cocoa and more. A 160-calorie treat ideal for lunch or snack. What’s cool: Each bar delivers 10 grams of whole grains—pretty good for a Certified Gluten Free nosh. vansfoods.com
The nosh: New from gluten-free brand Van’s are chocolate-filled snack bars made with GF oats, cane sugar, non-GMO canola oil, cashew butter, sweet rice flour, molasses, rice bran, cocoa and more. A 160-calorie treat ideal for lunch or snack. What’s cool: Each bar delivers 10 grams of whole grains—pretty good for a Certified Gluten Free nosh. vansfoods.com
This week on Unboxed, we reviewed a group of foods and beverages that boasted minimal ingredients.
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