13 fast, convenient meals at Natural Products Expo West 2017
Smart solutions for stress-free mealtimes.
Makers of beef, chicken and pork alternatives branched into the frozen meal category with these meatless bowls. This Chickpea Curry flavor features whole-food ingredients like garbanzo beans, tomatoes, rice, kale and curry spice that lend 11 vegan grams of protein per serving.
This popular vegan brand is dedicated to making it easier for consumers to transition to a vegan diet, thanks to beautifully crafted products such as Rocket Cakes. This liquid pancake batter is packaged in a squeezable bottle—you don't even need to add water. Just heat a griddle and you'll be tossing fluffy flapjacks in minutes.
Chef-quality frozen meals that actually look like the picture on the front of the package after they're cooked. Luvo's line of Planted bowls are vegan grain-and-veggie combos that deliver on taste. Each bowl features at least two servings of veggies, organic rice from Lotus Foods and up to 11 grams of protein.
Under-utilized purple maize is now accessible for breakfast. Native State Foods' Purely Pinole is now in a take-along cup—just add hot water, let sit, and you'll have a nourishing antioxidant-rich porridge to power your day.
Is FODMAP the next gluten-free? Coming out of Australia, this brand is dedicated to making it easier for those who follow a FODMAP diet, a notoriously difficult diet to initially follow.
Inside this unassuming container is a tasty pho that can be assembled in a jiffy. Rice noodles, avocado oil, spices and dehydrated vegetables spring to life when stirred with hot water. Perfect for lunch or a light dinner when time is of the essence.
What a neat way to transform a nourishing egg-based dish into something suitable for vegans. This frozen breakfast looks like a classic frittata, but it's made with mineral-rich pumpkin seeds and sweet or savory add-ins, such as sweet potato and in this case, banana. Sounds weird, but it really works.
Vegans and those who eschew dairy already loved Field Roast's Chao non-dairy cheese slices, made primarily with fermented tofu and coconut oil. Their biggest selling point? It melts! With this new vegan mac and cheese, spicy Chao works beautifully with pasta and Field Roast's tasty meat alternatives.
We are so obsessed with Peak Sherpa's Tsampa cereal bowls. Tsampa (roasted barley) is a staple food in Himalayan communities. But we haven't really seen it in the United States. With this amazing cereal, now packaged in portable cups, Peak Sherpa normalizes tsampa with approachable flavors like Cherry Almond Cranberry. Did we mention the company also donates a portion of sales to Sherpa villages in Nepal?
Yai's Thai is passionate about bringing traditional Thai flavors and ingredients to U.S. audiences. This brand already carried salsas and hot sauces that boosted bland dishes. Now, it's branching into meals with these perfectly balanced curry simmer sauces to craft exciting dishes in a portion of the time. Just add veggies or meat.
How to get consumers to eat more transparently sourced healthy fish? Make it delicious and ready to eat in 90 seconds. Not only does Rebel Fish's packaging allow consumers to see exactly what they are buying, but this product also contains a little spice packet for perfect fish every time.
Gluten-free pasta has grown nearly indistinguishable from traditional wheat-based pasta over the last five years. But some brands still formulate products with starchy ingredients derived from tapioca, potato, corn and rice to up the texture. We love Manini's because it employs ancient grains like amaranth, quinoa, millet, teff and sorghum to craft fresh gluten-free pastas that are highly nutritious.
Raley's allows retailers to hop on the meal kit delivery trend by packaging fresh ingredients, sauces and spices into a simple, take-along box. Grocers can place each kit in their grab-and-go refrigerated section, and compete with the dozens of companies like Blue Apron that are accessing their customers.
Raley's allows retailers to hop on the meal kit delivery trend by packaging fresh ingredients, sauces and spices into a simple, take-along box. Grocers can place each kit in their grab-and-go refrigerated section, and compete with the dozens of companies like Blue Apron that are accessing their customers.
From meal kits to quick-cook bowls, numerous brands at Natural Products Expo West formulated SKUs that streamline mealtime. While products ranged from shelf-stable breakfast cups to savory, spicy, culturally diverse frozen items, the common theme to these products was to reduce prep time to get a healthy dinner (or lunch or breakfast) on the table faster. What excites us most? Most of these products prioritize plant-based ingredients. And when meat or fish is used, companies are making sure it's humanely raised and responsibly sourced. Click on the slideshow to see a few of our favorite easy-meal products.
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