Nak’d Healthy Vegan Snack Bars - GIVEAWAY

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nakd bars

nakd bars

Healthy Vegan Energy Bars.

Life can be topsy turvy at times. I was in Ojai, Southern California recently and saw a display of Nak’d Bars in the local organic grocery store. I was excited to spot them there. I had first came across the raw, natural vegan bars at their launch in 2012 in the UK. I had been invited along for a fun evening and I met with Jamie Combs, the co-founder of Nak’d. See the video and blog post Video interview & post from the 2012 UK launch. So, why topsy turvy you wonder? Well, Jamie is American, living in the UK. I am British and my travels have just taken me to Ojai, just north of Los Angeles. And this is where Nak’d have their US head quarters. Weird? Well, ok maybe not. What can I say? I am a coincidence junky. I see that stuff out.

Anyway, Nak’d are now pushing out their reach in America. I just wanted to let you know that. They sent me a box to sample and I’ve slowly been munching my way through them. After a run, after dinner, after another bar… If you want a healthy vegan, raw, gluten free bar to pop in your bag…these are your babies. My favs are the Mocha, the Banana Crunch, Rhubarb & Custard and the elusive (some wonder if it is just a myth) Bakewell Tart. This one is bliss for me. Nak’d have captured the flavour beautifully of the English tart my mother used to make us as children for Sunday tea. A layer of crumbly shortcake pastry, a layer of tart and sweet jam, then a sponge made with almond flour. It is heaven. Vegan versions abound. I found this one..looks great. Sub out the plain flour for a gluten free flour and Bob’s your Uncle! If you find a Nak’d Bakewell Tart Bar..snatch it up, go someplace quiet and savour-every-little-bite.

New to Nak’d sampler box 13 bars for $9.99 + FREE SHIPPING. A special offer for Nak’d newbies.

nakdbars

Enter as often as you like to increase your chances of getting your hands on that box! USA entrants only. 1 winner will be picked at random on 3rd April.

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Raw Food Cookbook Review & Giveaway

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easyaffordableraw

easyaffordableraw

Lisa Viger has been vegan and mostly raw for 10 years now. Her fresh, youthful face belies her age. She’s still rocking it at 50!

A number of health issues, lack of energy and general malaise Lisa on the path to ditching the canned and packaged foods and incorporating a mainly raw diet into her life. She says she is stronger and more flexible than she ever remembers being even in her 20s!

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A few years ago, Lisa began writing a blog. She set out to set the record straight about the view of healthy food being way too expensive. A belief that is held for raw food in particular. When I got hold of a copy of the book and looked at her recipes even I could not help but be sceptical. Well, nuts are expensive, right?! And raw foodists use a lot of nuts. But each of the tasty looking dishes, smoothies and desserts cost less that $2.50 to make. Bringing the total well under her $10 a day total. This is not to mention the money that could be saved on healthcare costs in the future. Eating healthily and choosing organic really can pay dividends. The blog was hugely successful. A cookbook followed.

The cookbook is super useful, equally for ‘old hands’ and those new to cooking (or should I say uncooking..or better..preparing) foods. The first few chapters are dedicated to visual, storyboard techniques for preparing vegetables in exciting ways, making nut milks, sprouting and dehydrating. Yes, you will need a dehydrator for a few of the recipes, especially the raw breads and crackers but if you do not have one it does not detract from the book.

Containing over 100 recipes. I’ve a list of recipes to try. These are a few that turned my head!

Romaine Broccoli and Caramelized Onion with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Spicy Mango and Cucumber Soup with ‘Noodles’ (made from zucchini)

Beet Salad with Basil Nut Cream

Curried Chia-Kraut Crackers (for the day when I stop travelling and my dehydrator and I become reunited).

Pumpkin Pie (made with carrots!…but to taste like pumpkin)

There is even a Chocolate Chapter! Hoorah!

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Lisa puts this all together with tips on reducing prep time, stocking your pantry and budgeting tips. If you are considering a new years resolution to eat healthier in 2015, it’s all here. You want the book, right?! We’ve got one copy of the book to giveaway. US entrants only. Try your luck.

 

Raw Food Cookbook Review & Giveaway
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Healthy Raw Food Snacks Giveaway

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Moral Fibre Giveaway

Moral Fibre Giveaway

 

A Welcome Giveaway

Hello. I have raw food snack box to giveaway. The competition starts today. More about that below. But firstly, I am so excited today to reveal my new blog site. What do you think of the new look? Though it is sill work in progress, I’ve made it easier for you to navigate around and find the information you need, whether you are looking for recipe inspiration or for our handy travel tips, complete with restaurant reviews. There is now a product review page, too. So you can find out what delectable plant based foods are available to purchase in stores. Health, Interviews, News & Tips, will be available soon.

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Paris - My Top 5 Vegan & Gluten Free Eats In Paris (Part 1)

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I once heard ‘Paris is tough for vegans’.   Pah!  Parisians are embracing not only veganism but health.  Ok, so I’m not saying that every inhabitant of the French capital is denouncing meat and jogging to the Patisserie, but if the legion of Bio and health food stores spread over the city are a marker then I’d say that Parisians are mindful of their diet and the origins of their food.  Artisan vegan cheese makers are rising in number and developing delicious flavours.  The near future is bound to bring Dairy Free Fromageries to our shopping experience. I found, like so many I’ve visited recently, is very vegan and gluten free friendly.

I was grateful to Happy Cow, et al (whom I will document in Paris Part 2)who list all the vegan eateries in the city. I grabbed my Euros (and I needed many.  Paris is SUPER expensive!…Seriously Paris, 4 Euro for a cup of green tea!? Hanging out and people watching is certainly not a cheap pastime). I was impressed with what was on offer.  After ten days of feasting and vacillation, these are definitely best five vegan meals, or at least dishes, I enjoyed on this trip.  I’ll share the others in the next post.  The top five are in no particular order.  All the dishes are gluten free.

No.1

In my hunt to bring you the best vegan ‘junk’ food joint in Paris I discovered Hank Burgers Bio.  I use junk loosely rather than a reality of the food.  A fill up at Hanks manages to deliver HUGE flavours.  The best gluten free burger buns I’ve tasted..soft and actually like a burger bun.  Toppings and sauces that marry perfectly with their meatless bun.  And crispy fries that left me contentedly stuffed.  

Who’s Hank?  Well, I asked that of Pierre (the guy on the right) the proud owner of this newly opened burger house (or should I say maison?!)  ‘I don’t know’ he replied with a warm smile.  Hank is a figment of his imagination and part of the whole branding of his establishment.  The small, clean and bright restaurant is situated in the uber hip neighbourhood (arrondissement) of La Marias.  Pierre is an earnest new chef,  not long wrenched from the world of tech.  He is a vegan newbie too. Only having notched up just over a year of meat AND dairy free living.  He told me a light bulb went off and not long afterwards Hank Burgers was born. LOVE.

Hank Burgers
55, rue des Archives 
                                                                                                                                

No.2
Next up  Le Potager Du Marais.  This berry crumble nearly made me humbly weep with joy.  The perfect balance of tart and sweet with a generous layer of golden crumble.  It needed no creamy embellishments.  I took an inordinate amount of time to thoroughly devour this dish. I scraped the dish clean and then I mourned it’s demise!

Yes, I list the dessert first.  The courgette soup, with the lavish side of soft gluten free bread, was watery green vegetable alchemy… transformed into silky, flavoursome soup. But even this palled in comparison to the dessert.

If they injected as much love into the decor as they do their food it would take the dining experience up that final notch.

Le Potager du Marais

24 rue Rambuteau 
Paris, France 75003

                                                                                                                                                                   

No.3

Pousse Pousse(pronounced puss puss..doesn’t sound quite so good in it’s translation Sprout Sprout).  Ah, the French language mellifluous in nature could make a tax return sound like poetry.  I loved merely just being in the City, surrounded by these sensual, exotic accents.  My efforts to emulate it where poor, but I did try my best.  Though even my novice attempts were appreciated, as more than one Parisian told me (in English).

This restaurant, just south of Montmartre, situated in an area being slowly gentrified (where isn’t these days?!) has both raw and cooked dishes.  My tartelette sans gluten dish had both raw and cooked elements.  A host of wonderful flavours and textures on the plate that made eating quite a mindful experience. 

The raw dessert was fudge-y, chocolate heaven. Cacao nibs offering a wonderful bitter crunch and the added hazelnut butter battled for attention with the raw cacao.  I was transported back to childhood when Nutella was consumed in heaped spoonfuls after a long school day.  A little raw fig cracker commanded attention and served as a good reminder to try to eat with delicacy!  

All dishes are vegan with lots of gluten free options. I suggest booking ahead as Pousse Pousse’s tables are few in number. 
Pousse Pousse
7, rue Notre Dame de Lorett, 
Paris, 75009

                                                                                                                                                                  

No.4

Cafe Ginger a charming little vegan cafe tucked in a side street, a stones throw from La Bastille.  The staff were super friendly and it had a nice relaxed atmosphere.  I actually wasn’t going to try this place but I’d walked to MOB and found that they were not like their Brooklyn counterparts and had no gluten free options. I hope this changes.  Anyway, so I had a quick chat with The Gentle Gourmet who are close by and they recommended Cafe Ginger.  It turned out to be a good call.  


They had just a couple of gluten free options.  I was actually glad the menu was limited because choosing can get exhausting!  I chose the vegetable crumble bake.  The polenta topping was delicately flavoured and complemented the soft stewed vegetables sitting below perfectly.  The plate was dotted with other elements.  Sauces, salads, stews, curry’s and grains.  Like a restrained buffet plate! Great flavours and textures. 

The ONLY thing I would say is to make sure your serve knows you are gluten free and it may be worth mentioning with each course just to make sure they remember.  The cafe is busy and my server had to be reminded that  I was gluten free when running through the choice of desserts with me.  I had their raw carrot cake and it was good.

9 Rue Jacques Coeur (metro Bastille) 

Paris, France 75004

                                                                                                            

No.5


Joint winners take the fifth spot.  Each had their own individual merits. I could not choose.

Caroline, owner of The Gentle Gourmet and her staff were so utterly sweet, I could not help but love them for that.  I only tried dessert here.
I did forget that ‘pastry’ means a sweet treat to the French so when I ordered the vegan white Bavarian chocolate pastry I imagined a towering stack of ‘buttery’ flaky pastry amid clouds of thickly pipped chocolate fondant.  I actually got a cheese cake.  A delightfully smooth and creamy cheesecake with a gorgeously tart coulis that made this dessert sing.

The Gentle Gourmet
24 Boulevard de La Bastille (at Place de La Bastille), 
Paris, 75012

And in joint place for 5th best vegan restaurant is 42 Degres.   A raw food (nothing cooked about 42 degrees to maintain maximum nutrients) restaurant in the 9th arrondissement.  I had to place them in the top 5 as their flavours were good.  The mushroom burger entree was a mushroom based patty in between two marinated portabello mushrooms that served as the ‘bun’.  It was lovely but with a single kale chip and two green leaves it was not for the hungry.  The raw passionfruit torte was stunning but the meanness portion I’ve ever encountered.  I looked around and mine got the medal for the smallest portion given out in the room!  (I couldn’t help but feel irked as being short changed!).  I would award few points to 42 Degres for value for money but  they make up for it with presentation and flavour.  If I lived in Paris I’d have this place on my list of favourites but I’d only visit it on occasion.  

109, rue du Faubourg Poissonniere, 
Paris, 75009

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


Be sure to check out my next post…Paris Part 2.  I’ll list all the other restaurants I visited and give you options for ‘eating in’ which can be found in most supermarkets.   Also, I will share the great blogs that helped to make my Parisian experience a good one.

Healthy Snacks. Parsnip & Brussel Invite Kale To Step Into The Ring - Who Won?!

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Kale is king.  It has reigned for a few years now as the supreme raw food chip.  Of course, other vegetables were going to want a slice of the action. So kale got competition!

I love brussel sprouts.  I love parsnips. I heard they were being ‘chipped’. I had to sample them. 

 Wonderfully Raw chips were developed by a chef named Sequoia, a graduate of the Living Light Institute who began making raw foods after healing herself of Type 11 Diabetes through diet. 


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Generally, they were good. But, honestly, not all of the flavours rocked my world, but some defiantly generated a tremor! All of the line up contain raw coconut among their ingredients.  Coconut is not only delicious but a metabolism boosting super food. Guilt free healthy snacking.  Each pack is only approximately 120 calories and 8g of fat (but it is easily digested, healthy MCLA - medium chain fatty acids). According to Dr Oz coconut improves thyroid function, too. Vegan. Gluten free. Soy Free. Sugar Free.

Brussel Bites - Chili Pumpkin Seed Crunch 
The chipotle heat is so good mingling with the slightly bitter brussel and the toasty flavour of the coconut. Loved!

Brussel Bites - Tamarind Apple Crunch 
I could not detect the tang of the tamarind but the ginger and coconut were a divine mix. Loved!

Snip Chips    - Cheezy Herb Truffle 
I was excited about this flavour combination. However, I didn’t love this one.  Too ‘parsnippy’ for my liking and not enough truffle and cheeze flavours.

Snip Chips    - Chipotle Lime Cilantro 
More chipotle flavour, please!  If you don’t like heat then you may enjoy the subtlety of it. Otherwise, a good flavour.

Snip Chips    - Dill Pickle 
a lovely buttery taste with a gentle dill flavour. Loved!


So..the clear winner..does King Kale need to be nervous?? No. Competition is good.  I think the healthy snack market has room for them all!  I will definitely be buying these again.

Wonderfully Raw sell their Snips and Bites in many natural food markets, Whole Food and grocery store locations in North America.







No Compromise Healthy Eating In New York. Quintessence

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The temperatures may have been dropping in New York, and the thought of a cold salad may not have been on the top of my list, but if my little ears get wind of a raw food restaurant I am on Google and mapping my way to it quicker than you can say ‘activated nuts’!

Sometimes, a raw restaurant (nothing cooked above 118f, to retain the essential nutrients) may be living off the aged reputation of the ubiquitous dishes of raw pizza, raw lasagne and chocolate, avocado mousse.  For the uninitiated these will be eye openers, not to mention shifting your perceptions of uncooked food.  But, I’ll be honest, when I have a short amount of time to run around a city discovering exciting, innovative food, if this is all they offer, I’m skipping it.  An online glance over the Quintessence menu  intrigued me. The whole menu is 100% organic, gluten free and vegan).

I called up a foodie playmate and we headed over to the East Village. I’d already made up my mind from my menu musings earlier so my friend and I decided to order two of the most interesting looking dishes and share them.  I opted for the Indian dish.
  

Indian Platter 

The India Platter was a Mali Kofta, chickpea and vegetable balls covered in a curried almond sauce, served with mango chutney and cucumber raita.  It was creamy pillows of curried heaven. 

Our second choice had to be the
Mexican Platter

Flax and corn enchiladas with ‘refried’ beans, ‘cheese’, dowsed in mole and guajillo chilli sauce.  My dining partner had long been a fan of the Mexican Platter but his allegiance shifted that night to the Indian plate.  Honestly, I’d happily choose either of them.

The food was exceptionally flavoursome and inventive with wonderfully balanced textures.  Filling too.  No room for dessert!!  The service was non-invasive but present.  It was early, 6pm so it was fairly quiet.  It is a small place so it probably fills up quickly.  It had a nice ambience but I didn’t see how it had the ‘spa like experience’ their website spoke of?  In my opinion, it is just a nice, relaxed atmosphere to enjoy good food with good friends.

There are a few cooked items on the menu, sadly it was a one time visit on this trip so I cannot vouch for those. Their menu is extensive with original, amazing sounding appetisers and entrees (they have a dish called fofu?  I’m waiting on a reply from them to enlighten me to what that may be). They serve shakes, raw pies and puddings, too. Their website is a bit odd.  On face value it looks like they only deliver, this is obviously not the case.

quin·tes·sence  (kwn-tsns)

n.
1. The pure, highly concentrated essence of a thing.
2. The purest or most typical instance: the quintessence of evil.
3. In ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth and highest essence after the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, thought to be the substance of the heavenly bodies and latent in all things.

Quintessence
East Village

263 E 10th Street 

(btw. Ave A & 1st Ave)

NYC

(646) 654-1823

New York never fails to be so vibrant and utterly entertaining.  I captured a great moment on the subway  This guy was the icing on the cake to a great night.  He just walked up and started showing some moves. Only in New York?!

Raw Butternut Squash And Kiwi Soup With Chilli Apple Croutons

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I have been wanting to make this soup for a while.  I love butternut squash.  Really love it.  I love the way it is just about the most patient vegetable there is.  It sits, looking pert and lovely upon my shelf until I decide to use it.  It doesn’t sag or deflate in despondency.  Sometimes weeks can go by and it stays as fresh as a daisy.   As September brings that sweet smell of falling leaves and shorter evenings I am far too inclined to cook everything,  it’s all about the comfort and the salads and raw foods come second best.  I try to do my utmost to stop this.  My body craves nutrients, not lost in the steam of long cooked stews.  I’ve wanted to make raw butternut squash soup forEVER but I didn’t have a kickass blender that could whizz it up to a sweet thick cream. Well, now I have one (I’ll tell you about that another time).  

It’s Vegan MoFo Day 14 (my life already!). I’m plunging on.  Most other bloggers take a break at the weekends but I’m travelling again soon and am not sure I’ll get chance to post.

This recipe was the very first thing I made with my new kitchen gadget.

Raw Butternut Squash And Kiwi Soup With Chilli Apple Croutons

1 medium butternut squash
1/2 organic kiwi (leave the skin on..this is good if it is organic
1/4 red onion
1/4 inch piece of fresh ginger
1/2 hot(ish) red chilli pepper, seeds removed
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper

apple croutons
dice 1/2 a dessert apple really small, keep the skin on
dust with salt, cracked black pepper, hot chilli powder (or chipotle powder if you have it).


Use a vegetable peeler to peel the squash.  Chop into chunks and remove the seeds (you can dust these with seasoning and roast for  a healthy snack).  
Use a garlic press to mince the ginger (I know, isn’t this a great tip..I was busy the other day and a lightbulb moment struck and I popped it in and hopped up and down at my discovery. So much easier than grating!) mince it straight into your blender. Throw all the other ingredients in along with it and blend on high speed for about 2 minutes.  In this time, the centrifugal force of the blender will transform into a warm silky soup.

Serve into bowls, placing the chilli, apple croutons in the centre. Shake over a few chilli flakes too.







The kiwi just gives it a slight edge to cut through the sweet squash.  It is also a great boost of vitamin C.  With the colder weather it is a good idea to up your intake.  Stay healthy.

I don’t know, sometimes I just feel so smug that I wised up to vegan food so long ago.  To coin a phrase, ‘it’s the nuts’!

x

No Bake. Bakewell Tart In A Jar

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What day is it??  All this cooking! AND eating.  Jeesh!  It’s Day 12 of Vegan MoFo 2013.  In all honesty, I am loving this challenge.  It is getting me to flex my organisational skills and my love of making lots of lists on scrappy bits of paper, and occasionally in my planner. It is also getting me out of any hummus eating cooking comfort zone I may slip into from time to time.  

So, next up: to dessert we run.

These pots of yum are so healthy you could eat them for breakfast, too. 

White processed sugar free, gluten free, soy free & vegan.

I’ve had dessert-in-a-jar envy for far too long, whilst drooling over other food blogs. It was a little victory for the bucket list making these.  YES, it was on my bucket list.

Don’t be scared off by the 3 steps to this recipe.  It looks like a lot to do but your blender whizzes it all up in minutes. 

No Bake. Bakewell Tart In A Jar
serves 2 



Raspberry Chia Jam
1 cup organic raspberries (frozen is ok but thaw a little first)
powdered xylitol or agave syrup to sweeten.  The amount depends on the tartness of your raspberries.  I used 1 tbs of agave.
squeeze of half a lemon, probably about 1/2 tsp (acts as a preservative)
Pop all the ingredients into a blender and then blend until smooth.
Mix with chia gel.

1 tbs chia seeds mixed with 1/2 - 3/4 cup water to form a gel (about 15 mins).  Chia has been said to contain the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids of any plant known and lots of fibre and protein (in short it is a filling superfood).

I have read other recipes that do not make the gel in water and just add the chia to the fruit puree and leave over night but I tried this and the seeds didn’t hydrate that well and become very gelatinous.  It would be a better way however as the jam flavour would be more concentrated.


Almond ‘Crust’ 
6 tbs almond flour
1/2 tbs gently melted coconut oil
1/4 tsp almond extract
good pinch of salt

in a bowl mix all the ingredients. The mix should stick together when pressed between your fingers.  Put the ‘crust’ into your serving bowls or jars and press down.  Pop in the fridge to set.

Sponge Mix
1/2 cup chopped courgette/zucchini (a bit weird but trust me, Russell James turned me on to this one and it works)
1/2 a chopped dessert apple (I love Braeburn)
7 tbs almond flour
1 tbs psyllium husk (makes it spongey)
2 tbs ground flax seeds
1 tsp quality vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pink salt

Mix all the ingredients until it become dough like, in a blender.


Vanilla Sugar Icing Drizzle
4 tbs powdered xylitol (so much healthier than sugar)
dash of vanilla extract
water to mix to a paste


Crust on the bottom.  Jam is next. Spoon in that crimson loveliness. Gently drop the sponge on top.  Drizzle with the sugar icing.  Top off with toasted almond flakes.




a vegan obsession



lovely AND good for you.  x

Veganz Buffet - What To Eat For Sunday Brunch In Berlin

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Berlin, Berlin, what are you doing to my waistline?  What’s a girl to do when quality AND quantity exist together in delicious harmony? Ok, it is vegan, fresh, mostly raw, packed with super foods and served with love, but a glutton is a glutton. It was an unfair challenge (to myself) to try and eat just one plate and a small dessert, when I visited the brunch buffet at Veganz recently.  The beautifully laid out display of numerous salads, raw bruchetta and crackers topped with beautiful diced vegetables, and whipped dips and souffléd nut creams made my eyes bigger than my belly, as my dear old Dad used to say.  The four hot dishes were, all but one, gluten free; tempeh goulash, coconut curry, wild rice and roasted squash hash.  The squash dish ranked no. 1, in my opinion. Happy belly food.

Dessert comprised of a meley of breakfast type dishes; cornflakes, fruit, yogurt, jewel-red chia jam, and chia/coconut porridge.  The porridge called me back twice. It was thick, unctuous,  creamy and satiating (well it would be after all the food that preceded it!).  I spooned over a toffee coloured, sweet nut spread too. Oh, and there was me nearly forgetting…I also ate my way through a slab of raw cheesecake, subtly flavoured with orange zest.

This was amazing value. Just over €12  Veganz is a totally vegan store, one of many popping up all over Europe.  This is the future of food shopping, eating. The store is bright, clean and modern.  It has everything you could wish to buy with an ethical heart. The buffet is only on Sundays but the Goodies cafes is open every day.

I will be posting more about Veganz in the coming week or so.  I hope you’ll come back and read about that too.

Veganz

Address: Schivelbeiner Straße 34, 10439 Berlin
Phone:030 44036048

Super Snacks - Are These The Best Raw Vegetable Chips Ever? [+ Special Offer!]

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My latest obsession (not the kale contingent.  That’s a given), are Just Pure Foods  vegetable chips, they’re my obsession.  

When I decided to give these fellas a try I thought I’d just stumble over ANOTHER delicious but pretty standard kale chip.  Let me tell you, these guys are taking the kale way beyond, with their own mix of ingredients and flavours.  Not just kale either.  Oh no.  They’ve dehydrated your humble baton of green, the zucchini, and made it rich, salty, chunky strips of unbelievable crunchiness.  What they’ve done to the tomato is nothing short of a triumph too.  This is snacking like ROYALTY!


They are different from all the other dehydrated kale/veggie chips on the market.  They use healthful sprouted buckwheat, some have chickpea miso (soy free), and not the conventional nutritional yeast, to impart a cheesy flavour, and it adds such a depth of flavour.  Their chips are generously covered, and it makes them superior and satiating.  A guilt-free, gluten free snack. They use natural coconut sugar (doesn’t put stress on your blood sugar levels the same way that white sugar does) for the Kale Apple Maple and the Chocolate Kalenola (they taunt you with their greatness!). All of their ingredients ensure the best product and taste.  I think their packaging may be more eco-friendly even.  Using paper and foil for their resealable pouches.   


As you know, I also get a kick out of it if the company founders are good guys.  So to like the company, not just their food. I like to see them walking their talk or just know they are wanting to make social change. 
I contacted Justin, the founder of Just Pure Foods.  He said he’d be happy to answer a few questions.
Which flavours did you launch first? 
I first started with making Cheesy Kale out of my house 3 years ago. I was creating raw meals and snacks for Janet Jackson via her nutritionist and testing out a bunch of dehydrated snack mixes.


How long did it take you to create your extensive range? 
It took about 8 months from formally establishing the business to going to the market to develop our first 5 products (Cheesy Kale (free of nuts and yeast), Cocoa Kale, Zucchini Strips, Onion Rings, and Jalapeno Tomato Chips). The Tomato Chips were inspired from crop surpluses of local Heirloom tomatoes we were getting from Tutti Frutti Farms. They happened to have a ton of jalapenos too the couple weeks I started developing the flavor, so that became the first flavor! We ended up switching to Roma Tomatoes because of availability, which was sad for me as a chef, but allowed us to increase our production outside of the summer tomato season. The creative process is a constant battle for perfection.
What is your favourite flavour? 

My current favorite flavor has to be the Maple Cranberry KaleNola. It’s the newest of all the products, and I just have such a sweet tooth and love having it in a bowl of almond milk and fresh fruit.  
What stores stock them? Can you ship internationally?
We are currently scattered about Canada, and will have a full Canadian roll-out. Same goes for Austrailia, we already have distribution lined up. Beyond that, we get inquiries everyday from abroad, but we gotta be able to share it locally first! We’re sold in Whole Foods throughout Southern California, and then scattered about the country in independent health food stores. Soon our product will be available throughout Oregon, Washington, and the Rocky Mountain Region. 

Check out the website as they are introducing their products in new stores all the time and their international shippers.

I twisted Justin’s arm for you and he wants you to try them too.  He is offering 20% off.  Use the coupon code JPF20PERCENT on the website, justpurefoods.com.

I cannot recommend these snacks enough.  They are great to take hiking, put in your lunch box or have as an ‘on the go’ breakfast.  I am gathering a bunch of flavours for my next flight.  Tomato Pesto for starters, Sesame Dijon Zucchini for entree, and the Kalenola to finish.  Imagine one day if airline companies supplied kefir and kombucha on board to round off my raw chip fest.  Now that would be something!