2014 Foodie Awards: Market to Table
Make mealtime a breeze with 100 VT-approved grocery picks
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Too busy to plan every meal to perfection? No worries! For this year’s Foodie Awards, VT editors sampled and selected the yummiest, most convenient veg items for all sorts of eating occasions—from breakfast to lunch to dinner and beyond (c’mon, you totally deserve a treat). We nominated products in 25 categories and asked you, our trusty readers, to vote for your favorites. Read on for the results, and don’t forget to whip out this comprehensive shopping list the next time you hit the market.
SNACK DRAWER
almond butter
readers’ pick
Justin’s Maple
Almond Butter
Just a hint of maple sugar perks up this ultra-creamy nut butter, which comes
in both jars and little packets for easy snacking on the
fly. We dig it with crunchy apple slices.
runners-up
Artisana Raw Organic Almond Butter
MaraNatha Creamy Coconut Almond Butter
Once Again American Classic Creamy No Stir Almond Butter
primo popcorn
readers’ pick
Earth Balance
Vegan Aged White
Cheddar Flavor Popcorn
Craving cheesy popcorn? This vegan version, with
its satisfying Cheddar-like topping, beats the real
deal any day. Bonus:
3 grams of hunger-quelling fiber per serving.
runners-up
479° Toasted Sesame + Seaweed Artisan Popcorn
Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt Popcorn
Quinn Kale & Sea Salt Popcorn
emergency bars
readers’ pick
Clif Kit’s Organic
Coconut + Sesame
Seeds Fruit + Seed Bar
A riff on the typical nut bar, this coconutty treat swaps in crunchy sesame seeds and gets natural sweetness from dates. Keep one (or three) at your desk.
runners-up
18 Rabbits Cherry,
Dark Chocolate &
Almond Granola Bar
Pure Organic Ancient Grains Triple Berry
Nut Bar
Two Moms in the Raw Gojiberry Nut Bar
seaweed snacks
readers’ pick
Annie Chun’s
Sesame Roasted
Seaweed Snacks
Step aside, potato chips—these paper-thin seaweed snacks provide the same salty, crispy satisfaction
at a fraction of the calories.
runners-up
gimMe Organic Teriyaki Roasted Seaweed Snacks
SeaSnax Stix Original Crispy Seaweed Strips
Sea Tangle Snacks Vegan Korean Nori
crunchy beans
readers’ pick
The Good Bean
Cracked Pepper
Crispy Crunchy Chickpeas!
High in protein and fiber, these lightly seasoned chickpeas make the perfect energy-packed snack (you can toss them into soups, salads, and trail mixes too).
runners-up
cruncha ma-me Lightly Seasoned Edamame
Veggie Snack
Saffron Road Bombay
Spice Crunchy Chickpeas
Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Premium
Black Edamame
BREAKFAST
quick oats
readers’ pick
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Scottish Oatmeal
Great for busy mornings, these finely ground oats cook into a supremely creamy porridge in just 10 minutes. Look for Bob’s Red Mill’s new gluten-free version too.
runners-up
Arrowhead Mills Organic Steel Cut Oats
Flahavan’s Quick to Cook Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal
Nature’s Path Organic Original Hot Oatmeal
plain yogurt
readers’ pick
Green Valley
Organics Lactose
Free Low Fat
Plain Yogurt
This velvety favorite has
all the calcium and good-for-you probiotics of
regular yogurt—without
any of the lactose. Add
fresh or frozen berries
to sweeten.
runners-up
Nancy’s Organic Plain Cultured Soy
Redwood Hill Farm Plain Goat Milk Yogurt
Wallaby Organic Plain Lowfat Creamy Australian Style Yogurt
sizzling
stars
readers’ pick
MorningStar Farms Sausage Patties made with Organic Soy
Each of these chewy,
spicy patties packs an impressive 9 grams of protein. Try them alongside scrambled eggs or tofu.
runners-up
Field Roast Apple Maple
Breakfast Sausage
Lightlife Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips Fakin’ Bacon
Upton’s Naturals Bacon Seitan
English
muffins
readers’ pick
Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins
Not just for breakfast,
these sprouted whole-grain goodies do double duty
as a sweet midnight snack. We love toasting them and topping with coconut oil.
runners-up
Glutino Gluten Free
English Muffins
Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat English Muffins
Rudi’s Organic Bakery Multigrain English Muffins with Flax
unsweetened milks
readers’ pick
Califia Farms
Unsweetened Pure Almondmilk
Delicately nutty and silky smooth, this nut milk could totally pass for homemade. Stir into coffee, pour over breakfast cereal, or sip it straight.
runners-up
Edensoy Organic Unsweetened Soymilk
Organic Valley Grassmilk Organic Milk
So Delicious Unsweetened Cashew Milk Beverage
LUNCH
bean soups
readers’ pick
Pacific Organic
Spicy Black Bean
& Kale Soup
Meet your new favorite emergency meal: a chunky, filling soup that needs
only a hunk of good crusty bread to sop up the tomatoey broth.
runners-up
Fig Food Co. Tuscan
White Bean Soup
Imagine Organic Savory Black Bean Soup
Right Foods Dr. McDougall’s Organic Tortilla Style Soup
burritos & wraps
readers’ pick
Amy’s Southwestern Burrito
Not your average bean-and-cheese burrito, this midday staple gets extra oomph from jalapeño chiles and fire-roasted poblanos.
runners-up
Sukhi’s Veggie Samosa Street Wrap
Sweet Earth Natural Foods The Kyoto Burrito
Tandoor Chef Masala Dosa
crisp bread crackers
readers’ pick
Wasa Light Rye Crispbread
This thin, delicate crispbread strikes just
the right balance between nutritious and delicious. Grab a few to top with hummus, cheese, or mashed avocado.
runners-up
Ak-Mak Sesame Crackers
GG Unique Fiber Sunflower Seed Scandinavian Thins
Ryvita Wholegrain Rye Crispbread, Pumpkin
Seeds & Oats
bottled teas
readers’ pick
Teas’Tea
Unsweetened
Jasmine Green Tea
For a refreshing midday energy boost, grab this earthy, aromatic green tea, which has no added sugars and just a third of the caffeine of coffee.
runners-up
Harmless Harvest Raw Honey & Lemon 100%
Raw Tea
Harney & Sons Organic Green with Coconut Transporting Green Tea
Runa Clean Energy Traditional Guayusa Tea
hearty dips
readers’ pick
Eat Well Embrace
Life Edamame
Hummus with
Roasted Red
Peppers
Switch up your hummus routine! Protein-rich edamame stars in this
tasty twist on the popular dip. Pair with veggies, slather on pita, or use as
a sandwich spread.
runners-up
Better Bean Wholly Chipotle Bean Dip
Hope Foods Hope Dips Organic Original
Lentil Dip
Tribe Forty Spices
Hummus
DINNER
quick-cooking grains
readers’ pick
Bob’s Red Mill
Whole Wheat Pearl Couscous
Plump, chewy, hearty pearl couscous makes an excellent substitute for other grains in salads and veggie bowls. Tip: for stronger flavor, cook in
broth instead of water.
runners-up
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf
Lundberg Organic Quick Wild Rice
TruRoots Accents Organic Sprouted Quinoa Trio
light coconut milk
readers’ pick
So Delicious
Lite Culinary
Coconut Milk
Recipe-ready coconut milk, which adds instant creamy goodness to soups and stews, gets a BPA-free makeover with a new carton.
runners-up
A Taste of Thai Lite Coconut Milk
Native Forest Light
Organic Coconut Milk
Thai Kitchen Organic
Lite Coconut Milk
“meaty” mix-ins
readers’ pick
gardein Mandarin
Crispy Chick’n
For a foolproof
stir-fry the whole
family will love,
simply combine these sweet-and-salty bites
with broccoli, cashews,
and brown rice. Voila!
runners-up
Beyond Meat Beefy Beef-Free Crumble
Turtle Island Foods Coconut Curry Marinated Tempeh
Wildwood Organic SprouTofu Teriyaki
Baked Tofu
soy (and soy-free) sauces
readers’ pick
Ohsawa Organic
Nama Shoyu
Unpasteurized
Soy Sauce
Nama shoyu (aka
the Champagne of
soy sauce) isn’t cheap,
but one splash of this
richly flavored stuff will make you a convert.
runners-up
Bragg Liquid Aminos
Ojio Organic Soy Sauce Alternative
San-J Tamari Lite Gluten Free Soy Sauce
frozen veggie finds
readers’
pick
Trader Joe’s Artichoke Hearts
Stash these babies in your freezer, and you’ll have tender, brightly flavored, ready-to-go artichoke hearts without the bother of cutting up the prickly veggie.
runners-up
Earthbound Farm
Organic Kale
Seapoint Farms Organic Edamame Shelled Soybeans
Wild Veggie Red Bell Pepper Veggie Purée
TREAT YO’ SELF
organic chocolate
readers’ pick
Endangered Species
Organic Dark
Chocolate & Natural
Cherry Flavor
Dark cherry flavor adds fruity flair to this smooth-as-can-be chocolate bar. Even sweeter: Endangered Species donates 10 percent of net profits to conser-vation, preservation, and humanitarian organizations.
runners-up
Alter Eco Dark Quinoa Organic Chocolate
Lake Champlain
Chocolates Organic
Sea Salt & Almonds
Taza Chocolate Cacao Puro Chocolate Mexicano
artisan cheese
readers’ pick
Cypress Grove
Midnight Moon
Aged Goat Milk
Cheese
Paired with fig jam and arugula on a baguette,
this subtly sweet and
nutty Gouda-style
cheese is nothing short
of addictive.
runners-up
Cowgirl Creamery Mt Tam
Kite Hill White Alder Soft Ripened Nut Product
Vermont Creamery Bonne Bouche
fizzy drinks
readers’ pick
KeVita Tangerine
Sparkling Probiotic
Drink
KeVita’s signature ginger-ale-like kick gets a hit of citrusy tang in this new flavor.
runners-up
Ayala’s Ginger Lemon Peel Sparkling Herbal Water
Q Sparkling
Grapefruit Soda
Reed’s Organic Raw
Culture Club Cabernet Grape Kombucha
desserts on a stick
readers’ pick
Julie’s Organic
Ice Cream Fudge Bars
If you liked Fudgsicles as
a kid, you’ll love this outrageously creamy upgrade, made with organic chocolate ice cream and no artificial ingredients.
runners-up
Ciao Bella Blueberry Passion Sorbet Bars
Luna & Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss Café
Latte Bars
Ruby Rocket’s Galaxy Green Frozen Fruit & Vegetable Pops
splurge-worthy cookies
readers’ pick
Amy’s Gluten Free Classic
Shortbread Cookie
Serve these rich, buttery cookies at a party, and nobody will guess they’re gluten-free. Almond flour lends a welcome nutty flavor to the classic treat.
runners-up
Effie’s Homemade Pecan Nutcakes
Tate’s Bake Shop Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Cookies
Uncle Eddie’s Vegan
Peanut Butter Chocolate-Chip Cookies