Good-for-the-gut granola; Veggie swap-ins; New take on instant tea

Veggie swap-ins
B&G Foods brand Green Giant introduced a variety of new products intended to help U.S. consumers easily add more vegetables to their lives, the company announced. These products are updated versions of “yesterday’s side dishes” that are “targeting the needs of today’s health-minded, convenience-seeking consumers,” the company says.

Veggie Tots, an alternative to potato-based tots, are filled with cauliflower, broccoli, or broccoli and cheese, while a line of Mashed Cauliflower contains 40%–45% fewer calories than prepared mashed potatoes and provides a full serving of veget-ables per half-cup serving. Varieties include Original with Olive Oil & Sea Salt, Cheddar & Bacon, and Garlic & Herb. Riced Veggies, meanwhile, are made from 100% vegetables with no sauce or seasoning and contain 70%–85% fewer calories per serving than white rice. Roasted Veggies, which include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, provide the taste of roasted vegetables without the effort.

Good-for-the-gut granola
Purely Elizabeth recently launched a version of its gluten-free, non-GM granola that is boosted with probiotics. The ancient grain granola features GanedenBC30, a strain that has been shown to survive the baking process, and provides about 500 million CFUs per serving.

“I believe that good gut health is the future of overall health. To be able to make a product that can help contribute to good gut health was a really exciting opportunity,” explains Elizabeth Stein, founder of Purely Elizabeth. “Incorporating the probiotics into a product that people eat daily is the perfect solution.”

Available in two flavors—Chocolate Sea Salt with Fair Trade dark chocolate chunks and coarse sea salt and Maple Walnut, which is made with organic maple syrup, walnuts, and a dash of cinnamon—the granola retails for a suggested price of $6.99.

New take on instant tea
Pique Tea has created a proprietary slow-brew process to distill the flavor and antioxidants of whole leaf tea into a convenient, crystal form. The company works with tea farmers in India, China, and Sri Lanka to grow and handpick organic tea leaves, which are then steeped for several hours to extract the antioxidants, flavor, nutrients, and amino acids before the water is removed, leaving water-soluble tea crystals behind.

“Our mission is to make the world’s healthiest beverage an easier and more appealing option and increase the occasions of use for tea,” says Simon Cheng, founder and CEO. “With Pique, you benefit from 100% of the antioxidants in the highest-quality whole leaf tea without the hassle of brewing, steeping, or waiting.”

The organic, instantly dissolving sachets are available in flavors such as Mint Sencha and Earl Grey at Northern California Whole Foods Market locations for a suggested retail price of $6.99.