Oat milk with a banana twist; Cream cheese from sunflower seeds; Cauliflower powers up frozen entrées

Cauliflower powers up frozen entrées

The latest offerings from Cali’flour Foods answer the call from consumers looking for low-carb alternatives to their favorite casseroles and comfort foods. Made with fresh, whole cauliflower and other simple ingredients, the company’s newest frozen entrées are keto friendly and low glycemic, making them suitable for individuals who are managing their macronutrients, weight, or blood sugar.

The four offerings—Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Vegetable Lasagna, Chicken Enchilada Bake, and Vegetable Enchilada Bake—feature the company’s signature cauliflower crusts as the base. In addition to being low carb, the meals are free of gluten and grains and contain 15–27 grams of protein, 10–12 net carbs, and 360 calories or less per meal.

The meals expand on Cali’flour Foods’ pizza offerings, which were the impetus behind founder Amy Lacey’s mission of providing healthy, clean alternatives to comfort foods without sacrificing taste. The entrées are available in select stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $6.49.

Cream cheese from sunflower seeds

Spero Foods’ founder Phäedra Randolph used her background in engineering, science, and art to develop the world’s first dairy alternatives made from sunflower seeds. Delicious, sustainable, and made with six real food ingredients, Spero’s Sunflower Cream Cheese is a gut-friendly alternative to dairy-based cream cheese.

Available in seven flavors, the sunflower cream cheese is made using patented technology that can scale plant-based dairy to be produced less expensively than traditional dairy. Offered in Original, Herb, Smoked, Goat, Cinnamon, Spicy Redpepper, and Strawberry versions, the nutrient-packed cream cheeses are available at select retailers and online at sperofoods.com for a suggested retail price of $5.99 per container.

Oat milk with a banana twist

Banana Wave is innovating in the plant-based milk category with the introduction of a new, fruit-based oat milk that delivers wellness along with great taste. The only vegan-friendly alternative milk of its kind, Banana Wave provides the health benefits of whole bananas, fiber-rich oat milk, and essential vitamins such as A, B-12, C, D, and E in a fat-free, gluten-free formula.

Four flavors are available—Original, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Mango—all of which are Non-GMO Project Verified and made with whole fruits. The beverages are naturally sweet and feature a creamy consistency, making them suitable for drinking on their own or being used in smoothies, coffee, oatmeal, banana bread, and other food recipes.

“While looking for a milk alternative for myself and my family, there wasn’t an option available on the market that delivered the health benefits of dairy-free milk, with a taste that was comparable to the milk products we all grew up on,” said CEO Steven Gelerman in a press release. “I wanted to bring a product to market that didn’t require consumers to sacrifice great flavor for their wellness.”

Banana Wave can be found at major retailers nationwide and is available in 32-ounce containers in all four flavors for $3.99 each, and portable, 8-ounce containers in Original and Chocolate for $1.49 each.

Crunchies from heirloom corn

Pipcorn, a minority-owned, better-for-you heirloom corn snacking brand, recently debuted its take on a childhood favorite with the introduction of Heirloom Crunchies. The baked snack is reminiscent of classic cheesy treats but has 20% less fat than leading category favorites.

Launching in retailers with a commitment to sustainable agriculture, the line is available in Truffle Parmesan, Jalapeno Cheddar, and Cheddar flavors. All are Non-GMO Project Verified and made with organic cheese and sustainable heirloom corn grown by family farmers. According to Pipcorn, using heirloom corn helps preserve agricultural biodiversity. With each harvest, the seeds are saved to plant the next time around.

Heirloom Crunchies can be found at pipsnacks.com as well as at Whole Foods Market and Thrive Market for a suggested retail price of $3.99 for a 7-ounce bag.

Reduced-sugar organic jam

Crofter’s Organics, a family-owned business dedicated to creating affordable organic fruit spreads, has introduced three new flavors to the company’s Premium line. Believing that the fruit should do all the talking, each spread features 33% less sugar than average jams, allowing for the full flavor, aroma, and health benefits of the organic fruits to take center stage.

Each new flavor—Blueberry Blast, Pomegranate Power, and Peach Organic—is made with specific and heritage fruit varieties chosen for their superior flavor. Sweetened with fair-trade sugar from the Green Cane Project, the spreads are non-GM, allergen-free, and contain no added color or high fructose corn syrup. As part of Crofter’s Organics’ commitment to sustainability, the company recycles 99% of raw materials’ packaging and uses its own wastewater treatment plant to reduce water consumption by over 85%.

All Crofter’s Organics fruit spreads can be found online at croftersorganic.com as well as at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $5.99.

Soups made with plant-based meat

Conagra Brands’ Gardein line is moving its collection of plant-based meat alternatives from the freezer case to the soup aisle. The brand’s first line of soups featuring plant-based meat alternatives, Gardein Soups, offers a convenient option for consumers looking for a 100% vegan alternative to traditional meat-based soups.

Each soup delivers 10–15 grams of protein per serving from real vegetables and vegan broth bases. In addition to being dairy- and egg-free, all five offerings are Non-GMO Project Verified and Vegan Action Certified. They contain no artificial preservatives or flavors.

Available at grocery stores and mass retailers nationwide, Plant-Based Chick’n Noodl’, Plant-Based Be’f & Vegetable, Plant-Based Saus’ge Gumbo, Plant-Based Chick’n & Rice, and Plant-Based Minestrone & Saus’ge come in 15-ounce cans with a suggested retail price of $2.99 each.