VEGANIK: 10 VEGAN PRODUCTS TO TRY IN 2010 (PART 2)

(Part II: #6-#10)

By contributor Nik Tyler

Continuing on my epic quest to discover new (to me) products that I think you’ll dig as well; enjoy #6-10 vegan products to try in 2010!! (see 1 -5 HERE)

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6. AMY’SAmys
I think Amy’s Natural & Organic meals are groovy!! Everything they produce is vegetarian, and many are vegan. They’re all organic, easy to heat and serve, and darn tasty to boot! Amy’s vast array of vegan options range from breakfast steel-cut oats to tofu scramble to Asian noodle stir-fry to vegetable enchiladas to veggie burgers, pizza, chili, baked ziti and even chocolate cake (and that’s just to name a few)!! My personal fave is Amy’s vegan “Family Marinara” Sauce – which is a fantastic addition to noodles, quinoa, beans, sauteed veggies and just about anything else you can think of!

You can find Amy’s products at Whole Foods and several other health food stores. For more info, check out their website: http://amys.com/

7. MAUK FAMILY FARMS
Raw Breakfast CrustsI’ve been a fan of Mauk Family Farms products for a while now. This company makes some really delectable Flax Seed crackers (my favorite flavor is “Garlic Onion”) as well as two other great products called “Wheat Free Crusts” (brown and golden flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, celery seed, garlic, onion, red bell pepper, parsley, sea salt & water) & “Breakfast Crusts” (pumpkin seeds, black/white sesame seed,golden flax seed, garlic, onion, dulse flakes & sea salt). They have no grain or gluten and are rich in Copper, Magnesium & essential fatty acids. These crusts are totally addictive and perfect on their own… or try one of my favorite combo’s and  spread on some creamy coconut oil and you’ll be in total ecstasy!!

You can buy Mauk Family Farms products at Whole Foods, perhaps your local Co Op or in their online store: https://maukfamilyfarms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc

8. ENJOY LIFE FOODShappy apple<sup>®</sup> cookies : click to enlarge
Searching for a food company that makes delicious snacks and is “sensitive” to the issue of food allergies? Enjoy Life Foods is that company; their mission is to create and sell cookies, trail mix, snack bars & baking products that are uber tasty, as well as free and clear of gluten, dairy, egg, casein, peanuts, tree-nuts, and soy… And that’s exactly what they’ve done! My favorite products that they make are the “Happy Apple” & “No-Oats “Oatmeal”" cookies; They’re moist, chewy, not-too-sweet, and just undeniably delicious!

So now you know a company that makes treats that can be enjoyed by literally everyone, even those who need to be extra cautious due to food allergies. Be sure and check out their full product list and learn more about this cool company: http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/

9. 2 MOMS IN THE RAW


Founded by Shari, a very cool, health-conscious mom of three, 2 Moms In The Raw is a fantastic company that produces a yummy array of organic, raw Granola (“Blueberry”, “Cranberry”, “Gojiberry” & “Raisin”) and Sea Crackers (“Garden Herb”, “Pesto” & “Tomato Basil”).

The “Garden Herb” Sea Crackers are definitely my favorite; consisting of Flaxseed, Kombu (Sea Vegetable), Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Sea Salt and Spices - they’re light, crunchy, crisp and they taste like a fresh herb garden compressed into chip form! The “Tomato Basil” Sea Crackers are rad as well, made up of Flaxseeds, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Garlic, Kombu, Herbs & Sea Salt – they have a wonderful garlicky, sun-dried tomato bite! Both of these crackers are the perfect light-bite for kids and adults; enjoy them on their own or dip it!

In addition to their delicious crackers, 2 Moms also sell raw Granola which rocks! Not your typical granola, a little more chunky, you can break it into little pieces and eat it like a breakfast bar. The two flavors I’ve tried, Blueberry & (Gluten-free) Gojiberry are free of refined sugars (substitute Agave) and instead are jam-packed with a ton of healthy ingredients (buckwheat, coconut, a plethora of seeds/nuts and more!!), all of which have been soaked & sprouted to perfection; chewy, crunchy, semi-sweet and utterly delicious, countless textures and flavors awaken your taste-buds and take em’ on one helluva’ wild joy-ride!

You can purchase 2 Moms In The Raw products at Shari’s wonderful site: http://2momsintheraw.com/ or look for them at your local health food store.

9. SUNPOWER NATURAL


In addition to a full-blown gourmet vegan menu at their restaurant (located in Studio City, CA), Sun Power Natural has an awesome product line of raw cookies that I recently discovered at my local co op. The two flavors I’ve tried are “Cinnamon” (coconut, raisins, cinnamon & agave) & “Fruit Burst” (oranges, coconut, raisins, agave). These cookies are “chewy, gooey & delicious” and I definitely think Sun Power Natural has got it going on! In addition to tasting like heaven, these organic treats are raw, gluten-free & low glycemic.

Look for SunPower food at your local co op and Whole Foods, or just click on this link (http://www.sunpowernatural.com/) and get some raw decadence in your life stat!

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I hope you enjoyed my 10 vegan product picks! In addition to these yummy snacks, try and balance your diet and combat any acidic/sugar intake by consuming tons of alkalizing greens and lots of pH balanced water. Here’s to your health!

Fluevog Fancy Feet, Our Hen House, and TV Stars go Veg

• My new spring shoes are these killer, plaid, vegan oxfords from John Fluevog! How cool are these? They’re perfect with khaki shorts, jeans, or black trousers. From a punk rock club to wall street, you can mismatch them with other patters, or let these kicks stand alone as the centerpiece of your outfit. The best thing of all is that help you tread more light since they’re free of leather, one of the nastiest sources of pollution and global warming.  $179

CBC (Evergreen Plaid)

• I was recently interviewed on the podcast “Our Hen House, Episode 9where I discussed The Cave Man Diet, Mainstream Manliness, and other interesting tidbits with fabulous hosts and activists Jasmin and Mariann. If you aren’t subscribed to this podcast that discusses all kinds of ideas on how individuals can make change for animals, you should SUBCRIBE.

Our Hen House

• American Idol’s Ruben Studdard, went vegan and has lost over 100 lbs already! One of his favorite restaurants is Soul Veg in Atlanta. Ruben explained his weight-loss on ‘The Wendy Williams Show’, saying, ”I went to vegetarianism about a year-and-a-half ago, and then about 6 months ago I started being completely vegan.” Read the full article on Ecorazzi and his interview with Peta.

http://patrickhiller.com/images/blog/bob-harper-3.jpg• According to VegetarianStar.com, Biggest Loser host and trainer, Bob Harper is almost 100% vegan, and has challenged his twitter followers to go vegan, too!

When his cholesterol dropped 100 points after going veg, he couldn’t help but send out tweets like this: “Your Challenge today is to go the next 24 hours, starting now eliminating ALL animal products. Good for your heart AND the environment!!”

“I’m a HUGE fan of Gardein!!”

“I love this day..getting together with a couple of close friends and I’m preparing a VEGAN FEAST..hope they like it!!”

Follow Bob on Twitter, too.

CLASS ACT PLASTIC: Melissa Plastic Dreams for MEN!

You heard it here first! I got my eyes and hands onto a handful of samples from the forthcoming men’s collection, M:ZERO, from Melissa Plastic Dreams: the sustainable, zero-waste, fair-trade, recycled plastic shoe company known for their cutting edge design and collaborations with fashion superstars like Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, and others.

Kaight Shop in New York City’s Lower East Side held a launch party for the pop-up installation of Melissa’s “Shop Within a Shop” inside of Kaight. They were so cool, I couldn’t help but jam my giant, size 11.5 foot into one of the samples that were all size 8,  just for the sake of a photo. Considering that these are touted as some of the most comfortable shoes out there, it really wasn’t that bad at 3.5 sizes too small. One that fits must feel like walking on pillows.

The new men’s collection features an oxford, a loafer, and a driving shoe. By far, my preference is the oxford, especially the gray, fuzzy one and the white matte one. Look out for these fantastic plastics arriving for retail Autumn/Winter 2010!

Swim Trunks for Guys Who Care About The Ocean

Not only does Livity make their entire line from recycled materials and organics, but everything is produced in equitable trade. These trunks are made from recycled plastic and hemp. They are quick-drying, and feature some cool patters and prints.

Loomstate’s Baja Board Short in organic cotton are less bold, and feature a leaf-inspired print.

Baja Board Short Baja Board Short

Patagonia also has a handsome khaki, or khaki check board short in organic cotton.

Patagonia Men's Cotton Board ShortsPatagonia Men's Cotton Board Shorts

If you care about the oceans, there are some great resources out there for ethical surfers, like EcoBusinessLinks page on surf companiesCountry Feeling Surfboards uses soy-based and sugar-based foams; deck inlays made from hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and resin that is catalyzed by the sun.  The best surf accessories, like hemp boardbags can be found at Wave Tribe. If you have an old board to recycle, send it to ReSurf! I also highly recommend joining the efforts of Sea Shepherd.

http://www.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/hawaii/2008/10/07/countryfeelingboards_001250x187.jpg

We know that The Cove has won an Oscar for Best Documentary of 2009, and if you haven’t seen End Of The Line, you must!

Velour’s Shirts & Ties

Velour’s online store, featuring a bunch of organic cotton in classic men’s styles, is up and running! The coordinating shirt-and-tie combinations are incredibly fetching, and mismatching them is even more fun. No one will even suspect that you’re a hippie in these sharp cuts:

Dominic SS10Dominic SS10

IsacGaryTradeJoe

BenRalph SS10

LennonTimAlbinBrian

AndrewTodd SS10Craig SS10 Ernest SS10