Amy’s Veggie Crust Pizza and Other Vegan Must-Buys Are Hitting Shelves

In another universe, I would be winging my way to Expo West, the major Natural Products Trade Show that was slated to take place in Anaheim, California, this week. For decades, it's been bringing together tens of thousands of people who represent natural food companies, retailers like Whole Foods, bloggers and influencers, health experts and investors. Everyone was excited to see what's next in the natural food industry and present to the world the kind of foods consumers crave now: Healthy, natural products that are either organic, gluten-free, GMO-free, all-natural, vegan or all of the above.

Okay, so that didn't happen. Blame crowd thinking, but once a few exhibitors and retailers canceled due to fears about the coronavirus, the whole show fell apart like a house of business cards. It's postponed, the organizers announced, because of the worry about being in an enclosed space with that many people from all over. Here's the good news: Companies are still announcing their new launches, which were timed to be presented at the event. But just because there's no show, the food must go on... the shelves. Get ready to stock up.

I got excited to read about these new products that are coming our way, from veggie-crust Amy's Pizza, to Captain Crunch pancakes, so while I'm still at my desk and not exploring the aisles and tasting the latest in vegan yogurts, cheeses, milk, burgers, snacks, and faux fish, I can share the most exciting and delicious-sounding healthy vegan products that I will be scouring stores for soonest, and want you to know about, too. Here is the report from Food Business News.

The gluten-free veggie crust pies come in cheese and spinach varieties which are gluten-free, tree nut-free, and kosher. The cheese pizza contains 310 calories, 19 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving. The spinach pizza, made with organic spinach and tomatoes, contains 240 calories, 8 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving.

We'll take two.

“We are mindful of the consumer demand for not only adding more vegetables to their diet but for clean, organic ingredients,” said Fred Scarpulla, vice president of culinary for Amy’s Kitchen. “Amy’s is unique in our ability to deliver high quality, delicious organic meals. We’ve spent countless hours in our kitchens perfecting a veggie-centric crust that meets our consumers’ high expectations.”

“Our consumers write to us about how they’re always looking for delicious ways to get more veggies in their diet, and our Veggie Crust Pizzas help make it easier to enjoy their favorite foods without the guilt (or gluten),” said Rachel Berliner, founder of Amy’s. “We thought, what if eating more veggies was as easy as eating more pizza?—and got to work.”

Sweet Earth Foods, a Nestle SA business unit, is introducing new products in its plant-based meat alternative line. They will debut deli slices of "turkey," and  "ham" that will sit in stores next to conventional slices and feature 15 to 17 grams of protein. The new Italian-style "sausage" flavors, made from pea protein, will be flavored with green chile Chedd’r (all vegan cheese), and Chik’n apple.

They are also rolling out jerky flavors s in sweet Korean barbecue, zesty pizza and spicy kung pao. The jerkies will feature seitan as a primary ingredient. The company is also introducing new bowls that use Sweet Earth's Awesome Grounds (meatless meat) that contain 14 to 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

“Sweet Earth is focused on continuously innovating vegetarian foods that are delicious above everything else—from sausages you can grill, to deli slices you can create a sensationally drool-worthy sandwich with—our end goal is for people to savor the experience of eating plant-based," said Ryan Riddle, senior product development specialist.

Since acquiring Sweet Earth Foods in 2017, Nestle has introduced a variety of plant-based foods, including pizza, Chik’n strips, burritos and earlier iterations of the bowls. Stay tuned for more business news from The Beet.