The 8 Best Plant-Based Products to Buy for Your Health this Week, By the Editors
You stand in the store or scan online and the selection can be overwhelming: What to try and buy this week among the vast and growing array of plant-based food and drinks that are directed at boosting our health, strengthening immunity, lose weight fast, and make it easier than ever to eat a plant-based diet? Here the editors of The Beet share our favorite snacks, drinks, and ingredients to try next. Lucy Danziger, Stephanie McClain, Hailey Welch, and Caitlin Mucerino are experts by this time, having taste-tested and tried out hundreds of plant-based products in the past year (since launching The Beet last January) and have recommendations to share. Our picks:
For Immunity, Taste, and Weight Loss, try Rosehip Juice, Keto Bites, Lucy Says:
1. Nadi Wild Rosehip Organic Juice With Your Daily Dose of Vitamin C
Rosehips are this mystical magical berry that contains a knockout punch of antioxidants and more vitamin C per ounce than any other beverage. Since immunity is the goal and I'm eager to avoid getting sick I started to make this tea a go-to sip in the afternoon. It's full of antioxidants, and only has 9 calories per bottle. The sweetness hits the spot and it reminds me, tastewise, of my former favorite tea, Snapple Diet Iced Tea, but since I am avoiding all products with Aspartame (which converts to formaldehyde in the body) this is a healthier choice. The sweetness comes from just the right amount of Stevia, a natural plant source.
A 10-ounce bottle is packed with 81 mg of Organic Vitamin C. For adults, the recommended daily amount for vitamin C is 65 to 90 milligrams (mg) a day so this one drink gets you there.
Nadi's teas are USDA Certified organic, so if you want all the immunity and none of the chemicals, calories, or extra ingredients, choose this. Also, if you want to know your consumer dollars are doing good in the world, NADI is a certified Women-Owned business and a Social Venture with a mission to create jobs for refugees displaced by war and help them rebuild their communities. Buy it on Amazon.
2. Keto Snack: BHU Foods Keto Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
I love cookie dough. There, I said it. I am something of an addict. But when I went plant-based that was that. No mas! Now I've found a few substitutes that are vegan, so if you want to indulge, choose wisely because while some of these are dairy-free they are still loaded with sugar. Enter: BHU Foods' Keto protein bars and bites. These are vegan, Keto, gluten-free, non-GMO, and contain no cane sugars or sugar alcohols or artificial ingredients.
The cookie dough tastes like it's right out of my batter bowl, but with a little extra buttery smoothness (due to the Keto oils) and the chips still satisfy the way they did when I would lick the bowl as a girl (and then continued to when making cookies with my daughter). Some things never get old. For easy, fast, and healthier weight loss, doing plant-based keto is a better idea than the bacon-laden meat and animal fat version of the diet. But if you're like me and still need a sweet treat every now and then, keep these BHU bites around. You can eat half of one and it's plenty of sweet treat taste to hit the "I'm satisfied!" button. Check out the full line of BHU Foods here.
Stephanie's Favorite Plant-Based Products of the Week:
1. For a taste of tropical in the winter, nothing beats passion fruit direct-to-the-door
I've scoured my local grocery stores and bodegas here in Brooklyn, but they all seem to be missing one of my favorite foods: Passion fruit. With no luck in the supermarkets, I took to the web, more specifically Etsy, an independent selling platform that I'm notoriously addicted to purchasing from. That's where I found GallupPassionFruits, a California-based grower that will expedite you two pounds of passion fruits for around $30. I'm sure it varies depending on the size of the fruits, but for my order, two pounds meant 17 perfectly grown passion fruits, fragrant and ready to eat.
When you cut open the round purple fruit, a divine orange jelly sits inside surrounding the seeds, and its tangy sweetness is so deliciously tropical, it can almost make you forget you're living in below-freezing temperature. I've been using mine in almost every meal I make: On yogurt parfaits for breakfast, for a sweet bite in salads, topping a coconut-based cheesecake I made for my friend when she came over for dinner, and even to mix into cocktails. Because of the incredible quality of these fruits, I can't wait to order again to quell my cravings for tropical fruit, and I love supporting a small business rather than buying from a big company. GallupPassionFruits tends to sell out fast, so keep an eye on their storefront as they restock every few days.
2. For an alcohol-free beverage, Dry Botanical Bubbly makes the best mocktails
January may be coming to an end, but it doesn't have to be a designated dry month to swap out your glass of wine or cocktail for an alcohol-free drink. I love Dry Soda Co.'s Botanical Bubbly, which cuts the booze but none of the taste with its inventive, gourmet flavors like lavender, cucumber, fuji apple, ginger, blood orange, and more.
The sparkling beverage is sweet without being saccharine and can be enjoyed by itself or mixed with juice or other sodas for a mocktail. The drink comes in cans, glass bottles, or big bottles of bubbly. You can order these beverages in variety packs on the brand's website here. May I suggest crafting a passion fruit mocktail with the cucumber bubbly for a refreshing, tropical boost?
Hailey’s Favorite Plant-Based Products of the Week:
1. The Hydrator with Prickly Pear+ by Hear Me Raw
There's a cold front happening no matter what coast you're on, and dry skin is a top concern right now. When I experience any dryness, I rely on moisturizing lotions to bring my skin back to life, but up until now, I found my newest obsession. The Hydrator mask by Hear Me Raw leaves my skin feeling refreshed, soft, and radiant. My face feels like a luxury after one use, and this is not a paid sponsorship. The mask applies silky smooth and I feel my skin absorbing the clean, plant-based ingredients that naturally purify my face. The best part is that it's a three in one product: A day cream, night cream, and an overnight mask, so when I travel, my skincare bag is the lightest thing in my suitcase.
As a plant-based eater, my diet aligns with my lifestyle and the products I use. Hear Me Raw is spot on with its ingredients, ethos, and packaging. First, all products contain vegan, clean, and organic ingredients. The Hydrator, in particular, includes prickly pear, a cactus native to the Americas that provides extreme hydration. Another powerful ingredient that's potent is maqui berry, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation, fine lines, and wrinkles. In addition, The Hydrator also includes Mexican Poppy Stem, Coconut Water, Cucumber, Watermelon Oil.
The packing concept is as sustainable as it gets. The jar is 100% recycled glass and inside is a small pod that is 100% biodegrade plastic. When you're done with the product, pop out the pod and save yourself $10 for every time you purchase a new mask. The jar also works well as a vanity decor and storage supply for hair ties, or any other small items.
My routine is simple with the Hydrator: I wash my face with a plant-based cleanser, smear the Hydrator all over my face. Then, go to bed and leave the mask on, to wake up in the morning with a fresh appearance almost as if there is an invisible halo above my head.
To purchase The Hydator by Hear Me Raw, click here.
2. Goli Nutrition Apple Cider Vinegar Gummy
Apple Cider Vinegar is an immunity booster and works as a dietary supplement because it aids healthy digestion, yet, the taste isn't so easy to swallow, but works well with certain recipes. For someone like me who doesn't cook or prepare meals as often as I should, an easy way to reap all the health benefits of apple cider vinegar is a delicious, chewy, miracle gummy called Goli Nutrition-- that has an incredible taste. The vitamin is also made with pomegranate and beetroot, a sweet and citrus combination. This is a gummy vitamin that tastes like candy, but luckily you can take two gummies three times a day, and two is equivalent to 1 ACV shot, completely quenching of the face-free.
To purchase Goli ACV Gummies, click here.
Caitlin' Favorite Plant-Based Products of the Week:
For more energy and creativity, try Grateful Earth Coffee and Espresso
1. Grateful Earth Coffee
Switch out your everyday cup of joe for Grateful Earth's coffee and espresso. This superfood coffee is made with Arabica and Robusta beans along with a blend of adaptogens and nootropics such as Turmeric, Chaga and Lion's Mane. Each adaptogen and nootropic has an added health benefit: Turmeric to lower inflammation, Chaga for medical nutrients and Lion's Mane for the immune system.
Grateful Earth espresso blend and instant coffee are perfect for anyone trying to up their energy and focus as well as tap into creativity. Don't have a coffee machine? No worries. The preparation for a smooth-tasting espresso shot is simple: Tear open a stick, and add three fluid ounces of hot water for a shot of espresso. For anyone who prefers an Americano, add six fluid ounces instead. Both the espresso and coffee come with 20 individual coffee sticks and are shelf-stable for 12 months. Grateful Earth describes the flavor as similar to drip coffee but honestly, I thought it tasted better!
To buy Grateful Earth's coffee, click here.
To reduce bloating and support regularity, try Bonny Prebiotic Fiber
2. Bonny Prebiotic Fiber
Fiber supplements can often be a tough pill to swallow (literally) but this prebiotic fiber powder makes getting an extra 7 grams into your diet easy. Bonny is a natural and organic prebiotic fiber that helps you feel fuller for longer, reduces bloating, regulates bowel movements and supports gut health. In just one serving, you will get 29% of your daily fiber!
Add the powder to any cool beverage even just a glass of water or mix it into your pancake mix. The powder comes in three flavors vanilla berry bliss, chocolate hazelnut dream and extremely unflavored. I often don't like flavored products but the vanilla berry bliss tasted so fresh and smelled even better! Bonny is exactly what I needed as someone who struggles to meet my daily fiber needs.
Make sure to incorporate it slowly into your daily regimen to allow your body time to adjust. For any sustainable shoppers, note that Bonny isi an eco-friendly, plastic-free company that uses a steel tin rather than a plastic tub and recycled material for the paper labels. Unlike most powder supplements and products, Bonny doesn't come with a plastic scooper to be completely plastic-free.
To buy Bonny prebiotic fiber, click here.