Tag Archives: vegan snack

Get The Skinny On Pressels

Everything Pressels (front), and Sesame Pressels (back).

Everything Pressels (front), and Sesame Pressels (back).

 

Think of them as ultra skinny pretzels. That’s what Pressels are like.

As thin and crisp as crackers but with the toasty, malty taste of pretzels, the new snack apparently has 75 percent less fat and 35 percent less sodium than other pretzels on the market. They’re baked, and contain no preservatives, too.

I had a chance to try samples of its four flavors, all of which are vegan: Sea Salt, Everything, Sesame, and Sriracha.

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To Your Health

Revive Sparkling Kombucha's Cherry Hibiscus flavor.

Revive Sparkling Kombucha’s Cherry Hibiscus flavor.

A run-down on new healthful-ish food and drink worth checking out (of which I received samples).

Revive Kombucha

It’s not easy to find a shelf-stable kombucha, one that doesn’t need to be refrigerated at all times.

But Revive Sparkling Kombucha has done just that. The Petaluma company’s traditionally fermented and organic craft brew now comes in 12-ounce cans. While it still tastes best chilled, it doesn’t have to be stored unopened in the fridge.

It’s made with a similar process as Revive’s raw and refrigerated bottled kombucha. The difference is the sparkling version undergoes a proprietary pasteurization process while incorporating a naturally fermented and live probiotic, DE111.

There are only 5 grams of sugar and 20 calories per can. Revive touts that each can also contains 5 billion live probiotics at the time it’s manufactured.

The sparkling version comes in four flavors: Mango Orange, traditionally fermented with a black tea brew; Cherry Hibiscus, fermented with hibiscus flower brew and caffeine-free; Strawberry Lemon, fermented with a blend of hibiscus and yerba mate; and Citrus Ginger, fermented with a ginger brew and caffeine-free.

If you’re used to the assertive vinegary pucker and funky fermented character of most kombucha, this will strike you more as kombucha-light in taste. And that may be a good thing for people who don’t necessarily like the taste of kombucha, but force it down for its ability to aid digestion.

The sparklers are nicely fizzy and would be a very good substitute for sugary sodas. To me, they taste like a juice spritzer — refreshing, not overly sweet, and with a hint of tang on the finish. I think the Mango Orange might be my fave because of its tropical notes and definite mango taste.

Find the $2.99 cans at Good Eggs and Oliver’s Market.

OHi Superfood Bars

OHi Superfood Bar takes its name from its birthplace of Hawaii. Indeed, in Hawaiian, OHi means “to gather,” while in Maori it means “to rise or to elevate.”

Ohi Superfood Bar in Peanut Butter Mesquite flavor.

Ohi Superfood Bar in Peanut Butter Mesquite flavor.

Made in California now, these energy bars are non-GMO project verified, predominantly Paleo, low glycemic, and free of grains, soy, refined sugars, and dairy. They are also certified vegan and gluten-free.

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Sprogs — A Fun-To-Eat, On-The-Go Snack

Front to Back: Bacon & Egg, Kale & Kimchee, and Coconut Red Lentil Sprogs.

Front to Back: Bacon & Egg, Kale & Kimchee, and Coconut Red Lentil Sprogs.

 

Are you a fan of onigiri — the Japanese rice balls wrapped around centers of pickled plum, cooked seafood, veggies, and pretty much anything else the imagination can come up with?

Then, you’ll love Sprogs, the small “rice scooters,” that take them to the next level.

The San Francisco company was created by Ching-Yee Hu, a busy mom who was looking for the perfect snack for her kids, as well as herself. When she couldn’t find exactly what she was craving, she decided to make it, herself.

It’s such a brilliant concept that you wonder why someone didn’t come up with it sooner. Hu was already making pressed fresh brown-rice squares for her kids when she decided to expand on the idea with more inventive flavorings.

She uses Northern California haiga brown rice that is partially milled to remove the tough outer bran to make it easier to digest yet retains the nutritious germ inside. Then, she created both “Veggie” (vegan) and “Meatie” varieties.

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