The 2018 Food Essentials Awards
There may be no happier and more contented people at Taste for Life headquarters than there are when the entries for our annual Food Essentials Awards contest start arriving. After much nibbling, sampling, sipping, and feasting, we are pleased to announce this year’s winning entries.
Our wide-ranging product selection has something for everyone—finicky eaters, heat-seeking palates, and even pets!
Chocolate Treats
Alter Eco Organic Dark Chocolate Coconut Clusters achieve just the right ratio of crispy and tender, thanks to the 70 percent dark chocolate enveloping the lightly toasted coconut flakes.
Verified low glycemic, Blissfully Better Crunchy Quinoa Organic Toffee Thins, made with coconut nectar and dark chocolate, offer a deep, rich taste
Enjoy Life Chocolate Protein Bites Sunseed Butter provide a vegan protein lift for midday munchies. Allergy friendly, gluten free, and addicting.
Flavabar Espresso Ground Coffee Dark Chocolate Bar combines some of the best things in life. Java junkies will appreciate the taste (as well as the beneficial cocoa flavanols and antioxidants)!
Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are mind-blowingly good! This USDA organic snack is made with Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa and sustainably sourced palm fruit oil.
Frozen Food
Avoid the gluten and empty calories of pizza dough and inhale more flavor, protein, fiber, and vitamins with Caulipower Veggie Pizza, which has a thin crust made of cauliflower, topped with hearty vegetables.
Deep Foods Tandoor Chef Chicken Tikka Masala Kati Pockets won raves for its authentic North Indian flavor. No need to pay restaurant prices with this in the freezer!
Granola
Whether you pour a bowl for breakfast, eat by the handful, or sprinkle over yogurt, New England Natural Bakers Organic Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Granola Clusters will become your go-to!
Our testers couldn’t get enough of Bakery on Main Bunches of Crunches Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Superfood GRAINola. Gluten-free, whole-grain clusters are made from oats, amaranth, millet, chia seeds, and cacao.
Whirlybird Granola will win you over with its fantastic flavor, perfectly crunchy texture, and wholesome ingredients, including extra-virgin olive oil—never canola. Made with gluten-free rolled oats.
Puffs
The flavor of Snikiddy Organic Grilled Cheese Baked Puffs will win over young snackers—and the USDA Organic and gluten free certifications will win over their parents.
Here’s a twist: Vegan Rob’s Probiotic Cauliflower Puffs satisfy a craving for crunch while delivering probiotics. Made with gluten-free, whole-grain sorghum flour.
Snack Bars
Honey Stinger Organic Cracker N’ Nut Butter Snack Bar packs a delightful assortment of tastes and textures, including almond butter and honey, between multigrain crackers with a sprinkle of sea salt, all topped off with dark chocolate.
Luna Whole Nutrition Sea Salt Caramel fits beautifully into a busy day. Made with organic cashews and oats, this gluten-free snack provides 8 grams of protein and is crazy delicious.
Tea
BOS Organic Rooibos Yuzu Iced Tea uses the yuzu citrus fruit from Japan to infuse the light earthy flavor of green rooibos tea with a hint of refreshing tartness.
If you liked Red Hots as a kid, you’ll love Harney & Sons Fine Teas’ Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea, a bold black tea brewed with cloves, orange peel, and cinnamon bark. Bottled for summer enjoyment.
Mushroom Wisdom Mai Green Tea blends premium tencha, a delicately flavored Japanese green tea, with maitake mushrooms, for smooth sipping!
Special Pet Section
Our furry friends love eating too! Here are some surefire hits, beloved by our staff members' dogs.
Lord Jameson Dog Patisserie Gourmet Organic Dog Treats use fine, organic ingredients, including fruit, veggies, and gluten-free grains, to pamper pups!
Portland Pet Food Company uses sustainable food sourced and made in the United States. Its Bacon Brew Biscuits ingeniously repurpose spent grains from breweries (no worries, these products contain no alcohol) for treats dogs love!