Expo West 2012: Best Of Day 2 (Video) - Vegan, Organic and Gluten-Free Products

Friday, March 9, 2012 was officially Day 1 of Natural Products Expo West, though a lot happened on Thursday as well. Take a look at what I discovered in my second video from the show, featuring:

• Green Girl Next Door (blogger)
• Coco Polo (stevia sweetened chocolate)
• One Degree Foods (breads with full ingredient disclosure)
• Food for Lovers (vegan queso and mayo)
• Green Foods (green powders and vegan protein powders)
• So Delicious (practically everything dairy-free)
• Nature's Path (organic passion and delicious cereals and snacks)
• Ashley Koff (incredible nutritionist)
• Qrunch burgers (quinoa veggie burgers)
• Vegucated (vegan documentary)
• Healthy Voyager (blogger and author)
• Vegan Cuts (vegan daily deal site)
• Happy Cow (vegan restaurant site)
• Living Eco (eco-vegan shopping and interviews)
• Fair Trade USA
• AlterEco (quinoa chocolate)

Expo West 2012: Best Of Day 1 (Video) - Vegan, Organic and Gluten-Free Products

It has begun! Join me on my first day of Natural Products Expo West in this video, featuring the latest products from:

• - PROBAR
• - Pure Bar
• - Artisana
• - Purely Elizabeth
• - Beanfields
• - The Brooklyn Salsa Company
• - Califia Almond Milk
• - Bambooe
• - Navitas Naturals
• - Earth Balance
• - VEGA
• - Inner-Eco
• - OMG!
• - Poppy's Cleaners
• - NibMor
• - Pacari and Dr. Nita's
• - Cloud-Top
• - Bold Organics
• - Yoga Earth's Keen-Wah
• - Farmhouse Culture
• - EatPastry

The Story Behind Arsenic in Organic Brown Rice Products (Video)

Soooo...did you hear that some organic brown rice products contain arsenic? Yep, at least that's what a study says, and it's pretty frightening if you don't know all the details. Fortunately it seems we don't have much to worry about, and here's why:

How to Have A Green and/or Vegan Valentine's Day

photo and cookies by Kristin Kolnacki

I wasn't planning on writing about V-Day this year because there's already so much coverage on other sites/I haven't had time, but decided to do a quick video summarizing my thoughts and tips. Additionally, I asked the Eco-Vegan Gal community for their advice and got some great responses, so here are some resources for you:

Video Review: Healthy Snacks from Way Better - Sprouted Tortilla Chips

image from GoWayBetter.com

I'm always on the hunt for good snacks, so when I spotted Way Better Snack's attractive packaging at Rainbow Grocery I had to check it out. Upon closer inspection I discovered that they aren't your average tortilla chips - they are made with sprouted grains and seeds for extra nutrition. All ingredients are non-GMO and certified gluten-free, and most of them are organic. Sold. Check out this video for my thoughts:

Healthiest Chocolate Ever: Organic, Raw, Vegan, Sugar-Free, Soy-Free & Gluten-Free!

Yes, the title is true. I have discovered the healthiest and most eco-friendly chocolate ever!!! Oh, and it's DELICIOUS too. Really, the best way for you to understand how excited I am about finding this is to watch the following video, but there's a little text below it if you can't/don't want to. Bottom line - this is one of the most exciting vegan products I've found in a long time.

Eco-Vegan Gal & Guy Shirts for Sale! Limited Quantities - Get One Before They Sell Out!

Are you an Eco-Vegan Gal or Guy? Tell the world with an organic t-shirt made in the USA by three passionate vegans! Order now and you'll be one of the few to receive the very first run of EVG clothing!

Price: $25 (plus $5 shipping to anywhere in the US, or $12 shipping to Canada)

Shipping Destination

USA $25.00 USD Canada (+$7 for shipping) $32.00 USD

Size

Women's S - sold out! Women's M - sold out! Women's L - sold out! Women's XL - 1 v-neck Men's S - 1 left Men's M - 3 left Men's L - 1 left Men's XL - sold out

Top 3 Organic Vegan Wines

Since alcohol is a rare indulgence for me, I always want to have the best of the best when I have it, but with so many excellant options available it's hard to decide. When Organic Authority asked me to write about the top organic, vegan wines it was quite a challenge. Check out which I chose based on the processes used, ingredients and sustainability awareness.

25% Off Organic Clothing From BGreen Apparel!

My giveaway of a gift certificate at bgreen apparel was so popular that I reached out to them and asked if they could extend a discount to those who didn't win but still want to buy some organic basics. From today until October 11th they're offering Eco-Vegan Gal readers 25%! Just enter the following coupon code at checkout:

Healthy Finds At Safeway: A Slideshow of Their Organic, Local, Gluten-Free and Vegan Foods!

In an effort to help people around the country find healthy foods no matter what stores are within reach and what the budget is, I've been exploring the options at national grocery markets. I started out with Kroger's Food Co, but wasn't able to find much at that discount warehouse. So my expectations were low when I ventured into a Safeway in San Francisco (16th & Bryant), but boy was I in for a surprise! This location has at least 100 vegan options, most of which are organic and many are gluten-free! Here are some of the highlights:

Video Interview: Rhythm Superfoods - Raw Kale and Sweet Potato Chips

If you're looking for a guilt-free snack eat kale chips. They are the ultimate in healthy indulgence. Crispy, sweet, slightly salty with organic, raw, minimal ingredients (gluten and soy free). It's a financial splurge worth making since making them at home requires a dehydrator (to do it right) and at least half a day of waiting for them to be done. There are a lot of kale chips on the market, and one of my favorite companies is Rhythm Superfoods. I interviewed the co-founder, Keith, at Expo West 2011 and he told me the story behind the products and his passion. 

Video Review: Grilla Bites Ashland, OR - Organic, Vegan Food Made with Passion

Last year on my West Coast trip with Robert Cheeke during his book tour we stopped in Ashland, OR to grab some food for the road from their local coop. The town was so beautiful that we decided to crash there for the night - it's Shakespearian, organic, vegan-friendly vibe completely won me over. We sought out a place with WiFi so we could book a place to stay and update our websites, which is how we stumbled upon GrillaBites. The green certifications on the windows and vegan items on their menu lured us in, but we had no idea how much of a treat we were in for.

Video: MSG in Doritos, Cooking with a Vegan Zombie, How to Compost, Mind Upgrade and Free Organic Clothing!

You know what time it is: healthy and sustainable weekly roundup time! Learn what superfoods you should eat everyday, how to compost, what chips to ditch MSG-soaked Doritos for, how to make almond milk, where to get a mind upgrade, and enter to win $50 worth of organic clothing! Are You Ready For Dis?!

Video Interview with Bob's Red Mill About Health and Sustainability

While at the Natural Products Expo West this year I had the opportunity to interview the founder, president and face behind Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods: Bob Moore himself! He spoke about the importance of whole grains in the diet, his vast gluten-free offerings, organic options, where his ingredients come from (how far from the base near Portland, OR), and the sustainability of the company. Bob is a very sweet and sincere man - my favorite quote from him is the very last one in the video about life as an 82 year old! I hope you enjoy this interview!

Healthy Finds At Kroger's Foods Co.

If you frequent this website you know that I shop mainly at natural markets like co-ops and Whole Foods. I stopped shopping at Trader Joes because of all the packaging and lacking organic options, though I do enjoy the occasional visit. However, these stores are all quite expensive due to their high quality offerings, and I realize that not everyone can afford to shop at them and may not have a location nearby. So I've decided to start visiting bigger chains with lower price points in search of healthy foods - focusing on vegan items of course. 

Video Interview: Hail Merry Raw Vegan Gluten-Free Snacks & Desserts

There are a LOT of great products at Expo West each year - it's pretty overwhelming. But one of the most memorable foods I tried in 2011 was without a doubt Hail Merry. If you live in certain parts of the country - like Colorado, Texas or Virginia - you may have spotted their raw tarts in the refrigerated section and drooled over their descriptions and affordable price; if you didn't buy them you're a fool! These vegan tarts are mind blowingly good - in fact, they don't even taste raw or gluten-free. They're sweet and creamy - thank goodness they're small because if they came in a regular pie size I'd likely eat it all in one sitting. And I'm not alone - Veg News agreed and awarded Hail Merry the Best New Veagn Product of Show!

Video Review: z pizza - Vegan and Gluten-free Pizza Made with Organic Ingredients

Berkeley Vegan pizza

Forget Pizza Hut, Papa Johns and Dominos - go for something healthier and higher quality. If you live in a big city in the U.S. chances are there's a place call z pizza nearby, where you can get a delicious pie with fresh, organic ingredients. Today's video features z pizza in West Hollywood and their vegan and gluten-free pies, including an interview with the store owner and son of the founder.

Video: Vegan Tour of Portland, OR with Robert Cheeke

I really should have posted this last week before Portland was flooded with vegans from Vida Vegan Con...oh well. This is a video I taped a year and a half ago when I visited PDX for the first time thanks to vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke - been meaning to edit it ever since but life got in the way until now. We went to so many restaurants and vegan shops in just 4 days, and each place is summarized in about 1 minute in this video. Here's where we went:

Video Review: The Cinnamon Snail Organic, Vegan Food Truck in NJ

Food trucks are all the rage - somewhere between take-out and dining in at a restaurant, it's a fun and convenient way to eat. Unfortunately, vegan options are often lacking at these meals on wheels, aside from the occasional veggie burger, chili fries, dosa, or gourmet popsicle. However, there are a few saving graces (i.e. vegan food trucks) across the country - there's Seabirds Truck in the Orange County/LA area, Sunny Vibrations up in San Francisco, GMonkey in Connecticut and The Cinnamon Snail in Hoboken New Jersey (and perhaps others I don't know yet). Today I'm excited to feature the latter, a truck I didn't think I'd get to try due to it's seemingly random East Coast location - but taking a little detour on my way to NYC this summer was beyond worth it.

Video Interview: Bomb Truck in San Francisco Serves Gourmet Vegan Popsicles!

It's always exciting to randomly come across a sign with the word "vegan" on it, which is what happened to me a few weeks ago on a San Francisco street. While walking down Valencia in the Mission District I stumbled across a teal-colored van with the "organic vegan" on it - of course I had to stop. Upon inquiry I met Barbara, the woman behind the gourmet popsicles and a small business called Bomb Truck. While not everything she makes is vegan, the majority of her handmade treats are, and they're delicious.