HAVE YOU TRIED TO BUY A box of crackers lately? With more than a dozen varieties of Nut-Thins alone – from country ranch to Asiago cheese to honey cinnamon – it’s not as simple as it used to be. The same could be said for pretty much all shelves of the grocery store these days – you’ll need to make a lot of decisions between classic and trendy. To help you out, I’ve identified seven brand-new and soon-to-be-released products that I hope are here to stay:
1. The Vine’s Sauces
In my opinion, sauce is to a meal what thread is to an article of clothing: It holds it all together. And while tomato-based sauces are often loaded with sodium, additives and preservatives, The Vine’s line of premium sauces stands out from the rest since each sauce contains ingredients you can pronounce and recognize. Plus, even the company’s flavored sauces like Calabrian style spicy marinara and butternut squash tomato sauce provide a maximum of 85 milligrams of sodium per 1/2 cup serving, while other Vine varieties have just 25 milligrams of sodium for the same amount. Vine also makes chunky salsas and even a ketchup sweetened with honey, and all of its products are non-GMO and organic.
2. Balsamic Vinegar From Ariston Specialties
This company offers the most diverse range of balsamic vinegars I’ve see yet. From thick glazes to light lemony liquids, these rich balsamics pair perfectly with savory dishes (consider them marinades for chicken or fish), while also working well with fruit (try them squeezed onto watermelon or cantaloupe). With flavors like these, it’s easy to make a satisfying salad dressing that’s heavy on balsamic glaze and light on (or even devoid of) oil. Save your healthy fats for crunchy nuts or creamy avocado instead.
3. Rhythm Superfoods’ Beet Chips
I didn’t start enjoying beets until I was in my 30s, but if I had been offered Rhythm Superfoods’ beet chips, I would have requested them in my school lunch much earlier. These chips’ flavor is as deep as their color and, and if red is not your color, you can still enjoy crunching on a variety of kale chips in flavors like “kool” ranch, mango habanero and honey mustard. Rhythm also sells organic carrot sticks. They’re all so crunchy you would think they were fried, but they’re all dehydrated.