Featured Image shot by: Hans Janzen

Recently I attended the CHFA West at the Vancouver convention centre.
Here are my favorite brands at the show!
These are the brands that went the extra mile in terms of creativity and quality and who had energy and enthusiasm for their products! There were so many outstanding products at #CHFA West. I did not even have time to see them all! Definitely go both days!

From CHFA.CA The Canadian Health Food Association is Canada’s largest trade association dedicated to natural health and organic products. Members include manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and importers of natural and organic products. These can include foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal products, sports nutrition products, health and beauty aids and more.

Note: With any food product: always check the label. Always start small when trying something new for the first time, (in case you are allergic to something). Always consume products at your own risk 🙂

For anyone wondering “What will I eat if I go VEGAN?” This is a great starter list for replacing animal products. I love living in this day and age! Proud to be vegan. In my opinion, humans are made to eat and thrive on raw, living food like mineral rich greens, fruits and vegetables, fibre, seeds, sprouts, roots and shoots!

TOP BRANDS AT CHFA WEST 2017

NATERA Hemp Superfood! – Natera is noteworthy for being an entirely Canadian company. The hemp is grown on Canadian farms and used to make Hemp Protein powders and Hemp hearts. NATERA has delicious flavors of #Hempseed like maple, or Himalayan pink salt. I eat Natera every day. Our brain is made up of mostly FAT, so it makes sense to eat a lot of brain-boosting omega. I love that Hemp is full of plant based omega which helps ease the burden on ocean life. Hemp Proteins have a full amino acid profile, meaning everything your body needs but cannot make itself are found in Hemp Protein! Hemp has absolutely everything to sustain us. It is a superfood! NATERA is an honest, Canadian brand on the rise. Everyone should treat themselves to the best possible fuel for your body: #FUELLEDBYHEMP 🙂

NATERA is the reason I am so healthy, resilient and fit!

Natera just launched new flavours of a SPORT #HempProtein Powder called Hemp Protein 3-6-9 because it has a perfect balance of OMEGA 3,6 & 9.

2. Coconut Bliss Ice Cream – This vegan blend of creamy, “tastes just like ice cream” melt in your mouth dessert is absolute heaven! This is an ice cream you can feel great about eating. There are no animal products in this, but it tastes just like ice cream! Made with organic, sustainable coconut milk, it is a joyful surprise to savour the cool, creamy taste of Coconut Bliss Ice Cream. I was floored! I tried a chocolate chip flavor, and another new flavor that had cinnamon infused. All I could say was WOW. I feel so good knowing that no cows were harmed in the making of this ice cream. It is easy to digest because it isn’t full of animal proteins and animal milk. Baby cows deserve to be with their moms! Choose wisely when it comes to your ice cream. Choose Coconut Bliss!

“Bliss” is what you think and feel when eating this smooth, non-dairy, soy and gluten free ice cream. Bliss gets it’s sweetness from organic coconut milk and organic agave syrup

3. Grandma’s Garden – is safe, biodegradable, natural, non toxic, hypoallergenic, septic system safe with pure essential oils. I love their simple packaging, and the smell is gorgeous lemon-y freshness!

Grandma’s Garden is as pure and safe as it gets! No foaming agents sulphates or fragrances. Grandma’s Garden has laundry soap, natural wool dryer balls, fabric freshner, and the original laundry bar! (Pictured above!)

4. Have you ever had a craving for Mac N Cheese but felt guilty about all the potentially cancerous dyes, milk products and other modified ingredients? Me too.

I NOW HAVE OUR ANSWER TO MAC N CHEESE CRAVINGS: Annie’s!

So what does an organic mac n cheese taste like? Absolutely delicious! Try to find Annie’s products on grocery shelves because they are guaranteed to be free of gluten and modified ingredients. Outstanding!

5. DeeBee’s – Organic Tea Pops – ANOTHER treat you’ll feel good about! I loved every flavor.
From Deebee’s website: “All of our TeaPops are certified organic, non-GMO, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and kosher parve!” This is music to my ears!
Here I am posing with Mitch, DEEBEE’S Official Pop star of the show! You will love Deebee’s award winning products.

6. Aiya – Ceremonial Green Tea
“Aiya is the world’s leading Matcha green tea producer, headquartered deep within the Aichi prefecture in Nishio city, Japan, where the finest Matcha green tea has been grown for over 800 years.” I tried the Matcha drink at the show and it was bursting with flavor. It was sweet, not bitter and it surprised me how GOOD it was! Love this!

7. Taste of Nature “Real Tastes Good!” – With a focus on being environmentally friendly and sustainable, Taste of Nature Organic bars are delectable bars with real ingredients you can see in the package!

From their website: All of Taste of Nature’s snack bars are non-GMO project verified, gluten free, organic, Kosher, vegan and are made with the highest quality ingredients the world has to offer!! Order your own delcious snack bars here: https://www.tasteofnature.ca/snack-bars.

8. Truly Tumeric! – I am in love with this! Already I have been using it in soups, smoothies and in meals. Here’s where you can buy Truly Tumeric. Truly Turmeric is made from fresh turmeric root, not dried powder, for maximum potency.

https://www.naledo.com

From the website: “Unlike powdered turmeric, which is boiled and dried, losing many of its essential oils in the process, our paste uses the fresh whole root to ensure the natural compounds remain potent and intact. We only use the freshest ingredients- whole root turmeric, cold pressed coconut oil, lime juice, sea salt, and citric acid to make accessing the powerful benefits of turmeric easy and delicious!”

9. Pure Potent WOW! Is all about certified organic, wild-crafted pure essential oils and rare botanicals. Fair trade and made from nature, PURE POTENT WOW was a big hit at the show. Everyone was dabbing these divine scents to soothe everything from stress to evoke a calm sensation. I used their Frankincense to cleanse my energy field. (It so works!) Thanks to Jerri Lynn. The company has so much more than essential oils. Look for total aromatherapy including body butters, washes, bath salt scrubs, and roll on oils!

Check out their other supreme products: http://www.purepotentwow.com/

10. Indian Life Foods

Indian Life Foods is so good I ate there 3 times a day every day at the show. The rice was cooked to perfection, the taste of the food melted in my mouth, so many rich flavors, I could not believe it was vegan! Incredible! I told them I could eat this food every day and love it! (It’s the truth!) I had the pakoras as well as a meal paired with chutney. It was by far the best meal I ate at the show. No meat, fish, poultry or eggs are used!!! YAY!

Please, as a vegan, do not feel that you are running out of options. You have so many options. Indian Life Foods will change YOUR life. The Palak Paneer is warm and pleasant (I want more and more of it!) . They have meal options for full vegans and vegetarians. From Indian Life: “We’re passionate about delicious foods that are good for you, and good for the earth. We believe that when we bring healthy and delicious vegetarian and vegan foods to you, we are part of a “wheel” of good karma that benefits people and planet.” Thank you so kindly Indian Life!

11. Vita CoCo

Vita Coco tastes exceptional and is ethically produced! Check out the Vita Coco Project! Vita Coco originated in Brazil and is now found all across North America. Vita Coco quickly became a household name – attracting super-fans like Madonna, Matthew McConaughey, and Rihanna, to name a few, and now they have captured the heart of Theresa Longo as well!

Theresa says “I stocked up on Vita Coco at the show, it is ice cold and delightful. I love the pure natural flavor!”
Vita Coco kept me hydrated throughout Vancouver CHFA 2017. I cannot thank them enough. This natural, pure coconut water is nourishing and perfect for quenching thirst.

TOP BRANDS AT CHFA WEST 2017

12. “It’s Not Bacon” Topper comes in 3 different flavors. When I first tasted this I was floored. It is juicy, moist, salty, crunchy, wonderful, and it TASTES JUST LIKE BACON DID! As a kid I grew up eating meat but I have been vegan for a decade with one of the first things I gave up being pork. This stuff is unbelievable. I had the biggest reaction to this because it really did remind me of real bacon, and it tasted superb! There is no excuse to harm animals. Everything is replicated perfectly, with natural healthy ingredients.

So what is in them? Things like…. Roasted Coconut, Wheat Free Tamari Sauce (Water, Soy Beans, Salt, Brewing Starter (Aspergillus Oryzae), Pure Canadian Maple Syrup, Liquid Smoke (Water, Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor), Maple Powder (Maltodextrin, Modified Starch, Natural Extracts, Maple Syrup, Natural Flavorings), Yeast Extract (Natural Flavor), Tomato Powder, Sea Salt, Spices (including Turmeric), Herbs. You can order yours for yourself here: ORDER A BAG “IT’S NOT BACON!” Be very impressed!

13. Beanitos! The protein packed bean chip!
Ever since I first tried BEANITOS I knew there was no other chip for me. This crunchy, fresh, salty chip goes perfect with everything. Favorite flavor for me is the original. Every Beanitos snack is a lean, mean, protein machine! You can feel great about eating these vegan chips!
I am in love with the Original flavor, but click the photo to see more of their incredible snacks!

14. Daiya is plant based living at it’s finest. Daiya is not dairy at all! I snapchatted from CHFA me trying a piece of their vegan “pepperoni pizza” I swear, if you gave that to any non-vegan and told them it was pepperoni pizza, it tastes just like the real thing and they would not be able to tell the difference. It’s THAT GOOD! Daiya let me try their cream cheeses, their melted cheese (even pulls apart like real cheese) and their cold slices of “processed cheese”. This stuff was so tasty, I swore I was eating real dairy. But it is VEGAN AND CRUELTY FREE. I am amazed, I am wowed I am hooked on Daiya!

Explore Daiya Website: Click the Photo and BookMark This Page!

15. Harvest Snaps! I remember being little standing in my nani & poppi’s garden eating peas in the pod. I still love them! You may have seen harvest snaps in the grocery store and wondered about them, wonder no more! They are awesome! They were so popular CHFA West too! One of the best brands at the show for sure!

16. 24 Mantra Organic! – Their mantra is allowing people to switch to organic foods while giving them a plethora of options! Check their website for over 200 incredible organic products!

Click here to go to the website! (Opens in a new window!) Over 200 organic products for you and your family.

17. Yet another winning booth gave me by far some of the most interesting products I have ever encountered in the health food world: Protein Bread! 1 slice of this bread has 11 grams of protein. It tastes great toasted or plain! I tried mine with peanut butter for extra protein! Get the protein bread here!

Got these both at a booth at CHFA West, super tasty!

I also loved the Almondina cookies with tea! Crunchy, fresh, and flavorful! I ate the whole bag! Thank you Almondina! The same booth also gifted me with exquisite Theobroma Chocolate!

18. Frog Friendly Wild Coffee- This coffee is amazing in that it disturbs no part of the environment. From their website: “Frog Friendly Wild Coffee differs in ways that matter. Frog is WILD. It is not farmed. The environment is not altered. Chemical sprays and pesticides do not enter the equation. Seeded amongst the mango trees, vanilla orchids, cocoa and wild flora of the last remaining intact Cloud forest of Mexico, Frog Friendly Wild beans are a step beyond organic or fair trade.” Please support this coffee!

Wild Harvested and Craft Roasted:

Craft Roasted

Bringing things to our home on the shores of Shuswap Lake brings things full circle. They operate a craft Roastery alongside a locally focused eatery cafe called The Hive in lakeside Canoe, BC.

OTHER NOTABLE MENTIONS

Canadian Artisan Foods – View their products here
NU GO – Nutrition to Go – A protein bar that uses real chocolate!
Boulder Brands owns one of my favorite brands: GARDEIN
Gardein is “garden grown protein” – With meals that you won’t believe aren’t meat! I eat Gardein products several times a week. It’s good to be vegan!
Ritter Sport- A superb all natural non-gmo array of chocolate. Packed with nuts!