The links I share to the products and retailers below are to products and services that I actively support and use, who also support sustainable ingredients as much as possible. These companies have affiliate links which takes you to their website where I either make a small commission or receive a discount if you choose to purchase through one of these links. Thank you for trusting my options!
Being a vegetarian and a gardener means I don’t eat out at restaurants a lot, either making all my own recipes and eating lots fresh greens, herbs and fruits directly from my garden or farmer’s markets. Sometimes my harvests don’t even make it inside!
I do still eat eggs when I buy from local farmers and occasionally fish, and I do eat turkey on Thanksgiving, only if I know the farmer, or I buy a kosher turkey. Otherwise, it is all veggies and, of course, pasta. However, being a vegetarian doesn’t always mean I get the right amount of protein in my diet, and I work hard at making sure that happens, consuming a lot of beans and dark leafy greens.
Most “health food” products and high-protein products are usually loaded with soy and processed sugars, which I also try hard NOT to consume, although those two ingredients are in everything these days.
So, when I am presented with new products, I always read the ingredient list first, then the nutrition label, and then find out about the owners of the company. The two “new-to-me” products featured below are non-GMO and soy-free, and so I decided to try them. They are loaded with plant-based protein, fiber and other vital nutrients. The protein powder can be mixed with water or nut milks for use in smoothies and they provide recipes to use it in various and interesting ways. The other is a pea-protein taco mix, which I found surprisingly yummy, and have added it to my regular taco night, giving me more options than just beans! I am so happy about that!
Check each one out below and let me know if you try them!
Tacos on the table in just 7-10 minutes!
From our food truck to your family table
Our story began back in 1980, as Boulder, Colorado’s first organic food truck. Co-founder Ryan Cunningham’s parents took to the streets of Boulder to serve their delicious, wholesome meals.
One thing that remains the same since our very beginning is our commitment to inspire socially conscious consumers to live with purpose by eating good food that provides great fuel to live our best lives.
Read more…
My Experience
As I already make lots of my own recipes homemade, I only purchase products that I cannot recreate on my own. That’s why I went crazy for their plant-based taco meat. If you serve this to even the most hardcore meat-eater without telling them, I swear, they would never know the difference! A-mazing!
I love that all their products contain NO SOY or GMOs, which is something I look hard for when I use something that I don’t make myself. This pea protein based taco meat substitute is so amazing, I made sure to get it on a subscription basis and, I save 10% in doing so!
Taco Pack Description
This shelf-stable pack includes 100% plant-based protein made from peas, beans, and other veggies. Replacing 1 pound of ground beef, one pack has over 60 grams of protein (that’s 15 grams protein per serving!), contains NO SOY, and serves about 4 people. Pea protein is sustainably USA-grown and Chef Ko’s special recipe ensures your tacos are perfectly pre-seasoned and full of flavor, but not overly spicy so the whole family can enjoy.
Clean Ingredients
Pea Protein, Pinto Bean Flakes (pinto beans, salt), Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Cumin, Carrot & Apple Powder (color), Salt, Jalapeño
Save $10 off your order HERE!
Nutritional Info
THE ORGAIN WAY
Read about our Founder here
Clean Nutrition
Your hardworking body deserves nothing short of the best! The crème de la crème if you will. That’s why Orgain products are Certified Organic whenever possible, and made without soy ingredients, carrageenan, and GMOs. And! We never use any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. No fake stuff. Just goodness.
Delicious Taste
We’re serious about good, clean nutrition, and when we say “good” – we mean it in every sense of the word! It can’t just be good for you; it’s got to taste GOOD too (great actually)! That’s why we work relentlessly to craft the smoothest, creamiest, and most delicious products possible. No grit – all taste, because that’s how we roll.
High Quality Ingredients
Everything at Orgain is crafted from high-quality ingredients to maximize nutrition. That means you get the very best ingredients – be they non-gmo, organic, gluten free, or otherwise. Each ingredient meets their OCD standards for nutrition, quality, and taste. Sip, slurp, and munch happily.
Protein Powders
Find the right powder that fits into your lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for organic plant based protein or protein with greens, choose your powder to power your body and please your taste buds.
I ordered the Vanilla Protein Powder because I thought it might blend better with fruits my smoothies. I am not thrilled with the slight after taste, although I have only tried it in coffee so far. I also received a sample pack of the Chocolate Fudge, which I haven’t tried it yet, but my brother likes it!
Protein Bars
I make my own granola bars, or I don’t eat them. Most bars you find in the stores, even if they are labeled healthy, are loaded with all sorts of processed sugars and preservatives that don’t satisfy…seriously, Snickers bar is better you!
However, staying energized all day long just got easier with these vegan, plant-based, Organic Protein Bars. With 10g of organic plant-based protein and only 150 calories per bar, these organic bars serve up clean, delicious nourishment whenever you need it. Try as a nutritious, mid-day snack, a post- or pre-workout boost!
Save $10 off your order HERE!
NORTH SPORE is from Main and they are so into what they do that is so inspiring. They provide that a wealth of information that is easy to understand and give directions and videos to guide you along. They offer a wide variety of growing mediums for indoor and outdoor mushroom gardening.
For indoor gardening, I really like the small Spray & Grow boxes they have available at a low starting price point with a wide variety of species options.
The outdoor grow kits range from Grain or Sawdust Spawn to grow in BEDS or Plug Spawn to grow on hardwood LOGS. They have videos available for all methods of growing and much more info and photos on the website to guide you along. They make it very east to grow whatever you want. If you don’t think you have space, think again! Look around your yard for a damp and shady area and voila! You could have your very own mushroom farm in no time!
I am sooo looking forward to getting one of my back garden bed dedicated as an outdoor mushroom gardening this summer! I will keep you posted as to which variety I choose and pics of the process. I have plenty of fallen trees, so I may try my hand at the log spores as well….stay tuned!
Save $10 off your first order HERE at checkout!
GARDEN TOWER® 2
50-Plant Composting Vertical Garden Planter
Good food, Less space
Grow 50 plants in 4 square feet nearly anywhere. The tower easily rotates to access your garden from every angle.
Easy to Use
Easily grow nearly any vegetables, herbs or flowers organically. eliminates weeding, electricity, nutrient loss and most water loss associated with conventional gardening
- The rotating Garden Tower® 2 is a composter that grows 50 plants in 4 square feet nearly anywhere.
- Turns waste kitchen scraps into organic fertilizer to grow organic produce.
- The Garden Tower® vertical garden planter and composting system replicates a natural ecosystem allowing plants to access nutrients recycled through organic composting processes.
- Easily grow nearly any vegetables, herbs or flowers organically.
- An organic and resilient 6 cubic foot vertical soil-based alternative to expensive and difficult hydroponic systems.
- Proudly 100% Made in the USA using 100% UV stable food-grade high-purity HDPE plastic, and backed by a 5-year manufacturer warranty.
- 43″ tall & 24.5″ wide. 36 lbs. (~220 lbs. with moist soil)
For more info and a pictorial play-by-play of my Garden Tower compost tube set up, check out my GARDEN TOWER blog post!
MISFITS MARKET
Misfits Market is a subscription box of sometimes funny-looking, always delicious produce, designed to break the cycle of food waste. Think of us like an online grocery store, except one that specializes in rescuing food that is unnecessarily thrown away. We source high-quality organic produce that has a few quirks—onions that are too small, potatoes that are shaped like your favorite celebrity, and carrots that fell in love and got twisted together. It may sound like a joke, but billions of pounds of this fresh and delicious food is tossed each year because grocery stores only want “perfect” foods on their shelves. We step in and buy this food from hundreds of farms across the country and bring them to your doorstep, saving you money and helping you save the world.
I started using this service in October of 2020 and have not been disappointed. I love seeing my box show up on my porch! And it is all organic! Simply A-mazing. I have had to skip a few boxes in between deliveries due to there being too much food, what a concept! Skipping one or multiple boxes is easy to do and there is no penalty. There is minimal packaging which is also good for the environment. Looking forward to my next box!
Save 25% off your first order HERE or
use COOKWME-KD0ETA at check out!
ADD JOI
Finding foods that work with your lifestyle can be tough. Whether you’re committed to a plant-based diet and looking for high-quality protein sources; managing severe allergies with from-scratch cooking for the whole family; or simply committed to eating food that’s good for you and our environment; at JOI we believe everyone has the right to take control of what they consume.
I recently started using Joi Cashew Base and I absolutely love it! Of course, I could make my own, but you need a high speed blender and a strainer, but not everyone has that, and then it still comes out a little grainy. I tried the Cashew Base and I was not disappointed at all. Only one ingredient, no preservatives or additives, it makes smooth and creamy nut and nut/oat milks at the touch of a button. Now, a milk substitute I can make as-needed without having to buy a whole carton that may not be used before it expires or goes bad! I am so excited to have found this!
Enjoy a delicious and nutritious fresh 100% cashew milk with our Cashew Base. Cashews are exceptionally versatile and our base is perfect to go beyond milk for use in vegan cheese, sauce and ice cream recipes.
Using JOI to make fresh cashew milk is as easy as adding any JOI Base to water and blend for 30 seconds and enJOI! Add more or less JOI to adjust creaminess, and experiment with your choice of sweeteners, spices and flavorings. Get creative and add JOI to your favorite plant-based dishes. Check out our Recipes blog for inspiration.
Save $10 off your order HERE!
Grow your own mushrooms right on your countertop.
Mushroom grow kits are perhaps the quickest and easiest way to grow your own food at home. Just cut, mist, and wait.
Nearby Naturals is one of the many companies I checked out in order to gain info and knowledge about growing mushrooms. They are a small and growing concern and they are doing a great job.
And I am so excited that they just added on a subscription service where you can get a different box of mushrooms every month! How cool is that! And you can cancel, pause or skip a monthly shipment any time. Their customer service is excellent! Check out the GROW KIT SUBSCRIPTIONS here.
I started with the King Trumpet mushroom grow kit like the one shown below. After a few weeks, my mushrooms look pretty much like the ones they show here! I am so excited to harvest the first round in the next few days. And, there are a million small ones underneath the large ones, so we should get a few more really large mushrooms in the next few weeks as well…so excited!
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