Are you nearly ready for your Fourth of July feast? Don’t forget to make a quick stop at Whole Foods Market where Crafty Counter’s WunderEgg just got the deviled egg treatment in time for the big celebration.
Over at Starbucks, summer just got a lot better with the launch of non-dairy cold foam and sweet cream, which can be ordered on just about any drink.
Plus, Mike Tyson is using these new energy pouches as part of his training regime before taking on Jake Paul in a highly anticipated boxing match this fall.
Read on for more.
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Food news
Summer charcuterie boards just got an upgrade thanks to two brands. First, French company Ancrée has unveiled its plant-based caviar, the first of its kind in the country.
Ancrée
Crafted from chia seeds sourced from Île-de-France and seaweed from Brittany, this caviar mimics the refined taste and texture of traditional sturgeon caviar without harming marine life. It is available across France in three flavors: Iodized, Tangy, and Truffled.
Second, Stellar Snacks is launching a new flavor of its vegan pretzels: French Dijon Stellar Braids. These pretzel braids feature a bold and tangy kick of Dijon mustard followed by the subtle sweetness of vegan honey.
Perfect for enjoying on their own or paired with your favorite dip, these pretzels hit Kroger stores this week alongside the company’s other flavors.
Plus, Stellar’s best-selling Maui Monk pretzels just hit the snack menu on Southwest Airlines which means summer travel just got a whole lot better.
Bragg
If you’re more of a summer salad lover, there’s good news in this department, too. Legacy company Bragg—known for its apple cider vinegar and liquid aminos—now offers a range of bottled salad dressings to enhance your meals.
The ACV Vinaigrette is perfect for salads and pasta, while the Oil-Free Vinaigrette provides a lower-fat option. For a versatile choice, the Ginger & Sesame Vinaigrette features organic ginger and garlic, doubling as a marinade for your choice of protein.
Grocery and business news
In business news, legendary boxer Mike Tyson is teaming up with Lfgo! Inc. to promote its energy pouches before his big fight with Jake Paul in November. Lfgo! energy pouches provide a sugar-free, energy boost with the help of natural caffeine and six essential vitamins and minerals.
LFGO!
As a brand ambassador, 57-year-old Tyson will incorporate Lfgo!—which are available through the company’s website and Amazon—into his training regime before the big fight.
“I’m really looking forward to my upcoming fight in November,” Tyson said in a statement. “I am feeling better than ever and have partnered with Lfgo! because it increases my energy and keeps me focused.”
“Just pop a pouch and I’m ready to knock Jake Paul out,” Tyson said.
To stock up on snacks for the fight, you can head to select Costco locations—in Colorado and New Mexico—which now offer snackable PB&J sandwiches by Rudi’s Rocky Mountain Bakery. Called “Sandos,” these sandwiches come in both classic peanut butter and nut-free varieties.
Costco shoppers will appreciate Sandos for their quality ingredients, convenience for on-the-go meals, and suitability for all ages. Rudi’s Sandos in Peanut-Free & Strawberry Spread are available for $14.99 for a pack of 10.
Afia
In other retail news, Target is adding frozen falafel bowls to 49 additional locations in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Southern California.
Afia’s Mediterranean Falafel Bowls are based on family recipes and are conveniently available in the frozen aisle. These meals reflect favorite Eastern Mediterranean dishes and are topped with Afia’s signature traditional falafel.
Target will offer the plant-based falafel bowls for $5.99 each in four flavors: Zesty Artichoke & Quinoa, Sweet Potato & Kale, Roasted Peppers & Tomato, and Crispy Onions & Lentils.
For the bacon-lovers amongst us, New York-based company MyForestFoods is celebrating the West Coast expansion of its MyBacon. The vegan bacon is made from mycelium—the fast-growing root systems of mushrooms—and crisps up just like the real thing for a perfect breakfast sandwich, BLT, or burger topper.
MyForest Foods
Starting this week, online grocery service Good Eggs will make MyBacon available to its customers in Los Angeles and San Francisco, bringing the company’s footprint to more than 550 retailers across the country.
“This expanded geographic availability serves as an important stepping stone toward our mission of feeding the future,” Greg Shewchuk, CEO of MyForest Foods, said in a statement. “We are so excited that MyBacon is officially available on the West Coast, and are eager to continue expanding our roots throughout the United States.”
Crafty Counter
And just in time for the Fourth of July, Crafty Counter’s plant-based deviled eggs are headed to Whole Foods Markets nationwide. Each Deviled WunderEgg comes with a ready-to-eat “Devilish Wunder Mix” sachet, featuring a creamy, tangy seasoning made in collaboration with Fabalish Foods’ Classic Vegan Mayo.
This new product joins the classic WunderEgg, a vegan egg that is also available at Whole Foods, which can be used in place of anything that calls for a traditional hard-boiled egg.
Restaurant news
If you’re a West Coast resident who has dreamt about being “Sluttified” from afar, Atlanta’s Slutty Vegan has some good news for you. From now until July 24, the plant-based burger sensation is popping up in Los Angeles to serve a rotating menu of its famous creations, including the Hollywood Hooker, Dancehall Queen, and a PLT with sweet jerk plantains, lettuce, tomato, and the shop’s proprietary “slut sauce” on a Hawaiian bun.
Slutty Vegan
Slutty Vegan will be hosting a residency at Nomoo All-American Burgers on Melrose Avenue, offering a special menu of plant-based burgers until the end of July.
“I used to live in LA and wanted to make sure we could test the market,” Slutty Vegan owner Pinky Cole-Hayes told Eater.
“I knew there was a big vegan scene in LA, and it’s only right to start at the place that’s at the top of the food chain,” Cole-Hayes said.
This move comes after the restaurant opened seven Georgia locations and expanded operations to Brooklyn, Harlem, Texas, and Alabama.
“If this one pop-up does well, there’s definitely an opportunity,” Cole-Hayes said about the potential for its first permanent location in LA.
Blue Bottle
In coffee shop news, Blue Bottle Coffee just released its own exclusive superfood protein bar in collaboration with B.T.R. Nation: the B.T.R. x Blue Bottle Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Superfood Protein Bar. This new flavor is now available nationwide in all Blue Bottle Coffee locations.
Ashley Nickelsen, founder of B.T.R. Nation, created the brand after witnessing her parents’ battles with rare forms of cancer and the prevalence of misleading “better-for-you” snacks in hospitals. Her mission is to provide truly transparent snacks with real ingredients, no added sugar, no sugar alcohols, and no stevia.
This collaboration with Blue Bottle Coffee is part of B.T.R. Nation’s expansion, which includes a recent launch at Costco in the Southeast and availability in Thrive Market.
Starbucks
In other coffee shop news, the anticipated summer launch of non-dairy items at Starbucks is here. The new non-dairy vanilla sweet cream and vanilla sweet cream cold foam, made with oat and soy milk, are now available and can be added to any handcrafted beverage.
These new permanent menu additions will be featured in five new drinks: Iced Non-Dairy Salted Caramel Cookie Matcha, Non-Dairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, Cold Brew with Non-Dairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam, Non-Dairy Chocolate Cream Cold Brew, and Non-Dairy Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew.
And if you’re looking for an energy boost, Starbucks also just launched new Iced Energy beverages. These drinks combine sparkling fruit flavors with iced tea, available in Melon Burst and Tropical Citrus, with a Frozen Tropical Citrus Iced Energy exclusive to the Starbucks app for a limited time.
We’re still keeping an eye out for Oatly’s dairy-free whipped cream atop Starbucks’ first dairy-free Frappuccino, items that were leaked earlier this summer as forthcoming menu additions but have been delayed, seemingly due to refrigeration issues.
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
