What’s happening in LA? : Crisps/ snacks @ Wholefoods
1. Falafel chips – made with chickpeas, an apparently healthy crisp which is high in protein and Middle Eastern flavour.
2. Hippie Chips with hemp (seed)- another healthy crisp option which claims to have 50% less fat than regular crisps. I love the fun hippy name – very en vogue – but it’s a shame that they don’t offer some kind of omega benefit which hemp is known for.
3. Glenny’s Soy Crisps – think these have been around for a while…low fat (s0me as low as 1g of fat per bag) and healthier than ‘regular’ crisps.
4. Dried Mulberries– look a bit like anaemic raspberries, apparently high in antioxidants including the resveratrol.
5. Terramazon Sachi Inchi – seeds from the fruit of a herbaceous vine native to the Amazon rainforest. Rich in omega 3,6 and 9.
6. Terramazon Yacon slices – melon tasting semi dried slices taken from the root of the Yacon plant. Amongst other benefits these are prebiotic.
Falafel Chips, Hippie Chips with hemp, Glenny’s Soy Crisps, Terramazon Yacon slices
Fro-yo
Frozen yoghurt is big business in the US – particularly in SoCal where a mild weather lifestyle meets a health conscious consumer. Despite issues with market saturation and the economic downturn, fro-yo still remains popular and it is slowly growing a fanbase in the UK with a number of joints popping up over London and the South East. Frozen yoghurt is the ultimate healthy snack being (generally) fat-free, delicious and tastes kind of like ice cream. Due to its frozen nature, it also takes a while to eat – so you get to indulge for longer and eat less calories than you would with a stack of biscuits or a chocolate bar.
Trends in the UK?
Whether we see soy or hemp crisps on our shelves or not, it’s certain that more innovative, healthier snack options will be available to the consumer soon. For example, take Pret founder Julian Metcalfe’s Skinny popcorn – at approx 3g of fat a bag, it’s a far better choice nutritionally than a packet of crisps – it tastes yummy too. And with fro-yo – cute, small independent operations are opening up all over London – but might this extend to the big boys too? Sushi chain Itsu (another Julian Metcalfe venture) offers this healthy treat so could we see coffee chains or even McDonalds following suit?
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