March 22, 2022

A Grow-ing Trend: Plant Based Provisions!

This week at Oliver’s Market, we are ‘digging’ into the growing popularity of Plant-Based Foods.

The Harvard Medical School Blog notes: “Plant-based or plant-forward eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. It doesn’t mean that you are vegetarian or vegan and never eat meat or dairy. Rather, you are proportionately choosing more of your foods from plant sources.”

Why are so many consumers interested in adding more plant-based food to their diet? There are a couple of reasons:

  • Plants use fewer resources to produce than animals, making them a more earth-friendly choice in many instances.
  • Plant-based foods contribute to a healthy diet.

The Harvard Medical School Blog notes: “Much nutrition research has examined plant-based eating patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and a vegetarian diet. The Mediterranean diet has a foundation of plant-based foods; it also includes fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt a few times a week, with meats and sweets less often.

The Mediterranean diet has been shown in both large population studies and randomized clinical trials to reduce risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, certain cancers (specifically colon, breast, and prostate cancer), depression, and in older adults, a decreased risk of frailty, along with better mental and physical function.

Vegetarian diets have also been shown to support health, including a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and increased longevity.”

Capitalizing on this growing trend, natural food producers are moving past the actual plants themselves to create high-quality plant-based meat and dairy alternatives that deliver on both nutrition and taste. Innovation is key in this fast-expanding area.

This week at Oliver’s Market, we’ve secured some great prices on a wide selection of our favorite plant-based products. Learn a little more about them, try something new, and give one of our plant-based recipes for Impossible Burger with Special Sauce or Meatless Bolognese Pasta Sauce.

Note: All prices are in effect through March 29, 2022, at all four Oliver’s Market locations.

  • Plant Boss Organic Meatless Crumbles, 3.35 oz Bag $3.99

This savory, protein-rich, soy-free, non-GMO, and gluten-free product begins with organic yellow peas grown in North America. After a lot of experimentation, the Plant Boss team created a delicious line of meatless crumbles with a satisfying texture and endless versatility. Try them in this delicious recipe for Meatless Bolognese Pasta Sauce.

Oliver’s Natural Foods Buyer Dustin Canter notes: “This item is a great pantry staple for the plant-based eaters. Not needing refrigeration gives it a long shelf life. Quality and flavor are there as well.”

  • Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Plant Based Cream Cheese, 8 oz Tub $3.49 LOCAL

Miyoko’s Creamery is a local success story, and Oliver’s carries a full range of their products, including this delicious plant based cream cheese. Smear it on a toasted bagel and see what the fuss is all about!

Oliver’s Natural Foods Buyer Dustin Canter notes: “Local partner Miyoko is an absolute bad ass, I got to meet her at EXPO. She makes amazing plant based “dairy” items with unrivaled quality.”

  • Sunshine Vegan Burgers, 2.5 oz Box $3.99

Sunshine Plant Based Foods is dedicated to offering delicious, wholesome veggie burgers made with non-GMO, clean whole food ingredients. Their veggie burgers, made using sunflower seeds, are an excellent source of plant-based protein and are free of gluten, wheat, soy, corn, oats, dairy, eggs, tree nuts and peanuts.

  • Forager Plant Based Frozen Dessert, 14 oz Container $3.99

This tasty organic ice cream has a vegan twist. It’s a dairy-free frozen dessert made from creamy cashews.

  • Three Trees Organic Almond Milk, 28 oz Bottle $3.99
  • Silk Soymilk, 64 oz Container $3.29

Plant based milks were one of the first products to hit the market, and Oliver’s is proud to offer customers a wide range of options, including these two being featured this week!

  • Impossible Burger Patties. 8oz Package $4.99

One of the first companies to go all in on creating an alternative to one of America’s favorite meals, Impossible Foods has blazed the trail for a collection of companies. Try our Impossible Burger with Special Sauce recipe and see how it measures up to your favorite traditional burger.

  • Vicolo Beyond Sausage & Roasted Mushroom Pizza $9.99

From our Deli Grab and Go , Vicolo pizzas are a long-time favorite of Oliver’s customers. Known for their distinctive cornmeal crust, they are available ready for you to top, or with a variety of topping combinations. An easy way to try a plant-based meat might be to pick up the Vicolo Beyond Sausage & Roasted Mushroom Pizza, which features Beyond Meat’s plant-based sausage. Easy and delicious!

  • Nuggs Plant Based Nuggets, 10.4 oz Box $4.49

Oliver’s Natural Foods Buyer Dustin Canter notes: “Liked chicken nuggets before? Don’t eat meat anymore? This product solves that dilemma. All the flavor, none of the chickens.”

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  1. You DON’T MENTION that Impossible burgers are HIGHLY PROCESSED. And while you did mention “GMO-FREE,” There was NO WORD that so many “plant based” foods are made from soy, which is almost always GMO SOY, that non-organic soy is leading to the DECIMATION OF MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AND POLLINATORS. Also, people are consuming ROUNDUP/GLYPHOSATE when they consume these SO CALLED “HEALTHY” foods.

    Comment by Bob Miller on March 23, 2022 at 12:48 pm

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