Fair Trade // Non-GMO Month Inspiration

Fair Trade // Non-GMO Month

October is so much more than candy corn and faux spider webs; in honor of the official Fair Trade and non-GMO month, we’d like to share several brands that fully embody the trend – 365 days/year.

According to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, approximately 80 percent of packaged foods contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Because GMOs aren’t always labeled as such, you often can’t protect yourself from the iffy ingredients sneaking their way into your favorite snacks and beverages. As consumers become more savvy, there is a growing trend of apprehension of GMOs and a swelling desire to ensure that their favorite CPG brands are Fair-Trade Certified.

Beverages:

With so many different variations of water, coffee, juice and tea on the market, how can you really choose? Picking sustainably, fairly and naturally sourced brands ensures you’ll receive all of the benefits of hydration, with an added boost of ‘feel-good’ vibes.

Fair-trade and non-GMO beverages

• RUNA is a line of fair trade and non-GMO ready-to-drink teas and carbonated energy drinks made from the Amazonian guayusa leaf, which has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and twice the antioxidants as green tea.  The brand is a true standout in the fair trade and non-GMO category, owning the only supply chain for guayusa and working directly with the farming families who grow guayusa.  In fact, the world supply of guayusa is 100% organic, fair trade, and family farmed, making this a truly refreshing cup of tea.
• Chameleon Cold-Brew, the nation’s first purveyor of bottled cold-brew coffee, is committed to sourcing Fair Trade coffee beans from Central and South America, ensuring that the beans used to craft every bottle have been grown using responsible farming practices and that farmers are given a fair price for their crops. Known as “consciously crafted cold-brew,” Chameleon then steeps the tailor-roasted beans for 16 hours in Texas Hill Country, limestone-cured water, resulting in a delicious, smooth, highly caffeinated and less acidic coffee that can be enjoyed hot or over ice.
  • NEW from the brand is the nationwide rollout of their three newest flavors, Chicory Coffee, Mexican Coffee and Espresso Coffee.

Non-GMO beverages 

• DRINKmaple pure maple water is a premium, plant-based hydration beverage consisting of the raw sap tapped directly from sugar maple trees in Vermont. Untouched, unspoiled and unboiled, DRINKmaple is low calorie, naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and proudly non-GMO. Containing 46 naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, antioxidants, prebiotics and electrolytes, it also has just half the sugar of coconut water and more manganese than you would find in a cup of kale.
• Suja Juice is the nation’s fastest growing brand of non-GMO, organic, cold-pressured and HPP juices and smoothies.  The brand is committed to sourcing locally, using more than 800,000 lbs of organic produce a week from California growers.
  •  NEW from Suja is the Essentials One Day Renewal, a line of three juices (for morning, noon nd evening) that are paired with a meal plan from co-founder Annie Lawless. The result? You are left  feeling renewed, nourished and revitalized.

Snacks:

Don’t demonize the snack: one or two well-timed, satisfying snacks over the course of your day can stave off hunger and cravings. Choose those that abide by Fair Trade and non-GMO standards, and you’ll be on your way to snack time perfection.

Fair-trade and non-GMO snacks

• barkTHINS Snacking Chocolate is committed to sourcing the finest quality dark chocolate from sustainable suppliers and is proud to bear the Fair Trade certification.  Additionally, barkTHINS’ “better for you” mix-ins (think: peppermint, pretzels, pumpkin seeds, quinoa and more) are certified non-GMO, making this guilt-free snack that much more satisfying.

Non-GMO snacks

• EPIC Provisions is the original purveyor of the 100% grass fed, meat based protein bar designed as nature intended.  The brand has expanded their line of non-GMO, high protein and low sugar snacks to include trail mix, jerky bites (including the new beef liver) and will soon be launching a line of cooking oils.  The brand is committed to sourcing meats from ranchers that meet the highest standards of sustainability and animal welfare and are leaders in recognizing the value of responsible animal management practices.
  • NEW from EPIC are ‘Bits’, the first clean salad toppers to hit the market, made from non-GMO fed chicken and heritage breed Berkshire pork bellies.
  • NEW for October is the Savory Beef Peach Rosemary Bar, made from 100% grass-fed meat and Georgia Peaches.  All proceeds from this bar will be donated directly to the Savory Institute and their mission to restore grasslands throughout the world.
• Nourish Snacks: Handcrafted by leading nutrition authority Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, the line of curated blends is crafted from real, whole food ingredients – with the promise to never use harmful preservatives, artificial colors/sweeteners and to always be gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO and vegetarian. Each blend is conveniently pre-portioned into bags under 200 calories; and you will find a wide range of flavors, from savory to sweet, chewy to crunchy and mild to spicy, offering the perfect snack for every taste.
  • The following three snacks NEWLY received their non-GMO certification, with more blends to follow this October:
    • Monkey Love – Gluten-free and certified non-GMO chocolate-banana granola bites perfect for quelling a sweet tooth. Featuring a hint of coconut, these chewy, dessert-worthy bites are the perfect guilt-free indulgence.
    • Berry’d Treasure – Bursting with real blueberries, these chewy granola minis are certified non-GMO and rich in fiber and antioxidants. Perfect for sprinkling atop yogurt in the morning or for a mid-afternoon snack at your desk.
    • Cinn-sational – Chewy Fuji apples and cinnamon-sugar-coated almonds pair perfectly for a snack that’s sweet, savory, and truly cinn-sational.

Food:

Drinks and snacks aside, it all boils down to this. Our food choices have become interchangeable with our lifestyle, and what better gift to give our future generations than to pass along all we have learned?

• Once Upon a Farm is revolutionizing the building blocks of our nutrition and standards. With a pending non-GMO verification, the brand NEW line (launched this month) is the new gold standard in early childhood nutrition, offering 10 unique and curated blends of whole fruits, vegetables and superfoods, specifically customized for three of the most important nutritional stages of an infant’s life. Each recipe is free from concentrates, preservatives and processed purees, and all blends are infant nutritionist certified.  The brand employs HPP (high-pressure processing): a revolutionary technology that keeps the flavors, aromas, colors, textures and nutrients of the whole ingredients intact, giving your baby optimal taste and palate development. Once Upon a Farm is certified organic, kosher and will soon be receiving its non-GMO Verification.