Delicious Living's 2015 Best Bite Awards Winners

Choosing the winners and finalists for the Best Bite Awards is always a challenge. This year, we were blown away by the quality of nominations from natural retailers, manufacturers, and you—our invested and knowledgeable readers. Out of the thousands (yes, thousands!) of submissions we received, these natural foods and beverages rose to the top with their wholesome, consciously sourced ingredients, sterling health attributes, and of course, delectable flavors.

Look for these blue-ribbon offerings at your local natural products store, and dive in with gusto.

Best Burrito:

Amy's Black Bean and Quinoa Burrito

A gluten-free and dairy-free delight, this hearty, 220-calorie burrito employs protein-rich organic quinoa, black beans, garbanzo flour, kidney beans, and a variety of toothsome veggies like Swiss chard, broccoli, and roasted potatoes for a complete hand-held meal. 

Finalists: 

• PJ's Organics Bean and Cheese Burrito
• Good Food Made Simple Breakfast Burrito Veggies & Potato

Best Meal Helper:

Cooksimple Tibetan Dal

Almost like a better-for-you Hamburger Helper, Cooksimple allows you to create filling, ethnically angled meals with simple add-ins, such as olive oil and a can of diced tomatoes. The Tibetan Dal flavor, with lentils, warming spices, garlic, and cilantro, delivers 9 grams of protein per serving.

Finalists:

• Earthbound Farm Organic Salad Kits
• Modern Table Meals Italian Red Lentil Penne

Best Jerky:

New Zealand Jerky Original

You can taste that Kiwis take great care of their free-range, grass-fed beef because this tender, moisture-packed jerky is extra flavorful. It’s non-GMO Project Verified and spiked with apple cider vinegar, onion, spices, garlic, celery, and acerola, a vitamin C–rich superberry.

Finalists:

• The New Primal Free Range Turkey Jerky
• Epic BItes Bison Meat Bacon, Chia & Raisins

Best Kids' Snack:

Rhythm Superfoods Broccoli Bites Garden Ranch

Perfectly sized for little fingers, these savory dehydrated broccoli chunks are coated with vegan ingredients—including a combo of cashews and sunflower seeds for a “cheesy” taste and texture.

Finalists:

• Snack Out Loud Power Puffs White Cheddar
• Baobest BaoBites Superfruit Snack

Best Paleo Snack:

Chia Pod Dark Cacao

Coconut sugar, almond milk, and cacao enhance chia seed’s gel-like texture and soft crunch, making this indulgent fiber- and protein-laden, 140-calorie snack perfect for post strenuous workouts. Spoon included. 

Finalists:

• Navitas Naturals Superfood + Turmeric Tamari Almonds
• Pacific Superfood Snacks Kale Chips Rosemary Truffle

Best Nutrition Bar:

Elemental Superfood Seedbar Cranberry, Almond + Lucuma

Picture a soft, crumbly square of organic buckwheat, almonds, raw honey, flaxseeds, coconut, cacao butter, vanilla bean, and lucuma, a low-glycemic subtropical fruit. A raw, filling, Certified Gluten-Free snack.

Finalists:

• Nature's Path Organic Qi'a Superfood Bars
• GoMacro Thrive Blueberry Lavender

Best Snack Chip:

Bare Sweet 'n Heat Crunchy Coconut Chips

Delicate, crisp curls of good-fat coconut chips spiced with cane sugar, garlic, onion, and paprika—they start sweet and finish with a lingering spice. Try sprinkling over chocolate ice cream for even more sweet-spicy goodness.

Finalists:

• SuperEats Kale + Chia Chips Sea Salt
• Jackson's Honest Organic Potato Chips Purple Heirloom

Best Cracker:

Way Better Snacks Sprouted Barley Crackers Rosemarry Me + Olive Oil

Sprouting increases the availability of nutrients found in seeds, nuts, and grains—but we love these barley, spelt, and farro flour crackers for their old-world rustic flavor and surprising seasoning. 

Finalists:

• Two Moms in the Raw Almond Protein Crackers Jive 'n Chive & Onion
• Primizie Thick Cut Crispbreads Smoked Dutch Gouda and Garlic

Best Low- or No-Calorie Drink:

KeVita Cleansing Probiotic Tonic Cinnamon

A refresher made with USDA Organic apple cider vinegar, apple juice, cinnamon extract, stevia, and KeVita’s signature probiotic blend that delivers 4 billion CFUs (colony forming units) and only 20 calories per serving. 

Finalists:

• Dry Cucumber Soda
• Jade Monk Matcha Green Tea Slightly Sweet

Best Juice:

Daily Greens Chia Balance

Pasteurized with high pressure rather than heat, this USDA Organic juice clearly displays its tasty ingredients on the front label: pear, spinach, zucchini, Madagascar vanilla, cilantro, lime, and chia seeds. A straightforward blend that contains 4 grams of protein and just 150 calories.

Finalists:

• Purity Organic Superjuice Orange Carrot Turmeric Mango
• Garden of Flavor Appleade

Best Coffee:

Kohana Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate Organic French Roast

This beautifully packaged, 16-ounce coffee concentrate can make up to eight strong cups of full-bodied coffee. Cold brewing lends a mildly sweet, never-bitter taste. Sourced from sustainable Hawaiian farms. 

Finalists:

• Califia Farms Dirty Chai Cold Brew Coffee with Almondmilk
• High Brew Cold Brew Coffee Dairy Free Black & Bold

Best Energy Drink:

Temple Turmeric Pure Prana

Forget your morning caffeine fix. Energizing ingredients—including adaptogenic ashwagandha, yerba maté, tulsi (holy basil), ginger, coconut nectar, lemon, and a whopping 13 grams of organic turmeric root—are stuffed into this tiny, spicy 3-ounce shot. 

Finalists:

• Gr3en Energy
• Runa Clean Energy Zero Unsweetened Guava

Best Pouch:

Fishpeople Chinook Salmon & Chardonnay Reduction Sauce Entree

Not only does this conscious brand cook up elegant meals with veggies from farms in the Northwest, but every pouch contains a tracking number that allows you to learn where your seafood was caught. That kind of traceability is a beautiful thing.

Finalists:

• Nutiva CHIApple
• Batter World Multigrain Pancake Batter

Best Cereal:

Back to the Roots Organic Stoneground Flakes

The first stoneground wheat cereal on the market, this sweet-tinged morning meal is made with just three USDA Organic ingredients: California-grown wheat, cane sugar, and sea salt. Packaged in a recyclable box without a flimsy landfill-bound bag. 

Finalists: 

• Earnest Eats Detoxifying Hot Cereal Spark
• Living Intentions Superfood Cereal Raspberry Detox

Best Smoothie Booster

Coromega Be Bright Superfood Oil Blend

Add just 2 teaspoons of this non-GMO hemp-chia-coconut-avocado-black cumin oil blend to your morning smoothie, and you'll receive 780 mg alpha-linolenic omega fats. Good for vegetarians and vegans who don't take fish oil supplements. 

Finalists:

• Amazing Grass Green Superfood Watermelon Energy
• Kura Berry Protein Smoothie Powder

Best Yogurt

Smari Organic Icelandic Yogurt Pure Whole Milk

This ultrathick, pillowy Icelandic-style yogurt (called skyr) is our new obsession. USDA Organic, with a whopping 20 grams of protein per serving, the milk comes from Wisconsin-based Jersey and Guernsey cows raised on pasture. 

Finalists:

• Siggi's Icelandic Style Skyr 0% Milkfat Peach
• Stonyfield Organic Oh My Yog! Gingered Pear

Best Granola:

Mamma Chia Chia Vitality Granola

A fragrant USDA Organic granola not just sprinkled with chia, but packed with it. Nickel-sized chunks of rolled oats are covered in chia seeds and bound with pea protein, brown rice syrup, and coconut oil, delivering 10 grams of protein per serving. We love the flavor burst from dried wild blueberries. 

Finalists:

• Van's Gluten-Free Cranberry Almond Granola Clusters
• The Toasted Oat Gluten Free Granola No. 4 Cashew + Apricot

Best Gluten-Free Pasta:

Capello's Gluten-Free Fettuccine

Made with almond flour, eggs, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum, this gluten-free and paleo-friendly pasta takes just 45 seconds to cook and has a texture similar to traditional fresh pasta. 

Finalists:

• Banza Pasta Made from Chickpeas
• Annie's Gluten Free Rice Shells & Creamy White Cheddar

Best Whole Grain:

Planet Rice Sprouted California Brown Rice

This conscious company sources rice from California-based family farmers who reside within a 100-mile radius of the rice mill. Sprouted and nutty-sweet, this brown rice is an easy-to-digest meal staple. 

Finalists:

• Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Kamut
• Freekeh Foods Organic Freekeh Original

Best Nut Butter:

Kalot Fruit & Cashew Butter with Blueberries, Vanilla, & Chia Seeds

Nutritionist-developed, this cashew butter is sweetened with fruit, such as blueberries and dates, and contains healthful add-ins, such as chia seeds and coconut oil. Plus, each 2-tablespoon serving contains 50 percent of your daily vitamin needs. 

Finalists:

• YumButterGo Superfood Almond Butter
• NuttZo Smooth Power Fuel Seven Nut & Seed Butter

Best Hummus:

Hope Organic Super Hemp Hummus

Hemp branches into the dip aisle when blended with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and spices. This spread contains twice the protein of traditional hummus, lending a high-nutrient nutty flavor and creamy texture. 

Finalists:

• Love & Hummus Caramelized Garlic
• Roots Chipotle Hummus

Best Cookie:

Barbara's Snackimals Chocolate Chip Cookies

A menagerie of adorable animal cookies (lions and tigers and bears ... and camels and monkeys) that will delight both kids and grown-up kids. Made with dairy-free and Non-Gmo Project Verified ingredients, including organic flour and unsulfured molasses. 

Finalists:

• Liz Lovely Chewy Vegan Cookies
• Jen & Joe's Cookie Dough Chocolate Chunk

Best Chocolate Bar:

Alter Eco Dark Salted Burnt Caramel

Caramel. Salt. Chocolate. We're in love with this dark chocolate bar that enrobes caramel made with heirloom butter and raw cane sugar. A slew of certification labels dot the package, including Fair Trade, USDA Organic, and Non-GMO Project Verified. 

Finalists:

• Madecasse Salted Almond
• Eating Evolved Primal Chocolate Crunchy Caramel

Best Candy:

Justin's Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Slightly sweetened, vanilla-tinged peanut butter is stuffed into a cute little Rainforest Alliance Certified dark chocolate coating. Bonus: We love Justin's commitment to source sustainable palm oil, too.

Finalists:

• Little Secrets Dark Chocolate Candies
• JJ's Sweets Chocolate Covered Cocomels Vanilla

Best Dessert:

Zaza Chocolate Mousse

You'll want to sink your spoon into this velvety, pudding-like chocolate paleo treat again and again. Made with a healthy blend of maple syrup, coconut milk and oil, and cacao, this raw and vegan dessert is all the decadence without the guilt. 

Finalists:

• Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Brownie Bites
• Talenti Coffee Toffee Gelato

Best Condiment:

Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

This raw, USDA Organic apple cider vinegar is simply the best. Unfiltered and never heated, the acidic condiment can be whisked with fruity olive oil for a simple dressing or used in baked goods for a softer texture. 

Finalists:

• Hampton Creek Just Mayo
• Tessemae's All Natural Green Goddess

Best Gluten-Free Baking Mix:

Enjoy Life Gluten-Free Brownie Mix

Free of the top eight allergens (wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, fish, and shellfish), Enjoy Life's new brownie mix employs ancient grains, plant proteins, and even added probiotics to make this just-add-oil, kid-approved brownie as healthful as possible.

Finalists:

• Simple Mills Vanilla Cake
• Living Now Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Mix

Best Vegan Ice Cream:

Luna & Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss Salted Caramel & Chocolate

Coconut's ample fat content and creamy consistency makes it an ideal swap for cow's milk in frozen desserts. When it's blended with fair-trade chocolate, organic caramel, and sea salt, it becomes divine. 

Finalists:

• Amy's Organic Non-Dairy Mocha Chocolate Chip
• Vixen Kitchen Naked Chocolate Premium Vegan Gelato

Best Vegan Butter Substitute:

Ellyndale Organics Coconut Infusions Butter

A brilliant butter replacement that contains just two vegan ingredients: organic virgin coconut oil and nondairy flavor. Use it to add buttery texture and taste to baked goods, or melt and drizzle over popcorn for an authentic movie-night snack. 

Finalists:

• Earth Balance Avocado Oil Spread
• Sutter Buttes Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Butter

Best Vegan Cheese:

Kite Hill Almond Milk Cheese Soft Ripened

This tangy, slightly pungent cultured cheese is just as creamy and nuanced as its dairy-containing counterpart, except that it's made with almond milk. The company recommends pairing it with a dry Chardonnay ... don't mind if we do. 

Finalists:

• Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
• Field Roast Vegan Chao Slices Tomato Cayenne

Best Meat Substitute:

Upton's Naturals Jackfruit Chili Lime Carnitas

The makers of perfectly spiced seitan recently debuted a line of meat substitutes made with jackfruit, a vitamin C-rich East Asian fruit that is similar to animal protein with its meaty texture. Upton's Natural's jackfruit is marinated in barbecue spices and shredded to fill tacos and sloppy joes. 

Finalists:

• Sweet Earth Natural Foods Tuscan-Style Savory Grounds
• Gardein Gluten-Free Beefless Ground

Best Vegetarian Frozen Meal:

Evol Butternut Squash & Sage Ravioli

Dump this easy-open bag into a skillet, and you'll have a tasty meal for two in just 10 minutes. The ravioli are filled with a trio of cheese and butternut squash, plus kale and tomatoes in the sauce. And, you get a nice 13 grams of protein per serving. 

Finalists:

• Saffron Road Vegetable Pad Thai
• Artisan Bistro Veggie Chorizo Huevos Rancheros

Best Vegetarian Burger:

Giv Sriracha with Sweet Chili Burger

If sinking your teeth into this organic veggie burger—made with brown rice, red quinoa, buckwheat, mung beans, moringa, and chia—isn't enough to woo you, Giv also donates 50 percent of profits to charities you can choose on their website. We're officially fans. 

Finalists:

• Beyond Meat Beast Burger
• Carla Lee's NutBurgers Original