Not just restaurants have taken a hit recently because of COVID-19 and social distancing. Local food product companies are suffering, too. That’s why this morning on Global Montreal I talked about how a lot of them who’d planned to be at the cancelled Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert are now taking part in a digital version of the event (complete with promo codes and special deals, just like the original version) starting this Friday (tomorrow). It was a bit different form my annual segment about the massive exhibition of healthy foods and eco-friendly products, but host Kim Sullivan got to taste a few of the products for you so you’ll have some suggestions on what to buy online.
How the Discount Code Works
Go to the Expo Mangersante.com starting Friday at 9 a.m. and there’ll be links to all the participating companies’ websites with a promo code. All the listed companies can deliver right to your door. Not all the products I had on the show this morning will deliver, but those are available at major grocers or smaller health food stores around the city, province or country. To help you out, I’ve listed everything I had on the show below, along with where you can find it.
The Local Companies, Their Products and Where to Get Them
Abokichi: Low-sodium miso soup base made with sake lees and a trio of spicy sesame miso oils called okazu.
I’m drinking a mug of this instant miso soup right now. What I love about it is it’s low-sodium and really tasty, with a tiny bit of natural sweetness (not added sugar) from the koji used to make the miso and the leftover sake lees. I actually like squeezing this miso directly from he package onto cooked rice sometimes. And the Okazu miso oils are crunchy and/or spicy and silken and perfect for stuffing Japanese onigiri (which is what Cafe Falco does with it in the Mile End. The miso and okazu come in different flavours, but there’s a hit of garlic in all of them (great for a cold) and black pepper and chili versions of both. They’re a bit sweeter and crunchy-savoury with sugar and sesame seeds added.
Snacktonic: Gluten free granolas and soft granola bars made with soy flakes or gluten-free oats
Available: Online (get a monthly online subscription) and at health food stores.
These are completely addictive granolas, specially the blueberry one. I basically picked the blueberries out of it (and did the same for the dates in the date and orange flavour). They’re made with soyflakes, which you don’t often see, but are so exciting for anyone avoiding gluten and oats who still wants real granola. Plus they’re not crazy high sugar. And the orange-zest flavour is so strong in the bars that I love it.
Logan Petit Lot: Artisanal nut butters
Available: At health food stores in Montreal, Laval and Montérégie
These come in an assortment of sweet and savoury flavours, including almond ginger, maple pecan and cashew sesame, which is what I had on the show. The almond ginger has these big, sweet chunks of crystallized ginger in it that are completely addictive.
La Mexicoise: Cricket and insect-based snacks
Available: Online through their website
I’ll be honest, looking at these insect snacks kind of grosses me out, but they taste really good if you like crunchy. And the brownies are just like regular brownies because the insects are ground into a high-protein flour (gluten free!). Some of the snack bags have maple syrup and some have dried fruit added. And they’re theoretically lower carbon footprint than meats.
Wild Blueberry Juice from Nova Bleu
Available: These are at IGAs and Metros at about $10 for 500 mL.
This is amazing local blueberry juice. There’s no sugar added and no water added. It’s naturally sweet and high antioxidant.
Fody Foods: Low-FODMAP barbecue, teriyaki and Taco sauces, plus vinaigrettes, garlic-infused oils, salsas and granola bars
Available: At Rachelle-Bery, Metro, TAU, and other locations and online at fodyfoods.com.
Fody Foods is the first company to offer an entire range of low FODMAP, onion and garlic free products. I’m gluten free and dairy free and was on a low-FODMAP diet for six weeks for digestion and I would have loved to have these products! Do you know how hard it is to find salsa without onion and garlic? Here’s more about the FODMAP diet and why people try it.
Rheintal: Plant-based burgers and sausages made with teff and gluten-free grains
Available: Not sure. Their meats are available at some Metros, Premiere Moissons and butcher shops, so I’m hoping these will be too.
Rheintal is known for their pastured meats, but now they’re also offering plant-based substitutes. These are actually more full of plants than other plant-based burgers and still gluten free and vegan.
Shockingly Healthy: Chickpea- and date-based blondies and brownies
Available: In health food stores. They have home delivery through partners in Toronto, so I’m hoping they get that here too soon through Lufa Farms or other food boxes. For now, you can find them around Montreal.
Shockingly Healthy has coconut chocolate chip and salted peanut butter and chocolate chip blondies and double chocolate brownies. They come in individual servings or larger packs.
Mid-Day Squares: Functional chocolate bars (think chocolate bar meets protein bar).
Available: Online and in natural health food stores all over the city. Soon in major grocery stores.
Mid-Day Squares are 90% chocolate squares that the company calls a “functional bar” with superfoods added like sacha inchi as well as hemp and almond butters and other vegan proteins and non-refined sugars.
Apiflex – Non-plastic food wraps made with either beeswax of vegan vegetable cellulose
Available: In their online boutique.
I love this company as an environmentally friendly way of wrapping food. These come in different sizes and in packs of three and stick around bowls and other dishes and you can wash them in cool water and reuse them a ridiculous number of times.
By2048: Plant-based lox, poke and fish sauce
Available: Online at at Rachelle-Bery.
The poke and lox are based on carrots and has liquid smoke and gluten free tamari in it with different oils and seasonings to give it that fish texture. It tastes cured, so not mushy and not raw.
The name of the company, By2048, comes from the prediction of some scientists that the oceans will devoid of any of the fish that we consume commercially by the year 2048.
Le Grand: Vegan lemon, raspberry, plain, vanilla and coffee flavoured cashew and coconut yogurts.
What Else is Part of the Digital Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert?
If you were disappointed to not take part in the cooking demos and workshops that the Expo offers, don’t worry! They’re still offering them. And for free! Go to www.expomangersante.com starting Friday to watch a bunch of them online. There’ll also be contests.
Official website : www.expomangersante.com
Facebook : @ExpoMangerSanteEtVivreVert
Instagram : @expomangersante, #expomangersante2020
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