We’re Starting a Healthy Food Product Company!

Check out our ideas for starting a healthy food product company and see a list of 15 healthy food brands who are trying to do the right thing…

A lot of you that follow along in our support group, Positive Healing, are already very aware of this big news (and you help us A LOT with the details – thank you!), but this little “news nugget” might’ve slipped through the cracks for some of you.

We’re starting a healthy food product company…

A super-duper-ridiculously-crazy-healthy food product company! Yo, that’s what’s up.

And we’re doing it for you.

Because we <3 you.

Why are we taking on this new project?

Simply put, because it’s hard to find products that don’t contain sugar and/or chemicals.

2 years ago this fall, I had the idea to start my own healthy food company. At the time, I was just beginning to feel better from the drastic efforts I’d taken to regain my health, and I thought it would be a good idea to produce quality products for people just like me who have severely restricted diets.

People with diets like mine don’t have the luxury of grabbing something quick and easy if we don’t feel like cooking.

We have to make everything from scratch – and we choose to do it for our health.

When I started my super strict anti-Candida diet (which means completely sugar and chemical free; among a long list of other food no-no’s), I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to buy ANY products anymore.

Literally everything that went into my mouth had to be made with my own blood, sweat and tears.

That’s a really daunting task to take on when you’re desperately ill.

I’m not saying I was out there hunting my own meats and growing nuts and seeds or anything like that, but for the first time in my life, I had to prepare every meal component myself.

If I wanted spaghetti sauce for my zucchini noodles, I couldn’t just go out and buy a jar of spaghetti sauce. I learned to buy a glass jar of tomato sauce (because canned tomatoes leach more BPA into the product) and then I would season it with dried herbs, extra virgin olive oil and garlic to make it taste delicious.

Oh, and sugar, you guys. SUGAR IS IN EVERYTHING! We almost couldn’t believe it – and that was the main thing I needed to avoid on my healing diet.

I have a strong desire to help out my fellow restricted diet friends to give them one less thing to do!

We just want to help fill the void that exists in the food industry now.

Who will our products be for?

Almost everyone in the U.S. is overloaded with sugar and chemicals.

Our poor health as a nation reflects that.

We want to create more options for the people who are actively searching for genuinely healthy products.

We’ll cater to individuals who are trying to change their health, but don’t have the time or energy to do literally all of the work it takes just to eat a deliciously nourishing meal.

That’s what we all want, isn’t it? Whether we realize it or not.

We want our food to add something to our lives, not take something away.

This will mean our market will largely consist of people who are lacking in vibrant health and want to make better choices so they can get their shot at feeling better – just like I did!

People who suffer from illnesses such as Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, IBS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, thyroid issues, other autoimmune disorders, etc… benefit greatly from a real foods diet.

Or people who are just the new and improved me – the ones that don’t have to be super strict anymore, but have learned that mainstream foods don’t offer the wellbeing they’ve grown accustomed to. So they choose to maintain their better health by searching out better quality products.

Whatever the reason for choosing healthier products, we want to create more options.

Our mission…

To sell delicious products that don’t contain crap.

We define “crap” as non-food “food” that doesn’t belong in our bodies anyway. Things that will harm us, rather than help us.

Real food, 100% of the time, and we really mean it.

Just when I think I’ve found a new product that seems like it’ll make life a little easier… you know… the labels that “say all the right things”… I’ll see something in the ingredient list like “natural flavors”, “carrageenan” or something as simple as unhealthy oils – and then my search continues.

We don’t want any of the things that are in normal, “healthy” products to be found in our products.

The way my husband and I cook on a daily basis will be no different than the ingredients we add to our food products. Real food is all we’re willing to put out there because that’s all we believe in.

We won’t sell out. Promise.

If we can’t make a certain product come to light without adding fillers, thickeners, preservatives, or generally “icky” stuff to it, then we just won’t do it at all.

Because we <3 you.

We <3 ourselves, too! We want to be able to eat our own products, yo!

Our product ideas & timeframes…

In the near future, you can look forward to completely sugar free and naturally sweetened products such as sauces, condiments and dressings.

Once we get things a’truckin’, we’re planning to do a fun line of grain free desserts sweetened with natural sugars like raw honey and dried & fresh fruits. Everything from candy bars and cookies to frozen treats!

Like nothing you’ve seen on the market yet!

P.S. When we say “sugar free”, we really mean it – we don’t even use sugar substitutes like stevia or xylitol. And if we can’t make it taste good, we won’t do it.

On the subject of when our products will launch…

Please keep in mind, we’re just regular people with a regular, one-income household, so we’ll be taking this process one step at a time, but…

We’d love to get a yummy product out to you as early as this year!

Yaaaaaaaaaaay.

They’re not all bad, though…

There’s not a ton of action in the super-duper healthy food product market for people like me right now, but there are some decent ones out there. I’ll mention a few below.

We typically choose to buy organic as often as possible, but that’s not always an option when you’re looking for convenience.

In general, it’s important to check ingredient labels yourself. Don’t just go with what people are recommending as “safe” or what “sounds good” on the product label.

Knowing what ingredients you’re putting into your body is far more important than checking the calorie and/or fat content.

Here’s a list of products we love:

Jackson’s Honest Potato Chips: Their regular potato chips are organic and fried in coconut oil! Score! This is the only potato chip I’ll eat! *See it on Amazon*

Bubbies Pickles: These pickles contain live cultures (natural probiotics are good for gut health, people)! *See it on Amazon*

Sunja’s Kimchi: Speaking of probiotics… hello. I was addicted to this stuff for months while I was healing my gut. *See it on Amazon*

Paleo Wraps: Us grain free peeps need a legit way to stuff “stuff”, too! These wraps are sturdy as long as you don’t have too much liquid in your filling. I looooove the hint of natural sweetness the coconut brings to the table, too. *See it on Amazon*

SunButter: This is a excellent replacement for (moldy) peanut butter as it’s very similar in taste/texture. Just be sure to get the jar labeled “Organic” – that way the only ingredients will be roasted organic sunflower seeds. *See it on Amazon*

Larabar: These fruit and nut bars are made of just that – fruit and nuts! Most health bars are so full of junk it’s not even funny. Although these bars aren’t organic, the ingredients are simple and straightforward. I like to keep some around for emergencies – or while I’m traveling. Just check the ingredients to be sure they’re okay for your diet as there are many different products to choose from. *See it on Amazon*

Amy’s Tofu Scramble (Frozen meals): Amy’s offers a big line of organic frozen meals – the one I’m sharing with you here is dairy free and, I believe, this is their only GRAIN FREE option. If you still eat gluten free grains, though, they have a lot of delicious options for the gluten free dieters. Check out Amy’s Gluten Free Mexican Casserole Bowl, which is an old favorite of mine (and many others)! *See it on Amazon*

Tomatoes: Since I mentioned canned tomatoes not being the best for you earlier, let me share the brands we use: Bionaturae for stewed tomatoes/tomato sauce and tomato paste which is sold in glass jars. For chopped/diced tomatoes, we use Pomi brand in a serious pinch – but for this type of preparation, it’s generally easier most of the time to just chop your own tomatoes seeing as how these aren’t organic.

Here’s the “we haven’t tried yet, but heard good things” list:

Go Raw: I was insanely excited to hear about this product line! I haven’t looked through their entire list of options yet, but everything I’ve seen so far is grain free and mostly organic (just check ingredients: many of the chocolate items contain agave, and that’s “out” now). I can’t wait to get my hands on the Sunflower Seed Flax Snax (with a garlicy guac dip… mmmm). *See it on Amazon*

Bare Organic Fruit Chips: Fruit is all you need to make a yummy fruit chip because fruit is already so naturally sweet. But check the ingredients because they have some varieties that contain sugar. *See it on Amazon*

The Good Bean Sea Salt Baked Chickpeas: We no longer eat legumes, but with this product, make sure you stick with the sea salt variety to avoid unnecessary ingredients. These are also made with oils that might be a little questionable (safflower or sunflower oil), depending on your personal healthy oil beliefs. *See it on Amazon*

Bare Bones – a broth company: Bone broth is all the rage lately, and I love that this company makes a no b.s. bone broth with organic/grass fed meats – especially since it’s so important for healing the gut (we all need this!). People who are trying to heal their gut don’t always feel well enough to make their own bone broth, so this is perfect.

Cucina Antica: This sauce looks really good – straightforward ingredients. They have several options to choose from with minimal ingredients! I guess I could just go out and buy some spaghetti sauce after all! *See it on Amazon*

Boulder Coconut Oil Kettle Chips: Just 3 ingredients – coconut oil, potatoes and sea salt. Not organic, but very simple. They also have a 3 ingredient chip fried in the very healthy avocado oil. *See it on Amazon*

Do you know of a food company who’s trying to do better?

Please share your hidden treasure in the comments below. I know there are probably lots of brands who are keeping it on the “cleaner” side that I’m unfamiliar with. I’d love the suggestions, as would others, I’m sure!