Snack attack
Plant-based diets may be billed as healthful, but even vegans have their guilty pleasures.
According to natural-foods market analyst Spins, annual sales of vegan candy and individual snacks increased by 24.5 percent this past year; vegan chips, pretzels and snacks by 22 percent; vegan cookies and snack bars, 5.1 percent; vegan crackers and crispbreads, 9.5 percent; and vegan frozen desserts, 16 percent percent.
This junk-food boom is certainly visible on the shelves at San Francisco’s vegetarian cooperative Rainbow Grocery. While the market is known for its wide range of vitamins, nutritional supplements, produce and bulk foods, if you spend enough time wandering the aisles — which I do, as I’ve shopped here regularly for more than 10 years — you’ll realize that it’s also a cornucopia of plantbased snacks from all over the globe.
Vegan, gluten-free and corn-free quinoa cookies from Bolivia? Check. Vegan masala chai-infused caramel corn from Portland, Oregon? Absolutely.
According to Rainbow’s Paul Knowles, more than 800 feet of shelf space is devoted to snack/junk food, many made in Northern California.
Check out the highlights on the next page.
— Sarah Fritsche, sfritsche@sfchronicle.com
Pepples: This Oakland company has been plying its sweet vegan treats since 2007, including doughnuts and pastries like Pop-Tart-inspired Pep Tarts. They’re available at Pepples’ Oakland Donut Farm, Ferry Building kiosk, and in Rainbow’s bread and pastry aisle. www.pepplesdonuts.com
Wonderfully Raw: Sequoia Cheney and her chef son, Eric Hara, founded this Watsonville snack maker after she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The sweet and savory offerings include Coco-Roons (flavored raw coconut macaroons), Snip Chips (a parsnip and coconut snack mix) and Brussel Bytes (a snack mix made with organic Brussels sprouts, coconut and pumpkin seeds). www.wonderfullyrawgourmet.com
Delightful Foods/The No Bakery: Bilal Sabir started his family-owned and operated bakery in 1979. It’s the home of the No Cookie — no dairy, eggs or wheat — which comes in a variety of flavors including chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and island coconut.
www.nocookie.com
Lydia’s Organics: A pioneer in the organic/raw/vegan food industry, Lydia Kindheart has been spreading the gospel of raw and plant-based eating for two decades. While her cafe outposts, including Lydia’s Sunflower Center in Petaluma, have closed, the wholesale side of Kindheart’s operation, which sells its products like Rawkin’ Spicy Beet Chips and Kale Krunchies to some Bay Area retailers, is alive and kicking.
www.lydiasorganics.com
Sugar Plum Vegan: Melissa Sugar, who learned to bake in her Ukrainian grandmother’s Philadelphia kitchen, founded her plant-based bakery after moving to Sacramento in 2009. It offers a range of sweets, including cookies, doughnuts, cupcakes and even full-size decorated cakes, which you can find at a number of Northern California markets. www.sugar plumvegan.com
Nacheez: When it comes to DayGlo orange cheese dip, who says dairy lovers have all the fun? Sacramento’s Love & Joy Foods uses raw cashews and red bell peppers to make a dairy-free nacho cheese-style dip in spicy, medium and mild.
www.nacheez.com