Over 300 organizations came together to bring consumers the latest sustainable innovations in:

Here are the 5 trends at EPIC Expo:

1. Eat Seasonal, Eat Sustainable

Whole Foods sponsored the EPICurean Stage with top culinary experts and chefs preparing seasonal, sustainable cuisine, and demonstrating their favourite recipes and techniques, inspiring us to do the same at home.  Presenters included Derek Sarno (Senior Healthy Eating & Culinary Educator at Whole Foods Market), Matt Talavera (Executive Chef  at Whole Foods Market),  Katie Lysakowski (Food Blogger), Sharon Hanna (Author of The Book of Kale), and Wendy Boys (Pastry Chef at Cocolico).

2. Fairtrade Products for A Better Ecosystem

EPIC Fair Trade Pavilion, in partnership with Fair Trade Vancouver, was the place to learn about “fairtrade” and the importance of it. Fairtrade not only means fair pay and working conditions, more power for marginalized workers and protection for children, it also encourages environmental sustainability and community support. Expo attendees were also able to buy unique fairtrade products to support developing nations! Fairtrade exhibitors included Choice’s Market, Zazubean, Ten Thousand Villages, and Level Ground Trading Company.

Salt Spring Coffee was serving fairtrade coffee, too!

3. Back to Basics Ingredients 

 Healthy living isn’t complete without nutritious foods. EPIC Expo exhibitors are leading the way in making healthy and delicious products by using simple, back to basic ingredients. Products to suit allergy and dietary needs such as certified organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, and raw varieties are becoming more available and affordable than ever! Companies following this trend include New World Natural Foods, Bremners Foods, Taste of Nature, Giddy Yoyo and Maison Orphee. They satisfied many taste buds with their products made with less processing, better for your health and the environment.

Sam Graci, Genuine Health and GreensPlus, took the EPIC stage with expert advice on using food as medicine for younger, healthier, and happier lives.

 4. Locavore

 The EPICurean Corner showcased the finest wines and foods from British Columbia’s local wineyards and food vendors. These companies use local ingredients  for the freshest and most nutritious products possible. Expo attendees savoured tasty bites from local companies including Terra Breads, One Planet Catering, ToDieFor Banana Bread, Rocky Mountain Flatbread, and Quejos Bakery.

5. Waste Less

Similar to CHFA, companies are revamping their product packaging to reduce the amount of waste produced. This not only saves money, it also helps to create a sustainable environment. Canterbury Coffee is going the extra mile to make the world a little “greener” by composting, recycling, using fuel-efficient vehicles for logistics, and working with their supply chain partners to create sustainable packaging. Stanley Park Brewery, Canada’s first sustainable brewery, and Steam Whistle are innovating the beer industry by applying new technologies and green initatives to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

The next EPIC Expo will take place in Dubai, UAE in February 2013, and is the Middle East’s FIRST consumer show to inspire sustainable consumer behaviour. Learn more about EPIC Expo at EPICExpo.com. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter @EPIC_Expo

You love their gluten-free crisps and granola. Now you get the chance to fall in love with their latest gluten-free creation.

Introducing… Martin’s Marvelous Cookies!

Martin’s Marvelous Cookies are gluten-free, nut-free, and egg-free, just like their crisps and granola.

They are marvelously delicious, made with the best ingredients, and the sugar and chocolate chips are now all organic and fairtrade.

ENTER TO WIN ALL 3 FLAVOURS!

Simply:

1. Enter on Facebook

2. Share and get 2 friends to sign up to double your chances of winning!

Refuel

Made with gluten-free pure oats, cranberries, sunflower seeds, fairtrade organic chocolate chips, and flax seed, these are great for breakfast or anytime you need that extra pep!

Zesty Lemon

Made with pure lemon oil, this flavour is marvelous with tea and  for making ice-cream sandwiches. Or snack them right out of the box!

Classic Chocolate Chip

The trick to these marvelous cookies is simple.  Lots and lots of chocolate chips – and the best fairtrade organic ones only! 

Learn more about Martin’s Marvelous at MartinsMarvelous.com. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter @martinsgfree 

Contest ends May 29th, 2012 at 9am PST. Three (3) winners will be selected at random and notified by email. Winners must reply with their mailing address for prize shipment. Shipping address must be in Canada. Winners will receive a total of three (3) boxes of Martin’s Marvelous Cookies, one (1) box of each flavour ($30 total value), plus one (1) Martin’s Marvelous resuable ladybug bag.

Canadians are experiencing The Food Label Paradox.

Food labels are designed to help us choose healthy products faster and easier, but findings show that they are difficult to understand. One-size-fits-all standardization of food labels and over-labelling have caused food label confusion. This is not only eroding the purpose of food labels to facilitate healthy eating, but this has also become a barrier to achieving healthier diets. 

In a recent study by Loblaw livelivewell survey, food label confusion remains a barrier to achieving healthier diets. The study shows that Canadians want to make healthier changes, with Albertans leading the way:

• 81% of Albertan respondents are making healthier choices than they did more than a year ago.
• Followed by the Atlantic provinces with 70%.
• British Columbia and Ontario at 68% and 67%.
• Quebec at 63% and Manitoba & Saskatchewan at 58%.

Almost 1 in 3 Canadians are working specifically to reduce the amount of fat, sugar, and sodium in their diets. With so many Canadians looking to eating healthier, they experience food label confusion as an obstacle in reaching that goal.  Combined with price perceptions that healthier foods are too expensive (The Healthy Shopper can help with that!), Canadians find barriers in understanding nutritious options that are available to them.  Food labels aim to close the understanding gap, but it is evident their clutter and confusion prevent it from achieving such purpose.

Canada’s Food Guide Food and Nutrition attempts to aid this issue with a guide on how to understand food labels.  However, nutritional labels are catered to the general population, not to the individual.

For example: % Daily Value for fat, carbohydrates and protein are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This one-size-fits all standardization does not account for important nutrition factors such as age, gender, and exercise level.  In most cases, a 16-year old active boy does not consume the same amount of calories as a 50 year old woman.  Daily values for vitamins and minerals are also based on a nutritional intake benchmarked in 1983!  While food labels provide important nutrition information, they are only useful if they can be tailored to each individual’s diets and needs.

This is why CarrotLines App personalizes food labels to help individuals make healthy choices right for them. The app reads food labels with a simple barcode scan.

1)Set up a personal profile of your specific nutrition, dietary, and lifestyle needs

2)Scan the barcodes on food products

3)Know instantly if it’s a healthy match for YOU!

Try the app for free and start  making healthier choices faster.

How do YOU overcome obstacles in eating healthier and making better food choices? Tell us in the comments below!

The GSW conference began with a bang as keynote speaker W. Brett Wilson, one of Canada’s most popular television personalities and a former dragon on CBC Dragon’s Den, inspired us with life lessons in business and in life. While Wilson is known for his workaholic habits, his big heart and philanthropic efforts have carved a special place in Canadian business. His heart-felt stories about his childhood hardships and bullying propelled his motivation for a life of hard work and success, with a motto of investing in people rather than just the project. 

 W.Brett Wilson Keynote presentation at GSW.

However, the trials and tribulations of parenting sparked a change in priorities for Wilson. As work replaced time with family, he realized that success can come at a cost, as he became more and more distant from his kids and now ex-wife.  Today, he spends as much time with his family as possible and believes that being healthy is the real truth behind happiness. 

We caught up with W.Brett Wilson and asked him about his thoughts on innovations in the grocery industry.  Keep an eye out for our video interview with him soon!

NHL All-Star Trevor Linden was the keynote presentation for Day 2 of the event. His successful fitness enterprise, Club 16 Trevor Linden Fitness Club and She’s Fit!, has started a revolution to make fitness more accessible to everyone. With high membership fee as the main barrier for joining a fitness club, Trevor Linden is forging the way for Canadians to affordably obtain a fit lifestyle. He shared with us how lessons learned on the ice as a former Canucks captain have translated into a successful business career. 

CFIG Key Trends in 2012:

The event brought over 400 food industry retailers and producers showcasing the newest products and innovations in the grocer industry.  We visited vendors from Coke and McCain to local food producers such as Earth Island and Trumps Foods. Here are the key trends we noticed:

Companies of all sizes are recognizing the need for healthier products. Companies ranging medium-sized vendors to big food conglomerates are re-engineering their existing product lines and developing new ones to appeal to a growing health-conscious market. Traditional products are now found with lower sodium, no sugar added, organic and natural ingredients that everyone can pronounce. As well, we noticed an increase in allergy, lifestyle and environment friendly products ranging from the obvious gluten-free to vegan and recyclable packaging.

Mobile trends, such as utilizing QR codes and UPC scanning apps, are allowing grocers to do more than just push messages about their products – grocers can now directly engage and connect with consumers. These mobile trends are allowing for two-way dialogue between brands and their customers, extending digital marketing efforts and providing information to consumers when and where it matters.

Check out some booths at the event:

Tree of Life Foods specializes in Natural and Specialty Foods.

Vijs from Vancouver’s top Indian restaurant, Vij’s Restaurant, was sampling his new “Vij’s at Home” line with dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free frozen curry options.

Hand cooked potato chips Darling Spuds are organic, natural, and gluten-free.  These little spud chips will soon be appearing at national grocers in Canada -keep an eye out for them!

Nature’s Path has entered into the crunchy bar category with 3 flavours including organic Macaroon Crunch.

To add onto a weekend of inspiring speeches and the latest innovations in the food industry,  it was a pleasant surprise to also meet Mijune Pak, the founder of FollowMeFoodie.com and finalist on Recipe to Riches. We’ll be posting a video soon on Mijune’s favorite highlights from the show.

We had an amazing time meeting everyone at the event and tasting the latest products. Visit our Facebook Gallery for more photos of the event. Make sure to tag yourself and anyone you know in the photos!

Follow us on Twitter @carrotlines for the latest coverage in health, fitness, and wellness. Make healthier choices faster

The opening keynote of the conference was Lisa Oz of The Lisa Oz Show. She engaged us with insights on the path to improving yourself, your health, your relationships, and your life. Sponsored by Holy Crap, Lisa is a New York Times Best Selling Author with her book, ”US: Transforming Ourselves and the Most Relationships That Matter Most“.

She inspired us to get moving towards a life of happiness with her experiences and practical advice. Here are the 3 key points to sum it up:

1. Self Observation: Take time to observe yourself; you are not your emotions

2. Kindness: Show acts of kindness to yourself, family, friends, and others in your life

3. Gratitude: Exercise in saying thank you and see the lighter side of negative situations

The founding editor of the popular HealthCastle.com, Gloria Tsang, was front row with us at the conference. Health Castle is a great resource for anyone looking for nutritional advice from registered dieticians – they know what they’re talking about! Follow @HealthCastleGlo for health tips you can rely on!

The tasty part came at the CHFA trade show. It was a spectacular showcase of the newest healthy food products available to Canadians. We noticed a big increase in organic, nonGMO, and BAP free products as well as foods for all diets including gluten free, wheat free, yeast free, vegan, kosher, and halal. We can definitely say that these new products don’t taste diet-restricted – they are delicious!   

The top trends we saw at the event are:

Conveniently healthy

Health and convenience are starting to converge with the large variety of healthier options out on the Canadian market.  While fast food is technically a piece of fruit or vegetable, the ubiquitous understanding of “fast food” carries an unhealthy connotation. Food companies at the event recognize the need for convenient foods that are also good for the body.

Cookin’ Greens offers fresh, 100% natural frozen dark leafy vegetables including kale, rapini, and spinach.  From farm to frozen in 6 hours, it’s like picking vegetables right from a garden.  They taste great with a little garlic and olive oil.

Environmentally-friendly packaging

With the growing awareness of the environment, healthy consumers also want a healthy planet to live in. We were thrilled to see an increase in eco-friendly packaging using recyclable materials and post-consumer waste. This helps to minimize waste – better for the earth, better for you – and the package designs are also captivating!

New World Natural Foods makes certified organic products, from nut butters and granola to the crowd-favourite gluten-free Bliss Balls. Their wide range of products, all made in BC, have eco-friendly packaging – something the company has been doing for many years!

Gluten-free products… that don’t taste gluten-free!  

Martin’s Marvelous Crisps brought out the ‘love bug’ in us as our tastebuds fell head over heels with their NEW gourmet, wheat free, and nut free cookies. Let’s not forget about the cute new design on their box!  Remember: Eat, Love, and Share :)

Organic & nonGMO

Sunrise Soya was sampling its new ‘StirFry – Tofu in Sauce‘ line that makes eating healthy fast and convenient. They also have their ‘Soyganic Tofu‘ line, one of the best-tasting organic, gluten free, nonGMO, vegan tofu on the market.

Natures Path showed us their new crunchy granola bars with deliciously healthy flavours such as Honey Oat Crunch Flax Plus and Apple Pie Crunch Chia Plus. Always organic and nonGMO, Nature’s Path also makes products for special diets such as gluten-free and low sodium. If you didn’t already know, Nature’s Path recently donated $500,000 to support mandatory labeling of GM/GMO food products in North America. Find out more at JustLabelIt.Org

Innovative Digital Experience

We saw a rise of food companies utilizing digital and mobile to engage with consumers. Companies, especially packaged foods, are seeing the benefits of social media as a cost-effective way to directly reach consumers. Most importantly, they tell us that it works!

The biggest concern for companies we heard was how to get consumers to know about their products before picking them up. With so many healthy products out there, it’s hard for consumers to know which one is right for them.

One initiative that stood out includes Enjoy Life Foods. Their gluten-free products, free of the 8 most common allergen, are a part of KlutchClub, a website that ships out a monthly package of healthy products to members. We love that this allows them to reach curious consumers directly, have them try the product, and (hopefully) benefit from positive word-of-mouth that grows exponentially on social media.

As always, we enjoyed doing live social media coverage on Twitter with all the CHFA members. Check out photos of other great products we found at CHFA Conference and Trade Show on our Facebook gallery.

This is a blog post by Kia Robertson, President of  Today I Ate a Rainbow. 

I sometimes find it helpful to give myself a theme when coming up with healthy snacks for my daughter!  Since we are always working on eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables I decided to share some daily snack ideas based on color!

Using a rainbow as a guide you will be ensuring that your kids are benefitting from a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

Here are some suggestions for snacks in all of the colours of the rainbow.

Red Snacks
Red pepper slices
Radishes
Apples slices
Cherries
Grapes
Pomegranates
Rhubarb

Orange Snacks
Carrots
Mangoes
Apricots
Peaches
Squash
Nectarines
Papaya

Yellow Snacks
Bananas
Pears
Squash
Starfruit
Apples
Wax Beans

Green Snacks
Broccoli
Celery
Grapes
Green Pepper slices
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi

Purple Snacks
Eggplant chips *here is our In The Rainbow Kitchen video on how to make them
Blackberries
Raisins
Grapes
Cabbage
Prunes
Dried Figs
Purple Pepper

Eating a Rainbow of fruits and veggies is a fun way to shop for and eat produce!  So when it’s time to serve up a meal or snack think of eating as many colors as you can!

CarrotLines is fortunate to work with health and wellness enthusiasts including medical and health experts, nutritionists, dieticians, fitness experts, and every day people like yourself who have found their way to a healthy journey to inspire others. Our writers are passionate about healthy living. We would like to introduce Kia Robertson, President of Today I Ate a Rainbow.

Kia Robertson
President of Today I Ate a Rainbow

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit, a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

To find out more, visit TodayIAteARainbow.com or follow them on Facebook.com/TodayIAteARainbow or Twitter.com/EatingARainbow.

Join us at CHFA West: Western Canada’s largest natural health and organics trade event.
Trade Show: Saturday, April 21 & Sunday, April 22, 2012 (10am-5pm)
Vancouver Convention Centre (West )

With 65,000 square feet of innovative products, 450-plus industry-leading exhibitors, and a wide range of educational seminars, CHFA West is your chance to network, learn and connect with other Health Food enthusiasts. The CarrotLines team will be there learning about the latest health and food products and innovations and supporting our favorite brands who have signed up to the CarrotLines app. Make sure to drop by Nature’s Path, Martin’s Marvelous, Cookin’ Greens, and New World Natural Foods!

This weekend also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) and some of the top dogs of the industry will be in Vancouver for Grocery Showcase West 2012 to commemorate the occasion!

Grocery Showcase West is already regarded as the epicenter for growth and development in the Western Canadian grocery industry, and CarrotLines will be there to join in on the special celebrations taking place this milestone year.

Join us at Grocery Showcase West 2012
Trade Show: Sunday, April 22, 2012 and Monday, April 23, 2012
Vancouver Convention Centre (East) 

We look forward to seeing you all this weekend!

If you want to talk to us during the event, tweet us @CarrotLines or e-mail media(at)carrotlines(dot)com to set up a time to chat.

Follow our tweets this weekend through #CHFA & #CFIG50 and Stay tuned to our event coverage!

Why Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen

Indian Food is traditionally perceived as oily and with limited options for those with special dietary requirements. We were pleasantly surprised by Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen that offers a healthier Indian menu with a variety of options for your taste buds and lifestyle needs. All of the food is made with fresh ingredients and minimum oil, resulting in lower fat and less sodium options. Throughout the menu, you will find gluten free, vegan, halal and Ocean Wise seafood options clearly labeled. As well, Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen is happy to make custom changes to menu items that you desire!

Chef Siddhartha @ Siddhartha's Indian Kitchen

History of the place

In the fall of 2011, Chef Siddhartha Choudhary took over the space that was once called Corner Tandoori on Commercial Drive. He spent a few months testing new menu items and listening to what the community wanted to eat in the area. The customers wanted to see a more upscale modern restaurant in this area with healthy options as well. On the Feb 14, 2012, the space re-opened as Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen with a new look and updated menu. The first thing you will notice when visiting Siddhartha’s is the beautiful mural painted on the outside of restaurant on McSpadden Avenue and Commercial Drive.

Tell us about the mural outside:

“I wanted a great piece of artwork outside. Initially I wanted to divide the wall into 7 or 8 different pieces and run a community competition. After taking some advice from some regulars, I decided to have a large mural that included Buddha and nice message that is easy to read from passing cars. The artist is actually someone who lives in the area and came to eat at my restaurant. I wanted to showcase art of someone from the community.”

Siddhartha's beauitful mural @ McSpadden Ave

What was your vision for this space?

“I’ve been a chef for over 12 years working in countries such as India, England, Ireland, and Canada. I wanted to open a space that the customers would come back for the food and showcase traditional values of nurture and care in modern taste buds surrounding a community. I found that Commercial Drive was the perfect area for this because the people here like to dine out, relax with friends and just be themselves. I wanted to see the space as somewhere where people can come relax and enjoy food.“

To match the present pace of contemporary life and demands of diverse healthy paths, Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen commits to traditional gluten free, vegetarian preparations and buying only Ocean Wise certified seafood and halal meats. Chef Siddhartha can often be seen purchasing his ingredients from local produce stores in the community.

Vegan Dish - Roasted Vegetable Entree with Eggplant, Peppers, Mushroom, Asparagus

How did existing and new customers respond to the changes in the menu?

“I did not get any objections to the new menu; the price range ($10-$15) that we have here is still affordable. On top of that, I offer fresh items and lots of healthy options. The customers enjoy the improved ambiance here and they like to sit down and eat here. Unlike other Indian restaurants, I have lots of salads and seafood options as well. Soon, I will be coming out with a weekend brunch menu.”

The décor is a mix between modern contemporary and traditional Indian. Beautiful paintings of Buddha hang on the wall and soft down tempo Indian electronic music sets the mood.

Tell us about your healthier options?

“I wanted to take traditional Indian food and make it more presentable. Presentation is my specialty. When I came to Canada I realize that especially here in Vancouver this is a city where a “healthy revolution” is going on. People really want to eat healthy food. Most of my salads and soups have vegan options and low in fat. I changed the way I cook my chicken and lamb to ensure that it was low in fat. The meats are cooked in a pot (braising or roasting) in their natural fat to avoid any additional fats or oils. This saves money too.”

L-R: House made Chai Tea, Braised Lamb Shank, Roasted Tomatoes and Mustard Soup with Fresh Curry Leaves, Kashi Greens with Tandoori Chicken

How is your food “fresh”?

“Fresh doesn’t mean that I’ve gone to the farms and met the farmers. We recognize “fresh” as a method of cooking. From procuring the produce in the morning, we prepare and cook our sauces fresh everyday before being served to our customers. Everything is made from scratch. We use seasonal vegetables that are locally grown and choose from the latest Ocean Wise catches – this means we adapt and update our menus regularly. Due to the lack of storage space in our kitchen, we only prepare what we know we will sell on that day. My desserts are almost always sold out daily and butter chicken is sometimes made twice in a day.”

Daily Fresh Fish: Ocean Wise Cod in Lemon Coconut MIlk

Vegan Summer Salad with Lentil Chips

Thanks again to Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen for having the CarrotLines team. Visit the newly renovated space for yourself –  you’ll be pleasantly surprised with their lighter and tasty options.

Siddhartha’s Indian Kitchen

(604) 215-7556
Commercial Drive / Grandview
2066 Commercial Dr.,Vancouver, BC

Like Siddhartha’s on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @Siddharthas_kit

Dessert: Ras Malai – fresh cottage cheese simmered in coconut milk

Our new series Healthy Eateries In The City will highlight Canadian gems that serve delicious food with health and nutrition in mind. 

We know how difficult it is to decipher nutritional information, whether in the grocery store or at a restaurant. In the US, restaurants now have to provide nutritional information on their menus and offer ‘lighter’ options, but Canadian restaurants do not have that obligation. It is left up to the discretion of the owner. 

On average, Canadian households visit a restaurant for a meal or snack 520 times a year (Statistics Canada, 2006). Since dining out is central to the modern lifestyle – and more Canadians than ever are conscious about health and nutrition – Healthy Eateries In The City aims to help you fulfill a healthier lifestyle by bringing together the restaurant industry with Canada’s quest for healthier cuisine.

Where are the healthy eateries?

CarrotLines is teaming up with local restaurants across Canada to provide information on where the healthy eateries are located and where those with dietary preferences can dine out.

By providing  options and customizations, restaurants are demonstrating their commitment to providing healthy alternatives for all individuals in the community.

Stay tuned as we showcase some of the tastiest healthy options in a city near you!

She was so inspired that she wrote a book called French Kids Eat Everything {and yours can too} that is now available for purchase and has already been featured on Good Morning America! If you’re interested about how you can turn your picky eaters into more adventurous ones, we have the perfect opportunity for you!

Another BC mom Kia Robertson, creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kits - a game that gets kids asking to eat fruits and veggies, has teamed up with Karen’s publisher HarperCollins to put together a Twitter Party next week and YOU are invited!

Happy Healthy Eating,

Kia

Karen Le Billon, author of French Kids Eat Everything @karenlebillon

Kia Robertson, creator of Today I Ate A Rainbow kits @eatingarainbow

First time to a Twitter Party? No worries – the more the merrier!

Twitter parties are a fun way to meet new people, learn new things, and win prizes! Make sure you follow the twitter party hosts and join the conversation by including the designated hashtag (in this party #frenchkids) to each of your posts.  Follow us @carrotlines - see you there!