Top Ten New Dairy-Free Foods 2009 Countdown

Over at GoDairyFree.org Alisa Fleming writes that:

Each year our review staff samples hundreds of new dairy-free products. We are constantly scouring the shelves for the latest natural goodies to challenge the myth that dairy-free living is anything less than delicious. This year we had so many new innovations to choose from that it was mind-boggling, but we finally narrowed it down to ten wonderful foods. Oh yes, and our selections are completely unbiased, unsponsored, and personally sampled, so you can bet these are foods we happily spend our own hard-earned money on …

Wait. Our review staff? Staff? I've always wanted to have staff. A flunky, even. Maybe a peon. An unpaid intern would be nice. Dear Santa...

Anyway, she's been counting down the top ten and we're finally down to number one.

But first:
10: Erewhon Strawberry Crisp Cereal
9: Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips
8: Amazing Grass Berry GREENSuperFood
7: Applegate Farms Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets
6: Manitoba Harvest HempPro 70
5: Clean Cravings Pesto Pizza
4: Amy’s Organic Cakes
3: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
2: Go Max Go Candy Bars

And the top choice is:

Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread - Soy-Free

Seriously, why in the world did it take so long for someone to come out with a dairy-free, soy-free butter alternative? For its versatility, ingredients, and performance, this buttery spread easily slides into our number one spot ...

As a trans fat free spread, Earth Balance Soy-Free is heads and tails above traditional old margarine in terms of ingredients, yet it performs equally well in recipes. We have trialed it in baked goodies, roasted vegetables, stove-top sauces, melted atop broccoli and green beans, whipped into frostings, and simply spread on fresh-baked bread, and I am happy to say that it easily passed all tests.

The texture of the new Earth Balance Soy-free is close to identical to your average tub margarine, the mouth feel is rich and creamy, and the flavor is spot on. My only complaint was that it tasted a touch saltier than I am used too, but my fellow reviewer thought it could use a touch more salt … so I think this is simply a matter of taste.

Not all stores are stocking the soy-free version as of yet, but when I asked my local Whole Foods and even my local mega-grocer to bring some in, both not only obliged, but were surprised when the remaining tubs from the batch they ordered flew off the shelves.

You can read more about each selection at Go Dairy Free.