Black-Owned Brands for the Clean Foodie
This curated collection of clean eats from Black creators will transform your snacking experience, from spirulina-topped popcorn to vegan nacho cheese to the newest butter on the block.
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1. Oat to Joy
When you need to refrigerate it as soon as it arrives at home, you know you’re dealing with a truly organic, raw, preservative-free product. Oat Butter Brand’s signature item, the Oat Butter in Cinnamon Maple Walnut, is giving nut butters a run for their money. This sweet spread pairs fantastically with sliced apples or bananas.
“I created this product to be good for people and for the planet. It’s known that popular nut butter spreads require a lot of water and deplete the earth’s resources in far greater quantities than oats do. I want people to feel good about what they eat without the guilt of eating things that have preservatives or additives.”
– Jakera Willis, Founder
2. Savory Snacking with Spirulina
Low in calories and high in nutrition, Azziah’s Herbal Green Popcorn is about as healthy as savory snacking gets. These tasty morsels are flavored with kitchen staple spices and topped with spirulina, a blue-green algae linked to improving blood lipid levels and lowering blood pressure and blood sugar.
“I was hungry and the kids needed a quick and tasty snack. I don’t feed my children preservative-laden foods, so I used the staples in my kitchen cabinet. The idea to add spirulina came because it was colorful, which the children liked, and it allowed me to sneak in a high-nutrition superfood without them ever knowing.”
– Azzizah A. Rahim, Founder
3. Not Your Average Granola
We guarantee you’ve never seen granola like this before, or at least we hadn’t! Mawa’s GrainFreeNola is gluten-free, paleo, vegan, keto and features elevated flavor combos with unique ingredients. Our fav is Out Of Africa, with organic cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, tamarind and hibiscus flowers!
“My background is my primary inspiration. I’ve lived on four different continents. The places I’ve been, the people I’ve met, my journey to getting to where I am today – all plays into the flavors I pull from. I bring my international background into the flavors, sourcing unique and rare ingredients from all over the world, and making sure everything is hand-mixed.”
– Chef Mawa McQueen, Founder
4. An EVOO for Everything
Salad station in need of an upgrade? The Organic Olive Oil line by Chic Chef Co. has got your back. Every oil in this wide-ranging collection is infused with natural flavors, including Lemon, Garlic, Habanero and, our favorite, Chipotle. Splash your greens with bold flavor or mix with herbs for a one-of-a-kind bread dip.
“I was inspired to make olive oil because I wanted to add additional healthy flavors without changing the integrity of the food. You have to taste the olive oils and vinegars to see what the fuss is all about.”
– Chef Nik Fields, Founder
5. Say cheese!
You won’t need Google to decipher the super clean ingredients list in Mylk Dog’s Spicy Fiesta Queso. This vegan cheese sauce is made with household staples like bell peppers, almond milk, cashews and potatoes, and flavored with the perfect balance of spice to add plant-based pzazz to nacho night.
“I wanted to create a cheese alternative of our favorite foods that my family would enjoy. After many trials, I perfected my recipe, using my sons and nephews as test subjects. My family and friends enjoyed the cheese so much, they suggested that I package and sell it. My product is made out of love and with love, for families to enjoy their favorite dishes without harmful effects on their bodies.”
– Bethovan Enhancing
6. Coffee for the Culture
What do we think of this coffee? It’s in the name. Dope Coffee is bringing fresh faces – and fresh voices – to the coffee world, and their latest release, Ethiopian Dripp, is becoming a fast favorite with customers. Smooth, full-bodied and with a subtle note of citrus, this Ethiopian Sidamo will add a touch of African sunshine to your mornings.
“Ethiopian Dripp was specifically designed as a Hip-Hop x Coffee collaboration for Creative Mike The Rapper and his album Spinach, based off of who he is as an artist and what he reflects through his music and for Black culture. Black culture needs to remember that not only do we drink coffee, it is in our DNA.”
– Chel Loyd, Co-Founder CPO