Toronto Veg Fest 2014

This past weekend, Chelsea and I ventured into Toronto to tour the Toronto Veg Food Fest. It was the 30th Anniversary for the Fest and my first time going, so I was quite excited. I’m happy to say that the event did not disappoint.

Since we arrived around noon, we debated getting a meal from one of the many vendors. However, it turned out that there were so many samples available to try that we didn’t even end up getting lunch! Our first stop was at the So Delicious booth where they were handing out cups (of a pretty hefty size too!) of their coconut-based ice cream. I went with the classic choice of Chocolate, and – true to it’s name – it was delicious!

Next up were some dips and spreads from Sunflower Kitchen. I’ve never purchased any of their products before, but I might have to change that now as everything that I tried was amazing! Their Kale & Oregano Pesto was quite tasty, and is definitely something I’d like to try making at home. They had what I believe was a new line of hummus dips out, and though I can’t remember exactly what I tried, I’ll be sure to look for it in stores once it’s available.

Though I tend to not buy chips often, I’m always (a little more than) eager to try new brands and flavours. Beanfields is now a brand that I’ll be looking for in stores. It’s a bean and rice-based chip that was so tasty & flavourful! I tried both the Pico de Gallo & Ranch kinds and it was hard not to keep going back for seconds (and thirds!)

After inhaling all the chips & dip, we figured it would be a good idea to indulge our sweet tooths (completely disregarding the fact that we had ice cream only a little while before). We did so at Shockingly Healthy’s booth. There were so many items to choose from, but in the end we decided on a chocolate chip coconut blondie. This treat had me swooning because it’s main ingredient is chickpeas! I’m a total sucker for hiding veggies & beans in non-savoury dishes. Not only was it a treat for the eyes (I mean, check out those toasted coconut flakes!), but it was also a treat for the taste buds.

Some other notable mentions:

• Yoga Soda – a brand new (launched this past weekend) company selling kombucha. I tried their White Rose & Mixed Berry flavours. Both were great & I’m hoping to see this company grow in the near future!

• Bunner’s Vegan & Gluten-Free Bake Shop – Chelsea got one of their Cinnamon Buns which looked Ah-Mazing. Since my dessert intake was reaching its quota for the day, I opted for a Chickpea Curry Pocket to take with me for dinner that night. Filled with potatoes & chickpeas in a mild curry sauce, this savoury pocket hit the spot.

• Nud Fud – a fantastic business selling raw, vegan & gluten-free crackers! Not only were these delicious, they were also crisped to perfection. I ended up buying one of their Green Energy pouches (green crackers with main ingredients of banana & spirulina) as well as a new flavour that hasn’t yet hit stores.

I had such a great time at this event. It makes me really happy to see so many companies focusing on delicious, vegan products with whole food ingredients. The sheer number of people that were at this event was amazing and really illustrates that more and more consumers care & want to know where their food comes from and what is in it.