HOT SPOT
Source for Plant-Based Items
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Don’t look now, but the mother lode of plant-based resources is coming to a website near you. Spearheaded by Caryn Dugan, founder of the Center for Plant-based Living, #PLANTBASEDSTL is “an effort to help those wanting to add more plants to their plate and/or begin using more plant-based (vegan) products,” she explains. “Heading into the new year, we wanted to connect plant-based companies with people who are looking for them.” So throughout January, CBPL’s social media accounts will feature one plant-based business each day, including any promotion that it wishes to offer.
The hope is that #PLANTBASEDSTL will become a resource for area plant-based restaurants, health care professionals, products, and more. If you own a regional plant-based or plant-strong business, contact the CPBL for inclusion. If you’re an interested consumer, check CPBL’s Facebook and Instagram to stay abreast of new and existing plant-based goods and services. This roundup will be updated daily.
INSIDER TIP
Canola-Based Drinking Straws
While we would like to do our part to curb the waste caused by plastic straws, we admit to losing patience when dealing with a neoteric paper or bioplastic (PLA) straw. Now there’s a sustainable, disposable, affordable alternative that looks, feels, and works like a plastic straw. Made from polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a plant-based material derived from canola oil, the phade straw is the first of its kind to hit the mass market. It’s biodegradable in industrial, marine, and home compost environments and is slated to launch January 3, on National Drinking Straw Day.
MICRORANT
Great Wings, Dreadful Dressings
There are so many excellent chicken wings flying around of late, it’s a shame that some arrive accompanied by a watery Ranch dressing or a tasteless bleu cheese for dipping. We see dressings and dipping sauces as an opportunity to make or break a dish. If an establishment provides a subpar product, the experience ends on an unsatisfying note, with customers searching for that bottle of Marzetti in the fridge instead.
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