by Marilyn Hawkes | Photography by Angelina Aragon
Bean-Based Nutrition Bars
Chickpeas and mung beans probably aren’t the first ingredients that come to mind when you’re choosing a nutritional snack bar – unless you’re Valley gastroenterologist Prabhakar Swaroop, the bean-believing physician behind Sabashi, a vegan and gluten-free bar that combines beans and almonds (10 grams of protein) with chicory root (6 grams of fiber), adding maple syrup and dates for natural sweeteners. The whole-food, bean-based bars ($11.50 for a four-pack) come in two flavors, blueberry-lemon and chocolate-fennel, each with its own following, according to Swaroop. “Nutrition is the key to good health. This bean-based bar is healthy and has a low glycemic index,” he says. While most folks don’t usually pair chocolate with fennel, the combination has been a hit, Swaroop says. “That little bit of fennel gives the bar a licorice taste.” Find Sabashi at Gilbert Farmers Market and online.
Salsa & Spice Rubs
The first thing restaurant-industry veteran Kyle Decker did after receiving a Ninja food processor was make a big batch of homemade salsa. At the time, Decker was working in a high-end Valley restaurant, so his co-workers were the first recipients of the snappy sauce. He got such a positive reaction that he and his wife, Natalie, started a salsa business. Launched in 2019, 3D Flavors Salsa has several varieties, including red pepper-garlic, green chile-tomatillo and pineapple-habanero with mint ($8.49 each). In a market saturated with salsas, the Deckers set themselves apart by using all fresh produce, no canned or jarred ingredients, and zero added sugars or preservatives. “I make everything from scratch, and I’ve personally made every jar that I’ve sold,” Decker says. The duo also makes 18 different spice rubs and a handful of other fiery sauces, including bourbon-peach salsa. Find 3D Flavors Salsa at Valley farmers markets and Sphinx Date Co. in Scottsdale.
Cultured Dairy Beverages
Ania and Janek Flik grew up in Poland drinking cold fermented milk drinks on hot summer days. After settling in Arizona, the couple couldn’t find anything similar to their childhood drink, so they started making their own. They named it Butta ($12 each; three for $30), a smooth and refreshing fermented beverage made with organic, high-quality whole milk, with flavors inspired by the Arizona desert. Popular flavors include Oasis Whisper, laced with Medjool dates, cinnamon and rose; Canyon Gold, infused with fresh turmeric, agave syrup and black pepper; and Obsidian Dusk, perfumed with Mexican cacao, organic Ceylon cinnamon and Sonoran Desert honey. The Fliks sell Butta at Old Town and High Street farmers markets while spending time educating their customers about fermented milk. “They don’t realize how many fermented milk products they already consume, like kefir, yogurt and cheese,” Janek says. “Once they try Butta, they keep returning for more every week.”
