All my life, leading up to early this week, I thought eating healthy was hard.

There are hundreds of diets out there, from Mariah Carey’s ‘eating only purple shade food’ to Atkins, each with its own bag of tricks and snake oil, promising easy weight loss and health benefits.

And then there are those food labels; the tiny black ink consumers are encouraged to read. When the ingredients on the back of the package read “Sodium Benzoate” and “Butylated Hydroxyanisole,” it may as well be written in a foreign language.

But then I discovered 1908 Brands, a Boulder-based company that develops natural food products. By manufacturing healthy, clean, eco-friendly products, they make choosing healthy snack products easy.

“The team at 1908 Brands believes it’s our responsibility to put the best products on the grocery store shelves,” says Jess Saba of 1908 Brands. “Our in-house nutritionist develops our recipes to include as many vitamins, nutrients, probiotics, and fiber into each bite. We want the people who buy our snacks to know they can trust the ingredients we use. All products made in our Longmont, CO kitchen are, at the very least, certified gluten-free and non-GMO.”

Being able to pick up a package at the grocery store and put it in the cart without having to glance at the nutrition facts is an anomaly in today’s marketplace.

“Many products on the shelves include unhealthy ingredients and additives to ‘improve’ the taste,” Saba says. “That’s not an option for us. We ban those ingredients from our kitchen. And while it takes more time, longer discussions, and painstaking research to consider the consumer and the planet, we are always proud of our ingredient lists before a product is finalized.”

As a company, 1908 Brands holds themselves to a higher standard, making sure their products are both healthy for and accessible to consumers.

“Our team works with the natural flavor, texture, and health benefits of whole fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut, and natural sweeteners,” Saba explains, “to develop surprisingly simple and delicious snacks.”

Perhaps this is because the company is located in Boulder, CO, a city with inclinations towards environmentalism and social equality.

And, like the city they reside in, 1908 Brands has goals to challenge the conventional products on the shelves that contribute to the obesity epidemic. Most of the brands 1908 produces are made from scratch with a team of chemists, designers, and innovators. Their ingredients are natural and thoughtfully sourced, often touting labels such as “GMO free” and “vegan.”  

And, did I mention they taste good?

How to Run a Clean, Sustainable Business

What makes 1908 Brands special and different is that they practice triple bottom line business, meaning people and the planet and considered equally. This is a philosophy that is checked by B Lab, which has certified 1908 Brands as a B Corp and has awarded the company a 2016 “Best for the Environment” company.

Every two years, 1908 Brands undergoes the B Corp impact assessment. This third party certification requires a diligent review of the environmental and social impacts of the business practices in the areas of Environment, Governance, Community, and Workers. Water waste, energy output, and sustainable practices are also reviewed.

They also hold themselves accountable to the environment with their contributions to the 1% for the Planet initiative. 1% of the company’s net revenue goes to environmentally focused non profits. Last year, 1908 Brands were able to give away $50,000 in environmental projects, such as eTown (a local Boulder radio program), Sheep Mountain Alliance, and Leave No Trace.

This local company is going to innovate how we shop and will make it easier for consumers to purchase healthier products.

“Everything we do is making sure the customer is taken care of,” says Saba. “We want our fans to feel good about the food they put in their bodies and share with their families.”

A Day of Clean Eating with 1908 Brands

To show how convenient 1908 Brands makes healthy eating, I put together an energy-boosting meal plan made exclusively with 1908 products:

6 AM Breakfast: Thrive Tribe Vanilla Almond Bites (made with almonds, fruits, seeds, honey, and coconut) mixed with vanilla greek yogurt.

What it offers: high in protein for your workout, high in fiber, high in omega-3s and fiber

This is the kind of tasty snack that gets your going when you need an energy boost.

10 AM Energy-boosting Snack: Yummari Chocolate Banana Nugget

ANY diet will appreciate this snack, GMO free, organic, gluten free, and vegan!

Calories: 130

12 PM Lunch: Jumbo Shrimp with quinoa, cucumbers, and carrots, topped with Schultz’s Gourmet Spicy Original Hot Sauce.

Add some heat to this healthy meal! Schultz’s Hot Sauce uses the highest quality ingredients without sacrificing flavor.

3 PM Pre-Workout Snack: Crunchy Apply Chipz by Frutivity Snacks

These fruit snacks are a healthy replacement to potato chips. These apple chips are soaked in 100% fruit juice to naturally preserve freshness and pump up the flavor. Try the mango, blueberry or grape for a new twist on apple chips.

6 PM Dinner: Pasta Jay’s Housemade Marinara sauce served over steamed zucchini, broccoli, and peppers.
Delicious and filling meal as tasty as a restaurant in the comfort of your home.

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