VEGGIE BITS

Reinvigorate your smile and freshen your breath with Green Beaver's fluoride-free natural toothpaste. Choose from varieties such as frosty mint, cilantro mint, and star anise; kids will especially appreciate the green apple and zesty orange flavors. The product contains cleansing agents — Dylitol, lemon and tea tree extracts — combined with mineral whiteners. Green Beaver says their toothpaste is fortified with vitamin C to ensure healthy development and maintenance of teeth and gums. With its unique bold flavor and natural origins, Green Beaver has succeeded in producing a line of toothpastes the whole family can enjoy.

Contact Green Beaver by writing to 760 Tupper Street, Hawkesbury ON, K6A 3H2, e-mailing [email protected], or by visiting www.greenbeaver.com.

Once Again has a line of vegan-friendly nut and seed spreads; all their vegan products are marked on the front with a 'v.' Their sunflower seed butter is rich and creamy with a loose consistency. It contains the perfect amount of salt to compliment the fragrant sunflower seed flavor, and allow its natural sweetness to flourish. The ingredients are 100% organic, and none of their spreads contain hydrogenated oils. Once Again has a great shelf life; you can open it, stick it in your fridge and take it out a month later and it should still be good. The texture will be the same in May as it was in April. Once Again tastes good naturally and transcends other nut spreads for richness of flavor.

You can order Once Again's products online at http://shop.onceagainnutbutter.com/main.sc. You can also call them at (585) 468-2535 or write to them at 12 South State Street, Nunda, NY 14157.

JJ's Sweets has launched a new expanded line of cocomels — dairy-, gluten-, and GMO-free coconut-milk caramels you will certainly find worth indulging in. Chewy and delicious, the vegan candies can easily rival any dairy-filled caramel. The company hand makes these creamy caramels in rich and mouth-watering flavors such as Chai Spice, Java, Original, Sea Salt, and Vanilla, and some varieties are available covered in fair trade vegan chocolate as well.

Contact JJ's Sweets at P.O. Box 3312, Boulder, CO 80307, by email at [email protected], or via phone at (303) 800-6492. The company's website is www.cocomel.com.

Vermont Soap Organics offers a wide array of products, namely soap! These soaps smell divine, get the job done, and best of all, are cruelty-free. The soaps come in 17 tantalizing scents ranging from the super moisturizing oatmeal lavender to a citrus sunrise bar that's perfect for summer. These soaps are multitaskers as well. Have a spare? Stick one in your drawer. Your clothes will smell amazing all day!

Some other fun products on offer include organic yoga mat wash and 'Liquid Sunshine' — a fix-it-all made from organic castile soap that will wash hands, dishes, and even laundry. And to top it off, it smells like citrus infused with rosemary. Yum!

Find out more at www.vermontsoap.com. To contact the company, use [email protected] or call them toll free at (866) 762-7482.

Food For Life's Cluckphrey patties and Moophrey burgers are the perfect vegan addition to barbeques or even just a convenient and easy mid-week dinner. These dishes are baked, nutritious, and contain mostly organic ingredients. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the look and texture of chicken patties and beef burgers, even meat eaters will appreciate these delicious protein-filled vegan meats. Heat up in a skillet, microwave, grill, or bake; no matter how you cook them, they are quick, filling, and tasty. Kids especially will love dunking and then gobbling up the Chick-A-Roos meatless nuggets.

Visit www.foodforlife.com to order Food for Life products online or to find a store near you.

Coco-Roons are raw coconut 'macaroons' that come in six different flavors — Apple Pie, Brownie Cacao Nib, Lemon Pie, Almond and Strawberry, and Vanilla Maple. All these flavors have six core ingredients: raw unsweetened coconut, raw almond flour, unfiltered maple syrup, raw cold-pressed coconut oil, vanilla extract, and Himalayan crystal salt. With these base flavors alone, the taste is very similar to marzipan, and this is especially evident in the Vanilla Maple and Cacao Nib flavors. The Lemon Pie Coco-Roon tastes exactly like your favorite kind of lemon pastry; it brings all the sweetness of lemon without the tartness. The Almond and Strawberry "PB & J" has a very faint strawberry taste that compliments the almond nicely. These are great for occasional treats or vegan athletes looking for a quick energy boost. Coco-Roons are also advertised as being vegan, kosher, gluten-free, organic, and suitable for diabetics.

To order Coco-Roons online or see if Coco-Roons are sold near you, look on their website, http://mycocoroons.com/.

Primal Spirit Foods has created meatless jerky delicious enough to satisfy carnivores and vegetarians alike. Their vegan, kosher line of jerky strips is all-natural and cholesterol-free, and comprised mainly of soy, seitan, and shiitake mushrooms. They are the perfect snack to tuck in a backpack for an outdoor adventure. Six dynamic flavors are offered, including Thai Peanut and Hickory Smoked. These chewy treats are sure to keep you feeling powerful on a hike, and energized during a long day at the office.

Contact Primal Spirit Foods at: RR1 Box 314 Limestone Hill Road, Moundsville, WV 26041; (304)-845-1810. For additional information and a listing of retailers, visit the company's website: http://www.primalspiritfoods.com/index.php.

The softness of the bristles will have you doing a double take, but rest assured; all 11 of the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics makeup brushes are 100 percent vegan. These pro-quality synthetic tools are crafted from nylon and taklon and do not sacrifice quality application for cruelty-free beauty. Brush #001, the Large Powder Brush, will quickly become your all-over every day favorite for loose and pressed powders, while Brush #009, the Angle Brush, is built for precision and detail and is great for liner. This sleek set is a must-have for animal lovers who want an ethical way to create a flawless finish.

OCC's full line is available at their flagship store on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at 174 Ludlow Street or on their website, www.occmakeup.com.