After watching a documentary about the food industry in 2008, Lucinda Whitacre decided to take a close look at some of the ingredients in her pantry. “Wow, what an eye-opener,” she says. “I remember thinking, ‘I'm surprised my coffee creamer isn't making me glow in the dark.’” She set out to make an all-natural powdered coffee creamer, and after a few tries, she knew she had something. She started her Depoe Bay company, Great Life by Lucinda, with her son, Gabe, and her mother, Penelope. “Since then, I have created close to 20 products — no junk, just delicious, real food,” Lucinda says. “It's important to me to feed you great food products that make it easy for you to take care of yourself and our beautiful planet.” Eating less meat is one big way we can help the environment, she says. To aid families in moving to more of a plant-based diet, Lucinda suggests getting children involved in helping with dinner by making “meatballs” together or by having family “taco nights” with an assortment of toppings. She also makes vegetarian soups, as well as a variety of flavored creamers.

Looking to shake things up a bit at breakfast? Granola fans, get ready to spread your wings – there’s a different kind of granola at Market of Choice, made from sprouted buckwheat instead of oats, called Birdseed For Humans, that’s going to take your morning routine to new heights. Ashley Chase, owner of the Bend-based business since she founded it in 2017, created her unique granola after she was diagnosed with celiac disease and had to completely rethink what she ate. “I wanted to crack open the mystery of the nutrition label,” she says, “so I decided to make all my food from scratch.” In the process, she discovered kasha, a gluten-free, grain-alternative, also known as buckwheat groats, which is loaded with healthy prebiotics and plant-based protein. Never mind that her friends teased her that what she was eating looked like birdseed. Ashley kept experimenting until she developed a delicious granola that she was proud of and wanted to share with others. Birdseed For Humans is available in three gluten-free flavors, all vegan: Coconut Maple, Turmeric Ginger and Lavender Cacao. “We represent a new category of granola,” says Ashley, who works closely with her daughter to produce Birdseed For Humans’ granolas. “Our flavors are unique and delicious.”