Local WNY Company Is Making Snacking both Nutritious and Delicious
Plant-based Benefits
Over the course of the last decade, researchers have been unraveling the many health benefits of eating a plant-based diet. A plant-based diet, also known as a plant-forward diet, is defined as a diet where your primary source of nutrients and calories comes from plants, which includes seeds, nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, and oils. The benefits of eating a plant-based diet are not only seen in vegans (individuals who do not eat any foods derived from animal sources) or vegetarians (individuals who do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or seafood), however. A recent study found in the BMJ 2020 academic journal, calculated that consuming 3% more of total calories in the form of plant protein (ie. beans, nuts, and whole grains) lowered the risk for premature death by 5%. Another study published by the JAMA Internal Medicine academic journal, looked at the survival rates of more than 416,000 people and found that by shifting just 3% of your caloric intake from animal protein (meat, poultry, fish, or dairy products) to plant protein decreased the chance of premature death from any cause by 10%.
Eating plant-based also has the potential to decrease your personal carbon footprint.. According to the Meatless Monday Campaign, "skipping one serving of beef every Monday for a year saves the equivalent emissions to driving 348 miles in a car." When measuring the greenhouse gas emissions from eating 150 grams of beans daily for a year, that would be equivalent to driving a car only 93 miles.
Both the health and environmental benefits are what drove WNY couple, Greg and Elizabeth to create their plant-based spread dip company Happeas.
The Happeas Story
Happeas plant-based spread dip was created as a Pandemic passion project for owners Greg and Elizabeth after Greg, a transportation professional by trade, received bad news that his A1C level (a lab value that measures blood glucose) came back at 10.1 mg/dL, which was too high for him to legally continue working by FMC standards. Both Elizabeth and Greg knew that in order to better Greg's health he needed to make better dietary choices. Greg (like most of us) likes to snack, but until he received his bloodwork results, he had never put much thought into how his snacking habits could impact his overall health. "I was unemployed, Covid-19 hit, and I was dealing with my health [concerns]," Greg stated. "The Pandemic really gave us a chance to re-meet ourselves though," he continued.
Shortly after Greg became unemployed was when Elizabeth began getting busy in the kitchen. She made it her goal to create a healthy snack option that was more nutrient-dense than the store-bought alternatives they were used to. She began experimenting with different ingredients and flavors until their plant-based spread dip was perfected! Luckily, with the Pandemic slowing down life for everyone, she had the time to do so.
Now, after eating a vegan diet for over 100 days and incorporating what would be the original Happeas plant-based spread dip into his diet, Greg was able to decrease his A1C level to 6.1 mg/dL. The couple would soon recognize that Greg becoming unemployed would be a blessing in disguise because it helped Greg improve his health and it would lead them to create Happeas.
What Makes Happeas Different?
One thing that makes this product so unique is the ingredient list. Happeas plant-based spread dip is 100% plant-based, preservative free, and full of natural ingredients. Not to mention, Happeas contains vitamins A, E, C, K and all of the B vitamins. Happeas in gluten free, sesame free, nut free, and dairy free- essentially hypoallergenic. The ingredient that sets this plant-based spread dip a part from the rest is the fact that it contains nutritional yeast. Research about the nutritional benefits of nutritional yeast show that this ingredient can help improve skin health, improve glucose sensitivity, gut health and cholesterol levels.
Happeas products not only are nutritious, but they are extremely delicious as well- a true win- win! The product comes in a plethora of unique and versatile flavors including: the Original, Jalepeno, Buffalo and (my personal favorite) Indie. After tasting the plant-based spread dip for myself, I can honestly say that you will not be disappointed by this tasty treat! The texture and the flavors are all so rich, making this item a perfect addition to your meal or snack time favorites! So far, I have tried the Indie flavor with Pita chips and I even used it as a spread for a turkey wrap. The Buffalo flavor, I may add, is surprisingly a great addition to a grilled cheese sandwich as well! Greg and Elizabeth have some great recipe ideas on their website you can check out here.
Where can you find Happeas Products?
Hamburg Farmers Market: 45 Church St., Hamburg NY 14075 https://www.villagehamburg.com/farmersmarket
Eden Farmers Market (every other Tuesday): 2912 Legion Drive, Eden, NY 14057 https://www.nyfarmersmarket.com
Williamsville Farmers Market: Amherst Town Hall Parking Lot 5583, Main St, Williamsville, NY14221 https://www.williamsvillefarmersmarket.com/
East Aurora Co-Op: 591 Main St. East Aurora, NY 14052 https://eastaurora.coop/
BioDome Project: 207 Pine St, Jamestown, NY 14701 https://www.biodomeproject.com/
Fresh Fix online delivery service: https://www.freshfix.com/
D'Youville College (Mondays 10-2 pm): 320 Porter Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201
WNY Vegfest (September 26, 2021 11-5 pm): 359 Ganson St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Taste of Vegan (August 1, 2021 12 pm-2 pm): 359 Ganson St, Buffalo, NY 14203
More Info!
Greg and Elizabeth are awesome people with an innovative product that is beneficial to both your personal health and the environment. They believe that it is important to mention that Happeas plant-based spread dip packaging is 100% BPA free! BPA is a chemical that has been linked to the increase chance of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and behavior issues among children according to the Mayo Clinic. Another way Happeas Company adds to the health of people and our planet is by participating in Meatless Mondays hosted by Project Vegan 716 in Tonawanda on Mondays and at their pop-up Markets on Sundays from 12-4 pm.
Check on Facebook and Instagram for updates on all Happeas events!
Keep in Touch!
It was a true pleasure talking to Greg and Elizabeth! If you would like to contact them directly for questions, you can reach them on social media (Instagram: @happeascompany; Facebook: Happeas) or by contacting them through their website.
If you or anyone you know is able to work with Happeas at the Hamburg Farmers Market and/or Williamsville Farmers Market this summer, please contact Elizabeth or Greg for more information.
Resources
4. https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/vegan-diet-environment
5. https://www.mondaycampaigns.org/meatless-monday/benefits