Sama Artisan Vegan Almond Cheeze Spread !

It all began with Jo Pelligra and her partner Teri Beckman when they became vegan during a period when there was limited vegan alternatives available in the market.

With Jo's degree in nutrition and 30 years of experience being in the food industry plus being raised in a traditional Italian family who is passionate about food she knew that she could invent something really tasty. So she kept it in her mind that plant-based + whole foods + real nutrition + tastes great and toyed around with the recipe to find the perfect combination of healthy ingredients that didn't only taste like cheese but were made up of plant- based ingredients that offered the right flavor and consistency.

It took months until Jo got just what she was looking for in the Sama Spread Cheddar Style recipe which then followed Smokey and Jalapeno .

Jo and Teri started selling what consumers would call "Jo's Spread" at the Durham Farmers Market and started a trickling  of people who couldn't seem to get enough of Jo's Spreads which is what Sama Spread's original name was : SPREAD.

Jo realized there were other vegan and health conscious consumers like herself and Teri which made them want to offer their consumers the convenience of being able to buy spread any day of the week so she was reluctant enough to get them into retail stores throughout the Raleigh-Durham Chapel Hill Triangle.

Now Sama Spread is available in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston Salem, Asheville and West Asheville in North Carolina.

Teri is busy behind the scenes where she has incorporated her skills in strategy , marketing, and in -store demonstrations.

When it came time to change the name SPREAD to differentiate it from other spreads on the market to embody the values and qualities she and Jo feel strongly about , Teri a practicing Buddhist thought of adding "Sama" which is a Buddhist term meaning in balance with nature and that is how Sama Spread was born!

Sama Spread Vegan Cheeze is free from the following

• Dairy
• Soy
• Gluten

Sama Spread is available in

• Jalapeno
• Smokey
• Cheddar

Sama Spread makes for a wonderful dip or spread plus it's low in saturated fat and contains no cholesterol

Sama Spread vegan cheese spreads are made from

Almonds: almonds are a great source of Vitamin E, copper, magnesium, high in protein. contain high levels of healthy unsaturated fatty acids in addition but not limited to bioactive molecules like fiber, phytosterols, vitamins, other minerals and antioxidants which can help prevent cardiovascular heart diseases. A recent study has found that the potential health benefits for consuming almonds help lower cholesterol and reduces the risk of cancer.

Nutritional Yeast: Helps give the Sama Spread it's "cheese" like flavor. Side note that nutritional yeast is not the same as the yeast found in brew beer or the one to bake bread. Sama Spread uses Red Star Nutritional Yeast which is a primary- grown nutritional yeast which means that it is cultivated expressly for it's nutritional components. Nutritional yeast is a quality digestible protein without any cholesterol and is a great source of B-complex vitamins, minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous , and micro-minerals like zinc, copper, molybdenum , iron, selenium and manganese. Nutritional yeast is also a good source of dietary fiber, lecithin, and Glutathione which is the body's most important antioxidant. Glutathione is in every cell where it neutralizes free radicals, helps support detoxification and strengthens immunity.

Chickpeas: Chickpeas are a great source of protein. the iron, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and Vitamin K found in chickpeas help build and also maintain bone structure and strength. They support heart health due to their high fiber content, potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. The selenium helps play a role in liver enzyme function which helps detoxify some cancer causing compounds within the body. Chickpeas also help lower the amount of lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood, plus they contain folate which plays a part in DNA synthesis and repair.

Organic Chickpea Miso: Organic Chickpea Miso is a fermented food that offers a strong dose of vital probiotic bacteria essential for proper functioning of the digestive system which acts as a non-dairy yogurt. Jo and Teri use the Miso Master brand of organic chickpea miso made in Asheville, North Carolina from garbanzo beans (chickpeas) instead of soy beans. They choose a non- soy miso for people who suffer from soy allergies so that they can benefit from the numerous health benefits of miso.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains polyphenols which take on the role of antioxidants to help reduce the oxidative stress throughout the body, a small dose of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are found in extra virgin olive oil which is an important role in brain health. Vitamin E (tocopherols) is great for skin health.

Lemon Juice: Lemon juice contains Vitamin C which when paired with flavonoids it contains antioxidant and cancer fighting properties. Helps prevent diabetes , constipation , high blood pressure, fever, indigestion, and other health problems. Also helps improve ones hair, teeth, and skin. Yes lemon juice is acidic to the taste but is alkaline forming in the body making them a great source for balancing highly acidic conditions in the body.

If it's one thing that I love it's cheese, ever since I was a little girl I loved all things cheesy!

Jo herself was more than kind enough and provided me with her spreadable cheese to try out she even gave me great pointers on what to make with them!

With Sama Spread the possibilities are endless, spreadabilities?

You can use the spreads on pizza, crackers, nachos, tacos and so much more!

Here are some of the creations that I came up with using the cheese.

Cheddar:

The Cheddar Sama Spread reminded me of Cheez whiz as a kid it tasted just like it only better being more healthier made from plant based ingredients. What I loved about it was not only the texture of the cheese but the taste it was like the real thing! I made nachos using the Cheddar which I added some diced onions, peppers, tomatoes, parsley and avocado then warmed it in the microwave for a bit until the cheese became melted.

Smokey:

With the Smokey I made all sorts of tasty recipes from sweet potato chili cheese fries to pizza topped with broccoli, peppers, onions , cheese, and tomato.

Jalapeno:

With the Jalapeno I made Sama Spread Queso which they used the Cheddar but I didn't have enough left of the cheddar to make it so I gave it a kick and made a simple salsa to toss into it that consisted of tomatoes, pepper, onions and parsley it was spicy, cheesy and oh so good being the perfect dip for game day! Or zesty grown up mac and cheese!

I loved each Sama Spread in their own way they were creamy, flavorful and worked well in many recipes especially some childhood favorite like pizza as well as mac and cheese!

Disclosure:

I received no compensation for this post however I was provided with samples of Sama Spread to facilitate this review in exchange for my honest opinions which in fact are my own.

Website:

http://myveganspread.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SpreadCheeze/