Our editors recently discovered Social Nature. And with it, we’re finding we can try new food, health, and beauty samples without getting stuck with the bill. It’s actually changing the way we shop. Social Nature is an online community for people who love to be the first to discover and try the latest healthy, sustainable products for free. (Oh, and most of these samples? They’re full-size, too!) Sign up to get your own samples.
From supercharged cold brew and new plant-based milks to organic seaweed snacks and natural supplements, we need to try all the exciting plant-based options on the market. No, seriously—this isn’t optional. We love to #trynatural, and these products are packed with organic ingredients and powerful adaptogens.
Social Nature users get to find the latest better-for-you products first—through free samples, online discounts, and free trial coupons that you redeem at your local grocery store. A lot of the products listed on the site are things we’ve never even heard of, and we consider ourselves (dusts-off shoulders) food, health, and beauty professionals. Even cooler is that Social Nature encourages you to shop your values—whether that’s vegan, cruelty-free, fair trade, or local.
You sign up to receive free goodies, get a coupon in the mail, head to your local grocery store, taste-test, and leave a quick, short review on the site. As you leave more reviews, companies start wanting your opinion more—and you get more free stuff. Who’s that becoming a food, health, and beauty influencer? Oh, it’s you!
Here’s what we’re loving on Social Nature this holiday season, from easy weeknight dinner helpers to the superpowered coffee we sip on our morning commute.
Protip: Don’t sleep on these free product offers. They’re not only highly coveted, but each is available for a short time.
NotCo Plant-Based Milk Alternative – Try it for yourself
It blew our minds when we found out that NotCo Plant-Based Milk Alternative was made with patented AI technology named Giuseppe, which analyzes thousands of plants to create unique flavor combinations. But we’re cool with our milk being smarter than us. This smooth, creamy alt-milk comes in 1%, 2%, and whole milk, which gives us major options for baking, café au lait, and creamy sauces. Our food editor successfully made yogurt in the Instant Pot, a creamy vegan alfredo sauce, and a chocolate cake with this plant-based milk alt. And of course, it thrills us that producing NotCo Milk Alternative uses 92% less water, 74% less energy, and 74% less CO2 emissions than regular milk. You have Giuseppe, and us, to thank for being so smart about milk.
Haven’s Kitchen Fresh Sauces – Try it for yourself
One of our editors has a problem, and it’s that even when they say they’re going to cook a quick and easy dinner, they usually end up making a detour to make sauce from scratch. (“It just tastes better this way!”) But Haven’s Kitchen Sauces gets their enthusiastic approval. This woman-owned brand (which is one of the filters you can apply to your product searches) makes its sauces from fresh, vibrant ingredients with no preservatives. There are four sauces inspired by global flavors: Tangy BBQ, Herby Chimichurri, Golden Turmeric Tahini, and Gingery Miso.
We tried the Tangy BBQ Sauce, which can be used as a marinade for your protein-of-choice or as a dipping sauce for potatoes. And Herby Chimichurri, a zesty South American sauce, is great for tossing with chickpeas and roasted vegetables.
RISE Nitro Cold Brew Coffee – Try it for yourself
The coffee you start the day with can make or break your morning (cue flashbacks of too-hot, too-bitter coffee). That’s not a problem with RISE’s canned coffee and lattes. The winning combo of nitrogen and cold brew techniques means you’ll be sipping smooth coffee. (Not even our French press, which produces a less acidic brew than other techniques, makes coffee this silky.) The Original Black Flavor is easy to drink even for someone who needs dairy-free creamer, and the Oat Milk Lattes have a nice, creamy texture that would appeal to those who want the caffeine buzz without a strong coffee flavor.
Cool Beans Frozen Wraps – Try it for yourself
We maxed out our microwave to try all five of Cool Beans’ sustainably-minded wraps for you, and our editors officially declared these The Perfect Lunch. Three reasons, right off the bat: They’re Climate Neutral-certified, ready in three minutes, and dang delicious. Sticking to a healthy, whole-foods diet that doesn’t bore your mouth can require hours of slicing and sauteing—or we can just grab these wraps and throw them in our freezers. They come in zesty, punchy flavors like Moroccan Gold, Spicy Chipotle, Tikka Masala, Sesame Ginger, and Tuscan Basil. Our eds enjoyed how Cool Beans wraps don’t hold back on the spice, but they don’t set your mouth on fire either. We’re ordering more of the Spicy Chipotle burrito, which creates 92% less greenhouse gases than the leading steak and cheese burrito, and gets some of its natural smokiness from its black-eyed peas and poblanos.
OLIPOP Healthy Soda – Try it for yourself
The people at OLIPOP have reinvented soda for the 21st century: meet the Sparkling Tonic. These fizzy drinks come in classic soda flavors like Cola and Root Beer, but also flavors that remind us of herbal tea, like Lemon Ginger. The first two flavors satisfied that craving for something sweet and fizzy without being overly saccharine. Lemon Ginger, meanwhile, was less gingery than a bottle of ginger kombucha, but it still had plenty of zing. What makes OLIPOP different from your standard soda-pop is that one can contains between two to five grams of sugar instead of upwards of 30. Oh, and it contains gut-healthy, prebiotic ingredients like cassava and kudzu root that have been used by herbalists for centuries.
Moonshot Snacks Organic Crackers – Try it for yourself
First things first: Moonshot makes ridiculously tasty crackers. We’re talking, it might be time to give away all those other crackers. Rosemary garlic, tomato basil, or sourdough sea salt are wrapped up in a crispy little bite that’s made for snacking. They’re also larger than your average cracker, with a perfectly-square shape that’s made for mini cheese sandwiches. And Moonshot’s ethics mean they really care: they’re limiting their carbon footprint with direct farm relationships, a commitment to regenerative agriculture, and a shorter, fresher supply chain, including wheat grown only two miles from the flour mill, and a mill only 85 miles from the bakery. Your leftover charcuterie goodies just found a new BFF.
Ocean’s Halo Trayless Seaweed Snacks – Try it for yourself
Ever wonder why the seaweed sheets you snack on are nestled in a little plastic tray that just seems…well, unnecessary? These low-waste Ocean’s Halo Trayless Seaweed Snacks are 400% (four times!) more space-efficient, come straight out of the bag ready-to-eat, and are super crisp, yummy, and salted just right. Our food editor grew up eating dried nori, and can vouch that these taste like the sheets her mom would toast on an open flame, then sprinkle with sea salt. Bonus: this seaweed is organic, brushed with healthier oils like organic safflower and sunflower oil, and has a lower sodium count. Because it’s a natural superfood, you can snack while getting that energy-boosting B12, plus calcium, iron, iodine, selenium, and vitamins A, C, E and K. And there’s no irrigation, fertilizer or deforestation involved with raising this crop. Nom on!
