Are you a vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian? Or simply someone who’s “plant-curious”? You’re in luck, because Better Balance, a global plant-based brand, launched into the U.S. market earlier this year and has been met with rave reviews from vegan and non-vegan chefs alike. The brand recently opened its U.S. headquarters in the DFW area and has been making the rounds at local vegan, vegetarian and even some non-veg eateries.
Better Balance’s mission is to elevate plant-curious individuals by providing healthy proteins to fuel everyday life through plant-based alternatives that enhance flavor, nutrition and the overall food experience. No matter if you’re flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan or simply trying to eat healthier, Better Balance can offer healthy, plant-based products that taste delicious.
Better Balance’s offerings are heavily pea protein-based, and all products are gluten-free. Their current portfolio includes Grounds, which can be subbed for beef, pork and chicken, and Shreds, which can be used in place of chicken, pork and fish, as well as dairy-free Sour Cream and nacho-style Cheese Sauce.
“When we decided it was time to launch in the United States, we knew Dallas would be the perfect place for us to start,” said Carlos Maldonodo, North American Regional Director of Better Balance Foods. “The area is a melting pot for different cultures, cuisines and demographics, and with it being such a large travel hub, we saw it as the best starting point to show what Better Balance can offer to U.S. consumers.”
Soon after the U.S. launch, Better Balance caught the eyes — and taste buds — of long-time Dallasite Troy Gardner, an award-winning vegan chef known for serving up cuisine so delectable that his menus are often considered the “gateway drug to veganism.” Since the start of his relationship with Better Balance, Gardner has been a passionate believer in the brand and has served as the spokesperson for Better Balance at local and national food festivals including Plant Based World Expo, Vegandale Dallas and All You Can Eataly.
Most recently, Chef Troy featured Better Balance on his soft launch menus and private chef dinners at his newest brick-and-mortar, TLC Vegan Cafe, which opened in Richardson this past November. The menu items featuring Better Balance, such as a Creamy “Chicken” Arrabbiata (Better Balance Shreds and Sour Cream); Petite “Pork” Tamale with a creamy red sauce (Better Balance Grounds and Sour Cream); and a Buttercream Cake with Sour Cream Icing were met with such an overwhelmingly positive response that the brand now has a permanent home on TLC’s menus.
In addition to TLC Vegan Cafe, Better Balance has also been featured at Oak Hill area restaurants Casa del Vegano and House of Vegan, Da Munchies in West Dallas as well as select restaurants in Chicago and San Antonio, with plans to continue expansion to through the remainder of the year and beyond.
So if you’ve been on the search for new, plant-based alternatives that are actually of “chef’s kiss” quality, you know where to start. Better Balance restaurant partners in Dallas and beyond can be found on their Instagram at @betterbalancefoods_us. For product and sales information, visit www.betterbalancefoods.us.
