10 Women-Owned Healthy Food Brands We Love

Women have been entrepreneurial since time immemorial, but we’ve faced some significant barriers to business ownership over the years. In the 18th and 19th centuries, most women could only conduct business as part of an inheritance or under the supervision of their husbands. In the U.S., it wasn’t until 1988 that the Women’s Business Ownership Act became law, eliminating the requirement for a male co-signer on loans for female entrepreneurs.

Since that time, innumerable female-owned brands have burst on the scene. To celebrate International Women’s Day (which falls on March 8 this year), we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite women-owned companies offering delicious, healthy food.

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1. Fusion Jerky

Jerky may have a reputation for being a guy’s snack, but women not only enjoy this meaty treat—they make it, too. Owner Kaiyen Mai brings her family’s Asian heritage to Nebraska-raised meats in Fusion Jerky, East-meets-West pork and beef jerkies.

2. Simply Fuel Protein Balls

Dietitian and sports dietetics expert Mitzi Dulan, former sports nutritionist for both the Kansas City Chiefs and the KC Royals, formulated these little bites of energy. With an expert dietitian behind the recipe, you know they’re top-notch athletic fuel. Along with gluten-free oats, True Source-certified honey, and natural nut butters, Simply Fuel Protein Balls contain probiotics to support gut health.

3. Better With Buckwheat Crackers

If you’ve never tried buckwheat, let Better With Buckwheat’s crunchy crackers be your introduction. You can sample three flavors (sea salt, everything, and rosemary & herbs) featuring the hearty, high-antioxidant grain—which is technically a seed (all three varieties are grain- and gluten-free). The buckwheat in each box of crackers is grown in founder Karen Getz’s home state of Maine.

4. 4 Sisters Rice

Yes, there really are four sisters behind 4 Sisters Rice. Meryl, Chantel, Felicity, and Patchez grew up on a Louisiana rice farm, and now share their love of natural and organic rice grains with more than 9,000 grocers nationwide.

5. Rule Breaker Snacks

Whether you toss them in your purse, take them to the gym, or pack them in your kid’s lunch box, convenience is the name of the game with Rule Breaker Snacks’ female-founded variety of sweet treats. These full-sized cookies and mini bites are 100% plant-based and free of the top 11 food allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, soy, sesame, coconut, mustard, fish, shellfish, and wheat/gluten).

6. Doughy

Let’s be honest: at some point, we’ve all licked the spoon after whipping up a batch of cookie dough. (And maybe we’ve eaten even more than a spoon’s worth.) Still, we all know raw cookie dough is a food safety hazard. Enter Doughy, a woman-owned vegan cookie dough you can eat safely. 

Because Doughy’s flavor varieties are made with a cashew base, they’re a-OK to eat uncooked. But you don’t have to stop there. Doughy also bakes up into real, ooey-gooey cookies. 

7. Spice Kick Meal Spice Kits

If there’s one person you want making healthy seasonings for your meals, it’s a Cordon-bleu certified chef… or perhaps a registered dietitian. Spice Kick Meal Spice Kits founder Michelle Dudash is both. Heighten the flavor of tacos, tuna salads, chili, and more with her pre-blended spice packets, which are free of gluten as well as artificial colors and preservatives.

8. Dress It Up Dressing

Research shows that a diet rich in olive oil helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Sometimes, though, you want something a little perkier than just oil on your salad. Dress It Up Dressing is a happy medium. It’s made with 100% olive oil, plus intriguing extras like tahini, red wine, and real blackberries.

Dress It Up’s bottles give a fun clue that this healthy dressing brand is woman-owned: Each one features pretty watercolor art of women in plant-themed evening gowns.

9. Evergreen

Evergreen’s mini waffles and breakfast sammies take the concept of frozen breakfast and turn up the health dial. These convenient, toast-able foods are infused with fruits, veggies, nuts, and spices. Is it any surprise they’re made by a mom?

In addition to packing a full serving of fruits and vegetables, these frozen breakfasts offer unique flavors you won’t find in mainstream waffles. Choose from options like chocolate zucchini bread, apple cinnamon cobbler, and peanut butter banana bread.

10. Ground Up Nut Butters

When you shop Ground Up’s selection of hand-crafted nut butters, you’re not just patronizing a female-owned business. You’re also supporting the brand’s efforts to employ women facing adversity. Ground Up provides a 6- to 9-month training program for women who lack job opportunities in Portland, Oregon. 

Of course, while you’re at it, you’ll also enjoy amazingly creamy nut butters like Walnut and Pistachio Baklava Butter, Fudgy Mint Cookie Cashew Butter, and Chocolate Covered Raspberry Nut Butter. They make great gifts (but we wouldn’t blame you for buying them all for yourself).

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