Eclipse Plant-Based Ice Cream Is The Brand You Must Try

Plant-based.

Plant-based. Plant-based. Plant-based. What even is plant-based? You’ve seen this term over and over again on your Instagram feed, scattered in your timeline, and all over magazine covers at the grocery store. But what exactly is it, and why should you care?

Plant-based simply refers to a diet or lifestyle that doesn’t include or make any use of animal products. Animal products include meat, fish, milk, eggs, and even honey. Plant-based diets are praised for potential health benefits and their reduced environmental impact.

Improved mood, higher energy levels, prevention of chronic diseases, and overall better health are just a few of the claims made about choosing plant-based alternatives in day-to-day life. Looking beyond our skin and on a larger scale, plant-based products are also saving the planet. Following a vegan diet may be the single most significant way individuals can reduce their environmental impact. There are growing bodies of research revealing that by removing meat and dairy products from our diet, an individual can reduce their carbon footprint by up to 73%. Choosing plant-based products support a healthier, more sustainable climate.

On top of the fact that almost 40% of American consumers are trying to eat more plant-based foods, these alternatives also have strong celebrity backing. Miley Cyrus, Ellen DeGeneres, and Serena Williams are just a few of the famous names who have advocated for a plant-based diet.

Perhaps the rise in popularity of the plant-based diet can be attributed to the recent increase in accessibility to information on the internet. Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that this trend is on the rise. It looks like it’s time to hop on the bandwagon, or at least just take a peek and see what it’s all about.

What better way to be introduced to all things “plant-based” than with an all-time favorite, like ice cream?

Plant-Based Ice Cream

Plant-based ice creams are making their move into the market—it’s time to pay attention.

With more and more consumers switching to plant-based products for health reasons, to help the environment, and to avoid sensitivities, more and more brands are stepping up and creating their own variations.

What Is Eclipse?

Eclipse is the brand to know when it comes to anything and everything related to plant-based ice cream. Top press sources such as CNN, San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes are just a few of the popular outlets that have recognized and praised the company. Sounds good so far, right?

“We tasted this plant-based ice cream and can happily report it’s delicious.” “Berkeley’s Eclipse Foods releases vegan ice cream that tastes just like dairy.” “The ice cream was rich and creamy, and not icy or chalky like some others…”

Eclipse ice cream is the player to know about when it comes to plant-based ice cream. Let us tell you more.

Behind the Scenes

Eclipse Foods is a startup founded by Thomas Bowman and Aylon Steinhart out of Berkeley, California. This sounds like just the beginning, but these two are the real powerhouses behind Eclipse.

Thomas Bowman is a world-renowned product developer, food scientist, and chef. As the former Director of Product Development at JUST (a privately owned company producing plant-based alternatives, most famous for their vegan “egg”), Thomas created some of the best-selling plant-based products in the market, such as JUST Mayo, Cookie Doughs, and Dressings. Bowman has also chef’d or staged at a total of 16 Michelin star restaurants, was named Zagat 30 Under 30, and was twice nominated for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award. Basically, Bowman is a superstar.

Aylon Steinhart is not just an expert in the plant-based foods category but the entrepreneurial category as well. Steinhart is a regular speaker at food innovation conferences and top institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Berkeley. Further, he has incubated dozens of startups and advised investors and strategic partners regarding the market for the alternative proteins industry. Talk about well-balanced in all the right ways.

With these two men behind the wheel, Eclipse has a very bright future ahead. (Seriously, grab your sunglasses).

The Mission

Eclipse Foods aims to develop a more sustainable, responsible, and humane food system.

People turn to plant-based products for several reasons, one of which is for the environment. A plant-based diet may be the single, easiest, most significant way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet. There are three main elements to consider regarding the environmental impact of the foods we produce and consume: greenhouse gases, land use, and water use.

Greenhouse gases (GHGs). Animal agriculture is one of the leading contributors to harmful GHG’s being emitted into the atmosphere. One study found that if all the beef, pork, poultry, dairy, and eggs consumed in the average European diet were replaced with a plant-based alternative, GHG emissions would be reduced by over one-third.

Land use. The farming of livestock, which is raising animals for personal use, uses one-third of the earth’s arable land. Livestock farming also uses much higher amounts of fertilizers and pesticides, which seep deep into the soil and contaminate groundwater. Compared to plant-based foods, the amount of land required for animal-based proteins is 6-17 times higher. This land could instead be used to create more plant-based foods, as housing for animals, or simply kept in its natural state.

Water use. The water input required to make animal-protein is 26 times higher than for plant-based foods. Producing animal products is not an efficient use of our world’s scarce and valuable resources.

By choosing plant-based ice cream, such as Eclipse ice cream, you’re making an incredible difference. Acres of land, gallons of water, precious lives, and so much more can be saved by choosing plant-based foods.

What Is Eclipse Ice Cream Made From?

So, if not dairy, then what is Eclipse dairy-free ice cream made from?

In short, this ice cream is crafted from a blend of plants, including oat, corn, and potato. The entire base of the ice cream is made from only six ingredients: oat, corn, potato, cassava, organic cane sugar, and non-GMO canola oil. There’s beauty in simplicity, and this ice cream passes the test. However, it isn’t as easy as simply throwing these ingredients together. “It’s how we process them and put them together…that makes this indistinguishable from its animal counterpart,” says Bowman.

Eclipse ice cream is also mostly free of common allergens. Their three classic flavors—chocolate, vanilla, and cookie butter—boast no nuts and no or lactose. The list of their additional flavors is continually growing and evolving, but most are similar in being free of common allergens.

With this ice cream base as the secret weapon, it’s up to the top chefs, Bowman and Steinhart, to add in the fun stuff and create delicious flavors.

The Flavors (The Fun Stuff)

Eclipse “classics” are always a good place to start. Vanilla, chocolate, and cookie butter ice cream take the spotlight and set the stage for the success of Eclipse.

Vanilla ice cream that tastes just like vanilla. That’s the whole point. It’s as simple as that. Just like it’s Vanilla ice cream that tastes just like vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate is chocolate, with a hint of chocolate, and an extra touch of chocolate. Rich, creamy, and decadent, without compromise. Even the cows are jealous of this chocolate ice cream.

To all the cookie lovers out there, don’t worry; we have you covered. Swim in the velvety river of vanilla sweetness and discover chunks of cookies so golden, you’ll feel like a miner. This cookie butter ice cream is heaven-sent for the cookie lovers of the world.

We’re suckers for the good ol’ classics, but let us direct your attention to the Chef Collection. The chef collection features exclusive collaborations that are all plant-based, chef-crafted, and 100% good, with proceeds going to the Charity of Chef’s Choice.

Here’s a sneak peek: Palmier Cookie with Calvados Caramel, Figgin’ Delicious, Cocoa Black Sesame Tahini, Coffee Halvah Chocolate Chunk, and Mango Coconut Sticky Rice. These are just a few of the collection’s delights and new creations and rolled out frequently.

Is your mouth watering? We don’t blame you.

Why You Should Try It

Be a part of the solution. Eclipse plant-based ice cream uses less water, less land, and emits less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional dairy. Helping the environment has never tasted so good.

Eclipse ice cream is good by design. It’s the first plant-based ice cream that requires no sacrifice, ever. Creamy and rich, it’s not a dairy alternative; it’s a dairy sequel. Better yet, the Eclipse ice cream base is free from all common allergens – no soy, nuts, wheat, or lactose. It’s all of the good stuff, with none of the bad stuff.

When it comes to plant-based ice cream, Eclipse is the brand you must try.

Sources

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2018-06-01-new-estimates-environmental-cost-food