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Engine 2 Foods

By Carly Price, December 22, 2012  |  Meet the Blogger  |  More Posts by Carly Price

We love our producers, suppliers and vendors and we think most of them have some pretty interesting stories behind their products too. We’re sharing some of our favorites here in an ongoing series. UPDATE: Thanks to everyone that entered. Congratulations to our randomly chosen winner, Gary!

Rip Esselstyn, creator and author of The Engine 2 Diet, is also a former firefighter, triathlete and son of a physician. It’s no wonder he’s passionate about health and wellness.

Engine 2 Foods

“My father conducted research around heart disease and diet,” Rip explains. “I’ve always been inspired by the work he does.”

Rip spent a decade as a professional, world-class triathlete and 12 years as a firefighter. He first developed the plant-strong diet for his colleagues at Station 2 in Austin, Texas, and the results were dramatic.

 “We had some guys who were overweight or had high cholesterol and together we turned that around,” Rip says. “They learned that plant-based foods could fill them up without filling them out with minimal salt, low fat, no added sugar and minimal processing.”

Engine 2 Foods

The fire station success story garnered national media attention, and a New York Times best-selling book soon followed. Then in 2009, a partnership with Whole Foods Market® led to the development of an exclusive line of Engine 2 foods (starting with hummus, salsa and organic crispbreads) designed to make it easier for more people to transition to a plant-based lifestyle.

Rip’s mission is to encourage people to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, and the Engine 2 product line is a natural fit with Health Starts Here®, Whole Foods Market’s healthy eating initiative.

Engine 2 Foods

Rip's Big Bowl cereal brings together a bountiful blend of four wholesome whole grain cereals: rolled oats, shredded wheat, wheat berries, and sprouted grains nuggets. These core ingredients are topped off with the omega-3 all-stars: ground flaxseed and walnuts. For added goodness, we include big, bold raisins in Rip's Big Bowl Original for extra sweetness in every bite! It's a filling and healthy way to start the day.

What changes are you making for the New Year?

The fine print: No purchase necessary. Promotion ends January 15, 2013, 11:59 PM CDT. Must be a legal resident of the US or Canada (except in Quebec, where it is void) age 18 or older to participate. Taxes on prize, if applicable, are the responsibility of the winner. Employees of Whole Foods Market, Inc., are not eligible. Void where prohibited.

 

976 Comments

Comments

Arianna says ...
I've been plant strong for a month & I've never felt better!!!! My favorite breakfast for weekdays is Rips Big Bowl!!! I tell everyone about it!!! Plantstrong for life!!!
01/03/2013 11:42:57 AM CST
Taunia May says ...
I have been living a plant strong life style since first reading The Engine 2 Diet last year!! I have dropped 20+pounds, brought my cholesterol levels to "optimal" triglycerides dropped from 245 to 93 in 6 months time. If everyone would give plant strong eating a real chance they would notice such significant improvements. I would love to now be introduced tothe ease of the packaged foods that Rip has out. I do not live near a Whole Foods, so it's hard for me to get them. It would be wonderful if they were more widely available!! Pick me please!!!
01/03/2013 11:43:04 AM CST
Rosalinda says ...
This year I will stop eating cheese.
01/03/2013 11:43:23 AM CST
Stacy says ...
I'm modeling better food choices & having healthy snack options so my daughters will follow as they develop more tastes for other types of veggies & foods. We don't have a Whole Foods nearby so I mix my own cereal. My girls haven't developed the taste for regular coconut or almond milk but the will use the chocolate almond milk on the cereal, it's baby steps but its progress :)
01/03/2013 11:43:39 AM CST
Megan Thompson says ...
We are doing the Engine 2 28 day challenge in January, and hope to stay very near vegan for the rest of the year!
01/03/2013 11:43:39 AM CST
Teresa says ...
I'm on day 3 of eating a whole foods, plant based diet. The Wendy's in my town will probably have to shut down now ;) haha. I'd love to try Rip's Big Bowl!
01/03/2013 11:43:50 AM CST
Lisa Fogarty says ...
after reading the china study and then reading engine 2... last January.. I had a superbowl party with all things from the engine 2 cookbook.. and I have been plant strong since.... I plan on exercising more this year... 30 minutes of cardio a day if possible....
01/03/2013 11:45:02 AM CST
Michelle Butler says ...
YUM!
01/03/2013 11:45:06 AM CST
Vicki Long says ...
I have already become a vegetarian, now I am going to work on eliminating oils, and dairy products as in the Engine 2 plan. Feeling great!
01/03/2013 11:45:46 AM CST
lori elrod says ...
My family has been plant strong for a little over a year now, thanks to the Esselstyn family. For this year our goal is to juice more and stay on track better. I also need a couple more cook books in my library :)
01/03/2013 11:45:55 AM CST
Holly says ...
In 2012, I cooked plant strong at home and lost 45 pounds, but found traveling to be very difficult. In 2013, I would like to figure out how to stay plant strong in my travels, and get get exercising. A 5k might even be in the cards :-)
01/03/2013 11:46:10 AM CST
Kate says ...
I am throwing out all the bad and filling my body with plant-strong goodness!
01/03/2013 11:46:36 AM CST
Elaine says ...
I'm bringing down my cholesterol levels by eating plant strong and have lost 30+ lbs with no effort. This year I am going to get back to exercising regularly.
01/03/2013 11:46:58 AM CST
Cyndi Swanson says ...
Rip's Big Bowl was one of the first recipes I tried when I started a whole foods plant based diet. There is no Whole Foods store here in El Paso, so I would LOVE to get a case of his cereal to continue on my journey of eating well! Thanks
01/03/2013 11:47:00 AM CST
Petra Starr says ...
The changes we made the weeks leading up to the new year were - no more sodas (which was a favorite of one of my sons) - limit processed food - organic as much as possible, no dairy. We are doing great so far. We are also juicing. My boys and I are really determined to stay healthy as long as possible, hopefully avoiding diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and cancer.
01/03/2013 11:47:01 AM CST
Cecelia Terhune says ...
I have already lost 30 pounds and lowered my cholesterol by 30 . I continue to follow a plant based diet because it has given me more energy and a healthier body. This year will be awesome as I lose more and look and feel whole.
01/03/2013 11:47:20 AM CST
Amber Harsin says ...
After watching a documentary about a 6 week Vegan challenge and deciding to give it a try, a fellow firefighter at my father's station gave me Rip's book, Totakky changed my focus to gi whole food, plant based instead. It's only been 3 weeks, but I feel so much better and have finally got back the motivation to run again. Half marathon this year? I think yes!
01/03/2013 11:47:29 AM CST
Jennifer Burn says ...
This prize would be amazing to win. We are a family of five. I have 3 small children that we are raising on a plant based diet. So as you know it can be an expensive expense. My children are absolutley worth it. This could help with the budget for a little while. We would love to win this cereal!!!
01/03/2013 11:47:30 AM CST
MW says ...
I will be serving a veggie and fruit with every meal to help my family meet our athletic goals.
01/03/2013 11:47:34 AM CST
Sharon Pinder says ...
I have already begun eating Plant Strong, and as a result my doctor advised me to cut my cholesterol and blood pressure medications in half! However, I still have a few hold-outs in my diet, like Southern sweet tea. :-P My goal for 2013 is to keep a food diary to help me get rid of the last few things I should not be eating, so I will be able to completely quit taking medication for cholesterol and blood pressure! Thanks for all the advice and support I have found at Whole Foods, on the E2 website, and Facebook.
01/03/2013 11:47:52 AM CST
Kate Merriman says ...
I'm "healthing up" my already vegan eating by cutting out most of the added oil and fat! Started this morning with a nice baked potato dressed up with some BBQ sauce. Yum!
01/03/2013 11:48:01 AM CST
LJames says ...
Since watching Forks Over Knives and buying the Engine2 book we've been adding in much more plant based meals. I juice and do a lot of raw but these foods will make it a little easier, especially for my husband.....glad to see you carrying them!!!
01/03/2013 11:48:04 AM CST
Denise says ...
I just watched Forks Over Knives and Engine 2 over the weekend and am excited to get started!! Ive been shopping at Whole Foods for over 15 years and I'm ready to go a step further. I didn't know there were Engine2 specific foods at Whole Foods so I'll check that out. LOVE IT!
01/03/2013 11:48:21 AM CST
Ellery says ...
I am going to try (even harder) to not get foods at my college's dining hall that I suspect have been made with oil. Also, I am signed up for a yoga class, as I find motivating myself to spend time exercising during my super busy schedule to be a great challenge for me.
01/03/2013 11:48:32 AM CST
Josh Culp says ...
Hey Rip, I am planning on doing no less than 120 minutes of dedicated exercise per week. I purchased a UP band which I use to track steps, I do several laps around our building a day to exceed 10,000 steps. I also use it to track meals.
01/03/2013 11:48:38 AM CST

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