Best Vegan Food Products
The interest in veganism is on the rise. Even if committing 100% to veganism isn’t on the table, there’s been a rapid growth in high-quality vegan food products in recent years, recreating popular dishes like pizzas and burgers with vegan-friendly ingredients, showing that you can literally have your delicious vegan cake and eat it, too. Reducing meat consumption and replacing popular dishes with plant-based options is a great stepping stone to living a more sustainable, healthy life, for you and the planet. These are the most popular and best vegan food products you should make sure to stock.
Why Do People Choose To Be Vegan?
There are many reasons people choose to be vegan, and the reasons often differ. Perhaps one of the most popular reasons is to reduce the amount of animal suffering caused by the meat and dairy industry. In addition, many people choose to be vegan for other reasons, such as a moral reason or a lifestyle choice.
There are others who consider being vegan a way to ensure a sustainable future for the planet. One of the most prominent and well-documented reasons that people choose to be vegan is to support a healthier lifestyle, with less stress, better health, and less environmental impact.
Animal agriculture is one of the biggest causes of environmental degradation, with billions of animals being raised and slaughtered for meat each year. By avoiding all animal products, including eggs, dairy, and meat, you’re preventing a lot of unnecessary animal suffering, for the sake of your own health and for the planet.
Another consideration why people are becoming vegan is the environmental impact. Consuming animal products greatly contributes to the environmental problems we are facing today, including global climate change. The production of animal-derived foods is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and studies suggest that eating meat is actually more harmful to the environment than the use of petrol, while high consumption of fish is also associated with a reduced environmental impact.
A study by Elio Antunes of the University of East London and the University of Nottingham found that 72% of vegans were motivated by animal rights issues, while 32% said it was about health concerns, and 14% cited environmental reasons. Some of the reasons behind the rise in the vegan population are: For many vegans, it was simply about reducing their consumption of animal products.
Benefits Of Vegan Food Products
Apart from the environmental impact of the food industry, which is indisputable (animal agriculture is the number one cause of greenhouse gas emissions), there are a number of reasons to cut meat out of your diet or choose vegan alternatives. You don’t have to worry about how animals are treated. If you are vegan, you can’t be the perpetrator of animal abuse.
There’s simply no reason to have to consider whether the factory workers in the chicken or pork industry were given a decent living or whether they were regularly stung by bees to calm them down. When you commit to a vegan lifestyle, you have to be the ethical one, in other words. You won’t miss the taste.
Vegan foods offer a multitude of health benefits. Dairy and egg products are known to contribute to allergies in general, to breast cancer in women and to other health conditions such as diabetes. As vegan products are healthier for your body and the planet, choosing vegan food products is an easy way to cut down on your carbon footprint.
Everyone wants to see the benefits of going vegan, but for many, the idea of vegan food can be intimidating and confusing. The vegan food industry makes it easier and more accessible to consumers, featuring foods that are both delicious and nutritious. Vegan-friendly alternatives to popular foods offer consumers choice, flexibility, and increased health benefits without the animal suffering that comes with meat and animal products.
Best Vegan Products
Most of the highest-quality vegan products are made with beans, grains, and/or other grains. However, there are still many delicious foods that are made with eggs and dairy products (which aren’t vegan). For the best vegan food products, you’ll want to start with healthy, plant-based foods. There’s an unending quantity of animal-based products vying for our attention in the grocery store, but the results of our seasonal shopping can only show so much of their impact.
Using Kickstarter, small-batch vegan product designers are raising funds to produce and ship their products to retail. And when we add to that an influx of different brands, specialized products and outstanding customer service, there’s something for everyone. Veganism doesn’t mean missing out on the fun. It doesn’t have to mean depriving yourself of everything delicious and satisfying, and it certainly doesn’t mean going without dessert. There are lots of incredible vegan snack products out there. Here we cover some of our favourites:
The First Best Vegan Product Is “All About Vegan Cheese”
All About Vegan Cheese is by far one of the most recognized vegan cheese brands on the market. They sell a wide variety of vegan cheeses, in all price ranges, along with various vegan spreads and seasonings. All About Vegan Cheese has a strong presence in a number of retail locations across North America, with distribution in nearly 50% of all major grocery stores in the United States.
For cheese lovers, this is one of the best places to look for vegan cheese. Plant-Based Sugar Coated Peanut Butter: One of the biggest faux pas for vegans is processed foods, and peanut butter is a guilty pleasure for many. But avoiding this classic vegan snack and staple might not be realistic.
Another Best Vegan Product Is The “Best Vegan Ice Cream”
This plant-based ice cream is so good, you’ll forget you’re not consuming dairy, making this one of the best vegan ice cream products in existence. It tastes like a dessert – complete with all the creamy deliciousness of dairy-based ice cream, while still being healthy and suitable for lactose intolerants. The flavours are customizable and very nice and have been a huge hit in various spots around the United States.
It’s a vegan win-win. Clean Label Oat-Breads, Breakfast Bars and Cookies Food For Life Food For Life has a variety of gluten-free and vegan breakfast products that you can order online or in a grocery store, with some flavours coming in even more flavours if the flavours available in your area aren’t enough to satisfy your cravings.
Hemp, Flax And Chia Seeds
Want to take your meal to the next level? Try these three versatile and high-quality seeds. Hemp, flax and chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, omega-9 fatty acids, and fibre. Sprinkling them on anything from rice to nuts and veggies is a great way to make your food healthier. They can be ground into flour and used as an egg replacer in recipes, too. My husband did some baking the other day and he used chia seeds as an egg replacement.
- Hemp seeds contain 23 essential amino acids and are gluten-free. Sprinkle them on salads, soups, pizza, beans and even crackers.
- Flax seeds contain Omega 3 fatty acids and can be used as a seasoning or added to baked goods.
- Chia seeds are high in fibre and can be added to salads, as an egg replacer or blended into recipes. Find them in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores.
Hemp, flax and chia seeds are at the top of my list for vegan nutrition. It’s pretty common knowledge that hemp seeds contain a lot of healthy fatty acids, protein and essential vitamins and minerals. However, the reason we do anything to them is that they contain THC and CBD, which is something you don’t get naturally from your diet.
The hemp plant is having a moment and can be a great place to start as a vegan if you want to minimize animal products in your diet. It is a great source of nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fibre, vitamin B-6, zinc and magnesium. It’s also high in antioxidants. Chia seeds are another great option for vegan desserts and snacks. They are gluten-free, high in fibre and healthy fat.
They can be made into sauces and snacks with spices like cinnamon and cinnamon sugar. Their high protein content means they’re a good replacement for dairy-based cheeses. Their high fibre content means they’re a great option for healthy snacks. These and hemp seeds are also great to keep in your backpack if you’re on the go and want to keep on energy.
Tofu And Other Minimally Processed Meat Substitutes
Tofu and other minimally processed meat substitutes are commonly used in a variety of dishes. They give your dishes a meaty texture, so they can be enjoyed by those who prefer meat, and they offer a meat-like taste and look, especially when smoked. Popular varieties of vegan meat substitutes include tempeh, seitan, black bean, quinoa, and lentil.
A vegan skillet dinner is a plant-based meal that’s healthy, convenient, and easy to prepare. Many of the most popular vegan skillet dinner recipes include ground and cubed tofu, chickpeas, or beans. Other popular food sources include chickpeas, black beans, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, and other vegetables. I personally use mushrooms a lot as a meat replacement. I use the same spices and herbs without meat. It results in a delicious dish.
Tofu is a soybean product that is around 90% water, which makes it quite similar to meat in texture and ease of preparation. It’s a great vegan meat alternative to help you stay lean and ensure you don’t miss the meaty flavour. Another item that has an unbelievable shelf life and an excellent flavour is natto, also known as fermented soybeans.
What makes natto particularly unique is the fact that it has an extreme fermentation process that allows for up to half the protein in it to be converted into glutamates. The term natto is said to have come from the Japanese phrase “bubbling with acid”, which describes the colour of the beans before they are ready to be consumed.
Similar to tofu, tempeh, seitan, and the other low- or non-vegan meat substitutes are starting to get high-quality vegan products, too. While there’s no shortage of these products, companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods offer alternatives to traditional soy products and duck confit.
The guys at Beyond Meat even created a chickpea-based burger that bleeds when cooked. The Impossible Burger (available at Walmart and other supermarkets and burger joints) is so realistic that many meat-eaters say it tastes like meat. Just prepare to be in for a shock if you plan to try it out at home; a veggie patty is probably the last thing you’d expect to develop a distinct flavour.
JUST Egg
This egg replacement is made using legumes and can be used in place of eggs in cakes, baking, and desserts. It also makes it easier to replicate traditional recipes that contain eggs such as custard, chocolate, and custard pies. Made of soy, soy lecithin, and pea protein, the JUST Egg looks and smells like a normal egg and is high in protein (15g per egg).
JUST Eggs are one of the most popular vegan egg substitutes out there. The product is non-GMO, lactose-free, cholesterol-free, cholesterol-free, soy-free, and gluten-free and is also perfectly suitable for baking and cooking.
One of the biggest conundrums for non-vegans considering a switch is eggs: So many recipes require them, so many delicious dishes are egg-based, and yet vegans don’t eat eggs due to the exploitative nature in which mass-market eggs are produced. Well, JUST Egg has stepped up to fill that egg-shaped void in your fridge.
The brand’s vegan eggs are made from 100% plant-based proteins like mung beans, as well as other vegetables and seasonings like turmeric and carrots to add flavour and natural colouring. Available as a liquid for scrambled eggs or as a folded patty that’s perfect for breakfast sandwiches, the taste and texture are pretty darn close to the real thing, feeling and tasting like actual eggs.
And when combined with other ingredients for omelets, sandwiches, and other recipes, JUST Eggs proves that it really can fill that egg-shaped hole, in terms of utility, flavour, and enjoyment. And, since JUST Eggs is cholesterol-free, it’s also great for non-vegans looking to cut their cholesterol intake.
Seaweeds
Since vegan eaters don’t eat fish, getting certain nutrients like omega-3s, iodine, Vitamin B12, calcium, and magnesium can sometimes be a bit challenging. That’s where seaweed comes to the rescue! Seaweeds contain high amounts of minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients. This makes seaweeds a nutritional powerhouse in their own right, and they’re very versatile. Many people buy seaweed as a snack, but you can also make delicious dishes using it, like seaweed salad and seaweed pancakes.
Seaweed has a long history of culinary use, but its popularity skyrocketed in recent years. The sea vegetable was one of the main ingredients in tempeh, a soy-based food product you may not have tried before. Tempeh is also a vegan-friendly food product, and a great source of protein, iron, vitamin B12, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium. Try some seaweed salad for a fresh, spring green salad that has a crunchy texture. Or try homemade seaweed pancakes for a fresh, light dinner dish.
If you’ve read any previous Best Vegan Food Products lists, you’ve probably seen seaweeds and algae, a category I’m very excited to explore more fully. Seaweed might seem like the last on the list of vegan food items, but it is, in fact, one of the healthiest foods you can eat. As long as you know what kind of seaweed you’re eating, you don’t need to worry about whether it contains harmful additives, like soy, sunflower or palm oil.
As a matter of fact, when you eat seaweed, you’re consuming antioxidants that can protect your body from cancer. They also help to maintain normal blood pressure and cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of hypertension, diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Seaweed can be used as an easy addition to enriching dishes with deep and intense flavours, an element sometimes missing in home vegan cooking. It can be integrated into your favourite recipes to add flavour, nutrition, and can be used as a salt replacement.
We are using Dulse for our smoothies and as a salt replacement in salads.
Nuts, Nut Butters And Seeds
Whether you’re a keen baker or simply like nuts and seeds in your diet, these can be useful additions to your food. You can opt for any of the best vegan nut butter and mix them with vegetables to create tasty, satisfying salad dressings. Of course, you could also simply make your own by making your own almond or cashew butter and, if you want to eat more healthy snack foods, seeds and nuts are a great choice.
You can opt for delicious protein bars or you could opt for a Vegan Protein Bar. Protein bars are a fantastic source of protein as they’re a low-calorie snack option. All you need to make one is ground almonds, dates, and agave syrup, and you can make a Protein Bar in just a couple of minutes.
The health benefits of nuts and seeds have been known for centuries, thanks to studies on omega-3 fats, vitamins and minerals, which are not found in any other food group on Earth. Nuts are the healthiest, most sustainable and least expensive food. The nuts, are providing you with tons of fibre and essential nutrients, in addition to helping you achieve your weight-loss goals by replacing some of the calories from sugary foods.
Most importantly, they are packed with good fat and protein, and many of them are also packed with delicious, vegan-friendly alternatives for meat substitutes, such as almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter and pecan butter.
Many nuts and seeds are incredibly versatile, including cashew, sunflower, hemp, chia, flax, pumpkin, pecan, and macadamia nuts. Additionally, there are a lot of great vegan food products that use nutritional yeast to give an unusual and meat-free twist to your favourite foods, including sandwiches and salads.
Oatly Oak Milk
Brewed from red algae, a type of algae that gives oat milk its yellow colour and unique creaminess. Oatly has been one of the most popular dairy alternatives for a long time. It’s a good choice if you want to feel full of energy without feeling bloated or heavy. Oatly is one of the best-selling milk substitute products in the U.S. because it’s creamy, smooth and flavoured just right. Aside from being vegan and gluten-free, it’s low in saturated fat, too, which means you won’t feel guilty about enjoying a cup of it every morning.
Oatly makes what might be the best plant-based milk on the market. Made from oats, the oat milk has a rich, creamy taste without the typical aftertaste of milk. The cold or hot varieties are great for use in smoothies, lattes, or cereal, and the creamy flavour can be adapted to other plant-based milk without losing the quality. It’s rich in vitamin B12, magnesium, iron, vitamin B6, and minerals like zinc, copper, and manganese. It’s also naturally cholesterol-free.
The vegan option is lactose-free as well. The thick, creamy texture makes it ideal for use in baked goods and smoothies, and it’s low in lactose, making it a great choice for people who are lactose intolerant. You can get it at most major grocery stores in an 8 oz bottle for $7.99.
This classic oat beverage has recently been hit by vegan trend seekers who turned it into a dairy-free alternative. No matter if you’re using the Original Oatly or Oatly Artisan Oat Milk, you can have a high-protein, fibre, and calcium-filled beverage that tastes just like dairy milk. The Oatly Original comes in several flavours, like Original, Vanilla, and Chocolate and it’s available in 12-ounce glass bottles, as well as cartons.
Oatly Artisan Oat Milk is fresh, unsweetened oat milk with a slightly more intense flavour is available in eight flavours, and it’s available in cartons as well. “It tastes great,” said Jennifer Chor, a U.S. editor of VegNews. “I’ve made it with soy milk before and loved it. But I also have a bunch of friends who drink it as real milk.”
There are many oat milk brands out there, but Oatly is consistently touted as the best of the best and has even been given the unofficial-official stamp of approval from people who have to work with and worry about the taste of milk every day: Baristas. Baristas everywhere are so enamoured with Oatly that they even made an Oatly Barista edition, so you know it’s the good stuff.
Conclusion
Eating healthy and being a conscious consumer are great reasons to go vegan. But if you’re searching for a deeper and more meaningful reason, consider why you want to become vegan and explore how your life could change in a positive way.
I trust you enjoyed reading the article on the Best Vegan Food Products. Would you please stay tuned? There are more blog posts to come very shortly.
JeannetteZ
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Ideas? Thoughts? Questions? I would love to hear from you. Would you please leave me your questions, experience and remarks about the Best Vegan Food Products in the comments section below? You can also reach me by email at Jeannette@LivingTheVeganLifestyle.org.