While eating whole foods is by far the healthiest choice for any diet, it may not be practical for many people… and some of us just like the taste of a cheeseburger! Having vegan “meat” and “cheese” options allows us to continue to participate in some of our favorite food-centered activities, such as Bar-B-Ques and pizza parties, without feeling deprived. We are fortunate to live in a time when we have a plethera of options that make transitioning to a compassionate diet much easier than ever before. In fact, considering you can get pretty much anything in a plant-based version - from sushi to cheesecake to pizza - there really is no reason to keep eating animal products. Many people are also avoiding products that contain palm oil for ethical reasons. To learn more about the problem with palm oil, click here.

On this page we give you examples of some of our favorite vegan / plant-based alternatives. For more up-to-date reviews of vegan foods, follow us on Instagram. Or check out VeganMiam.com for food and other vegan product reviews.

And if you can’t find any of these products in your local grocery store, there are now plenty of online vegan grocers, like VeganEssentials.com  (and check out TheHerbiverousButcher.com for amazing vegan “meat” and cheese!)

Vegan Meat

Consuming the flesh of an animal is not only bad for the animal it came from and bad for the planet, but it’s bad for the consumer as well. Humans are not physiologically designed to digest animal flesh. So while it is possible, it is not optimal. But most of us grew up eating meats of all kinds, and many of us have had it as part of nearly every meal for as long as we can remember. The great news for meat-lovers is that we can now get the same taste we crave without harming ourselves, our planet, or the animals that most of us love when they are alive.

Below are some of our favorite faux-meats products. We can tell you right up front that we absolutely love most Gardein, Field Roast, and Beyond Meat products, including the famous Beyond Burger!

Vegan Cheese

One of the most unhealthy, destructive, and cruel parts of an animal based diet is dairy! And cheese is one thing most people are convinced they cannot live without. The great news is that there are finally some plant-based cheeses on the market that are good enough to eat, not only on a sandwich or on a pizza, but on their own! But a little note of caution... not all cheeses are created equal - some are downright gross. Check out these vegan cheese options that we don’t think are gross. 

There are a few we really don’t like (although everyone’s taste is different), which include Daiya, and Trader Joe’s brand. Also watch out for some cheeses in the “vegetarian” section as they may contain milk. Yes, that’s right… you might pick up a package of “almond cheese” only to find out it’s got cow lactations in it. WHY????? Oh well… just always ​​read the labels before you put the items in your cart.

Vegan Dairy (beyond cheese)

As we stated, dairy is bad on so many levels, yet is pervasive in most diets. This is why so much research and development is going into plant-based dairy alternatives. If you go into almost any grocery store you are now presented with a plethora of options, including: soy milk, oat milk, pea milk, flax milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, almond milk, banana milk, and more! Vegan butter, vegan mayo, vegan yogurt, vegan ranch dip… popping up in markets around the world.