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Best Vegan Cheese: The Ultimate Guide [17+ Cheeses]

May 19, 2020 by Lacey Bourassa

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For many people, a life without cheese is unimaginable.

There’s a general consensus among foodies that veganism is too intimidating because they “can’t live without cheese.”

Some have even gone as far as comparing cheese to crack.

The truth is that vegans still indulge in all the cheesy goodness that we’re all shamelessly anddicted to.

How so? Vegan cheese.

There’s just one largely important thing to remember about plant-based cheeses: Some will blow your mind, but others can turn you off of non-dairy cheese forever.

Luckily, with so many options these days, many taste like the real thing (or at least very close).

To experience vegan cheese the right way, stick to these tried and true brands and recipes.

Vegan Cheese Brands You Can Get in Stores

No matter where you live, you should be able to find at least one of these vegan cheese brands that are actually worth trying.

Vegan Cheese Shreds

As cheesy as it sounds, the sky’s the limit with shredded cheese. You can put it on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, pizza, mac n’ cheese, vegan eggs, etc. Here are the ones that can actually replace shredded cheese forever.

Best: Follow Your Heart Shreds

Follow Your Heart is one of the top vegan cheese brands. The shreds come in a wide variety of flavors: mozzarella, cheddar, fiesta blend, and pizza blend. The base is palm oil, so these shreds are perfect when you want a gooey quesadilla or greasy pizza. Find them here on Amazon (though looks only large quantities currently available) or search here for a nearby store.

So Delicious Dairy Free Shreds

I have to give a shout out specifically to the So Delicious cheddar jack shreds. So Delicious vegan shreds also come in mozzarella and cheddar. They’re made with coconut milk, but you wouldn’t know it based on taste alone. Find them here.

Daiya Cutting Board Shreds

Daiya makes seven vegan cheese shreds in total, but only the three Cutting Board Shreds varieties (pepper jack, mozzarella, and cheddar styles) are worth your time. The ingredients are mainly vegetable oils and tapioca starch, so they’re easy to melt. Their Shreds line is soy free too. Find them on Amazon here and in stores here.

Violife Shreds

Violife vegan cheeses are top-quality among all categories. They currently offer the two most common flavors in this category: mozzarella and cheddar. The core ingredients are coconut oil and various starches. Violife also puts a lot of effort into flavoring their cheeses, so both the texture and taste are spot on. You can buy on Amazon here via Whole Foods and also search for stores here.

Vegan Cheese Slices

There’s nothing more American than sliced cheese. If you’re a fellow grilled cheese lover, this is all you. Vegan cheese slices also go perfectly with a meaty Impossible Burger.

Best: Field Roast CHAO Slices

CHAO cheese melts perfectly on grilled cheeses and burgers, and they’re super convincing. The creamy original flavor is the most versatile—you can use this to substitute essentially any type of sliced cheese. These are made with tofu (though they don’t taste at all like the tofu you’re thinking of). They’re available on Amazon and you can locate them in stores here.

Follow Your Heart Slices

Unlike the shreds, Follow Your Heart slices are made with coconut oil. Their slices are among the best and come in a wide variety of flavors. They have classic flavors like American and even Smoked Gouda, Provolone, and Pepper Jack. These slices are soy free as well. Available here on Amazon and also find them here.

Tofutti Dairy-Free Cheese Slices

Tofutti is a brand that’s usually easy to find and affordable. The American slices are reminiscent of Kraft singles. They also have a mozzarella flavor. Like the name suggests, Tofutti cheese is made of tofu. Find them here.

Violife Slices

Some cheese slices (vegan or not) are slimy and slippery, but Violife slices aren’t. They’re thick and hold up well on sandwiches. There’s a fair amount of flavors, too, ranging from mature cheddar to hot pepper. They’re all made with a base of coconut oil. See em here on Amazon and find in stores here.

Vegan Cream Cheeses

Cream cheese is all about the texture. Is it thick? Spreadable? Level-10 creamy? I’m impressed with these vegan cheeses because they meet my strict requirements for this category.

Best: Miyoko’s Vegan Cream Cheese

Miyoko’s specializes in creamy vegan products, so it’s no surprise their vegan cream cheese is the clear winner. It’s cashew-based, so it’s very spreadable and indulgent. It also has a gourmet feel to it. There are three flavors: classic, lox, and scallion. Available on Amazon here and also find them here.

Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

Tofutti uses a blend of oils and tofu as the base of their four vegan cream cheeses: plain, herbs and chives, garlic and herb, and whipped. The plain isn’t savory at all, so it’s a great choice for making vegan desserts. I’ve actually made cannolis with it! It’s here on Amazon and with store listing here.

Trader Joe’s Vegan Cream Cheese

If you want vegan cream cheese on a budget, go to Trader Joe’s. The texture is exactly what you’d expect, and the plain flavor is versatile. The base is coconut and soy. Find them here.

Violife Just Like Cream Cheese

Everything made by Violife is delicious, including their cream cheese. It comes in five flavors: original, herb, hot pepper, tzatziki (Greek), and tomato basil. They use a similar recipe for their other products. Amazon has it here and search stores here.

Gourmet Vegan Cheeses

I love a good vegan cheese board with all the fixins’ for aesthetic reasons, but it also has to taste amazing. When you want to impress friends and family, these are the spreadable vegan cheeses to wow them with.

Best: Treeline Creamy Soft Treenut Cheese

Treeline has a variety of soft vegan cheeses and aged nut cheeses. You guessed the main ingredient: cashews. Toss one of these bad boys onto a cutting board with some crackers and veggies, and your tastebuds will be blown away. Find them here.

Miyoko’s Cheese Wheel

Miyoko’s has 10 different vegan cheese wheels, and they’re each equally addicting. The texture is creamy, and the presentation is on-point. Like Treeline, these are also made with cashews. These slice like butter and make for a tasty spread. Amazon has the Double Cream Chive and the Aged English Smoked Farmhouse. You can also find them in other stores here.

Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread

Technically, this is a vegan cream cheese. But it belongs in the “gourmet” category because it’s rich and luxurious. It comes in four savory flavors and one sweet flavor: plain, chive, jalapeno, everything, and strawberry. The base of each one is almond milk with various added flavors. Find stores here and also check them out on Amazon through Whole Foods.

Vegan Mac N’ Cheese

We all grew up on it, so naturally we try to recreate it. Vegan mac n’ cheese exists, and it’s amazing. These boxed vegan mac n’ cheeses are comforting, salty, and cheesy.

Best: Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac

Daiya’s Deluxe Cheezy Mac is one of their stand-out products. In fact, I think it’s their best product overall. If you want a boxed vegan mac n’ cheese that will take you back to your childhood, this is it. The Cheezy Mac comes in both cheddar and alfredo. They’re available for Prime shipping on Amazon.

Chao Creamy Mac N’ Chao

This vegan mac n’ cheese is interesting because it’s found in the freezer section and can be microwaved, yet it has a gourmet flavor. The cheese is very thick and creamy, though it’s not trying to be cheddar. The two flavors are creamy original and chili mac. Find them here.

Amy’s Non-Dairy Macaroni

Another vegan mac n’ cheese you can find in the freezer is Amy’s. Just make sure to grab the vegan option, because Amy’s has non-vegan products, too. Their vegan mac n’ cheese is made with Daiya cheese. It’s a very cheesy and convenient grab-and-go option. They offer a gluten-free vegan variety too. See the Vegan Shells here on Amazon and Gluten-Free Vegan Elbows here.

Road’s End Dairy-Free Shells & Chreese

This vegan mac n’ cheese is made with simple ingredients, yet it gets consistently good reviews from people who try it. The cheesy flavor comes from nutritional yeast, a delicious plant-based protein source. The mac n’ cheese also has gluten-free and alfredo variations. Find them here.

Other Store Bought Vegan Cheeses

Vegan cheese has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go. There’s basically an endless supply of cheddar and mozzarella alternatives, but we’re still waiting on more flavors. Here are some of the other store-bought plant-based cheeses that don’t fall in the main categories.

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Vegan Cheese Blocks

Violife Blocks

Vegan Queso (aka Nacho Cheese)

Plant-Based Cheese Recipes You Can Make at Home

The beauty of making vegan cheese at home is that you can make cheeses that you can’t buy at the store. Homemade vegan cheese is usually healthier, too.

Vegan Mac N’ Cheese Recipe

This vegan mac n’ cheese recipe uses cashews as the base, and it’s flavored with nutritional yeast and spices. This is a great dish to bring to a potluck because non-vegans will love it. Bonus points if you bake it in the oven with breadcrumbs on top!

Vegan Blue Cheese Recipe

There aren’t many vegan blue cheeses on the market, so this is the perfect example of vegan cheese you can try to make at home. This vegan blue cheese recipe gets its color from spirulina and its creaminess from soaked cashews.

Vegan Brie Cheese Recipe

The creator of this vegan brie cheese recipe describes it perfectly: “Sharp, creamy with a white and flowery rind. Before going any further, be aware this is not a quick recipe, don’t expect to have a cheese ready tonight. The whole process will take you about three weeks. BUT: It is totally worth it!”

Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe

The easiest vegan cheese recipe award goes to Minimalist Baker. This vegan parmesan cheese recipe couldn’t be any simpler. It has four ingredients and can be used on top of salads, pizza, and pasta.

Which Vegan Cheese is Best?

The best vegan cheese really depends on what you’re trying to make with it. Here’s a quick breakdown of the best vegan cheese based on use.

Best Vegan Cheese for Pizza

For pizza, you should obviously go for mozzarella. The So Delicious Mozzarella Shreds would work perfectly. They melt nicely in the oven, and they have that classic mozzarella taste. Follow Your Heart also has a delicious Pizza Blend.

Best Vegan Cheese for Burgers

If you want a white cheese, try the CHAO Creamy Original slices. If you want American cheese on your burger, the Tofutti American slices have that classic taste.

Best Vegan Cheese for Mac N’ Cheese

Vegan mac n’ cheese is really easy to make at home if you have vegan cheese shreds on hand. Just melt them on the stove top with some plant milk, vegan butter, and some spices. For mac n’ cheese, you can melt down any cheddar shreds or even slices. The Follow Your Heart Gourmet Cheddar shreds would do the job perfectly. You can even mix brands for a complex flavor.

Best Vegan Cheese for Mexican-Style Food

Hands down, the best vegan cheese for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas would be the So Delicious Cheddar Jack shreds. They would melt down nicely in a quesadilla, too.

Vegan Cheese FAQ

In which we answer everything you’ve ever wanted to know about vegan cheese.

What is vegan cheese made out of?

Store bought vegan cheese is typically made with vegetable oils, nuts, starch, and/or tofu. It’s common to see coconut oil or palm oil as the base of a store-bought vegan cheese. Softer vegan cheeses might use various nuts and/or tofu as the base.

Is vegan cheese healthy?

Vegan, plant-based cheese isn’t trying to be a health food. The store-bought options are usually high in calories, fat, oil, and salt. Though they may be made with plants, vegan cheeses are still processed foods.

Is vegan cheese healthier than real cheese?

Probably. Real cheese is high in cholesterol and animal fat. Homemade vegan cheese is especially healthier than real cheese. If you follow some of the recipes above, you’ll see they call for mostly whole foods.

What is the healthiest non-dairy cheese?

The healthiest vegan cheese is probably one you make at home with minimal ingredients. Out of the store bought vegan cheeses, Treeline soft cheeses have some of the cleanest ingredients lists.

Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Vegan Cheese?

If you’ve ever had awful non-dairy cheese, don’t let one bad experience turn you away from vegan cheese forever. There are hundreds of options now, and you’re bound to like a few of them.

So, what’s the best vegan cheese for you? Your best bet is to find a brand you really like and stick to that brand until you’re ready to experiment some more. Follow Your Heart and Violife are some of the most universally liked plant-based cheeses, and they both have multiple flavors and types to choose from.

When you’re introduced to the world of vegan cheese, you realize that you don’t have to live without dairy. You can still eat cheese regularly if you’d like. Just eat cheese made from plants instead of animals. It’s a win-win.

The Beyond Burger: Everything You’ve Wanted to Know

May 19, 2020 by Lacey Bourassa

Beyond Meat changed the vegan meat game when they launched the Beyond Burger in 2016.

The Beyond Burger made national headlines as the “bleeding burger” made exclusively from plants AND being sold alongside real beef patties in the meat section.

Although the Beyond Burger is a vegan product, it’s not just for vegans. Now that the Beyond Burger is available at thousands of U.S. fast-food and restaurant locations, meat lovers are wondering whether or not they should give the bleeding plant-based burger a try.

What’s are in the ingredients in the Beyond Burger? Does it taste like meat? Is it healthy?

Here are all of your questions about the Beyond Burger answered.

What is the Beyond Burger?

The Beyond Burger is an all-vegan substitute for traditional beef patties. It’s made entirely of plants with the main ingredient coming from pea protein.

From the package to your plate, the Beyond Burger looks, feels and cooks like a real beef burger. It even bleeds like raw beef and has a pink center! However, no animals were harmed in the making of this beefy burger.

The Beyond Burger is on the rise as a popular meat substitute because of its umami flavor and lesser impact on the environment. It’s also marketed as a healthier alternative to meat.

History of the Beyond Burger

The Beyond Burger was launched by Beyond Meat in 2016.

In 2019, the recipe was reformulated and the Beyond Burger 2.0 was released to the market.

The company started in 2009 and brought several high-protein meat alternatives, including the Beast Burger, to the market.

Beyond Beat’s other products include Beyond Beef Crumbles and Beyond Chicken Strips. In 2018, Beyond Meat launched their Beyond Sausages, meat-free sausages that look and taste like the real thing.

Beyond Burger Ingredients

Beef patties have just one ingredient: beef. Since the Beyond Burger is entirely plant-based, it requires a few more ingredients to create a meat-like flavor. Fortunately, you can probably pronounce all of them.

Here is the full ingredients list of the Beyond Burger:

Water
Pea Protein Isolate
Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil
Refined Coconut Oil

Contains 2% or less of the following: Cellulose from Bamboo, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Natural Flavor, Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Dried Yeast, Gum Arabic, Citrus Extract (to protect quality), Ascorbic Acid (to maintain color), Beet Juice Extract (for color), Acetic Acid, Succinic Acid, Modified Food Starch, Annatto (for color)

In case you glossed over that chunk of text, let’s go over the main ingredients in the Beyond Burger.

Main Ingredients Broken Down:

Pea Protein

The reason why the Beyond Burger is so high in protein is thanks to peas. Instead of using soy protein or wheat protein, the Beyond Burger uses non-GMO pea protein in order to remain soy- and gluten-free.

Oils

There are three oils in the Beyond Burger: canola oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil. The Beyond Burger has a juicy, moist texture thanks to these wisely chosen oils.

Potato Starch

This is another ingredient that helps keep the Beyond Burger gluten-free. Potato starch is a healthier alternative to wheat-based thickening agents used to make the burgers thick and bulky. The Beyond Burger doesn’t fall apart like other veggie burgers partly due to the potato starch.

Beet Juice

Everyone’s asking the same question about the Beyond Burger: “How does a plant-based burger bleed like real meat?” The answer is simple: beet juice. The Beyond Burger is naturally colored with small amounts of beet juice. You can’t taste it, but you can definitely see it. The inclusion of beet juice is simply for color.

Cellulose

The Beyond Burger contains two types of cellulose: cellulose from bamboo and methylcellulose. These ingredients are used as gelling and binding ingredients to make sure everything stays together on the grill. Both share the purpose of giving the Beyond Burger its firm, hearty texture.

Beyond Burger Nutrition and Dietary Concerns

Part of what makes the Beyond Burger so appealing is the nutrition facts. Take a look:

Serving size: 4oz (113g)
Calories: 270
Total fat: 20g (31%)
Saturated fat: 5g (25%)
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 380mg (16%)
Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)
Fiber: 3g (13%)
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 20g (32%)
Iron: 30%
Phosphorus: 25%

Beyond Burger Protein

The Beyond Burger is one of the highest-protein veggie burgers out there. It’s packed with pea protein, giving it 20g of protein per serving. This is about the same amount of protein, if not slightly more, as a regular beef burger.

Beyond Burger Allergens

The Beyond Burger is very allergen friendly. It’s free of the major allergens commonly found in vegan products: gluten and soy. There’s also no dairy, eggs, shellfish, tree nuts and corn.

It’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians as well. The Beyond Burger is also Kosher certified.

At this time, the Beyond Burger is not Halal certified.

What Makes Beyond Unique?

The Beyond Burger isn’t beef, but it’s not quite a veggie burger either. Frankly, the Beyond Burger belongs in its own category.

Like beef, the Beyond Burger is sold in the meat aisle of the grocery store. In order for a retailer to carry the Beyond Burger, they must agree to sell the plant-based burger right next to the beef patties.

However, Beyond Meat has beef with beef.

Beyond Burger vs. Beef

On their website, they taut all the ways the Beyond Burger is superior to beef:

More protein
More iron
Less saturated fat and total fat
No cholesterol
Fewer calories
No antibiotics, hormones, and GMOs

So, while the Beyond Burger looks like beef and has a strong meat-like flavor, it’s still made of plants. Does that make it a veggie burger?

Not quite. The Beyond Burger aims to satisfy your palette like beef but without the health risks, environmental toll and animal sacrifice as traditional meat.

Beyond Burger vs. Standard Veggie Burgers

If you’re searching for the most realistic veggie burger on the market, the Beyond Burger is superior to your typical black bean burgers for obvious reasons.

Taste aside, let’s compared the burger to a standard veggie patty in terms of nutrition. The Beyond Burger wins by a landslide in terms of protein. It’s also lower in carbohydrates, sugar and iron.

However, there are some places where the Beyond Burger falls back. It’s higher in calories, fat and sodium than your average vegetable patty. The Beyond Burger is also more processed than traditional veggie burgers and has been criticized for the amount of additives in the ingredients list.

When it comes down to nutrition, the results are mixed—you just have to pick your battles.

When it comes down to taste, the Beyond Burger is sure to win over any standard veggie burger.

Beyond Burger vs. Impossible Burger

“Beyond Burger or Impossible Burger” is the new “Coke or Pepsi.”

Both the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger launched in 2016, both were reformulated in 2019, and both are strikingly similar to beef in taste and texture. That’s not where the similarities end, though. Both burgers also have roughly 20g protein, are more environmentally friendly than meat, and rival beef in terms of nutrition.

Where the Beyond Burger dominates is that it’s more allergen friendly than the Impossible Burger, which contains soy. The Beyond Burger is also slightly more affordable and accessible.

The Impossible Burger, however, takes the advantage when it comes to taste. More people are blown away by the realistic beef-like flavor of the Impossible Burger than with the Beyond Burger.

Of course, taste is subjective, but you can’t ignore the shocking reviews of both burgers.

Beyond Burger Reviews

The Internet was buzzing when the Beyond Burger launched in 2016. Social media went haywire every time the Beyond Burger became available at a new restaurant or grocery store. Since 2016, people looking for meat-free options have loved and supported the Beyond Burger.

It’s not just vegans and vegetarians giving praise, though.

A writer at TheSpoon said the Beyond Burger 2.0 at Carl’s Jr. reminded her of a stereotypical fast-food burger, which is a win for anyone looking to satisfy your burger cravings with plant-based options.

Eater compiled a list of Beyond Burger reviews, all of which were overwhelmingly positive in regards to nutrition, cooking, taste and authenticity.

Despite the positivity, the Beyond Burger isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Hardcore meat lovers agree that the Beyond Burger is tasty, but it’s not going to beat out a beef burger in a side-by-side comparison.

Why Choose the Beyond Burger?

When it comes to choosing plant-based meat over real meat, there are three main reasons to opt for the former: Health, Environment and Animal Welfare.

While animal welfare is up for debate, the facts that the Beyond Burger is healthier for you and the planet are not. Let’s take a look.

Is it Healthy?

There’s no denying that the Beyond Burger is healthier than your typical 80/20 beef burger. After all, it contains no cholesterol, hormones or antibiotics. It’s also lower in fat and calories, yet higher in fiber and iron.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that the Beyond Burger is a processed meat alternative with a long list of ingredients.

While you should choose the Beyond Burger over a beef burger for health reasons, we wouldn’t recommend you choose it over unprocessed whole foods. Like a normal burger, the Beyond Burger is an indulgence.

The Beyond Burger isn’t trying to be labeled as a “health food”—it’s trying to be labeled as a healthier alternative to meat.

Sustainability

If you recycle, take shorter showers and drive a Hybrid, then congrats! You must care about the environment. If so, you’ll be bummed to find out that your favorite cheat meal—a big, juicy burger—is one of the least environmentally friendly purchases you could make.

One of the Beyond Burger’s main selling points is its leg up on sustainability.

According to the Beyond Meat website, the Beyond Burger uses significantly fewer resources than a beef burger:

99% less water
93% less land
90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions
46% less energy

Sustainability plays a large role in why many people are looking to vegan protein sources instead of protein from animals. The Beyond Burger helps fill that demand.

Where to Find the Beyond Burger

If you’re curious about the meaty burger made from plants, you’re in luck. The Beyond Burger is one of the most accessible vegan products on the market.

Where is it sold?

The Beyond Burger is sold in a variety of restaurants and grocery stores. Some large chains include TGI Friday’s, Veggie Grill and BurgerFi.

As of January 2019, the Beyond Burger is now available nationwide at more than 1,000 Carl’s Jr. locations.

The Beyond Burger is also available at most grocery store chains, including Target, Albertsons, Kroger and Safeway.

See where the Beyond Burger is sold near you by using the Beyond Meat store locator.

Final Thoughts on the Beyond Burger

The demand for vegan products is steadily increasing, and the Beyond Burger was the first plant-based burger to shock the nation at how realistic veggie burgers have become.

Since Beyond Meat paved the way, several companies—Impossible Foods, Don Lee Farms, etc.—have launched eerily meat-like and “bleeding” vegan patties.

While some are more realistic than others, it was the Beyond Burger that started it all.

There’s no other veggie burger in the world that’s sold in the meat cases at grocery stores, which is a testament to how satisfying the Beyond Burger is.

Will you fall in love with the Beyond Burger? The only way to find out is to give it a try.

Plant-Based Diet in 2020: The Ultimate Guide to Eating More Plants

January 8, 2020 by Jeffrey Trull

Want to eat a more plant-based diet in 2020? This is the guide for you!

Eating plant-based is easier than it’s ever been. And that’s thanks to trends and changes in 2019 and recent years.

No, this isn’t a post with just a bunch of recipes. Rather, it’s tips and strategies you can actually use to eat more plant-based in 2020.

Whether you’re looking to adopt a fully plant-based or vegan diet, or if you’d just like to incorporate more plants into your everyday eating, you’ll love this guide.

Let’s do this!

1. Try plant-based at your pace

Many people approach going plant-based and eating less meat with an “all or nothing” approach. And while jumping straight to eating 100% vegetarian or vegan works for some people, it just doesn’t work for a lot of people. And when it doesn’t work out, many people give up.

Don’t let this happen to you! If you’re not sure you’re ready to go all-in, one of these approaches could be easier for getting started.

Try Veganuary

Committing to being vegan permanently can be a daunting undertaking. Not ready to make that leap, especially without trying it first? Sign up for Veganuary.

Veganuary is simple: go the whole month of January as a vegan. There are all sorts of resources and other things to help you succeed for a month. It’s a great way to experiment with something new alongside others doing the same.

At the end of the month, it’s up to you if you want to continue with the vegan diet or not. But either way, at least you gave it a shot, right? It could change you life.

If Veganuary has already passed by the time you’re reading this, take on your own one-month vegan challenge anytime you’d like.

Be flexitarian

If the idea of ditching all animal products overnight sounds intimidating to you, try this instead: going flexitarian.

“Flexitarian” is term used to describe those who are part-time vegetarian eaters. They actively eat less meat and more veggies, but they’re not 100% plant-based.

Reducing the amount of meat you eat is likely better than not reducing it at all. So for anyone who isn’t ready or doesn’t want to eat 100% plants, flexitarian may be the way to go.

Remember: just because you start out flexitarian doesn’t mean you can’t slowly progress to eating less meat and more plant protein.

Go easy on yourself

If you want to eat more plant-based foods or be 100% vegan, don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go perfectly. Foods (especially unhealthy ones) are extremely tempting, especially when others dangle them in front of us.

Unfortunately, I see people beat themselves up all the time because they committed to giving up animal products only to eat a cheese pizza days later. But hey, it happens! Few, if any, have followed a diet without any missteps.

If you “screwed up” your diet, the best thing you can do: start over again. The past is the past, and you can’t take it back. Forgive yourself, and do your best to get back on track.

Remember:

Replacing unhealthy animal products with healthy foods is still better than whatever you were doing before (even if it’s not zero animal products yet).
This isn’t a competition. Do your best, and don’t worry about anyone else.

2. Make cooking simple

Eating plant-based foods is about a lot more than eating beans and salads 24/7. If you’re eating only big plates of lettuce, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Choosing what to plant-based foods to eat doesn’t have to be complicated.

Eat plant-based substitutes

In recent years, we’ve seen more delicious meat substitutes than ever become available.

While plant-based burgers have gotten a lot of attention, there are plenty of other animal-free options now available.

Some of my favorites are:

Beyond Sausage
Impossible Burger
Field Roast Sausage
Chao cheese
Gardein meatballs
Soy curls

For a full rundown of these foods and more and how they can be used, check out 15 Vegan Meat Substitutes Even Carnivores Will Love.

One thing to keep in mind: while foods like Impossible Burger and Beyond Sausage are both plant-based and incredibly delicious, they’re really not healthier than your standard beef burger or sausage.

The Impossible Burger has more saturated fat than 100% beef patties (100g) as well as about three times as much sodium.

So enjoy these plant-based meats from time to time as a splurge but avoid making them part of your daily diet long term.

Veganize your current favorites

A major myth of going plant-based is that you have to give up all the foods you love. Not true!

It’s possible to make veganized versions of a ton of dishes that you may have thought only existed as non-vegan meals.

The plant-based meats mentioned above can also help with this too.

For example, you can:

replace the meat in chili with beans or meat “crumble” substitute
take the cheese off pizza to make it vegan and add other toppings (including vegan cheese, if you’d like)
make all kinds of veggie burgers
use seitan or soy curls in place of chicken

People have found ways to create vegan wings, ribs, and other meat favorites from 100% plant-based ingredients. The only limit to what can be made vegan is creativity.

If you’re not sure what to substitute, Google search is your friend (as well as Facebook groups mentioned in this post).

Find free recipes

It’s no secret that there are millions of recipes on the internet. It’s no different for plant-based foods.

Simply googling “vegan recipes” or “whole food plant-based recipes” turns up a mountain of results.

That said, I’ve found it easier to stick to a few different recipe sites I like for most of my recipes. These sites often use similar ingredients in their recipes, so I’m not always running out to buy rare spices and things like I don’t have in my kitchen already.

Some of my favorites:

MinimalistBaker.com – specializes in “recipes requiring 10 ingredients or less, 1 bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare.” Recipes are generally very tasty, though not all are “healthy.” Note that while the site used to be 100% vegan, there are now some recipes that have non-plant based ingredients.
ForksOverKnives.com – free database of hundreds of whole-food plant-based recipes. If you’re wanting healthier options, this is the place for you.
Oh She Glows – covers a wide range of vegan recipes, so there’s something for everyone here.

I’ve also put together some recipe lists right here that can help:

I like to have 5 to 9 go-to recipes at a time that I can make on rotation and enjoy without too much repetition. I often freeze leftovers to eat later on too.

Try a meal plan

The best part about using pre-made meal plans is simplicity. There’s no need to spend time searching for a new recipe then trying to figure out if you have the ingredients (which you often won’t).

Meal plans give you predetermined dishes to cook along with a grocery shopping list. Simple, right? They generally provide enough food for a full week (or however many meals you need). Some meal planning services and tools to use:

Most of these services cost around $14-20 per month or $100-120 per year. While you may be able to get similar recipes for free, these tools add convenience and time saving for planning and shopping as well as variety and customizations to meet your nutritional goals.

Sign up for meal delivery services

Meal delivery services are probably the easiest way to start cooking and eating plant-based foods at home.

Just keep in mind that thanks to the convenience, they’re likely going to be more expensive than other options. But if you’re truly unsure how to get started or short on time, these can be a good way to get started.

Some meal services for plant-based meals include:

Each of the above either has vegan options or is 100% plant-based.

3. Discover your motivation

Plant-based diets are getting a lot of attention right now (as they should!) There are many reasons for adopting such a diet.

With any “new” thing, a lot of people want to try a plant-based diet because off the buzz they’re hearing right now.

While I’m 100% in support of plant-based eating, starting on a plant-based diet just because it’s something new isn’t going to be enough for most people. It can be challenging to stick to any type of diet.

That said, you’re going to want to have some reasons for eating more plant-based foods.

Health is a leading factor for many people. Eating plant-based can help reduce the risk of many leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more.

Some other reasons people choose to eat a plant-based diet are:

Animal welfare
Climate change
Human rights
Air and water pollution

So, what’s your own reason and motivation for eating more plant-based foods?

If you’re not so sure what your reason for eating more plant-based, explore the following resources to learn more.

Watch top plant-based films

Documentaries that cover whole-foods plant-based diets can be both extremely powerful as well as relatively quick and easy to digest. Some of my favorite movies include:

The Gamechangers (available on Netflix)
Forks Over Knives (Netflix)
Cowspiracy (Netflix)
Eating Animals (Hulu)

Each of these films provides a solid background on at least some of the reasons to adopt a plant-based diet.

Read up on benefits of eating plant-based

If you’re looking for something a bit more in-depth than films, the books below cover a wide range of topics related to plant-based eating:

How Not to Die by Michael Greger MD
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Animal Liberation by Peter Singer
The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World by John Robbins
Proteinaholic by Garth Davis M.D.

There’s no need to read all these books, but you might find learning exciting and be motivated to keep reading.

Join Facebook groups

Even if you’ve read or watched a ton about plant-based foods, you likely still have some questions or just want recommendations on what to eat. My favorite source of support: Facebook groups.

The reason I recommend these groups is:

You can get support and recommendation from real people
You can ask your own questions and get specific answers
You can see and relate to the struggles others go through

Some Facebook groups I’ve found helpful:

If Facebook isn’t your thing, reddit also has various sub-reddits where you can find support too.

Be ready for criticism

Making a major change to your lifestyle often makes others uncomfortable. Choosing a vegan or plant-based diet is certainly no exception.

Considering that around 95% of people on this planet eat meat, you’re definitely bumping up against other peoples’ beliefs by giving up animal products partially or totally.

That said, it can help to have some talking points down about why you’re interested in a plant-based diet. Be honest about why you’re looking to eat more plants and less meat. Some phrases I use are:

“Eating plants is better for my health since I’m getting more fiber and other nutrients I need.”
“Why eat a cow when I can eat the same stuff cows eat — plants?”
“Some of the longest-living people in the world live on primarily plant-based diets.”
“The American Heart Association actually recommends ‘eating a mostly plant-based diet.'”

Keep in mind that many criticisms come from others’ insecurities. It’s more about them than it is you. And it’s not always possible to change other peoples’ minds or even convince them that you’re doing the right thing.

I like to keep the dialogue open and friendly, but at the end of the day, I make my own choices about what’s best for me.

4. Make Eating Out a Breeze

In 2020, there are more vegan restaurant options than ever. More restaurants are offering plant-based meals. But it still can be tricky to find restaurants that have the most options.

So how do you make it easier? Using a few tools.

Look for these new vegan options

In 2019, vegan options at chain restaurants hit the mainstream. Here’s a list of the most exciting vegan offerings now available:

Impossible Whopper (at Burger King) – enjoy a whopper with the Impossible plant-based patty at all 7,200 locations in the U.S. Leave off the mayo to make it 100% plant-based.
Beyond Burger at Carl’s Jr. – get the Beyond Burger at all Carl’s Jr. locations by order the Beyond Famous Star or substituting at Beyond Meat patty on any burger. Hold the cheese and mayo to make it vegan.
Various options at Taco Bell – choose from Crunchwrap Supreme (remove beef, sour cream and cheese), bean burrito (again, no cheese), and more. Check out a whole list of items here.
Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich at Dunkin’ – order it on an English muffin with no egg or cheese.
Beyond Avocado Taco at Del Taco – get a taco filled with Beyond Meat or order virtually anything that adds Beyond and takes out dairy and meat. See a vegan menu here.
The Impossible Slider at White Castle – enjoy these small sliders for $1.99, and yes, the bun is now also vegan. Just hold the cheese.

There are plenty more options where you can leave off cheese on a Pizza Hut or Domino’s pizza, or piece together various sides to make a vegan meal. See Buzzfeed’s full list for even more options.

Target restaurants more likely to have vegan foods

What about when you want to get a little fancier than fast food? There are still tons of options, though you do have to be selective. It’s less likely that your local steakhouse is going to offer superb plant-based options compared to other types of restaurants.

These restaurant types are more likely to have plant-based options than others:

Thai – many Thai restaurants offer tofu as a protein in both curries and noodle dishes. Just make sure there’s no fish sauce, egg, or egg noodles used.
Mexican – burritos and tacos with beans are a great option (just check that they’re vegan), and you generally can’t lose with chips and salsa. And, of course, guacamole!
Sushi – order options that contain vegetables like avocado, cucumber, carrot and more.
Ethiopian – non-meat options are generally a wonderful mix of vegetables accompanied by injera, a flatbread that’s also generally gluten-free.
Mediterranean – dishes like hummus, tabouleh, eggplant, olives, and falafel fill out the many options here.
Indian – a lot of Indian food is already vegetarian. You’ll need to avoid ghee, paneer, and (often) naan. Chana masala and dosas are often vegan, though.
Pizza – the crust is often vegan as-is (though ask to make sure). If there’s no vegan cheese offered, just ask for no cheese (it tastes better than you might think!).

In all cases, I definitely recommend scoping out the menu ahead of time. Every restaurant is different, and unfortunately, it’s not always possible to walk in and find a satisfying plant-based meal.

Use the Happy Cow app

Happy Cow is like Yelp except it only lists restaurants that have at least some vegetarian and vegan options. In my experience, it’s much easier than trying to sift through Yelp and Google, which are often inaccurate in terms of figuring out what’s vegan.

Happy Cow also features reviews and ratings from others who eat plant-based foods, so you can more clearly tell if they like the plant-based options without having to sift through reviews of meat dishes.

It works throughout the U.S. and all over the world, too. I’ve used it in New Zealand, Germany, Poland, and other places on my travels.

The Happy Cow app (iOS/Android) costs $3.99, but you can use the web-based version from their home page for free.

When desperate, go to the staples

If you’re eating plant-based, there are probably going to be times where you’re stuck eating somewhere without any viable plant-based options.

When this happens, you might have to go the simple, go-to foods. If you’re desperate, you can pretty much always eat:

French fries
Pasta (without egg or dairy)
Baked potato
Bread
Hummus
Side of vegetables
Side salad (but hope it doesn’t come to this!)

While so many dishes contain meat by default, you can often request they leave off the meat on things like salads to turn it plant-based.

My strategy: always look at the menu beforehand. If vegan options are slim to none, I either eat something beforehand or plan to eat afterward.

How will you eat in 2020?

I’m excited for all the new vegan options from past years as well as what will happen in 2020; we’re clearly headed in the right direction for plant-based foods!

What are you most excited to try out for your diet in 2020?

Leave a short comment below and let me know!

We Analyzed 35+ Top Veggie Burgers. These Are the Healthiest Burgers

October 3, 2019 by Jeffrey Trull

You might’ve heard that Beyond Burger and other veggie burgers are taking off in popularity. Beyond Meat has surged in the stock market since it’s early-2019 IPO.

Of course, with the increase in popularity comes additional news coverage. And some of it is not positive. There have been plenty of news stories about how these burgers are processed and that some have as much fat, calories, and other “bad stuff” as an actual beef burger.

To set the record straight, we looked at the complete nutrition information for over 35 top veggie burgers and compared it to a 100% beef patty (found in the USDA database). The goal: find out which are the healthiest veggie burgers out there, and which you may want to enjoy less frequently.

Below are the burgers ranked from high to low in terms of their nutritional values along with where the 100% beef patty ranks as well.

Protein

Brand	Protein (g)
1. (tie) Dr. Praeger’s All American Veggie Burger	28
1. (tie) Sweet Earth Awesome Burger	28
3. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL) (Non-GMO soy)	26
4. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL)	24
5. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)	23
6. (tie) Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger	22
6. (tie) Upton’s Naturals Classic Burger	22
8. Beyond Meat Beyond Burger	20
9. (tie) Hodo Tofu Veggie Burger	19
9. (tie) Impossible Foods Impossible Burger 2.0	19

31. (tie) Qrunch Green Chile with Pinto Beans Quinoa Burger	3
31. (tie) Qrunch Spicy Buffalo-Style Quinoa Burgers	3
31. (tie) Hilary’s World’s Best Veggie Burger	3
34. (tie) Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger Gluten Free	2
34. (tie) Dr. Praeger’s Korean Veggie Burger (formerly BiBimBap Veggie Burger)	2

Interestingly, five veggie burgers contain more protein than the beef patty, with Dr. Praeger’s All American Veggie Burger and Sweet Earth Awesome Burger tied for the most plant-based protein at 28 grams. Seven veggie burgers analyzed have at least 20 grams of protein, and 12 pack 15 or more grams of protein.

However, there is a wide range of variability in protein in veggie burgers. Those at the bottom of the list contain little protein. Eleven burgers contained fewer than 10g of protein per burger. So if you’re looking for a protein-heavy veggie burger, you need to look closely at the nutrition of each one.

Calories

Brand		Calories
1. Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger		340
2. Sweet Earth Awesome Burger		290
3. Before the Butcher Uncut Burger		260

8. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)		231

33. (tie) Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger		90
33. (tie) Gardenburger Portabella Veggie Burger		90
33. (tie) Sol Cuisine Spicy Black Bean Burger		90

In total, seven of the burgers we looked at have more calories than the beef patty. Most of these burgers are from the new “it bleeds” category, including the new Sweet Earth Awesome Burger and the Before the Butcher Uncut Burger.

However, there’s quite a bit of variation. The veggie burgers with the fewest calories have less the calories found in a beef patty.

Total Fat

Brand			Total Fat (g)
1. Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger			24
2. Before the Butcher Uncut Burger			19
3. (tie) Sweet Earth Awesome Burger			17
3. (tie) Beyond Meat Beyond Burger			17

6. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)			17

33. Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger			3
34. Gardenburger Portabella Veggie Burger			2
34. Sol Cuisine Spicy Black Bean Burger			1.5

As with calorie count, several veggie burgers have more total fat than a beef patty (five of those analyzed). Most of the fat in these veggie burgers can be attributed to oils (typically, coconut, canola, or palm oil) that give it a flavor closer to beef.

Still, the majority of veggie burgers have less fat than the beef burger, though these tend to be black bean burgers and similar varieties.

Saturated Fat

Brand		Saturated Fat (g, %DV)
1. (tie) Impossible Foods Impossible Burger 2.0		8 (40%)
1. (tie) Before the Butcher Uncut Burger		8 (40%)
1. (tie) Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger		8 (40%)
1. (tie) Sweet Earth Awesome Burger		8 (40%)

5. (tie) USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)		6 (30%)

31. (tie) Gardein Chipotle Black Bean Burger		0 (0%)
31. (tie) Upton’s Naturals Classic Burger		0 (0%)
31. (tie) Gardein Ultimate Beefless Burger		0 (0%)
31. (tie) Amy’s All American Veggie Burger		0 (0%)
31. (tie) Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger		0 (0%)

Some of the fattiest veggie burgers once again outranked the beef patty in terms of saturated fat. This again is likely due to the use of oils in the veggie patties.

Sodium

Brand	Sodium (mg, %DV)
1. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL) (Non-GMO soy)	920 (38%)
2. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL)	700 (29%)
3. Amy’s California Veggie Burger	550 (24%)

32. Before the Butcher Uncut Burger	150 (6%)
33. Qrunch Spicy Buffalo-Style Quinoa Burgers	140 (6%)
34. Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger Gluten Free	125 (5%)
35. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)	84 (3%)

Actual beef patties came in the lowest here. However, it’s possible salt is added to beef patties during the cooking process whereas that’s often not needed for most veggie burgers.

Beyond Burger (390 mg, 16% DV) and Impossible Burger (370 mg, 16% DV) were both outside the top 10 highest burgers in terms of sodium.

Cholesterol

Brand	Cholesterol (mg, %DV)
1. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)	86 (28%)
2. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL)	10 (3%)
3. (tie) Boca All American Veggie Burger (Non-GMO soy)	5 (2%)
3. (tie) Gardenburger The Original Veggie Burger	5 (2%)
3. (tie) MorningStar Farms Tomato & Basil Pizza Burgers	5 (2%)
3. (tie) Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL) (Non-GMO soy)	5 (2%)

(tie) All other brands	0 (0%)

The beef patty easily came out on top in terms of the amount of cholesterol with nearly eight times as much as the veggie burger with the most cholesterol.

All but five of the veggie burgers analyzed had zero cholesterol. These five burgers all contain dairy, so they’re not 100% plant-based.

Fiber

Brand	Fiber (g, %DV)
1. (tie) Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL) (Non-GMO soy)	8 (32%)
1. (tie) Hodo Tofu Veggie Burger	8 (32%)
1. (tie) Sunshine Organic Black Bean South West	8 (32%)

31. (tie) Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger	2 (8%)
31. (tie) Dr. Praeger’s Korean Veggie Burger (formerly BiBimBap Veggie Burger)	2 (8%)
31. (tie) Beyond Meat Beyond Burger	2 (8%)
31. (tie) Upton’s Naturals Classic Burger	2 (8%)

35. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)	0 (0%)

The veggie burgers with the most fiber contain nearly one-third of the recommended daily fiber intake. Additionally, all veggie burgers in this analysis contained at least some fiber.

Like all foods that come 100% from animal sources, the 100% beef patty does not contain any fiber.

Veggie burgers and beef burgers — alike, and different

Overall, there’s quite a bit of variability in veggie burger nutrition. In nearly every nutritional category, there are some veggie burgers that contain more and some veggie burgers that contain less of a given nutrient compared to beef patties.

Veggie burgers vary so widely across nutrition that it’s pretty hard to say what the healthiest veggie burger options are.

Here’s a Google Sheet of the full data used in this analysis, including additional information.

The Good Food Conference 2019: The Most Exciting Developments in What’s Next for Food

September 10, 2019 by Jeffrey Trull

Curious about the future of food and what you can expect not only for your taste buds but for the impact on the environment, animals, workers, health, and more? The Good Food Conference is the place to be.

I had the pleasure of attending The 2019 Good Food Conference. The nearly-endless samples of plant-based food felt like enough of a reason to attend alone. But, I’m truly excited for what’s next when it comes to plant-based and cell-based meat as well as our food system as a whole.

Here are my biggest takeaways.

We’ve hit the tipping point

It’s no secret that plant-based foods have been around for decades. But a major change of late: plant-based foods going mainstream. Suddenly, the big guys both in retail grocery as well as food service are investing heavily in the plant-based market while more and more startups launch.

The buzziest news in the room was still Beyond Meat’s hugely-successful 2019 IPO. One panelist pointed out that there had been only a handful of food company IPOs in recent decades. Bucking this trend with a plant-based food company is nothing short of exciting.

There’s also plant-based fast foods, such as the Beyond Famous Star® at Carl’s Jr. and Beyond Tacos™ served at Del Taco. And of course, the Impossible™ Whopper®.

Kroger, the largest grocer in the U.S., announced on stage that they’re launching a line of plant-based meats and other foods under their Simple Truth brand. Products like plant-based burgers, queso, and cookie dough will be hitting Kroger stores this fall.

With so many large companies getting involved in plant-based foods in a variety of ways, it’s hard to see the trend slowing down anytime soon.

Taste matters most

Plant-based food advocates (like me) love to tout the benefits of choosing these foods over animal-based options. Plant-based foods are often better for human health, the environment, and animal welfare (all very important things). But several food-industry panelists noted: there’s no room for compromise for flavor and taste with plant-based foods.

As Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer of Beyond Meat, put it: being negative on meat is simply not a great way for Beyond and other companies to market their foods. Plant-based foods need to taste delicious in addition to all the other benefits they provide.

Another panelist (apologies but I cannot remember exactly who) noted that we not only need to make plant-based foods that taste good, they need to be “craveable.”

As a plant-based eater, plant-based foods are getting there (though I’m clearly biased). For more meat eaters to adopt plant-based foods, the industry needs to come as close as possible or even exceed the flavor and enjoyment of eating animal products.

Exciting food startups coming next

While tons of exciting plant-based products have already hit the market, everyone is still hungry for what will come next. The Good Food Conference featured six startup pitches that gave us a glimpse.

Rebellyous Foods Founder and CEO Christie Lagally focused on making a delicious, plant-based chicken nugget at prices equal to the “real” thing with better nutrition. This could certainly be a game-changer as many consumers are turned off by the current premium prices on plant-based foods and (sometimes) inferior taste.

Sri Artham of Hooray Foods spoke about taking on plant-based bacon. The most exciting aspect of Hooray Foods’ bacon: how much it looks like bacon from a pig. He highlighted some of the current plant-based competition in his slides, showing how little existing plant-based bacon products resemble the real thing compare to Hooray’s version.

As someone who considers tempeh one of the most underrated and underutilized plant-based proteins, I was very excited about Better Nature’s pitch. I’m convinced they’re onto accomplishing their goal of getting tempeh to the masses while also developing other healthy meat alternatives.

Karana’s pitch focused on jackfruit and making it delicious. I chuckled when moderator Brian Cooley of CNET CBS Interactive remarked that jackfruit often looks tasty but then everyone thinks it sorta sucks. I’m in total agreement and excited to try a tastier version of jackfruit from Karana.

While all presenters played up the technology to some degree, NOVAMEAT’s was maybe the most stunning. Using a technique called “bioprinting,” I watched in amazement as NOVAMEAT CEO and Founder Giuseppe Scionti showed footage of printing out a steak and then grilling and eating it.

Equally impressive, Ecovative Director of Marketing Andy Bass showed off how they’ve created technology to use mycelium as the structure to create whole cuts of plant-based meats that mimic the real thing.

As much as I’m excited to see more and more plant-based products hit grocery store shelves, the technology and innovation showcased by these startups made me wonder what could be possible.

Seafood is just getting started

I’ll begin with this: if you’re plant-based, who isn’t excited about vegan sushi?!

While I haven’t had the chance to try Ocean Hugger Foods‘ Ahimi® yet, I really can’t wait. I’d say more, but that wouldn’t do it justice. Instead, I recommend checking out their Instagram page.

Several panelists noted that there’s still a lot of room for alternative seafood technology and that hopefully more companies will launch to join the revolution.

Other highlights

There was plenty of excitement off the main stage at The Good Food Conference too.

Eclipse wowed everyone with their plant-based ice cream during one break.

JUST went all out, teaming up with Beyond to serve a Just Egg and Beyond Sausage brunch.

Moringstar Farms, on the heels of their 2019 announcement to go fully plant-based by 2021, provided plenty of great treats during the breaks as well as lunch. As one of the plant-based OG’s, I’m excited to see what role Morningstar plays in getting more plant-based food in stores across the country. And as presenting sponsor, they were a large part of making this conference possible.

And finally, on the policy front, Tofurky President and CEO Jaime Athos spoke about filing lawsuits against new laws in Arkansas and Missouri regarding labeling plant-based foods as meat. I applaud Tofurky for taking on this legal challenge to maintain freedom for Americans to choose which foods they have access to without restriction from unjust laws created to protect certain industries.

Still a lot of work to do

After living in a world of plant-based food for several days, it’s easy to forget that these foods only make up a small fraction of the foods currently consumed. This is only the beginning, and there’s A TON of work ahead. That said, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the future of food. I can’t wait to see (and taste) what’s next.

11 Vegan Protein Bowls With 15+ Grams of Protein

July 2, 2019 by Jeffrey Trull

Vegan protein Bowls (also known as buddha bowls) provide the best of all worlds: they’re quick and easy to make, absolutely delicious, and they’re nutritious. With the right ingredients, these bowls provide a high-protein meal.

The purpose of a buddha bowl is to get a little bit of everything in one serving: grains, veggies, fats, and protein. They’re also super versatile, and they can be easily modified to suit your dietary needs.

Here are 11 vegan bowl recipes with at least 15 grams of protein per bowl.

1. Vegan Oaxacan Buddha Bowl (16 grams protein)

Inspired by Mexican flavors, this bowl is great for those who like it spicy. The chipotle maple pecans make an excellent topping while adding some extra protein. The veggies and beans bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, and altogether this bowl takes about 40 minutes to make and one recipe serves 2.

2. Vegan Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl (18 grams protein)

Hummus and lentils pair up with sweet potato and avocado for a nutritious and filling vegan bowl. The lemon tahini sauce adds a nice touch, and the veggies are oven-roasted for about half an hour for a total time of about 50 minutes. It’s gluten-free as well.

3. Kale and Sweet Potato Brown Rice Buddha Bowl (18 grams protein)

A creamy peanut sauce gives this bowl an Asian spin, while quinoa and chickpeas round out the plant protein. The sweet potatoes are oven-roasted for half an hour, which the recipe suggests doing ahead of time for easy assembling.

4. Sweet Potato and Chickpea Buddha Bowl (18 grams protein)

Chickpeas and quinoa make this vegan bowl hearty, and its ginger tahini dressing adds a bright, flavorful touch. The sweet potato roasts for half and hour for a total cook time of just under an hour. This recipe serves 4.

5. Vegan Bibimbap Buddha Bowl (19 grams protein)

A vegan version of Korean- and Seoul-style bibimbap that utilizes high-protein tempeh and is packed with flavor. The rice cooks on the stovetop according to package directions, whereas the tempeh gets boiled for 6-8 minutes and then oven-baked in marinade for 20. In total, this recipe takes about 45 minutes and serves 3.

6. Nourishing Vegan Buddha Bowl (19 grams protein)

This vegan protein bowl has a little bit of everything (and lots of chickpeas), but what I really love is the hemp and pumpkin seed topping–a nice way to add texture and protein! The chickpeas supply even more texture because they’re oven-baked until crispy for about half an hour. The sweet potato gets microwaved for 3 minutes, though you could certainly oven-bake it instead.

7. Carribbean Voodoo Buddha Bowl (19 grams protein)

If you’re a fan of tropical flavors, then you’re going to like this vegan Buddha bowl. It features yam, mango, and lots of seasoning. Tofu and black beans provide the plant-based protein. The beans get heated on the stovetop while the tofu is oven-baked in the marinade with the veggies for about 25 minutes.

8. Thai Tempeh Buddha Bowl (20 grams protein)

This vegan protein bowl uses tempeh, freekeh (or quinoa), and a cashew curry sauce to help keep you satisfied. At 30 minutes total to make, this recipe is ideal for a busy night. The tempeh is pan-fried for 10 minutes while the freekeh/quinoa simmers on the stovetop for 20 minutes.

9. Sesame Balsamic Tofu Buddha Bowl (20 grams protein)

A bit of Asian fusion, this vegan Buddha bowl’s got tofu, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds to round out the plant protein. This is another ideal recipe for a busy night, as it only takes 30 minutes to make. The tofu is oven-broiled for about 20 minutes and the brown rice or other grain can be made ahead of time if necessary. Serves 4.

10. The Ultimate Vegan Protein Source Buddha Bowl (25 grams protein)

This bowl will clean out the fridge–but between the red kidney beans and quinoa, you’ll get all the protein you need. The sweet potato bakes in the oven for 20 minutes for a total preparation time of 30 minutes if you make the quinoa while the sweet potato bakes, and one recipe serves 2.

11. Roasted Veggie, Quinoa, and Avocado Buddha Bowl (28 grams protein)

The roasted veggies add great flavor to the bowl and are perfect for meal prep, while the quinoa and tofu come together with tahini dressing for this protein-packed bowl. The tofu and the veggies roast in separate pans but at the same time for a total cook time of about 25 minutes. In total, this vegan Buddha bowl recipe takes approximately 45 minutes.

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