Cheese is one of the main things that keeps people from going all the way vegan. In fact, research from The Vegan Society found that dairy (especially cheese) was one of the top “barriers to veganism related to habit or taste.” Fortunately, years of innovation within the plant-based cheese space have led to a ton of great products, and a category growing double digits year over year and is expected to reach $7 billion in sales globally by 2030.

Why You Should Avoid Eating Dairy

Milk is the top source of saturated fat in the traditional American diet, according to Lee Crosby, R.D., nutrition education program manager at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Traditional boxed mac and cheese is prepared with powdered dairy cheese mixes and dairy milk, making your typical box of macaroni damaging to your health.

One study published in BMC Medicine found that dairy is associated with a significantly higher risk of breast cancers. Those who drink a quarter cup of milk per day show a 17 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Another study found that milk consumption is even more dangerous for men. Loma Linda researchers found that drinking milk increases the risk of prostate cancer by 60 percent.

The dairy industry often encourages consumers to keep eating cheese and milk products, claiming milk is necessary for good athletic performance. However, consuming dairy is linked to increased inflammation, making it harder to breathe, delaying recovery times, and causing joint and muscle pains.

“Dairy is an inflammatory food, and athletes are constantly fighting inflammation to repair broken-down muscles and get back to training,” Dotsie Bausch, Olympic medalist in cycling and executive director of Switch4Good, said, adding that once she abandoned dairy, her recovery time dramatically shortened, so she was able to train at the same high-intensity level more often. “If you’re inflamed, you’re not at your best, and until you ditch dairy, you don’t know your true limit.”

The Best Vegan Boxed Mac and Cheeses

Now, you can choose a healthier option for lunch. There are plenty of boxed mac and cheeses available, so we taste-tested the top brands to let you find what brand is best for you.

Annie’s Organic Vegan Cheddar Mac

Annie’s has a couple of vegan flavors and since this was the only one available at Whole Foods I went for it. The preparation method was classic boxed mac – cook the noodles in boiling water, as they draining, heat up some non-dairy milk and stir in the sauce powder. The powder clumps up but nothing a little vigorous stirring can’t fix. All reviewers agreed that while not a super-powerful taste, this cheddar mac could definitely pass for the real thing. Where Annie’s lost points in our book were for the noodles, which were a little thin and slippery.

Calories 250

Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 1.5g

Protein 8g

Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac

As a plant-based cheese innovator, we had to try Daiya’s mac and cheese. It got points for having a gluten-free noodle made from brown rice. The cheese sauce came in a pouch that makes for easy prep. Once the noodles are done cooking and drained, simply add in the cheese sauce, mix and enjoy. The noodle was great but the sauce had an overpowering flavor. For future iterations, we would definitely add some pasta water or non-dairy milk to thin out the sauce a bit.

Calories 290

Total Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 3.5g

Protein 4g

Goodles Vegan is Believin’

Goodles’ Vegan is Believin’ instantly transports you back to your childhood. This easy-to-prepare, creamy Mac and Cheese reminds us of Kraft Classics but because it’s made with cashew nut cheese, it’s a whole lot healthier. Just one serving of the Vegan is Believin’ contains 12 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber. As far as taste goes, the cheesy sauce does have a subtle nutty taste but if you like cashews you may actually enjoy that. However, the vegan “cheese” mix needs a little more spice, in our opinion, so add your favorite hot sauce to give this lunchtime favorite a little kick.

Calories 260

Total Fat 3.5g, Saturated Fat 0g

Protein 12g

Howl Deluxe Spicy Chipotle Kashoo Mac and Chef

Never being one to turn my nose up at the addition of a little heat, I expected to like Howl Deluxe’s Spicy Chipotle Mac, but overall this one was a disappointment. While the chipotle spice gave it a nice touch of heat, it wasn’t enough to overcome the tart taste of the sauce. Even when we thinned it out slightly with almond milk there was still a funky taste that not everyone will love.

Calories 250

Total Fat 4.5g, Saturated Fat 0.5g

Protein 10g

Modern Table Vegan Mac

And the winner is Modern Table! For starters, Modern Table’s Vegan Mac Classic Cheddar Style was one of few gluten-free options available. They use a very cool spiral noodle made from lentils, rice, and peas that would be hard to guess were gluten-free. It highest protein of any of the macs we tried at 16g per serving. These noodles also cook slightly faster than typical wheat noodles, only requiring about 6 minutes for a nice al dente bite. The flavor was very tasty but not too powerful and is as good as the real thing.

Calories 300

Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 15g

Pastabilities Organic Vegan Under the Sea Mac n Cheese

When I see mac and cheese with fun shapes on the shelf, chances are I’m going to get it. The under-the-sea shapes like starfish and seahorses, make it perfect for young children (or a big kid like myself). Flavor-wise, Pastabilities scored in the top half of all products tested. It was on the lighter side, but definitely very tasty. The shapes were not a favorite of one of our (Grinch-like) testers, but the others found them fun and with a satisfying texture.

Calories 300

Total Fat 2.5g, Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 10g

Upton’s Naturals Original Ch’eesy Mac

Upton’s wins for the most innovative cooking methods. I was skeptical when I saw that the noodles were pre-cooked since a shelf-stable pre-cooked noodle just didn’t seem right. But both taste and convenience turned me into a fan. You can cook these in either the microwave in only a minute, though I chose the stovetop. Simply add the noodles to a lightly greased frying pan, with the packet of liquid cheese sauce, and mix it all together. Pro tip: break up the noodles in the package to save yourself any rogue noodles flying out of the pan. It took only 5-6 minutes to cook and it came out with a wonderful golden brown crisp on the noodles. The cheese sauce was pretty solid overall, with a good cheesy flavor. It had a bit of a smoky flavor and aftertaste.

Calories 270

Total Fat 6g, Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 10g

Upton’s Naturals Ch’eesy Bacon Mac

Now I know you’re thinking it’s unfair that I tried two products from one brand and not any others. But the fact of the matter is, I saw Upton had an option with “bacon” in it and I was curious. All reviewers agreed it tasted like the real thing. Everyone loved the crispy cheesy texture and wish there was more of the cheese sauce. The seitan bacon adds a nice extra smoky touch and additional texture.

Calories 270

Total Fat 6g, Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 10g

Final Thoughts on Vegan Mac Taste Test

So in sum, the clear winner for me was Modern Table. Despite having to follow the more time-intensive “traditional” method, it had the best combination of texture, flavor, and nutrition. In a close second was Upton’s Naturals product with their crispy cheesiness, followed by Pastabilities and the fun-shaped organic pasta. With all this said, this is but the first step in my lifelong journey to find the greatest vegan mac and cheese. And a tasty first step it was.

For all the Beet Meters, check out the best vegan products.

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On taste, Annie’s was top tier in our book. All reviewers agreed that while not a super-powerful taste, it could definitely pass for the real thing. Where Annie’s ost points in our book were for the noodles. They were too thin and slippery, making for a less than ideal eating experience compared to some other noodles we tried.

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It took only 5-6 minutes to cook and it came out with a wonderful golden brown crisp on the noodles. The cheese sauce was pretty solid overall, with a good cheesy flavor. It had a bit of a smoky flavor and aftertaste, not overbearing but noticeable. But the crispy cheese element that came from the frying pan was awesome and gave it a really unique texture.

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Growth in the Plant-Based Seafood Industry

The plant-based seafood category is still very small compared to plant-based meat, accounting for just 1% of plant-based meat retail sales. Recently, the sector has seen an influx of interest and investment in the past few years, with brands like New Wave Foods having raised multiple rounds to help fund the launch of their algae-based “shrimp”. More recently, after closing a $32 million Series B round earlier this year, Good Catch just announced their new CEO Christine Mei who comes to lead with a wealth of both big CPG leadership and startup advising experience. All in all, the sector is poised for massive growth especially as overfishing challenges continue to come to the forefront of the collective consciousness.

For this recipe, we chose heart of palm as the main ingredient because of its texture, which we thought would be best for imitating that of crab. But beyond its nice stringy consistency, heart of palm is packed with important minerals like potassium, iron and phosphorus, and a  good fiber content.

One of the key differentiators that made our crabless cakes so tasty was undoubtedly the use of hummus as a binder. The cakes themselves held together very well ahead of baking. The Old Bay seasoning is essential for delivering on the flavor that we’ve come to expect from crab cakes. Given Dad’s love for Cajun cooking, we also made generous use of the Cajun seasoning to blacken the crab cakes after they came out of the oven. The skillet crisping is what made all the difference in having a nice crunchy crust to contrast with the chewy nutritious plant-based center. One word to the wise though – watch out when buying Panko breadcrumbs as not all of them are plant-based and we almost made that mistake.

If you’re like me and this is your first time having heart of palm, you will be in for such a treat. I know that I’ll be keeping it around as a pantry essential from here on out for use in salads as well as whenever I decide to make these again in the future!

Hearts of Palm “Crab” Cakes Cajun Toasted

Ingredients

• 1 14 oz. can hearts of palm, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
• ¼ cup hummus
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• A pinch fine sea salt
• A pinch freshly cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 cup gluten-free panko (Japanese bread crumbs), divided
• 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Thinly slice hearts of palm lengthwise; cut slices crosswise into 1 1/2-inch length. Transfer to a medium bowl and, using fingers, gently press and break apart into shreds.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Hummus, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper until well blended. Stir in hearts of palm and green onions until well combined
4. Sprinkle half the panko over hearts of palm mixture and mix in thoroughly (do not mash). Measure a heaping 2-ounce scoop and form into six patties
5. Spread the remaining panko in a small dish. Dredge patties in panko, pressing gently to adhere. As they are dredged, place patties on a parchment papered baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
6. Bake for 8 minutes, turn over and bake another 7 minutes until a light golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning on both sides.
8. Placed cakes in a preheated dry flat skillet and pan toast till toasted barely brown.
9. Serve with a vegan Chipotle Aioli.

31 Delicious, Plant-Based Recipes to Make on Repeat

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With roughly 100 trillion unique organisms living in the gut, 99% of the genes in your body are actually not human – they are from microbes that take up residence in your intestines (aka gut) according to Scott Anderson author of The Psychobiotic Revolution.

Unlike the DNA that gives you brown eyes or freckles, the genetic makeup of the bacteria in your gut is in constant flux. Think about your gut like a big nightclub and the bacteria as different groups of people. For the best time, you want there to be a variety of different groups of people for everyone to socialize with. But if the bouncers let in trouble makers, or if too much of the same group is dominating the dancefloor, things are going to get out of balance. That’s like your gut: A few bad apples can upset all the good vibes.

Your food and health decisions have a major impact on your gut bacteria. Decisions like what to eat, how much you exercise, how much to sleep, and how much to mitigate the level of stress in your life. Too much external stress can affect the speed of digestion and also increase inflammation in the gut, and these problems are compounded over time. But it’s a two-way street.

The Gut-Brain Connection

Stress can cause you to want certain “comfort” foods high in fat or sugar, and then those foods can feed gut bacteria that can compound stress. Put simply, this two-way street between how what you eat impacts your gut microbiota and consequently your brain is a constant feedback loop.

The gut and brain communicate using the same language–via chemicals that in your brain are called neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Roughly 90% of the body’s serotonin is found in the gut. While there’s still much to be discovered about how this affects the brain, we know that having a healthy microbiota with a healthy diversity, especially psychobiotics, can help you manage stress and anxiety and be more resilient and better able to cope with uncertain events.

How to eat to be resilient, less stressed and brain-healthy starts with foods that create these psychobiotics. Here are 6 plant-based foods that will help you to feed your gut with pre and probiotics for better mental health. It’s by no means exhaustive but these are a great place to start!

Sauerkraut

This fermented cabbage not only contains 4 grams of beneficial fiber in each (1 cup) serving but it is also loaded with probiotics including L. rhamnosus, which is considered a psychobiotic, since in early studies it’s shown to help decrease anxiety and depression.

Water Kefir

Studies done on kefir’s impact on the gut microbiota were done with yogurt kefir, but water kefir (also known as Tibicos) contains the same beneficial bacteria. Among these is L. casei, which has been shown to improve mood in a study of people suffering from depression.

Tempeh

A plant-based protein staple hailing from Indonesia, tempeh is actually a ferment! So on top of being loaded with plant-based protein at 31g per cup, it also has probiotics and has been shown in a study to stimulate the growth of Bifidobacteria, which are considered a keystone species of bacteria in the gut

Collard Greens

Collard greens are loaded with fiber: They pack 8g of fiber into 1 cooked cup, representing or about 30% of your recommended daily value. A diet rich in fiber is great for the gut because beneficial microbes digest the fiber and excrete a fatty acid called butyrate, which contributes to a healthier gut lining.

Lentils

In addition to being another great source of plant-based protein (with 18 grams per cup), lentils are another great source of the type of fiber that gut bacteria love and keep the gut lining healthy. A healthier gut lining prevents pathogenic bacteria from making it into the bloodstream thus protecting the body from an inflammatory response kicking off a vicious cycle negatively impacting the body and the mind.

Oats

Oats are actually packed with the prebiotic fiber that your gut loves with 7.5 grams in a cup of rolled oats (link). For an extra boost, add berries or half a banana to your oatmeal and kickstart your day with a gut happy meal.

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