I tried out every delivery option for someone who wanted to eat vegan or plant-based, and here is what we found out. Like most things, if you throw money at the problem (not private-chef money but still some pretty big dollars per day, like $80 or so) you could have amazingly fresh, beautiful, delicious meals in a snap. Still, there are much cheaper ones that are truly great.

Here are our reviews of 16 vegan or plant-based delivery services — from the cheap and cheerful to the luxury options.

Here’s the criteria we’re looking for in a plant-based meal delivery service.

• Clean ingredients
• Cost-effectiveness
• Packaging and waste
• Taste & Portion Size
• Options available

The 16 Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services

1. Sakara

Shipping Area: Nationwide

Popular meals: The salad greens. The salads were some of the tastiest and most enjoyable parts of every meal I ate. I’m not a big salad lover but these all tasted amazing. Promise.

Cost: $349 and up

To Order: https://www.sakara.com/

The first delivery service I tried was Sakara. This is the chicest and most pricey of the options, but it looks so aspirational and the brand is so fashion-forward I decided to treat myself. After all, this was the time I was investing in my health so why not go to the one that seems like the biggest luxury first?

In fact, its ingredients were so crisp you would swear they came from the farm in the last 24 hours. But eventually, the cost wore on me and while I wanted to keep going, I couldn’t justify the price, especially since I was not eating all the food and a lot of it went bad in my fridge, even though I was sharing it with my husband. (I was unable to bring lunch to work back in those days since our co-working space would not allow it, and we were going out most nights, so this was not a great use of my dollars after the first week.)

Beautifully curated, packaged, and artfully created, Sakara Life reflects the chic aura of its co-founders, who want you to not just clean up the way you’re eating, but your entire life. When you start the Sakara Life, you burn a piece of aromatic Palo Santo Incense, to ritualize the change from your old way of life to the new way of life.

2. Plantable

Shipping Area: Nationwide (except for Hawaii)

Cost: You can choose the Reboot four-week program, which delivers12 meals each week for $175 per week, or their shorter Quickstart plan, a one-week reset of 12 meals for $225

Since the corona crisis, Plantable has been offering new customers the opportunity to order from their À La Carte Menu, without the coaching, for a lower price of $162.50 for 12 meals, or about $13.54 per meal.

Popular meals: Rotating menu; Thai Coconut Red Curry, Zia Linga Sugo, Magic Mac “Un” Cheese, and Hippie Brunch Burrito

To Order: https://plantable.com/

Plantable’s approach is unique in that its meal delivery centers on a program designed to reboot your relationship with food, create healthier habits, and help you experience positive, long-term transformation. Ambitious, but what would you expect from a female founder, Nadja Pinnavaia, who is also a Quantum Chemist and former Managing Director of Goldman Sachs?

Plantable offers personal coaching with professionals who can help guide you through the on-ramp of committing to plant-based eating. Pinnavaia has chosen a path of trying to help people be healthier through the food they eat. She wants to give people the sense that they have control over their food, and their health and can choose to love a delicious, plant-based diet.

Plantable offers two routes: There’s the “Quickstart” option that gives you one week to reset your eating, and then there’s the “Reboot” option (their signature program) that lasts four weeks and helps solidify these new behaviors. Whichever you choose, you’ll also get connected with a personal eating and lifestyle coach who’s there for you 24/7 if you have any questions. Delivered frozen (but without added preservatives), Plantable’s vegan meals don’t have any added sugar, use whole grains, and are high in fiber. Once you finish up one of their programs, you’ll get access to purchase their ongoing subscription or their a la carte boxes.

3. Purple Carrot

Shipping Area: Nationwide

Cost: Your first week comes at a discount, starting at $59.50

Popular meals: Rotating menu; Hoisin Tofu Steaks, Tropical Avocado Cakes, Southwest Cheesy Mac

To Order: https://www.purplecarrot.com/

If you love to cook, this is the plan for you – or opt for Purple Carrot’s prepared meals. When the box comes you get to sort your ingredients and line up which meals to cook first, which is fun, like being a chef in your own personal restaurant, where someone has done the shopping, sorting, and measuring for you. Then dive in. About 45 minutes later dinner is on the table.

I would highly recommend Purple Carrot to anyone who wants to be healthy and enjoys cooking or wants to learn a few tricks about unlikely pairings and interesting sauces. The process of pulling each meal together is joyful when you aren’t starving and impatient or you don’t feel like cooking. The food is fresh, delicious, and creative. It’s just a whole lot of work.

4. Hello Fresh

Shipping Area: Nationwide

Cost: Your first week comes at a discount, starting at $35.92

Popular meals: Rotating menu; Sun-dried Tomato Spaghetti, Salsa Verde Enchiladas, Gnocchi With Spinach and Tomatoes

To Order: https://www.hellofresh.com/

I was planning to order Hello Fresh because I realize it’s one of the most well-known and popular meal delivery services. Unfortunately, the site only has a vegetarian option plan, not vegan. Though they announced they were adding Beyond Meat to the menus due to popular demand, most of the vegetarian options still include some cheese, sauce, or other non-vegan elements, so if you are planning to “customize” these meals you may be disappointed since the packaging doesn’t make it easy to do. For this reason, we are not reviewing Hello Fresh in this roundup. If they make changes to their plan we will update it here.

5. Sun Basket

Shipping Area: 47 states excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Montana

Cost: Meals start at $9.99 per serving

Popular meals: Rotating menu; Black-eyed Pea Fritters, Rainbow Quinoa, Smokey Tempeh Nachos

To Order: https://sunbasket.com/

I never want to be overly harsh, because what’s the point of reviewing something in a recommendation roundup and giving it a negative review? That said, I netted out that services like Sun Basket don’t cater to the vegan or plant-based population, and their offerings in that department are pretty uninspired.

The bags arrive with the ingredients separated but none of it looks appetizing and the meals I did make were uninteresting. I’m not a big fan of seitan or jackfruit, so perhaps my own lack of enthusiasm for those proteins slightly tempered my view. I did eat the raw ingredients like the avocado and other fresh veggies, but ultimately I was disappointed with the way these meals were presented.

6. Veestro

Shipping Area: Continental U.S. (no Alaska or Hawaii)

Cost:  You can get 10 meals for $11.70 per meal, 20 meals for $10.80 per meal, or 30 meals for $9.90 per meal

Most Popular meals: Enchilada Casserole, Red Curry with Tofu, and Breakfast Burrito

To Order: https://www.veestro.com/

Offering only vegan meals, Veestro earned VegNews’ 2018 Veggie Award for “Best Meal Delivery” of the year. It was also named the “best meal delivery for vegetarians and vegans” in 2020 by CNET.com. Veestro’s fuss-free meals are fully prepared, so all you have to do is heat them up with an oven, microwave, or skillet.

Founded by a brother and sister, Monica Klausner and Mark Fachler. They were living in Los Angeles when Mark told Monica that he missed the healthy plant-based cuisine that they knew from their childhood (they are originally from Costa Rica). He started a business based on the fact that it was hard to find healthy plant-based food to make quickly after a long day at the office. Veestro was born on the belief that healthy plant-based food should not be expensive, boring or hard to get.

There are three plans to choose from: A la carte, chef’s choice, and weight loss. With the á la carte option, to fully customize your box, you can pick your favorites from their entree and breakfast options. With the chef’s choice box, they’ll round up either their customer favorites, high-protein dishes, or gluten-free meals to send you. With the weight-loss option, you’ll get meals that add up to around 1,200 calories a day.

7. Daily Harvest

Shipping Area: Nationwide

Cost: Meals start at $6.99 per cup

Popular meals: A range of flavors of smoothies, harvest bowls, oatmeals, ice cream, lattes, bites, soups, and more

To Order: https://get.daily-harvest.com/

Daily Harvest, founded by Rachel Drori, was designed to make it even easier to eat healthy, fresh, organic fruits and vegetables daily. Hardly anyone in the US routinely gets their five servings of fruits and veggies a day, and Daily Harvest makes it doable and delicious, with no trips to the farmer’s market or supermarket needed. The plan options allow you to pick your frequency, and when you order 12 cups or bowls, you can get the cost down to $7.99 a serving. They recently added soups, and now offer healthy bowl options, along with the original smoothies, so suddenly DH is punching above its weight, going head-to-head with meal delivery services.

Everyone wants to feel they are adding their own personalized touch to making dinner, baking a cake, or taking control of their health with meals that are carefully and artfully created. Now we have the fun of making a smoothie, soup, or bowl, but the ingredients are there for you so you know you’ll have something healthy to eat at home.

The customization allows you to choose Low Carb, High Protein, Vegan, Gluten-Free, and other filters. The choices narrow quickly depending on what you choose, but the fact is you can be sure you’re getting the best ingredients that are in season, no matter what you choose. While the bowls, smoothies, and soups were incredibly fresh and delicious, ultimately, I felt like Daily Harvest didn’t provide a high enough volume of food to sustain me throughout the whole day. But it’s a nice snack, smoothie, or soup to have around when you need something to tie you over till your next real meal. Ultimately it was fun to blend up the smoothies and made eating healthy a joyful experience.

8. Mosaic Foods

Shipping Area: This company is expanding so fast that it now delivers within a day’s drive of most major cities, but to be sure of whether they can deliver to you, simply put in your zip code and they’ll let you know (or update you when they come to your neck of the woods). Curious to check out their NYC pop-up? Head over to 607 Vanderbilt Ave in Brooklyn.

Cost: Bowls start at $9 each

Popular meals: Green Jackfruit Bowl, Ginger Sesame Noodles, and Peanut Tofu Bowl

To Order: https://www.mosaicfoods.com/

Mosaic is here to show that frozen food doesn’t deserve its bad reputation. Instead, it can have a positive impact by reducing food waste and expanding access to nutrient-rich food. Their plant-forward, protein-packed meals are divided between noodle bowls, risottos, and veggie bowls — all can be microwaved in five minutes or less.

Choose from their vegan or vegetarian menu items to customize your eight-meal box and then decide if you want to get deliveries every week, every two weeks, or every four weeks. While many of their menu items are vegan, not at all are, but those are clearly marked on their website and they take care to package non-vegan items (like cheese) separately.

Focused on changing the food system for the better, Mosaic partners with the non-profit City Harvest to distribute nutritious food to New Yorkers in need.

9. Sprinly

Shipping Area: Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, Nashville, Buffalo, and the Greater Chicago Area

Cost: You can choose to get 6 meals for $109 per week, or12 meals for $199 per week, or 18 meals for $289 per week

Popular meals: Rotating menu; Zucchini pasta with plantballs and cashew “parm”, spicy chana masala with sweet potatoes over brown rice, and smoky bun-less beet burger with cilantro lime dressing

To Order: https://www.sprinly.com/

Sprinly delivers 100 percent vegan meals that are gluten-free as well as free of refined sugar. Their menu changes every week, so there are constantly interesting new dishes to try—all of which are nutritionist-approved. Any dish you choose will be fresh, fully prepared, and ready to eat in three minutes or less.

When signing up for Sprinly, you have to decide whether you want 6, 12, or 18 meals a week, but like with other plans on this list, you can conveniently skip or cancel weeks at any time without a fee. As an extra plus, Sprinly chooses to give back to the community by donating to Wholesome Wave, an organization committing to increasing access to fruits and vegetables for those struggling with hunger.

10. Thistle 

Shipping Area: California + parts of Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington

Popular meals: Rotating menu

Cost: Starts at $11.50 per meal or $42 per week

To Order: https://www.thistle.co/

Thistle works like a subscription plan where you get fresh, ready-to-eat meals delivered at a set time each week. Don’t worry about getting locked in, because you can change your plan whenever you like. The Thistle chefs come up with a new menu of gourmet, nutrient-packed dishes every week that are free of dairy, gluten, refined white sugars, artificial preservatives, artificial additives, and artificial dyes.

Not all of Thistle’s subscriptions are vegan or plant-based though, so make sure you choose one of their 100% plant-based selections. Along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals, they also offer juices, snacks, and wellness shots to those who live in their local delivery zone. As part of their commitment to sustainable sourcing, Thistle donates the by-product of their food to local farmers for composting.

11. Green Chef 

Shipping Area: Almost everywhere in the continental U.S. (except Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of Louisiana)

Popular meals: Rotating menu

Cost: Starts at $9.99 per meal

To Order: https://greenchef.com/

Green Chef has different plans to suit different diets, and one of them is their plant-powered menu that’s geared towards vegetarians and vegans. Each week, they put out a new menu, and you can decide if you want your meal deliveries every week, bi-weekly, or monthly. Unlike many of their competitors, Green Chef brings you into the cooking process by providing easy-to-follow recipes and the necessary prepped, pre-measured ingredients, so you get to don your chef hat and whip up a tasty meal in about 30 minutes. Don’t worry if you’re not a pro in the kitchen—their step-by-step instructions and color-coded system make cooking easy. Except for certain cases when food safety is a concern, Green Chef uses recyclable, reusable, and/or compostable material for its packaging.

12. Fresh n’ Lean

 Shipping Area: Nationwide

Popular meals: Rotating menu

Cost: Starts at $9.33 per meal

To Order: https://www.freshnlean.com/

There’s no cooking necessary with Fresh n’ Lean’s ready-to-eat meals, and vegans have two menus to choose from: their standard plant-based menu and their low-carb plant-based menu. The difference is that the low-carb, plant-based meal program leaves out grains for one of the meals per day.

Depending on how often you want their food, you can subscribe to a weekly meal plan that gets delivered fresh every Friday or you can place one-time orders from their a la carte menu. Since Fresh n’ Lean promotes using seasonal ingredients and wants to keep their offerings exciting, each week presents a new menu of dishes. Concerned about environmentally friendly packaging? Fresh n’ Lean’s packaging is all recyclable and BPA-free.

13. Thrive Foods Direct

Shipping Area: Continental U.S. (no Alaska or Hawaii)

Popular meals: Rotating meals

Cost: From one entree starts at $14.99 per day to Thrive Plus plan (three meals plus a  supplement serving)/$34.99 per day

To Order: https://www.thrivefoodsdirect.com/

Thrive Foods Direct began as an offshoot of the Thrive book series by Brendan Brazier, an endurance athlete and proponent of a vegan diet. After so many people responded well to the nutritional principles in his books, Brazier was inspired to start a meal delivery service made up of nutrient-dense, plant-based meals that followed the same fundamentals.

Thrive Foods Direct has a few plans, including one entree per day plan and the Thrive Plus plan (three meals per day plus a supplement serving), which is targeted at those doing above average physical activity. The type of meals you get are randomly selected from their rotating menu, but they’re centered on the key components of antioxidants, electrolytes, alkaline-forming, essential fats, phytochemicals, calcium, and iron.

14. MamaSezz

Shipping Area: Nationwide

Popular meals: Lazy Lasagna, Millie’s Chili, and Gardener’s Pie

Cost: A la carte dishes range from $4 to $6 per serving, and various bundles of 24 meals in different customized menu options are priced at $169 or about $7 per meal.

To Order: https://www.mamasezz.com/

MamaSezz meals aren’t just vegan; they’re also free of gluten, wheat, oil, refined sugar, preservatives, peanuts, and sesame. The way it works is you place your order online for one of their meal bundles or from their a la carte menu before Sunday 8 pm ET and then you���ll receive your fresh, fully prepared meals by delivery on the following Thursday or Friday.

After that, it’s just a matter of heating and eating! If you’d like, you can also subscribe to automatic deliveries for bundles every week, every other week, every three weeks, or every month. MamaSezz also has a program where they provide a shipping label so you can return your packaging materials to them to recycle.

15. Vegin’ Out 

Shipping Area: Continental U.S. (no Alaska or Hawaii)

Popular meals: Rotating menu

Cost: Starting from $127.99 per week (three entrees, four side dishes, one large soup, and one bag of cookies)

To Order: https://www.veginout.com/

Vegin’ Out’s meals are all vegan, but they still offer a range of unique plans to their customers. For example, outside of their standard delivery plans, there’s also a diabetic-friendly blood sugar control meal plan, low carb plan, and five-day soup and juice cleanse. You have the choice of throwing on some extras like side dishes, cookies, and salad dressings to further spice up your meals, too.

The menu changes from week to week, so the type of meals you’ll get will vary but most are designed to be mix-and-match bundles with different entrees and sides. For your convenience, all of Vegin’ Out’s meals are prepped and cooked, so when you get them, you just have to heat them up.

16. VegReady 

Shipping Area: Continental U.S. (no Alaska or Hawaii)

Popular meals: Amazonian Rainforest Meal Case and Coastal Verde Meal Case

Cost: $60 per month

To Order: https://vegready.com/

With VegReady, it’s also a game of mix and match as you’ll receive a case of 24 vegan dishes, including mains, sides, and sauces, that you can combine together for a total of eight complete meals. The most distinguishing characteristic of VegReady’s meals is that they don’t require refrigeration, making them great to keep on hand at a weekend retreat or while road trippin’ or camping.

The company uses an all-natural food preservation process (no chemicals!) so their meals stay fresh for up to a year without being popped in the fridge or freezer. VegReady is currently only offering one-time purchases but has plans to bring back monthly subscriptions in the future.

For great ideas of what to eat when you’re in the mood to cook, check out The Beet’s recipe library that has over 1,000 easy-to-make delicious recipe options, many that cost under $1 a serving.

Check out The Beet Meters for more product reviews rated for health and taste.

The post We Taste-Tested 16 Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services appeared first on The Beet.

Here are the 11 best vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based restaurants in the Houston, Texas area.

The 11 Best Vegan Restaurants in Houston, Texas

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1. Green Seed Vegan

Calling All: Diners who want delicious, healthy vegan food served with a side of great customer service. Green Seed Vegan is a casual restaurant with a completely vegan menu.

Be Sure to Have: One of their fresh-pressed paninis. It’s hard to choose between mouthwatering options like the Tosh (maple jerk garbanzo tempeh with grilled plantains, spinach, and jerk aioli) and the PB&P (caramelized plantains topped with spinach and peanut butter spread). The paninis are served on French bread, but if you’re going gluten-free, you can swap that out for a brown rice wrap, raw collard wrap, or bed of microgreens.

Leave Room For: Their cauliflower nuggets or sweet potato dill fries as a side dish. Both are addictive options that are sure to be the perfect accompaniment to whichever main you choose.

Take Note: Green Seed Vegan is open every day of the week from 11 am to 8 pm, so whether you need some no-brainer weekday sustenance or want a delicious weekend meal, they’re there for you!

Address: 4320 Almeda Road

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2. Verdine

Calling All: Vegans, “veg-curious,” and their friends and family who want to enjoy a meal with great ambiance. Verdine is a stylish spot that along with its full-service vegan menu serves beer and wine and has a dog-friendly patio, making it a great choice for a group to have a fun time out, whether or not they’re plant-based eaters.

Be Sure to Try: The Jackfruit Carnitas, which are tacos filled with smoked, pulled jackfruit and topped off with corn salsa, pickled red onions, and chipotle aioli—or the Waterworks Cheeseburger, which is a Beyond Meat burger with all the signature Fixin’s.

Order to Share: The Orange Cauliflower as an appetizer. Bearing a resemblance to widely popular orange chicken, this mouthwatering vegan version takes tempura-battered cauliflower and coats it in a sweet orange chili sauce.

Leave Room For: One of their gluten-free baked doughnuts (only available on Saturdays and Sundays). You can grab the salty-sweet treat that is their maple ‘bacon’ flavor or check out their flavor of the week.

Take Note: It might be a little tricky to find Verdine’s front door. Look for them in the back half of the building behind Jinya Ramen and next to Floyd’s 99 Barbershop.

Address: 449 West 19th Street

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3. Doshi House

Calling All: Coffee and tea lovers looking for a relaxing place to grab a bite. Known for its beverage program, Doshi House also serves vegan food.

Be Sure to Have: The Mumbai Street panini. This flavorful sandwich comes with a long list of delicious ingredients, including curried samosa potato, pickled jalapeño, and masala hummus.

Leave Room for: One of their coffees, teas, tonics, or infusions. After all, their drinks are their main draw! There are quite a lot of options to choose from in either category, but their lattes are favorites with visitors.

Take Note: Don’t expect a traditional sit-down restaurant with table service here. Doshi House is more of a coffee shop where you can enjoy some tasty food while chatting with friends or getting some work done.

Address: 3419 Emancipation Ave

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4. Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine

Calling All: Fans of authentic Mediterranean food. Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine isn’t a vegan restaurant, but its menu does have delicious options for plant-based eaters.

Be Sure to Have: The 4 Veggie Sides combo platter or their falafel combo platter. You’ll get to take your pick from their many different salads, hot vegetable sides, and dips—things like tabouli, green lentil salad, pomegranate eggplant, caramelized onion hummus, saffron rice, and so much more.

Leave Room for: Some of their warm, freshly baked pita bread. Two pieces come with every combo platter, but you can always get more!

Take Note: If you’re not sure what is or isn’t vegan on their menu, don’t hesitate to ask one of their staff members.

Address: 912 Westheimer Road

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5. Loving Hut

Calling All: Health and budget-conscious eaters. Loving Hut has an all-vegan menu made from high-quality ingredients. They use non-GMO products whenever possible, and notably, their soy proteins are all non-GMO. You’ll also find that their dishes are pretty affordable with many hovering just under $10.

Be Sure to Have: The King’s Pad Thai. This beauty keeps it vegan by making the dish with rice noodles, vegan sea crescents (instead of shrimp), tofu, and an assortment of colorful veggies in a homemade sauce. If that’s not your jam, try the Golden BBQ Vermicelli, which has BBQ soy protein that may have your non-vegan friends saying, “Hey, this tastes just meat!”

Order to Share: The Golden Wontons or the Golden Rolls. Both have fillings made from a mixture of vegetables along with sweet and sour sauce for dipping.

Leave Room for: Their cheesecake, which is made without dairy, eggs, or honey but is still totally delectable.

Take Note: Loving Hut doesn’t just serve Asian dishes! They also have burgers and wraps for those in the mood for something else.

Address: 2825 South Kirkwood Road #100

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6. Veegos

Calling All: Mexican food fanatics. Veegos is in the business of serving up authentic Mexican dishes—and oh yeah, they’re vegan!

Be Sure to Have: This is a tough one, so here’s three. Their nachos: The tortilla chips come fully loaded with veggies, cashew cheese, and sour cream along with your choice of beans, pastor, or jackfruit. We recommend the pastor, which is their meat substitute made from spice-marinated soy flour. You also can’t go wrong with their enchilada plate, which gives you the choice of pastor or jackfruit and red chile or green tomatilla sauce. Then, there is the pozole, a corn hominy stew with veggies.

Leave Room for: One of their aguas frescas or vegan horchata (yes, it’s thing here!) for a refreshing beverage to wash down all of that delicious food.

Address: 10932 Westheimer Road #A

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7. Govinda’s Vegetarian Cuisine

Calling All: Those with a big appetite for Indian food. Come hungry to Govinda’s Vegetarian Cuisine because this establishment offers visitors a buffet of plant-based dishes with Indian flavors.

Be Sure to Have: A sampling of all the vegan dishes. The buffet selection rotates depending on the day, but there are always some tasty vegan foods to be had. For example, you might try their saag aloo (spinach and potatoes), chana masala (chickpea curry), vegetable kofta, or BBQ tofu. Since it’s buffet style, why not get a little of each to find your favorite?

Leave Room for: Something from their salad bar and some of their freshly made roti. You may be filling up on their other hot entrees, but these are also worth a try and will round out your buffet meal.

Take Note: Govinda’s menu is a mix of vegetarian and vegan dishes, but if you want strictly vegan, we recommend visiting on a Wednesday or Sunday as those are the days when all of their servings are vegan.

Address: 1320 West 34th Street

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8. Local Foods

Calling All: Hungry folk interested in eating local. As hinted at in their name, Local Foods makes their menu using local ingredients that are carefully sourced. If you’re curious about the farms and purveyors they get their food from, you can see a list on their website.

Be Sure to Have: Whatever vegan dish catches your eye that day! It’s hard to give a specific recommendation since the menu can vary depending on the season and what location you’re at. Some items you may be able to order include their vegan meatball sub, quinoa burger, and garden sammie.

Order to Share: The cashew queso. Who can say no to chili con queso? This vegan version comes with pico de gallo and vegan taco meat.

Take Note: There are five different locations of Local Foods around Houston. You can find them in The Village, Upper Kirby, Tanglewood, Downtown, and The Heights.

Address: 2424 Dunstan Road

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9. Burganic Hub

Calling All: Burger fiends. Burganic Hub seeks to bring better ingredients to “fast food”-type food. They have traditional meat burgers on their menu, but they also have a section for vegetarian and vegan burgers.

Be Sure to Have: The Beyond Vegan Burger. Even those who aren’t following a plant-based diet won’t be missing meat with this burger.

Leave Room for: Their fries. There’s something incomplete about a burger meal without some fries on the side. Take your pick between regular potato fries or sweet potato fries.

Take Note: If you’re in a hurry or picking up food for the family, it’s no problem. Feel free to get your order as take-out!

Address: 2721 Chimney Rock Road

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10. Quan Yin Vegetarian Restaurant

Calling All: People craving Asian food and/or are on a budget. Located in a strip mall, Quan Yin Vegetarian Restaurant may not seem like much from the outside, but inside they’re serving up delicious, inexpensive Asian dishes that seem like they contain meat but actually have vegan substitutes.

Be Sure to Have: The salted tofu. Once you’ve tried the flavor bombs that are these salty little cubes of fried tofu, you may not be able to get enough.

Leave Room for: Their fried dumplings and eggless egg rolls. Splitting these two appetizers is a solid way to get your meal going.

Take Note: With the nature of the dishes at Quan Yin Vegetarian Restaurant, it’s fun to share multiple items with whoever you’re dining with. Then you get to try even more of their appetizing offerings!

Address: 10804 Bellaire Boulevard #E

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11. Green Vegetarian Cuisine

Calling All: People who want to eat more plant-based foods without sacrificing flavor or their traditional favorites. While it might seem hard to imagine vegan or vegetarian versions of beloved Southern comfort cuisine, Green Vegetarian Cuisine does just that. They’re also a kosher restaurant that welcomes the Jewish community.

Be Sure to Have: One of their many standouts like the chik’n fried chik’n, jalapeno cheeseburger, fajita plate, or Mediterranean bowl.

Order to Share: Cauliflower Hot Wings. These drool-worthy cauliflower bites are tossed in a spicy buffalo sauce with some poblano ranch for dipping. You may even want the whole appetizer all to yourself.

Leave Room For: A cupcake for dessert. Green Vegetarian Cuisine has its own bakery so what they offer for dessert changes daily and is baked fresh. If you get a chance, try one of their cupcakes to finish off your meal. You may not be missing “traditional” pastries with a taste of one of their vegan creations.

Take Note: While some of their menu items have eggs and cheese in them, they can make dishes vegan for you with substitutions so don’t hesitate to ask.

Address: 6720 Chimney Rock Road

For more delicious plant-based food in your neighborhood, visit The Beet’s Find Vegan Near Me articles. 

The post The 11 Best Places to Eat Vegan in Houston, Texas appeared first on The Beet.

Hippeas Vegan White Cheddar Organic Chickpea Puffs: Hippeas are an addicting vegan snack made from organic chickpeas, which means they’re a great source of protein and also high in fiber. These baked puffs come in a range of delicious flavors like sriracha sunshine, nacho vibes, bohemian barbecue, pepper power and Himalayan happiness, as well as a variety pack perfect for school lunches. Regardless of which flavor you pick, all of them are certified vegan. (We’re especially fans of the sriracha sunshine flavor!) If you’re looking for an alternative to cheese puffs with a little bit more nutrition packed in, give Hippeas a go, they won’t disappoint.

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Inno Foods Organic Coconut Clusters with Super Seeds: Made from coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds, these clusters are combined with a touch of cane sugar, brown rice syrup, and sea salt. There’s no preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no artificial colors—just a bunch of superfoods stuck together in one bite. You can enjoy these coconut clusters as a crunchy topping in your breakfast bowl or salad, but we won’t hold it against you if you decide to eat them straight out of the bag.

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Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame Spaghetti: If you’re a pasta lover who eats gluten-free or you’re looking for another way to easily up your plant intake, Explore Cuisine has you covered with its organic edamame spaghetti. This vegan pasta is low in carbs and high in protein and fiber. In fact, it packs such a big protein punch that a 50-gram serving of it has three times as much protein as traditional pasta does. And while it’s a bean-based noodle, it has a mild taste so you can get creative with your sauce pairings.

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Dave’s Killer Bread: When cruising through Costco’s bread section, keep an eye out for loaves from Dave’s Killer Bread—they’re the ones with the picture of a muscled, mustachioed man in a red t-shirt playing guitar. The bread is available in three options: Good Seed, 21 Whole Grains and Seeds, and Powerseed. Each one contains plenty of whole-grain nutrition and absolutely no animal products. All can be used for sandwiches and toast, but we recommend the Powerseed loaf in particular as a breakfast bread since it’s flavored with some organic fruit juices, giving it a slightly sweet taste.

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Amy’s Organic Soups, Variety Pack (Lentil and Lentil Vegetable): These two plant-based soups are the holy grail when it comes to healthy, packaged vegan eating options. At Costco, you won’t have to choose which soup to buy because they come in a variety pack (Read: genius!) of Amy’s rich lentil soup and hearty lentil vegetable. These soups make for an easy, satisfying meal when you want to eat vegan but don’t have the time (or energy) to whip up something from scratch in the kitchen.

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Love Beets Organic Cooked Beets: Beets are a great staple to have around the house when cooking and eating vegan or plant-based meals, but how many times have you been hesitant to buy them because you didn’t want to deal with peeling and pre-cooking them? With these beets, the prep work has been done for you. They are cooked and vacuum-packed to keep their freshness, meaning they’re ready to go whenever you’re ready to enjoy them.

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Sweet Earth General Tso’s Tofu: Vegan doesn’t have to be synonymous with time-consuming, and when push comes to shove, there’s nothing wrong with a spin in the microwave to make your meals. That’s exactly what you can do with Sweet Earth General Tso’s Tofu. A plant-based version of the beloved General Tso’s chicken, this bowl comes with crispy tofu, broccoli, red bell peppers, and brown rice paired with a tangy sweet and sour sauce. But the best part? Just heat and eat – that’s it.

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Via Emilia Organic Riced Cauliflower: Riced cauliflower (i.e., cauliflower that is pulsed into a light and fluffy rice-like texture) makes for an excellent side dish when you want a filling vegan meal but also want to cool it with traditional carbs like rice and pasta. Instead of spending time ricing your own cauliflower at home, grab some of Via Emilia’s organic riced cauliflower, which is made from only two ingredients: cauliflower and salt. It will save on both time and cleanup, making it a great go-to for busy weeknight dinners.

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The post The Best 8 Vegan Items to Pick Up The Next Time You’re at Costco appeared first on The Beet.

We start the story with Brazier, a devout vegan, former endurance athlete, author of the Thrive book series, and co-founder of the Vega line of plant-based nutrition. He was never a big drinker, but he decided to cut alcohol out completely for 14 years because it was hindering his recovery during training—and leaving him feeling less sharp than he would’ve liked. Then, everything changed when he chanced upon a can of 101 Cider House at Whole Foods and saw that it was made from 100% apple juice.

Curious about how the drink didn’t have any sugar but still had probiotics, Brazier emailed the company and received a response from Mark McTavish, the creator of 101 Cider House (and now a vegan himself in part due to Brazier), about the fermentation process. Brazier ended up giving the sour cider a try and loved how he didn’t experience the expected side effects of dehydration or hangover. Eventually, Brazier and McTavish became friends and then business partners when they developed the idea for Pulp Culture.

Beneficial Bacteria

Like with 101 Cider House, the heart of the Pulp Culture beverage is the fermentation. The process begins by wild fermenting cold-pressed juice so that the naturally occurring yeast consumes the sugar and produces alcohol (no lab-created monocultures of yeast involved). Then, there’s a secondary wild fermentation where the lactic acid bacteria consumes the malic acid and any remaining carbohydrates, resulting in the production of probiotic cultures. After fermenting, the alcoholic juice is blended with adaptogenic teas, herbal infusions, and super mushrooms. The last step is carbonation to give the blended juice a fun fizz.

“We believe in a hands-off approach, wherein our cold-pressed juice is left to ferment and evolve spontaneously,” explains McTavish. “No added yeast, sugar, chemicals, preservatives, flavors, etc. The end result is a living beverage that contains a wide array of live cultures, nutrients, vitamins, and phytochemicals.”

Talking specifics, that end result has zero sugar, zero carbs, just 99 calories, and over 6 billion CFUs of probiotics per can (McTavish calls it a “gift to your gut”)—plus the drink is 4.9% ABV.

All-Natural Ingredients

There’s really nothing to hide when it comes to what’s in Pulp Culture’s formulas. In fact, the ingredients are the stars of the whole thing as evidenced by the company’s bold, clean labeling. For example, their Think blend, which is meant to boost brain power and energy, has guava, peach, ginseng, matcha, and lion’s mane—all five of which you’ll see displayed in big letters on the can.

“The foundation of our value proposition lies within the ingredients themselves, which I find to be self-explanatory. We don’t make any claims about the functional benefits of our products. We rely on commonly known functional ingredients, no different than one would find being used at their local juice bar,” McTavish says. “What you see is what you get, just as nature intended.”

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Pulp Culture currently has three other function-first blends: Hustle to provide an uplifting buzz, Restore to cleanse, and Relax to provide a chill buzz.

McTavish says that the buzz their products deliver is “unmatched,” and they refer to it as the “entourage effect,” meaning the beverage’s various components work together to enhance the drinking experience.

When it comes to who exactly Pulp Culture is geared towards, the target is wide. “I think it will appeal to anyone who is looking for a better drink,” Brazier says. “Those who hold the food they eat to a very high standard and read ingredient lists, yet make acceptions for the alcohol they drink—that compromise doesn’t have to happen anymore with Pulp Culture.”

McTavish expands on this idea when he says, “In the pursuit of health and happiness, consumers must incorporate ‘better for you’ decisions in all areas of their lives. I have always found it odd that many consumers are knowledgeable about the foods they consume, but they lack any real knowledge or understanding of the beverages they enjoy.”

Sure, there are bound to be people who find it hard to believe that an alcoholic beverage could really be healthy. Brazier understands since he used to be one of those people too. Now entrenched in the world of “full-spectrum” alcohol where naturally alcoholic beverages contain a complete range of outcomes from wild fermentation, he wants people to understand that alcohol is just one of the byproducts of fermentation along with organic acids, B vitamins, and probiotics.

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No Hangover Here

Referring to those curious about Pulp Culture, Brazier says, “It’s not only not bad for them, but it’s also actually good for them—no hangover, no dehydration, it enhances digestion and therefore nutrient absorption.”

Due to COVID-19, Pulp Culture pivoted their April launch plan to be direct-to-consumer through their website. They’re currently offering free shipping to 37 states with the promo code “STAYSAFE”.

“People are drinking more than ever in this new at-home reality,” says Brazier. “Might as well make it the best option on the planet.”

The post Pulp Culture Offers “Better-for-You” Booze With Their Hard-Pressed Juice appeared first on The Beet.

Starting under $5, these gifts are the perfect thing to hand anyone who wants to be healthier, or eat plant-based and will be just the thing that lets them know you care. We’ve assembled 15 cruelty-free, vegan or plant-based options that are sure to bring some holiday joy to your recipient without breaking the bank.

For More Great Gift Guides and Gift Ideas from The Beet, Check Out:

15 Best Gift Ideas for the Plant-Based Athlete on Your List

15 Best Gift Ideas for the Plant-Based or Vegan Foodie On Your List 

12 Best Gift Ideas for the Wellness Guru or Spiritual Seeker on Your List

15 Best Sustainable Gift Ideas or the Planet Lover on Your List

13 Gift Ideas for the Busy Parent Who’s Plant-Based or Just Wants to Eat Healthy

Great Gift Ideas for $5 and Under

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1. Soapiary Single Bar, $3.99

Sopiary’s vegan soaps are made with shea butter and vitamins A, C, and E—and they’re totally free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. Each of their differently colored soap varieties is designed for a specific skin need. For example, there’s the bamboo for hydrating, the parsley aloe for exfoliating, and the vetiver cardamom for calming.

Buy on Soapiary’s website here. 

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2. Project 7’s Low-Sugar Golly Lollis, $4 to $5 a Bag

Candy is always welcome in a holiday stocking, and Project 7 makes giving it guilt-free with their low-sugar lollipops. Each Golly Lolli’s lollipop has only 1 gram of sugar. Plus, they don’t have any artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives. With multiple pops in each bag, you can spread the joy, or give them all to that special someone you know with a sweet tooth.

Buy on Project 7’s website here or on Amazon here.  

Great Gift Ideas for $10 and Under

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3. Nectar Bath Treats Holiday Bath Bomb, $9

Nectar Bath Treats’ selection of extra-large holiday bath bombs allows you to get into the spirit of the season while getting cozy at home. Take your pick between a candy cane, jolly gingerbread, sparkling snowflake, or glittering Christmas tree bath bomb—all of which are made with moisturizing sweet almond oil and detoxifying clay.

Buy on Nectar Bath Treat’s website here. 

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4. jcoco 85% Dark Bar Trio, $9

Give the gift of Indulgent healthy dark chocolate with jcoco’s 85% Dark Bar Trio, comprised of three, one-ounce chocolate bars made from 100% origin, Contamana cacao beans sourced from the Cusco valley of Peru. Low in sugar and brimming with antioxidants, you’ll love nibbling on a few bites whenever a chocolate craving strikes.

The bar comes wrapped in a chic envelope package designed by Peruvian artist Monica Reyes, and the purchase does more than just look and taste good, it does good: For every three ounces of jcoco chocolate sold, one fresh serving of food is donated to Seattle Chocolate’s food bank partners.

Buy on jcoco’s website here. 

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5. Evolved by Nature’s Silk-Based Hand Soap, $5.29 and Hand Sanitizer, $8

We can’t get enough of this recently launched hand soap. Buy it for your BFFs and they’ll understand your obsession. And Evolved by Nature’s new hand sanitizer is crafted from only four ingredients, and in a year where you can never wash or sanitize your hands enough, we think we’ll pick up a few bottles for gifts.

All of this company’s products are free from fragrances, allergens, parabens, phthalates, and unnecessary chemicals, and are biodegradable, cruelty-free, and made in Massachusetts. If you’re feeling generous, complete the gift with this hand therapy lotion ($20), that’s a big winner in the Year of the Cracked Hand Skin.

Buy on Evolved by Nature’s website here. 

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6. Lake & Skye’s Body Oil Mini,  $10

Lake & Skye’s hydrating mini body oil comes in the brand’s signature 11 11 scent, which is described as “a musky blend of white ambers.” All you have to do is gently apply a few drops of the oil to your skin to enjoy its nourishing, soothing benefits. This sleek, travel size oil is made with sweet almond oil and apricot kernel oil.

Buy on Lake & Skye’s website here.

Great Gift Ideas for $15 and Under

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7. Teeccino Chicory Herbal Coffee, $10.25/11 oz bag

Teeccino’s herbal coffee is a great alternative for any coffee lovers who deal with sensitivity to caffeine and acidity. Have a look at the ingredients list and you’ll find a lovely blend of organic herbs like chicory and carob plus other fruits, nuts, and spices for flavoring. The herbal coffee is available in pumpkin spice, almond amaretto, caramel nut, and many more flavors.

Buy on Teecino’s website here or on Amazon here. 

8. Ocelot Market Pineapple Bottle Opener, $11

This chic bottle opener in the shape of pineapple is handmade by artisans in Bali and brings a bit of fun to every bottle opening. Available in five different color combinations, the product can be found on Ocelot Market, a curated marketplace for artisan-made products from around the globe.

Buy on Ocelot Market’s website here. 

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9. Big Spoon Roasters Maple Cinnamon Peanut & Pecan Butter with Sea Salt, $11.95

This isn’t your average nut spread! Big Spoon Roasters’ maple cinnamon peanut and pecan butter with sea salt will have you thinking of cinnamon rolls or pecan pie, rather than ho-hum peanut butter. While surely delicious spread on bread, this is one you may want to eat straight out of the jar with a spoon.

Buy on Big Spoon Roasters website here. 

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10. Touchland Power Mist, $12

Staying safe and healthy has been top of mind for many this year, and toting around hand sanitizer doesn’t have to be drab. Touchland’s Power Mist is a fast-absorbing hand sanitizer that also works to moisturize and rejuvenate your skin. Extra bonus: It comes in a sleek, modern package. The Power Mist is available in a variety of fresh scents, and there’s also a fragrance-free option.

Buy on Touchland’s website here. 

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11. Pai-Shau’s Supreme Revitalizing Mask (50 ml), $14

This vegan and cruelty-free hair mask from Pai-Shau is infused with the brand’s enriching Signature Tea Complex (white tea, pu-erh tea, green tea, black tea, and rooibos). Designed to sit for just five minutes, it works to hydrate and nourish dry and damaged strands, and it’s both color and keratin safe.

Buy on Pai-Shau’s website here. 

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12. Elizabeth Grant Green Power with Hemp Seed Oil Lip Balm, $15

This elegant lip balm harnesses the power of hemp seed oil, Torricelumn (the skincare brand’s clinically tested moisturizing compound), and other healthy greens. More than just moisturizing, the protective balm is formulated to help lips look smoother and plumper, and feel firmer too.

Buy on Elizabeth Grant’s website here. 

Great Gift Ideas for $20 and Under

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13. IQ Bar Sampler Box, $14.99

Clean Brain & Body Bars. IQ BARs are nutrition bars formulated with clean-label ingredients rich in compounds shown to benefit the brain and body. Each bar contains 6 brain nutrients, 12g plant protein, 3g net carbs, and <1-1g sugar. IQ BARs are keto, paleo-friendly, vegan, kosher, and free from GMOs, gluten, dairy, soy, and sugar alcohols. 7-bar Sampler – $14.99 (it looks like a gift – Sampler Box is beautiful!)

Buy on IQ Bar’s website here or on Amazon here. 

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14. J.R. Watkins Bath & Shower Collection,  all products are under $14.99

Stocking stuffer alert! This luxe (yet affordable!) natural bath collection hones in on three areas of focus we can all get being right about now: AWAKEN, DETOX, and SLEEP. Treat your fave guy or gal to buys like their Bath Elixir, Cleansing Hand Elixir, Creamy Body Wash, and Aromatherapy In-Shower Mist. Once they go J.R. Watkins once, they’ll be hooked.

Buy on J.R. Watkins’s website here. 

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15. Alaya Darjeeling Green Tea, $16

This loose-leaf green tea from Alaya comes in beautiful, biodegradable/compostable packaging. During this holiday season, the brand is gifting customers a packet of organic flower seeds with each purchase as part of their partnership with Back to the Roots, an organic gardening company.

Buy on Alaya Darjeeling’s website here. 

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16. The Good Hippie Peppermint Lip Gloss, $16

Refreshing peppermint, nourishing shea butter, and moisturizing coconut oil comes together in this peppermint lip gloss made by The Good Hippie, a small-batch, artisan skincare and beauty line. This vegan lip gloss comes in a little glass jar that’s easy to carry with you whenever you head out the door.

Buy on The Good Hippie’s website here. 

17. Noize Vegan AF Pom-Pom Hat, $18

Know someone who’s loud and proud about being vegan? Then this pom-pom beanie hat is just the thing to keep their head and ears warm this winter! Available in four color combinations, the soft hat displaying “Vegan AF” around the bottom hails from Noize, a PETA-approved, cruelty-free clothing brand.

Buy on Noize’s website here. 

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18. Green Goo Mineral Bath Salts — $19.95

Take bathtime to the next level with mineral bath salts from Green Goo, a company that uses plant-based ingredients for their all-natural body care products. There are four varieties of bath salts to pick from: eucalyptus + mint, lavender + bergamot, rose + hibiscus, and rosemary + lemon.

Buy on Green Goo’s website here. 

Great Gift Ideas for Under $35

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19. Ethan’s Functional Shots Immune Boost Variety Pack, from $24 (subscribe and save 10%)

If your giftee is cool with honey, we love these organic apple cider vinegar shots made with spices and a tour of organic honey. This sampler pack contains 12  shots, with six original gulps and six citrus fire shots. Chin-chin!

Buy on Ethan’s Functional Shots website here. 

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20. Travertine Spa’s Eucalyptus Steam Shower Spray, $28

Game, set, match, shower. And your lucky giftee will sure savor their post-game shower with this line of shower aromatherapy products that transform your shower into a spa.The 100% pure eucalyptus oil sprays can simply be sprayed downward in a hot shower and inhaled to one’s heart content as the steam rises Buy.in Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus + Lavender, Eucalyptus + Citrus, and Eucalyptus + Cedar scents.

Buy on Travertine Spa’s website here. 

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21. Power Packs from Goldthread Plant-Based Tonics, $30

Beauty starts from within, so let your fave guy or gal treat themself right with these potent bevvies created to support digestion, immunity, skin, and more. The Power Packs are designed with a unique key function in mind (i.e., “digestion” or “energy” and expertly crafted by founder and formulator, William Siff, a clinical herbalist, ethnobotanist, and licensed acupuncturist. We hear a tipple of vodka paired with any of the flavors on a Friday night isn’t a bad idea, either.

Buy on Goldthread Plant-Based Tonics website here.

22. Laird Superfood Hot Chocolate Bundle With Ohana Beanie

Laird Superfood’s powdered mixes are supremely effective, delicious, and made with all-natural ingredients, and you can give a loved one the gift of this plant-based goodness with the brand’s Hot Chocolate with Functional Mushrooms, perfect for the holiday season. Paired with the company’s adorable nod to their founder’s home in Hawaii, the Ohana beanie will keep them warm all winter long. Readers of The Beet can save 10% on their first purchase from Laird Superfood with the code BEET10.

Buy on Laird Superfood’s website here.

The post Stocking Stuffers: The Best Gifts For $5 and Up, For Everyone on Your List appeared first on The Beet.

If you’re still on the hunt for just the right gift and your dad happens to be interested in all things plant-based-food-related, healthy-eating-related, and master chef-related, we have some gift ideas that’ll bring a smile to his face and some excitement to his culinary adventures. Ranging in price level and cooking skills required, here are some of the best Father’s Day gifts for the foodie dads out there.

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1. Just Add Beer Marinades and Sauces

Is your dad of the beer-loving, grill-loving type? Well, he can enjoy brews and barbecue in a fun new way with some of Just Add Beer’s unique sauce and marinade mixes. These vegan, umami-rich sauces are made to be mixed with beer to enhance whatever it is you’re grilling. Just Add Beer currently offers three flavors: Japanese Miso BBQ, Mexican Tres Chiles, and Szechuan Black Vinegar. Each comes with a recommendation for what type of beer to use to level up the flavor.

Price: $12 per jar 

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2. Work Sharp Knife Sharpener

Many would argue that the most important kitchen tool is a good chef’s knife. And it goes without saying that a good knife is a sharp one. You can make sure your dad’s kitchen knife is always in tip-top shape with one of Work Sharp’s culinary knife sharpeners. They have electric sharpeners with different settings (the E2 has one sharpening speed and one angle guide while the E5 offers custom angles and three sharpening modes) as well as a manual sharpener with diamond and ceramic honing rods.

Price: Ranges from $49.95 to $149.95

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3. Vejo Portable Blender

Vejo lets you blend up nutritious smoothies on the go with their BPA-free portable blenders that are both sturdy and attractive. You just pop in one of the Vejo pods, which come in a variety of plant-based flavors, and twist to blend for a smoothie in 30 seconds. Vejo is committed to sustainability and makes their capsules from biodegradable, renewable components. Able to be used as both a mixer and a bottle, the blenders conveniently fit in a car cup holder—and they’re airport security approved!

Price: $130 for a starter kit

4. Vegan Man Cookbook

Positioned as a man-ual for cooking plant-based food, the Vegan Man cookbook by Michael Kitson is full of recipes that are packed with nutrition and flavor—and free of any animal products. These dishes may be just the thing to get your dad interested in eating more plant-based meals, or they might be exactly what your vegan dad has been looking for to switch things up in the kitchen.

Price: $24.49 on Amazon

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5. Ellie’s Best Nut Milk Starter Kit

If your dad is one of the many becoming more interested in creating food products from scratch like baking your own bread and brewing your own beer, another culinary adventure you can gift him is a nut milk starter kit. This kit from Ellie’s Best comes with their long-lasting nut milk bag made from commercial nylon mesh, three pounds of their raw, sweet almonds, and a BPA-free pitcher. A bonus is that the strainer bag can also be used for other types of cooking like when working with broths, kombucha, and fruit puree.

Price: Original price $69.95

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6. Kosterina Custom Box

Whether you’re vegan or not, olive oil is a kitchen staple—and having high-quality oil is something every cook can appreciate. Kosterina’s 100% pure extra virgin olive oil is sourced from the Peloponnese region of Greece, cold-pressed from early harvest olives, and rich in polyphenol. Along with their original olive oil, they also offer a garlic olive oil and a Greek herb and lemon olive oil on top of different balsamic vinegars. Pick and choose from their products to create a custom box worth gifting.

Price: $67.50 for a small box or $135 for a large box

7. Bamboozle Snack Board

Eco-friendly brand Bamboozle makes their kitchenware products from durable bamboo fiber. It’s their small snack board in particular that makes for a nice present to those always entertaining—whether that’s hosting game day, having a family grill-out, or just unwinding at home with some friends. Coming in two neutral colors, the board’s sleek design can fit easily into anyone’s kitchen. And don’t worry, it’s still dishwasher safe for easy clean-up!

Price: $20.00

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8. Ulli’s Oil Mill Oils

Olive oil, sunflower seed oil, and sesame seed oil are all cooking go-tos, but there’s so much more to the world of oils worth exploring. Following in Austria’s tradition of local, cold-pressed oils, Ulli’s Oil Mill uses the stamp press method to produce fresh oils in small batches on demand. Their pumpkin seed oil is a must-try, but they also sell hemp oil, chili oil, raps oil, and camelina oil. Experiment with these oils by drizzling on salads, soups, spreads, or by using as a finishing touch to other cooked meals.

Price: Starting from $15

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9. Gardyn Hydroponic System

If your dad’s trained palate is coupled with a green thumb, then Gardyn’s hydroponic system might be the perfect present. A gift that truly keeps on giving, this “plug-and-play” system allows you to grow pesticide-free greens, fruits, herbs, and flowers all year round from your home. Plus, Kelby, the accompanying virtual growing assistant, makes sure the plants are kept in ideal conditions. All you have to do is pick your produce, pop in one of Gardyn’s “yCubes,” and water every couple of weeks. Then, you’ll have ready-to-eat produce at your fingertips!

Price: Membership starts at $29 per month

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10. Runamok Maple Gift Box

Maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes—it can be a special touch to savory dishes and it’s a popular sweetener choice for vegan baking. With Runamok Maple’s custom gift box option, you can choose three different bottles from their infused, smoked, and barrel-aged maple syrup to gift in an elegant black box. Focused on sustainability and social responsibility, the company is certified organic by the Northeastern Organic Farmers Association and Bird-Friendly by the National Audubon Society.

Price: $69.95

The post The 10 Best Father’s Day Gifts for Plant-Based Foodie Dads appeared first on The Beet.

Currently shipping to all 50 states and Puerto Rico, The Herbivorous Butcher sells a wide range of 100% vegan, cruelty-free meat and cheese alternatives, all made by hand in small batches.

“A hefty helping of meat shared by a family on a dinner table has a sort of primeval uniting quality for many people, and our products serve to continue that tradition in a more compassionate way,” says Kale. “The familiar flavors and textures help bridge the gap between the two communities and serve as a medium to create new traditions and memories.”

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Plant-Based Pioneers

The popular vegan butcher shop all started with a joke. Aubry, a vegan now for about 26 years, and Kale, a vegan for close to 10 years, had been toying with the idea of opening a vegan restaurant with all the meats and cheeses they were making at home.

“After we did a little research and learned about the failure rate of restaurants, we decided against it but joked about opening a vegan butcher shop with all the recipes we had,” explains Aubry. “We laughed, made a few more jokes then stopped and looked at each other and thought, ‘Holy crap, that’s a great idea!’ And thus, The Herbivorous Butcher was born.”

Creating a butcher shop that doesn’t actually work with meat brought about some unique hurdles. Aubry says, “Initially the insurance companies said they couldn’t insure us because they didn’t know how to. Finally, our architect said, ‘They’re a savory bakery!’ And the rest is history. In the books, we’re a savory bakery.”

Continually growing in reach, The Herbivorous Butcher makes about 10 times the amount of food they did back when they first started. They also won the 2016 title of USA Today’s “Best Food & Drink Maker in the USA,” and recently they’ve been highlighted as pioneers in Upfield’s “A Better Plant-Based Future” mini-documentary series.

When coming up with meat and cheese alternatives in the beginning, the Walch siblings got a lot of inspiration from customer requests. “As far as guidance goes, there wasn’t anything like it out there so we had to wing it,” says Aubry. “We visited some meat butcher shops and watched ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’ about five times.”

These days, The Herbivorous Butcher’s offerings continue to evolve thanks to their butchers’ innovations.

Kale calls their Korean Ribs “the king” of their meat case and says their Italian Sausage has always been hugely popular. The shop also sells a Summer Grill Pack, which they change up each year. This season it consists of jalapeño cheddar brats, garlic brats, flank steak, and baharat-spiced ribs. Aubry notes that they always like to put one ‘naked” item in the grill pack so customers can marinate or flavor it however they please.

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Vegan Grilling 101

To anyone intimidated about vegan grilling, Aubry shares some advice: “Don’t be afraid of an open fire and vegan food! Most vegan meats go great on a grill; you just have to remember that they don’t typically have nearly as much oil in them as animal meat. You’ll want to use some oil to make sure they don’t burn.”

In terms of barbecuing technique, Kale says, “At the shop, we either implement a low-and-slow or hot-and-fast strategy; that is, either grill the meat slowly with ample marinade, or sear the meat very quickly to create char marks, basting with marinade just after.”

Sharing another way to take things up a notch, Kale adds, “A Guamanian secret—pop open a can of light beer and just pour it on any light meat (even tofu) that you’re grilling! It’ll keep it from drying out and establish a psychic connection to our humble island.”

The post Summer Grilling Tips From the U.S.’ First Totally Vegan Butcher Shop appeared first on The Beet.

Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

The standard peanut butter cups on the market may not be vegan, but thanks to Justin’s you don’t have to cut out chocolate if you’re living a vegan or plant-based lifestyle. Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are made from organic dark chocolate, peanuts, and cane sugar. While there are no milk products in these peanut butter cups, you may see “contains milk” on the label. This is because Justin’s is hyper-vigilant about possible cross-contact with their other products that do contain milk ingredients during the manufacturing process, so they want to ensure the safety of those who have dairy sensitivities.

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The Beyond Burger by Beyond Meat

The Beyond Burger put plant-based burgers on the map, and this 100% vegan meat looks and cooks just like beef. And those “marbling specks” you see in burgers that are typically animal fat (and where much of the flavor comes from)? Beyond Burgers have them too, except they are made from healthier-for-you fats like coconut oil and cocoa butter. Plus, The Beyond Burger is also gluten- and soy-free to suit those with other dietary restrictions. With these plant-based patties in your fridge, you can whip up juicy burgers at home to help you get the protein you need, and keep all your-burger loving family members happy too.

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Sweet Earth Burritos

There’s not always time to meal prep for your workweek lunches or cook something at home when you need to be on the go. Prepare for those moments by having one of Sweet Earth’s burritos on deck: both the Tiger Curry and the Breakfast Burrito are vegan. The Tiger Curry is made from lentils, seitan, potatoes, carrots, red bell peppers, and seasoned with a blend of spices including turmeric, cinnamon, and cardamom. All you have to do is pop one in the microwave and you’ll have a plant-based meal ready to eat in minutes.

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Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn

Love to snack but hate the sluggish feeling that comes shortly after inhaling a bag of chips? Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn snack is free of the fake stuff like flavorings and artificial sugar, and each cup of it has just 70 calories. Certified gluten-free and packed with whole grain energy, this kettle corn makes it easy (and OK!) to mindlessly munch.

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Hellmann’s Vegan Carefully Crafted Dressing and Sandwich Spread 

A sandwich doesn’t feel complete without some type of spread slathered in it. At Target, you can find Hellman’s certified vegan alternative that resembles the creamy richness of mayonnaise—without any of the eggs. (The first ingredient is soybean oil.)  If you’re just starting to eat vegan or incorporate more plant-based foods into your life, swapping your traditional mayo for one like this is an easy way to take start taking those steps.

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Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Cheddar Flavor

When it comes to the best comfort foods, a warm bowl of gooey mac and cheese is right up there at the top of our list. The mac and cheese of your childhood may not be vegan, but Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Cheddar Flavor sure is. (We say, “Thank you, Annie.”) With every bite, you can enjoy the “cheesy” goodness you love—and the knowledge that it’s totally plant-based. Along with the fact that there’s no milk and cheese in this box, there are also no artificial flavors, preservatives, or synthetic colors. Dig in.

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So Delicious® Dairy-Free Cashew – Salted Caramel Cluster Ice Cream

This dairy-free, “ice cream” uses cashew milk to get its creamy texture, making it a vegan option and nice alternative for all plant-based eaters who may have a lactose intolerance. There’s a ton of flavors out there, but our favorite is the Salted Caramel Cluster that uses pea protein and organic molasses along with a few other natural ingredients to help get that toasty-sweet caramel sauce taste. For more amazing non-dairy ice creams and how we rate them check out The Beet’s Ice Cream taste test and our ratings on The Beet Meter. Then, be sure to take time to rate your favorites on The Beet Meter! We want to see which one wins.

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 Gardein Golden Frozen Fishless Filet

There are beef and chicken substitutes making their debuts on the regular, but say you want to mix things up with a seafood alternative? Gardein is known in the vegan world for their meatless meats and chickens, but their certified vegan fishless filets are a great find at Target. You can fry some up and serve to any fish lovers, with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Or throw them into tortillas for fish tacos, or make a vegan kid-friendly meal the whole family will eat.

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Nestle Toll House Allergen Free Simply Delicious Semi-Sweet Baking Chips

Baking vegan requires a number of ingredient swaps, like chia seeds for eggs (check out our seed story for details) but these vegan baking chips made from real chocolate, organic cane sugar, and cocoa butter actually taste just as good as standard semi-sweet chips. You’ll notice this bag is also labeled allergen-free since they don’t contain any tree nuts, peanuts, egg, milk, wheat, soy, fish, or shellfish. This makes them perfect for your next neighborhood potluck to cover all your bases with different dietary needs and food allergies you may not know about.

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The post Our 9 Favorite Vegan Products at Target appeared first on The Beet.

What to Make

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1. Rainbow Veggie Sandwiches with Hummus from From My Bowl

One way to get your kids to eat more veggies is to make the food look too fun to resist. Like putting all the colors of the rainbow into one sandwich for example. The rainbow veggie sandwiches with hummus from From My Bowl, a blog dedicated to “simply delicious vegan food,” combine healthy, crunchy vegetables with creamy hummus. The result is a meal that’s just as pretty as it is satisfying. Since the sandwich is totally customizable, you can mix and match vegetables depending on your little one’s taste preferences.

Find the recipe here.

2. Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Lunchables from Strength and Sunshine

Lunchables have long ruled kid’s lunches, but you may be looking for a healthier alternative that’s also fully vegan. Strength and Sunshine—a blog of gluten-free, allergy-free, and vegan recipes—is here to help with a recipe for homemade, gluten-free pizza “Lunchables.” The pizza crust is made from a mix of cassava flour and coconut flour, and eggplant “bacon” serves as a vegan pepperoni replacement. Bonus: Just like with Lunchables, your kid will love getting to put their pizza together all by themselves.

Find the recipe here.

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3. Tofu Nuggets and Broccoli from Jessica Spiro Nutrition

Nuggets are a kid favorite, and they can often win over even the pickiest eater. For a vegan version, Jessica Spiro, a dietitian specializing in plant-based nutrition for kids and families, shares a recipe for tofu nuggets served with some vegetables on the side. These extra firm tofu cubes are breaded with seasoned breadcrumbs and then baked, making for tasty little bites your child is sure to enjoy.

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4. Cold Peanut Noodle Salad from Glue & Glitter

If you’re packing your child’s lunch, you probably don’t want to fuss with anything that needs heating up. That’s part of what makes the cold peanut noodle salad from Glue & Glitter, a blog with simple vegan recipes, such a winner; it doesn’t need to be warm to be tasty, saving you some work when lunchtime hits. The recipe is a one-bowl meal full of noodles, vegetables, and tofu all coated in a creamy peanut sauce. You can choose whichever noodles and vegetables your child likes the most!

Find the recipe here

Products to Pack

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1. Elmhurst 1925 Single Serve Milked Oats

Elmhurst 1925’s Milked Oats are ready-to-drink, non-dairy beverages that serve as the perfect accompaniment to a healthy lunch. Made with just a few ingredients, they contain 30 grams of whole grain per serving, and they’re free of any artificial flavors, carrageenan, gums, or other emulsifiers. These oat milks are also shelf-stable so you don’t need to worry about refrigeration until they’re open. Your kid can choose their favorite from their four flavors: original, chocolate, vanilla, and blueberry.

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2. Split Nutrition Nut Butter & Jelly Packs

Peanut butter and jelly is a beloved combination whether or not you’re a kid, and with Split Nutrition’s convenient pouches, it’s easier than ever to enjoy the delicious duo. These pocket-sized packs pair all-natural nut butter (no added fillers, salts, or oils) with tasty jelly. Their flavors include the classic peanut butter + grape as well as others like cashew butter + sour cherry and almond butter + strawberry. You may just find yourself stealing some of Split’s products as an on-the-go snack for yourself!

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3. Ruckus and Co. Tropical Tango Smoothie Shakeup

Ruckus and Co. created their Smoothie Shakeups specifically with kids in mind. These lunch-ready, vitamin-rich smoothies are made with real, simple ingredients. Ruckus and Co. offers two flavors, but only the Tropical Tango one is vegan. The Tropical Tango is a mixture of mango puree, coconut cream, pineapple puree, apple puree, water, sweet potato puree, lime juice, and ground chia seed. That means no added sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. Aside from the taste, one fun thing about the Smoothie Shakeups is that they come frozen and keep their cool for hours, making them perfect for packing

The post How to Pack Healthy Plant-Based Lunches That Kids Will Love appeared first on The Beet.

Subscription Boxes

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1. Vegancuts Snack Box

Great for: Snack lovers who enjoy discovering new foods

If you simply can’t get enough snacks, then Vegancuts has you covered with their Snack Box subscription. By signing up, you’ll get a monthly delivery of specially curated snacks—all 100% vegan and cruelty-free. You can count on there being at least 10 treats inside each time, and you can have a look on their website to get an idea of what kind of goodies they’ve sent out in the past. For example, they’ve previously shipped Plant Snacks Cassava Root Chips, CBDfx antioxidant gummies, and Lenny & Larry’s toasted coconut protein cookies. Any duplicate snacks you get from a previous month are considered bonuses and not counted in your 10 guaranteed new snacks. The cherry on top? They offer free U.S. shipping!

Bonus: Every month Vegancuts chooses an animal sanctuary to highlight and a portion of sales from their boxes goes directly to supporting them.

Order here.

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2. Urthbox Vegan Box

Great for: Big snackers who like healthier options

While Urthbox isn’t a vegan company, they do offer a vegan box as one of their products. They focus on sending out non-GMO, organic, and all-natural products from trustworthy brands. Past Urthbox’s deliveries have included UNREAL Dark Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Cups, Pasta Chips, and Peeled Apple-to-the-Core Snacks. One distinguishing feature of Urthbox is that they let you choose your snack box size, ranging from the mini which is 7+ snacks at $14.99 to the large which is 27+ snacks at $44.99. They also offer free U.S. shipping!

Bonus: Urthbox offers special packages for companies if you want a healthier, vegan alternative to your office vending machine.

Order here.

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3. Bunny James Vegan Box

Great for: Snack fiends who want quality products
To Order: Amazon

A provider of premium gift and snack boxes, Bunny James curates their offerings based on so-called “food tribes,” or a diet/eating preference that someone identifies with. One of their food tribes is vegan, and there are even more options to choose from within that category. For instance, they have a vegan bar box, vegan chip box, and vegan breakfast snacks box—but they also have general assortment boxes if you simply can’t decide. While you do have the ability to make a one-time purchase, subscribing gets you a 10% discount. Each of their box product pages clearly lists the number and type of snacks included so you know what to expect. Their handpicked items have included Mamma Chia Squeeze Vitality Snack, Beanfield Bean and Rice Chips, and Nature’s Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Bars.

Bonus: Bunny James is committed to donating a percentage of their profits each year to charity.

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Variety Packs

1. MadeGood Variety Pack

Great for: Parents who want to give their kids safe, wholesome snacks
To Order: https://www.madegoodfoods.com/ or Amazon

MadeGood’s mission is right in its name: They’re all about making good snacks with good intentions. Baked in a dedicated nut-free facility, their snacks are certified vegan, organic, and gluten-free. Since the company offers a few different snack options, opt for their MadeGood’s Classic Variety Pack to find your family’s favorites. Inside this variety pack, you’ll get a bounty of granola bars, granola minis, soft-baked mini cookies, crispy squares, and crispy light granola that racks up to 33 individual snacks in total. For all those fruit lovers and chocoholics out there, MadeGood even offers special fruit and chocolate variety packs!

Bonus: MadeGood snacks are free from common allergens, including peanut, tree nuts, soy, gluten, and sesame.

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2. ZenB Variety Packs

Great for: Veggie lovers who prefer nutritious snacking
To Order: https://zenb.com/

ZenB is bringing the power of plant-based foods to snack time while promoting food waste reduction. They have two different types of products (veggie bites and veggie sticks), and both make use of more parts of the vegetable like the skin, stems, and seeds, which are still nutritious but often overlooked. You also won’t find any artificial flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives in their products. ZenB Veggie Bites are little resealable pouches of perfectly bite-sized snacks that pack a punch; every six Veggie Bites equals 1 cup of vegetables! ZenB Veggie Sticks are bars, which make for easy snacking on the go. Choose from one of their variety packs to sample a few flavors.

Bonus: First-time buyers can try ZenB products at a significant discount with their sample trial packs, and their larger Stock Up boxes offer a 60% discount.

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3. Frooze Balls Variety Pack

Great for: Adventurers who need plant-powered energy
To Order: https://froozeballs.com/ or Amazon

Started in New Zealand, Frooze Balls was created as a clean alternative to other energy snacks packed with refined sugar. These vegan balls are made from natural ingredients like cashews, almonds, cacao, and dates. Frooze Balls also check the boxes of being preservative-free and non-GMO. Right now they have two variety packs to choose from. One includes six packets of their original Frooze Balls, each a different flavor (Lemon Cheesecake, Dark Forest, Cranberry, Peanut Butter, Fudgetastic, and Salted Maple). The other variety pack option is made up of their nut butter–filled Frooze Balls in Berry Brownie Nut Butter, Salted Caramel, and Choc Truffle flavors.

Bonus: Frooze Balls offers free standard shipping in the U.S.

Individual Products

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1. Lil Bucks Clusterbucks

Great for: Vegans interested in superfoods and adaptogenic foods
To Order: https://www.lovelilbucks.com/

Lil Bucks is spurring on the buckwheat revolution. Their business revolves around sprouted buckwheat, a crunchy, protein-packed, gluten-free superfood that you can add to your smoothie bowls and yogurt-like granola or that you can top your soups and salads with like you would toasted seeds. Aside from their bags of sprouted buckwheat cereal, Lil Bucks sells Clusterbucks, which are adaptogenic buckwheat clusters made from, of course, their sprouted buckwheat seeds. At the moment, these grain-free snacks come in two flavors: Chocolate Reishi (the reishi comes from organic Red Reishi mushroom) and Turmeric Lemon Myrtle (lemon myrtle is an Australian shrub with a concentrated amount of antimicrobial plant citral).

Bonus: If you sign up for the Lil Bucks subscription program, you can get their products delivered to your door every month at a discounted price and with free shipping.

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2. Amy’s Organic Sunny Candy Bars

Great for: Anyone with a sweet tooth
To Order: Amazon

You’ve probably come across one of Amy’s organic soups or one of their frozen entrees, but did you know they’re in the business of making vegan candy bars as well? This trusted brand has put their talents to sweets, and their Sunny candy bar, in particular, knocks it out of the park. Like a vegan version of Almond Joy, this candy bar is made up of toasty coconut and roasted almonds covered in organic dark chocolate. It’s dairy-free and gluten-free, and it’s non-GMO. Candy may not be the healthiest snack, but these bars are at least a step up from highly processed alternatives.

Bonus: One serving size of Amy’s Sunny Candy (1 bar, 37 grams) is 170 calories.

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3. Savory Wild Portabella Jerky

Great for: Savory snackers who are looking for meat alternatives
To Order: https://savorywild.com/ or Amazon

Savory Wild is mixing up the jerky game with their savory portabella jerky. This vegan snack may be free of meat but it’s still full of that umami flavor. What it doesn’t have is preservatives, artificial ingredients, hydrogenated oils, or saturated fats. Savory Wild has three flavors available: Sweet Balsamic and Golden Fig; Roasted Garlic and Black Pepper; and Sesame, Ginger, and Korean Chili. Each bag makes up 9 to 10 grams of protein and is considered a good source of the antioxidant selenium.

Bonus: Big fans of Savory Wild’s jerky can purchase wholesale quantities of their product.

If you’re hungry for more vegan snacks, check out The Beet’s article on the best vegan snacks you can get delivered from Amazon!

The post The 9 Best Vegan Snacks and Subscription Boxes Delivered to Your Door appeared first on The Beet.