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I have made several posts related to veganism; however, I have yet to cover some of my favourite vegan products that I purchase regularly. When I first went vegan ten years ago, there really wasn’t much out on the market in terms of animal-based substitutions as there is today. The products that were available at that time, such as Yves veggies dogs or deli slices, were okay for what they were and you ate them because they were at least reminiscent of something you once enjoyed, just not necessarily the tastiest. Move forward ten years later and I am happy to announce that current-day vegan products are significantly better by a landslide! Even Yves has drastically improved their recipes!
I do have to admit that my eating habits have changed over the years (check out this post) and I do enjoy a greater number of vegan products today than ever before, and while I eat a pretty reasonably balanced diet consisting predominately of whole-foods and some processed items (I.e., fortified milk and tofu), wanted to share some of my favourites with you. Some of these products I enjoy daily and others on occasion and have yet to grow tired of them. These are tried and true vegan products that will always have a special place in my heart, and hopefully, soon, they will have a place in yours too.
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Tofu
I’m not going to spend too much time on this, as I recently made a post regarding tofu (check it out here). But it is legit one of my favourite vegan products and there is never a day that we don’t have a block in our fridge. For me, life without tofu equals incomplete and I don't know what I would do without it.
Tofurky Kielbasa Sausages and Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages
Alright, I have tried many varieties of vegan sausages, but hands-down these two are by far the most delicious by-far. I will never forget the day that my wife and I tried our first smoked apple sage sausage by field roast - our world was shook-ith. One of the great things about these sausages is that they are AH-Mazing on the barbeque and we always eat a full package between the two of us.
The flavour and texture of the Tofurky sausages are totally on point and make for a satisfying meal and I love to include these sausages as my primary source of protein in my lunches on occasion when I am meal prepping for a given week and am never left disappointed. These two definitely stand out amongst other brands and flavours of vegan sausages and are a definite must-try.
Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices
Who would have thunk that Tofurky would appear twice in this list, but they are clearly onto something! Several brands sell deli slices, but Tofurky hickory smoked deli slices are the reigning champs in my mind, even my hairy man Nikko (a 12-year-old great Pyrenees mix) loves these slices and he will happily and patiently wait for his share. I guess Tofurky makes them that legit, especially considering Nikko has never had animal-derived deli slices before! I will not forget the day when we opened our first package of deli slices to find him sitting in the kitchen waiting and hoping that he would also get his share.
While I am not opposed to other vegan brands of deli slices, to me, these are as legit as you can get. I remember frequently enjoying a bologna and mustard sandwich in my lunches as a kid and am thrilled to have that experience yet again, mind you, my bologna and mustard sandwich has now become the works, making it even better.
Gardein Crisp Chick'n Tenders
I will be real with you and say that back in my omnivore days, chicken was probably my favourite animal product. So it is refreshing to find a brand that gets making vegan chicken fingers pretty on point. In fact, when my wife and I first tried them, she was so concerned that they were real that she had to double-check the packaging to confirm that they were vegan! These are definitely perfect if you're wanting a quick meal and feeling pretty lazy in the kitchen and always pair well with potatoes of some form.
Chao cheese
Alright, there are many vegan kinds of cheese out on the market and not to say that other brands are horrible (they’re not) Chao Cheeze happens to reign supreme in my mind. Sometimes we just like to nibble on a slice just as it, but it really does melt pretty damn well and makes for an awesome grilled cheeze if I do say so myself.
Fortified soy milk
There is a large variety of plant-based milk options available out on the market, and soy is my favourite, with oat milk coming into a close second. The great thing about soy milk is that you can find it anywhere, such as your local grocery store, coffee shops, you name it. The flavour of soy milk is neutral, it goes down nice and smooth, and I am pro the calorie-to-nutrient ratio. Lastly, I love that countless brands of plant-based milk are fortified with vitamins and minerals, helping you to reach your RDAs.
Cliff and Vega Protein Bars
There are going to be times when you are out of the house and need a bit of a pick-me-up and these bars are the best go-to option. Honestly, I struggle in deciding which is my favourite protein bar. I would have to say that Vega, for me, wins in flavour and decadence 100%, however, are quite an expensive bar and struggle at times at the thought of the cost. Cliff, while still tasty as f*ck, is the far more affordable option by a landslide and have to admit that I purchase this far more frequently than the Vega bars for that reason. At the end of the day, they are both delicious and you must try them if you can!
Canadian Protein Powder - Premium Vegan Protein Blend (Chocolate and Vanilla)
I don’t believe that I have ever really commented on the type of protein powder that I prefer to use, so if not, here it is! I have tried several brands of protein powder, most of which have left me with severe gas throughout the day and a heavy feeling in my stomach. Needless to say, other brands have left me feeling pretty damn uncomfortable. Canadian Protein's vegan line is the first line of protein powder that I did not have that experience with at all - thank Gawd! I use a scoop of their protein powder every day in my morning shake and even bake with it without any issues! If you're curious about cooking with their protein powder I highly recommend starting off with a delicious batch of protein pancakes, such as pumpkin spiced protein pancakes or protein blueberry pancakes.
I should also mention that this is the most affordable protein powder that I have come across. Even more, you have the option of buying their products in bulk, saving you even more money and producing less waste! If you're not sold, they do offer sample bags on their website, if you want to give it a try.
Canadian Protein Blue-Raspberry Vegan BCAAs
I have a scoop of blue-raspberry BCAAs every day, as it encourages me to drink more water because regular water can get pretty dull. I keep coming back to their blue-raspberry BCAAs because it's insanely delicious and reminiscent of a blue-raspberry Slushie I used to enjoy as a kid. So what better way to stay hydrated, especially when you can bring back fond memories?
Ice cream
Ice cream is by far my jam. Give me a pint and see if I can control myself - chances are I can't. Needless to say, due to my lack of self-control, this is definitely not a staple in our household and I had to make this a generic category because there was no way that I could pick a favourite - that's pure absurdity! But what I can do is provide a list of various companies that sell delicious vegan ice cream!
Ben & Jerry’s
Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Peanut Butter Half-Baked
P.B. and Cookies
Hag and Daaz
Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Bars
Coconut Caramel Bars
Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle
Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
Drumstick
Vanilla Chocolate Swirl
Halo Top
Peanut Butter Swirl
Chocolate
Daiya
Salted Caramel Chip
Well there you have it, some of my ultimate favourite vegan products! If there is something on this list that you have yet to try, what are you waiting for!? I hope that you enjoy these products as much as I do, and if not, then that only means more for me.
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