November is world vegan month as the world’s first vegan society was founded on November 1st, 1944. It is a time to celebrate our compassion for animals and our love for plant-based foods. With the rise of the Food 2.0 movement in North America, that harnesses Silicon Valley minds and innovation to create more sustainable alternatives to factory-farmed foods, vegan products are making headlines in lifestyle magazines and business journals alike. Here are three hero vegan products that will blow you away whether you are vegan or not.
Neat Egg
Vegan diets consist entirely of plant foods. As opposed to vegetarians, vegans do not consume eggs or dairy. One of the bigger inconveniences of switching from a vegetarian diet to a vegan diet is to replace eggs, especially in baking. A recent product called the Neat Egg provides the perfect solution. Neat Egg is made with chia seeds and garbanzo beans. Simply add 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of Neat Egg, mix well, and voila — you have the equivalent of one egg that is compatible with any conventional baking recipe. Not mention that it is much easier to store and transport than real eggs! Neat Egg is also soy-free and gluten-free.
Veganaise®
The egg yolk is a key ingredient in traditional mayonnaise as it adds smoothness and richness to the texture. How will mayo taste without eggs? Surprisingly wonderful. Follow Your Heart®, a brand that goes as far back as Whole Foods Market, produces a wide range of egg-less mayo and salad dressings that taste even better than the stuff you get from the big mayo brands (think about it, there are only a few). All Follow Your Heart products are made with non-GMO ingredients and heart-healthy, expeller-pressed oils. They are also free from artificial ingredients, trans fats and preservatives. Tasting is believing. Our verdict: you’ve got to try it.
Beast Burger
The burger is an iconic embodiment of Americans’ love for meat. Yet one US company is converting even the most hardcore burger folks to eat vegan. Beyond Meat, the poster boy of Food 2.0 companies, created what they call the “Beast Burger”. It is completely meat-free yet has the texture of beef patties and is packed with more protein and iron than a beef burger and more omegas than salmon. Beast Burger products are also blended with antioxidants, calcium, vitamins B-6 and B-12, is gluten-free, soy-free, cholesterol-free, and non-GMO. All this is possible because of the level of R&D work that has gone into it, famously backed by Bill Gates and other Silicon Valley investors. These nutritional claims did not remain claims. Professional athletes including NBA basketball players, football players, surfers and beach volleyball players have endorsed Beyond Meat’s plant-based power.
Miyoko’s Vegan Cheese
There is good vegan cheese and then there is great vegan cheese that makes you forget dairy cheese when you’re eating it. VegNews, America’s premier vegetarian lifestyle magazine, announced Miyoko’s Creamery as the 2015 Veggie Award™ Winner for Product of the Year and Favourite Artisanal Cheese. With 60,000 readers voting for their favourite products in 45 categories, this annual survey is the largest of its kind in the world.
Above products are available at Green Common.
