There’s a lot of fake meat and dairy products out there that make switching to a vegan diet easy. Too bad most of them are heavily processed, jammed full of soy, and not that healthy. I normally avoid them. I try to eat a whole foods diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, but there are a few vegan products that routinely find their way into my shopping cart.

Fake Cheese
Daiya Cheese is an amazing product made right here in Vancouver, and one of the few vegan, soy-free cheese alternatives. It actually melts, so we often use it in burritos, quesadillas, and on pizza. When I need to simulate sour cream and ricotta for lasagna, I like to make my own home-made cashew cheese. But when I need a melty mozzarella, nothing beats Daiya. They also have new wedges that taste great on crackers.

Almond Milk
Almond milk has long been my favourite cereal companion (more so than soy, hemp, or rice milk). Blue Diamond’s unsweetened vanilla was my favourite (it has a great creamy texture), but it’s not fortified. I’ve been worried about my vitamin B12 levels since I went vegan. Lately, I’ve been trying several fortified almond milk brands that all contain 50% of your B12 consumption per cup – like Earth’s Own Almond Fresh (another local company) and Almond Dream.

Fake Meat
It’s difficult finding soy-free, vegan fake meat products. Almost every veggie burger out there has soy in it. Luckily there is Amy’s California Burger, which is delicious. And recently I discovered Field Roast sausages (made in Seattle). The sausage links are super flavourful, and great roasted on there own or added to other dishes.

Ice Cream
I absolutely love So Delicious Coconut Ice Cream. It’s my favourite, guilty food pleasure. The texture is so rich and creamy. I think it tastes better than most dairy-based ice cream. And as an added bonus, I can eat a bowl full of coconut ice cream and I don’t feel horribly bloated and gassy afterwards.