This one goes out to the new vegans in the hood. Welcome, my friends!
Back when I was working my vegan wooing powers (the powers are strong!) on my cousin Gretty who was considering going vegan, she would ask me a million questions about what I ate (once she started to get over the whole protein thing). "Well, what do you do about butter?" I would tell her there was vegan butter. "What about mayonnaise?" there's totally vegan mayonnaise too.
It seemed to blow Gretty's mind that there were so many vegan products available, making the switch super easy. She told me I had to make a post about it because people like her had no idea it could be that easy. 1 ½ years later, I'm finally getting this post written (and yes, she has been vegan for 1 ½ years now, woot!)
I thought this one would be the most fun expressed through video, so watch away and enjoy.
*Not all of the brands and blogs linked below are 100% vegan. I did my best to link directly to the vegan products where possible, but if not clearly labelled vegan, just double check the ingredients before purchasing anything.
DAIRY
One of the common things I hear people say is "I could go vegan except for cheese". Well, there is totally vegan cheese! I even made a post called 16 Life Changing Vegan Cheese Recipes that starts off by discussing cheese addiction. (It's totally a thing)! If you are a cheese addict (I was), there is good news for you, vegan cheeses totally exist. Not only can you get some pretty yummy vegan cheese on the market, but it can be super easy to make your own as well. My go-to mozzarella and nacho cheese will help you cover the basics.
As far as the rest of dairy products go, they have all be veganized and are easy to find in the stores or make yourself. Everything from non-dairy milks (there are so many vegan milk options!), vegan butters, yogurts, sour cream, you name it, it has been made.
Here is a list of links for all of the brands, and recipe photos I show in the above Youtube video. There are many more brands that I am sure I missed, and many more recipes available online. So keep your eyes open! 🙂
VEGAN CHEESE BRANDS:
- Chao Slices
- Daiya Cheese
- Go Veggie
- Happy Heart Vegan Gourmet
- Kite Hill
- Miyoko's
- Sheese
- Teese Vegan Cheese
- Treeline Cheese
VEGAN CHEESE RECIPES:
- Lands and Flavors Basic Almond Cheese
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Cranberry Thyme Cheese Ball
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Easy Vegan Blue Cheese
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Sunflower Seed Cheese
- Full of Plants Vegan Aged Camembert Cheese
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Nacho Cheese
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella
VEGAN BUTTER BRANDS:
VEGAN BUTTER ALTERNATIVES:
- Olive oil
- Coconut Oil
- Avocado
VEGAN BUTTER RECIPES:
- A Virtual Vegan Easy Vegan Butter
- Fork and Beans Vegan Butter Substitute
VEGAN MILK BRANDS:
- Almond Breeze
- Alpro
- Califia Farms
- Earth's Own
- Hemp Bliss
- Milkadamia
- Pacific Foods
- Rice Dream
- Ripple Foods
- Silk
- So Delicious Dairy Free
VEGAN MILK RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Strain-Free Cashew Milk
- Tasty Yummies How to Make Nut Milk
- The Herbal Spoon How to Make Rice Milk
- Running to the Kitchen Vanilla Coconut Oat Milk
- Wallflower Kitchen Raw Nutella Milk
VEGAN COFFEE CREAM BRANDS:
VEGAN HEAVY CREAM FOR COOKING:
VEGAN COFFEE CREAM RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Best Cashew Coffee Creamer
- Kitchen Treaty How to Make Almond Milk Coffee Creamer
- Life Currents Coconut Milk Coffee Creamer
- Running with Spoons Dairy-Free Coffee Creamer
- Fooduzzi Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
VEGAN YOGURT BRANDS:
VEGAN YOGURT RECIPES
- Ceara's Kitchen Vegan Yogurt
- The Kitchn How to Make Dairy-Free Coconut Yogurt
- My Vega Homemade Almond Milk Dairy-Free Yogurt
- KQUD Yes, You can Make Great Non-Dairy Yogurt at Home
VEGAN SOUR CREAM BRANDS:
VEGAN SOUR CREAM RECIPES:
- Gluten Free Vegan Pantry The Best Damn Vegan Sour Cream
- Healthy Blender Recipes Tony's Vegan Sour Cream
VEGAN CREAM CHEESE BRANDS:
VEGAN CREAM CHEESE RECIPES:
- PETA2 Tofu Cream Cheese
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese
VEGAN WHIPPED CREAM BRANDS:
VEGAN WHIPPED CREAM RECIPE:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream
VEGAN ICE CREAM BRANDS:
VEGAN ICE CREAM RECIPES:
- One Ingredient Chef One Ingredient Ice Cream
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken The Creamiest Vegan Fudgesicles
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Veganized: Black Ice Cream
EGGS
For anyone who loves the flavour of eggs, I always recommend that they pick up some black salt (also called kala namak). It's actually pink in colour, but don't confuse it with himalayan salt which is not at all the same thing. Black salt has the weirdest quality where it really taste just like eggs. Use it in place of regular salt on a tofu scramble or any other egg-like recipe and prepare to have your mind blown!
VEGAN EGG BRANDS:
DIY VEGAN EGG REPLACERS FOR BAKING
- Ground Chia of flax (grind the flax yourself for best results and use
- Bananas (1 small ripe banana is equivalent to 1 egg)
- Applesauce (¼ cup is equivalent to 1 egg)
- Silken Tofu (¼ cup silken tofu is equivalent to 1 egg)
VEGAN EGG RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Tofu Scramble Breakfast of Vegan Champions
- Fat Free Vegan Chickpea Omelette Mix
- Mouthwatering Vegan Perfect Vegan Fried Egg... Sunny Side Up
- Mouthwatering Vegan The Ultimate Genius Vegan Egg
VEGAN MAYONAISE BRANDS:
VEGAN MAYONAISE RECIPES:
- Simple Vegan Blog Vegan Mayonnaise
- The Kitchn How to Make Easy Vegan Mayonnaise
- Serious Eats Easy Vegan Mayonnaise (with aquafaba)
MEAT
There are a million trillion billion meat substitutes out there. Ok maybe not that much, but there are a lot! More options are becoming available all the time, it's the new trend!
Personally, I only eat mock meats very occasionally (not that I think anything is wrong with them!), but I just prefer homemade and whole food approaches. I could (and almost do), eat beans, tofu, lentils, or some other bean like thing everyday. I just find them so satisfying and scrumptious when prepared right.
VEGAN MEAT BRANDS:
- Yves
- Tofurky
- Sweet Earth Foods
- Beyond Meat
- Impossible Foods
- Light Life
- MorningStar Farms *I made an error in the video and most of the MorningStar Farms products I showed actually contain eggs. Boo! Luckily some of the products (including the Hickory BBQ Riblets shown in the video) are vegan. Just search "vegan" on their site.
- Gardein
- Field Roast
- Sophie's Kitchen
- Vegan Magic (vegan bacon grease)
- Upton's Naturals
- The Herbivorous Butcher
- YamChops (Toronto, ON)
VEGAN GROUND BEEF RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Tofu Bolognese
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken The Best Vegan Chili Ever
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Sweet Korean Lentils
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Seriously The Best Lentil Shepherd's Pie
VEGAN BURGER RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken The Best Vegan Seitan Burger
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Jerk Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers
- Catching Seeds California Burger
- Happy Healthy Life Easy Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
- Minimalist Baker Mexican Green Chili Veggie Burger
VEGAN BEEFY RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Seitan Steak
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Italian Seitan Meatballs
- Delightful Delicious Delovely Vegan BBQ Ribs
- Girl and the Kitchen PF Changs Vegan Mongolian "Beef"
- Vegan Sandra Perfect Homemade Vegan Steaks
VEGAN CHICKEN-ISH RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Seitan Tenders
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Crispy Breaded Tofu Steaks
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken BBQ Chickpea Salad
- Jessica in the Kitchen Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Wings
VEGAN FISHY RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Tofu Fillets
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Tofish and Chips
- Elephantastic Vegan Vegan Fish Burger
- One Green Planet Vegan Fish n Chips
- No Recipes Better "Tunafish" Sandwich Recipe
VEGAN BACON RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Banana Peel Bacon
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Quick & Easy Mushroom Bacon
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Tofu Bacon Bits
VEGGIE DOG & SAUSAGE RECIPES:
- It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Vegan Italian Seitan Sausages
- Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Homemade Veggie Dogs
- One Green Planet How to Make Homemade Spicy Italian Sausage
- Yumsome The Worlds Best Vegan Sausages
- Key Ingredient Vegan Sausage Patties Even Meat Eaters Will Love
OTHER
If you want it vegan, chances are it's been made vegan. I have even tried a vegan honey, called Bee Free Honee made out of apples that was sent to me by a reader, (thank you!), and was super delish.
Along with jello, many candies contain gelatin as well (boo!!) but I already put together a list of 40+ Vegan Gummy Candies That are Actually Vegan.
VEGAN HONEY ALTERNATIVES:
VEGAN JEL BRANDS:
VEGAN GELATIN ALTERNATIVE:
VEGAN CHOCOLATE BRANDS:
- Lindt
- Theo
- Endangered Species
- Giddy Yoyo
- Galerie Au Chocolate
- Prana
- Zazubean
- Enjoy Life Foods
- No Whey Chocolate
- Terra Nostra Chocolate
I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. Let me know if you have any questions, or if you found any particularly cool vegan products below in the comments.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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Kathie says
If you're fortunate enough to have an Aldi near you, please, please try their "Earth Grown" Vegan cream cheese, sour cream (new!) and also new- ice cream! Yum, yum and yum! They are really amazing! Also, Trader Joe's has the best almond shredded mozzarella cheese EVER!!!!! (without a funny consistency/after taste like many have!) My husband even likes all of the above (who is far from vegan!)
Sam Turnbull says
Lovely! I live in Canada and we don't have either of those stores there but perhaps the brands will make their way to Canada soon. Thanks for the tips, Kathie!
Karen says
Hello, love your post, just wondering if these items would be considered processed foods? I am just starting to research vegan options, have already tried the Dalia products and really found it good!
Sam Turnbull says
"Whole foods represent foods that retain their natural composition as well as contain no artificial additives or preservatives and have gone through little or no processing (i.e. cooking, grinding, or blending)." So yes, many of the products mentioned are processed foods.
Suzette Ellis says
There's also a honey alternative called, Bee Free Honee.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes! I've had that before it's awesome!
Steven Cowling says
I love it! I live in an area where there's not a lot of vegan stuff in the grocery stores. This is soooo helpful!
Love your blog! Keep up the good work!
Steve
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Steve! Glad you found it helpful 🙂
Estefanía says
Oh, my... It's amazing how many options you have over there. I'm from Argentina and there's nothing like that here. All we have are some vegan hamburgers and sausages. All the vegan options for milk are so so expensive that are impossible to buy. Coconut milk is around 10 times more expensive than cow milk.
I've been vegetarian for 5 years now and now I'm slowly making an incursion in the vegan world. However, due to the limited vegan market, I have to make myself everything with the elements that I can find. It's hard, but I will not give up!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh no! Are nuts more affordable? It's very easy to make your own non-dairy milks. I have a recipe here for banana milk and cashew milk, but basically any nut can be turned into milk, along with oats, and rice. Plenty of recipes out there to try 🙂
Dawne says
Thank you for this list, I’ve only been vegan for about 5 weeks now so this list will be helpful, especially since my teenage son is trying as well and does not like salads at all. Also, just to let everyone know, Trader Joe’s semi sweet chocolate chips just happen to be vegan! Woohoo!!
Sam Turnbull says
Congrats on your new veganism, Dawne! Glad this list is helpful for you. There is definitely a vegan version of almost everything out there, so do you not have to live off of salads. I have a ton of recipes on my blog here and my cookbook is ideal for beginners. Let me know if you ever have any questions or have any recipe requests 🙂
Ashley says
Amazing video Sam! I love that you covered absolutely EVERYTHING!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks so much, Ashley! I tried my best that's for sure 🙂
April says
Good afternoon Sam. Do you have a printable version of the "Swap This For That?" I tried printing it but it is very long with all the ads. Thank you so much! My kids and I just started our Vegan journey last Friday and so far we are loving it!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi April, so happy you enjoyed the post. Unfortunately, I don't. Sorry I can't be more help. Thrilled you are enjoying the vegan journey so far!
Eric says
I noticed you don't show Quorn. It is a non-soy meat substitute, which is really good for us, since my wife cant do soy products. And... it actually tastes good.
Sam Turnbull says
I didn't even know about it, I don't think we have it here in Canada! Great to know there are even more vegan options 🙂
Cris says
Unfortunately, every Quorn product I’ve looked at has egg in it, so not vegan but definitely vegetarian!
Samuel says
I was raised vegetarian and my mom is vegan. There are several other vegetarian/vegan meat manufacturers. You have to look a little harder for the vegan ones but check out abc health foods, they have a website but they don't have it organized to make it easy to find vegan products.
Sam Turnbull says
Great!
Val says
Watch out for Vegan Cheese and butters/oils..... Lots of Vegan foods out there still are full of fat..... FAT is FAT.... Whether it is just plain fat or plant based fats.... It's still FAT!!! That's why you see so many FAT vegetarians
and Vegans....
Sam Turnbull says
Sure, but this article is not about being low-fat, it's simply about how to swap non-vegan items for vegan items. Good to be aware tho!
Rachel @ Health My Lifestyle says
Awesome post! I went vegan almost a year ago and definitely could have used this back then! You've covered everything here. I will definitely be sharing this with my friends and family so they can see how easy it is to make substitutions!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Rachel! Very happy you enjoyed it and shared it. It's my goal to show the world how easy it actually is to go vegan 😀
Andrea says
Kroger makes great meat substitutes. the brand is Simple Truth. the veggie crumbles are really good and I can LIVE on the breaded "chicken" patties with some veganaise. YUM!!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Thanks for the tip Andrea 🙂
Kari says
Excellent! Anyone thinking about going vegan will feel much better about the journey after this.
I've never really eaten meat. Even as a kid I didn't like it. But, cheese and milk were a different story. When I started to try out vegan food, I found out how many different options there are that are totally viable. I've made some vegan cheese that knocks milk cheese out of the park.
And I love the fact that more and more companies are making it easy for people who don't want to make stuff at home but still want to eat a vegan diet.
Hopefully all the potential vegans see this post or your video! Makes it look much easier.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Kari!! I think if many people knew how easy it was, that more would try it. That is my hope anyways! 😀
Nico @ yumsome says
What a brilliant post, Sam - definitely a fab resource, not just for new vegans, either.... I had no idea about most of these brands!
Thanks so much for linking to my sausage recipe - really appreciate it! xx
Sam Turnbull says
My pleasure Nico! So happy I was able to introduce you to some new brands as well 🙂
Melissa Huggins says
This post is perfect for my newbie vegan friends. So many are doing Veganuary and this will really help them out. Being vegan is easier than ever 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you like it Melissa! It sure is, and it's getting easier all the time. 😀
Christine says
Hi Sam,
Fantastic videos you covered just about everything
I'm sure you've heard of aquafaba as an egg replacer? I read about it last year when I did Veganuary.
As an Australian , we like our pavlova, especially at Christmas and on Australia Day, so I thought I'd eaten my last ever in 2015.
I didn't believe I could make meringue with anything but egg white so I tried this recipe
http://whyveg.com/recipes/print-recipe.php?recipe=149&clickto=1
It not only worked, it fooled everyone I gave my meringues to..... brilliant success!
https://www.vegansociety.com/whats-new/blog/13-amazing-things-you-can-do-aquafaba
Sam Turnbull says
Yes! Aquafaba is great fun! I use it to make Vegan Meringue Cookies. I should think about adding a pavlova to my list as well, great idea!
Ann S says
Great post, thank you! I will share it with others, definitely. One concern--I don't think Morningstar Farms products are vegan. Most of them have egg whites in them. Maybe they have some vegan products that I don't know about, but every time I check the ingredients I see egg whites listed.
Also, have you had a chance to try Miyoko Schinner's "Miyoko's Creamery" vegan cheeses and butter? OMG they are SO good! Trader Joe's is carrying the butter now. The cheeses can be hard to find and pricey, but worth splurging on for a treat!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh no! You are so right Ann! I've actually never seen MorningStar Farms in stores, so they were new to me. Google failed me! Haha. I went to their site, and they do have some vegan products, just search "vegan", but many aren't. I updated the video with warnings and added it in the link list as well. Thanks for letting me know!
As for Miyoko's cheese, I had a tiny taste at a vegetarian festival of one of her cheeses, but unfortunately they don't sell them in Canada yet.
Alyssa says
Morningstar Farms is also owned by Kellogg's and contain a lot of GMO's in their ingredients. Not really related to your article, but just mentioning so people are aware. Thanks for the great tips!
Sam Turnbull says
You're welcome 🙂
Betty Hatfield says
This is a great list. I've been a vegan for over 26 years but I learned about new products. I would like to add Califia Farms. If anyone lives near Aldi, the Moser Roth 70% dark chocolates are vegan but I would check the ingredients list. Ghirardelli chocolate chips (in the gold foil bags and the mini chips) are no longer vegan and I didn't find out until after I bought about 50 bags to make Christmas candy.
Thanks, Sam! I'm going to post this on my vegan Pinterest board.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh! I hate when there are surprise recipe changes! Great tips. So happy you enjoyed it Betty 🙂
Tom says
Thank You so very much! This is very helpful.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you like it Tom! 😀
Ket says
Fantastic list for newbies and veteran vegans alike.
Keep up the good work 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Ket! I will do my best 🙂
Gretchen Wilson says
Woot woot! Thanks Sammie, amazing list...no excuses 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, thanks for making me write it 🙂
Annie B says
WOW, WOW, WOW this is an awesome list! I can't believe the vegan Camembert and Roquefort cheeses. I may get up the courage to try one or both of those. Thank you so much!! This is one of the best reference lists I've ever seen for vegans.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, those cheese are on my list to try as well. So cool! So happy you loved my list, and thrilled you think it's the best! 😀
Arlene Cohen says
FABULOUS, Sammi. Excellent video and and thanks! I'm happy to know about products other than Gardein and Earth Island, Earth Balance. Keep up the great work, it is so appreciated. Cheers, ABC
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it Arlene! Yes, so many cool products out there, and new ones are coming out all the time 🙂