Shopping Guide to the Best Vegan Food and Clothing
Before I list the awesome products out there, you should know that soy is one of the world's most perfect foods. Any negative information about soy is coming straight from the meat/dairy industry or doctors who haven't a clue about nutrition. Remember, Asian societies have reaped the benefits of soy for thousands of years and they have the lowest rates of heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, etc. The isoflavones and phytochemicals in soy will reduce and prevent diseases. For a doctor's point of view about soy, please check out this article. Now for the SOY meat and dairy products.
Soy-Based Meat Substitutes
Anything by LIGHTLIFE, especially their SOY chik'n strips, steak strips, smart bacon and entire line of SOY deli meats like ham, bologna, pastrami, turkey and pepperoni.
Unchicken and Unturkey by NOW AND ZEN. Stay away from their Unribs and Unsteak, though. Those two products are nasty!
Any of WORTHINGTON'S canned goods, especially their soy dogs, are wonderful. However, there is one exception: the canned TUNO fish is horrible! Do not buy it. WORTHINGTON used to make a frozen version of the TUNO, which was utterly amazing, but they’ve stopped making it for some reason.
SOY riblets, veggie burgers, meatloaf and chicken patties by GARDENBURGER.
Chicken patties, potstickers and egg rolls by HEALTH IS WEALTH.
Vegan Burgers by BOCA. BOCA also has a huge line of SOY goods but most are only vegetarian and not vegan.
Tofurky by TURTLE ISLAND FOODS. Most stores carry this around the holidays. Don't forget to check out the TOFURKY deli slices, and bratwurst as well.
Meatless Meatballs by NATE'S.
YVES has a huge selection of vegan food like SOY burgers and deli meats.
MORNINGSTAR makes a huge line of vegetarian food containing whey, eggs or cheese so they are not vegan. Some new VEGAN products have hit the market, though. Check out the chicken and steak strips, plus the burger. They are all delicious.
STUFFED CELEBRATION ROAST by FIELD ROAST GRAIN MEAT Co. This roast is made from wheat and it is remarkable! I've only seen this at Whole Foods, though. WHITEWAVE also makes a wheat-based meat that looks and tastes like chicken.
Soy-Based (and Grain-Based) Dairy Substitutes
SILK soy milk. Try all the flavors EXCEPT for the VERY VANILLA flavor. SILK also has SOY yogurt.
Vanilla flavored rice milk by RICE DREAM. RICE DREAM also makes vegan ice cream but it's NOT as good as SOY DELICIOUS, WHOLE SOY or TOFUTTI (see below).
Vanilla-flavored LIVING HARVEST hemp milk. It's delicious in smoothies and cereal! This also comes in chocolate. Hemp has protein, riboflavin, B12, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, calcium, iron, folic acid and all amino acids. Plus, each serving has 900 mg. of Omega 3 and 2800 mg. of Omega 6!
Anything by TOFUTTI, especially their SOY cream cheese, ice cream and cheese slices.
SOY DELICIOUS and WHOLE SOY have delicious ice creams. They are UNBELIEVABLE!
Other Vegan Foods
Vegenaise (SOY mayo) by FOLLOW YOUR HEART. This is flat out the BEST product on the market anywhere. I dip everything in it from carrots and broccoli to pretzels and tofu. FOLLOW YOUR HEART also has some amazing SOY cheese. It is the best melting SOY cheese on the market.
Ready-to-eat tofu by WHITEWAVE. WHITEWAVE also has tofu that you can prepare yourself.
AMY'S makes a huge line of vegetarian food containing whey, eggs or cheese so they are not vegan. The TOFU SCRAMBLE pocket sandwiches are delicious, though, and vegan!
TRADER JOE’S has its own brand of tofu and soy milk. The tofu is out of this world, and the soy milk is pretty good.
UNCLE EDDIE'S vegan cookies. Get the oatmeal raisin brand. They also have chocolate chip, peanut butter and trail mix flavors.
Vegan chocolate can be obtained at Chocolate Decadence.
Do your grocery shopping at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Ralph's, Kroger, Albertson's, Acme, Publix, Giant, Harris Teeter and other national chains for great selections of SOY meats and SOY dairy products. And remember, for a greater mock meat/dairy selection, check out your local health food store.
By the way, the SOY Veggie Slices that seem to be in every grocery store nowadays are NOT vegan. They contain caseine, a dairy by-product. In order to get vegan cheese there, please tell the store manager to bring in TOFUTTI or FOLLOW YOUR HEART cheeses. Or go online and order vegan cheese from Black Duck Imports, LLC.
Other Websites
VEGAN FOODS
Follow Your Heart / Earth Island Natural Foods
Turtle Island Foods
La Dolce Vegan
The Vegan Chef
In A Vegetarian Kitchen
May Wah Healthy Vegetarian Food Inc.
VegDining.com
Dixie Diners’ Club
Allison’s Gourmet Cookies, Brownies and Chocolates
Vegetarian Shoes UK
Veganline.com
The Herbivore Clothing Co.
MooShoes
Freerangers UK
Endless Shoes & Handbags carries extensive lines of vegetarian and vegan shoes for men and women. To view women's shoes, click here, then select the "Vegetarian & Vegan" category; for men's shoes, click here, and select the same category.
Vegetarianteen.com
VeganEssentials
The Vegan Store
All Vegan
AnimalRightstuff.com
Vegancats.com
E-mail wowbow@worldnet.att.net for information on veg dog and cat food.