Eat & Thrive: Making the Switch

I grew up eating bread and butter, mac and cheese, pizza and cereal just like every other American kid. As an adult vegan, I STILL love those foods. But I also want to be healthy and cruelty-free in my diet. After many meals, I have formulated a list of The Best "transition foods," as I like to call them. We want the taste, minus the suffering of animals. So here we go~

22 Vegan Foods that Make the Transition EASY.

1) Organic Vegenaise. I'm sure you've heard of it and maybe scoffed at it, so let me explain a few things. It's spelled "Vegenaise," because it was invented in the 70's before vegan was a household term. Vegenaise came from vegetarian + mayonaise.

What's great about Vegenaise other than it being cruelty-free? It's 20% lower in fat than regular mayonaise (that's 9 g of fat per serving). It's gluten-free. It's low in sodium. Because it's egg and dairy-free, it's very low in saturated fat, and has absolutely no cholesterol. Also, there's no hydrogenated fat or transfat. <3

2) Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread. This stuff is incredible, I kid you not! Try it on toast, bagels or in your curry or stir-fry. YUM!

What's great about Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread other than it being cruelty-free? Gluten-free. Soy-free. Non-GMO. Free of hydrogenated oils and cholesterol. Only 5 g of fat per serving. <3

3) Teese Cheeze :: Mozzarella. Not necessarily a health food, but a yummy addition to veggie pizza. Only 6 g of fat per serving and 0 cholesterol. Gluten-free, too! <3

4) Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. Don't waste your money on any other milk alternative. This is the best! 40 calories a cup, 0 g of sugar, tastes INSANELY good. Great with cereal <3

5) Nutritional Yeast. Sounds freakin' nasty, but it's awesome. It's cheesy and nutty, loaded with B vitamins, very low in fat and only 45 calories in 1/4 cup. Top your pizza off with this stuff, sprinkle some on your salad, your spaghetti or make vegan mac n' cheeze with Earth Balance Whipped Buttery Spread, nutritional yeast and a wee bit of unsweetened almond milk. <3

6) Earth Balance Whipped Organic Buttery Spread. A basic in nearly every vegan's kitchen. 9 g of fat per serving and 0 cholesterol. Add a smidge to any dish to enhance flavor. <3

7) Gardein. Anything by Gardein is a winner. Seriously! Many low-fat options and not a scary long list of ingredients. Some people ask why any vegan would want to eat a faux meat, so I'll clarify. Most of us don't want to taste meat, we just like the texture and seasoning of some of the faux products (like Gardein!). I won't eat anything that really tastes like meat/fish/etc. Blech. The same way that I like tofu, tempeh and bean patties, I like seasoned soy meats. Granted, they're not remotely natural, I really only eat them once every few months. So delicious though! <3

8) Nasoya Organic Extra-firm Tofu. I never liked tofu before I went vegan. Because I'd never tried it. Then I gave it a chance and it's actually super rad. Low in fat, high in protein, absorbs the flavor of whatever kickass dish you create. <3

9) Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate Ice Cream. Fair-trade. Organic. Few vegan ice creams are as superb as this one. The taste and texture are divine. I don't remember Blue Bell ever tasting this good. Bless your, Luna and Larry. <3

10) Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo. A little goes a lonng way. Best in tofu scrambles and spaghetti. Mmmhmm. <3

11) Dark Chocolate. Chocolove. Divine. Sirius. Theo. Try them all -- they're superb and fair-trade! <3

12) Trader Joe's Chocolate Soy Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches. Small portions are a good thing, because these are addicting! Btw, that is not my hand in the picture. <3

13) Flax Plus Cereal. Buy the large box at Whole Foods and save a little. Flax Plus is low in sugar, but not lacking in taste. <3

14) Alvarado Sprouted Wheat Bagels. My breakfast of the moment. Toast and spread with Earth Balance. <3

15) Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade. Mind-blowing. You will love it. Spread on a baguette and you're good to go! <3

16) Galaxy Foods Cream Cheese Alternative. Tbh, I haven't tried this, BUT it's received enough media attention, I feel the need to mention it. I used to eat Tofutti Cream Cheese Alternative until I found out it had TRANSFAT! *so mad* I know, I know -- they also make a cream cheese alternative that doesn't have transfat. But why would they have one that does have it???

17) Organic Food Bar - Vegan. Great for the active vegan, because it's so so filling. The taste will blow your mind. <3

18) Ume Plum Vinegar. Goes wonderfully with nama shoyu or tamari. Add tahini to make the perfect salad dressing. <3

19) Nama Shoyu (or tamari, whatever your preference). Healthier alternatives to soy sauce. Add just a little to salads with a vinegar of your choice. <3