5 Best Plant-Based Products to Buy This Week, from the Editors of The Beet

We like to recommend plant-based and vegan products we are loving right now. It can be a snack, a dressing, food, or another type of product, but to make the cut, it has to be great. Something we tell our friends to buy, and that we swear by and would buy again.

One of the perks of the job at The Beet is getting to try out all kinds of new plant-based products: Dairy-free whipped cream, a new type of dip for crudites or crackers, a popcorn snack with just a hint of dark chocolate, or a new coffee that's fair trade and richer than most.

Here are the editors' favorites from this week: Our choices for the best, healthy vegan or plant-based snacks, drinks, frozen, treats, and more. If you're trying to eat live plant-based and love it, we're here to help, week after week.

Check out our recommendations for the latest plant-based or vegan products to add to your grocery cart this week, from Lucy Danziger, Stephanie McClain, Hailey Welch, Caitlin Mucerino, and Max Rabb  – the editors of The Beet –– since we are living the plant-based life and want to make it easier for you to do it too! Have a great, healthy plant-based week, from our kitchen to yours! For more great choices that we've written up in the past check out our favorite products each week.

What's your current favorite plant-based product? Let us know on our Facebook page.

Some people have such a popcorn habit that they will eat any popcorn, the movie kind, the microwave kind, the burnt kernels, and the healthy kind, even if it drops on the floor. I am one of those people. I know that popcorn by itself is full of fiber and air-popped in my machine is a relatively healthy way to fill up until there's an actual meal coming my way, but it can also be an excuse to slather on butter and salt and other worse oils for you, and it can carry chocolate and caramel on its surface and in its little crevices. I am what you might call a popcorn aficionado. Or addict. It depends on how you feel about popcorn.

Growing up on Cracker Jacks it has been a tough habit to break, and even tougher to find a plant-based or vegan popcorn that isn't a big disappointment, either too fake or too unsatisfying to be worth its caloric weight. But LesserEvil is just such a satisfying treat that even when I know I shouldn't eat the whole bag at one sitting I manage to rationalize it by telling myself this stuff is relatively clean, relatively low in calories, and relatively tasty.

My latest favorite flavor is their Dark Chocolate and Himalayan Pink Salt with organic coconut oil. (They have an amazing array of flavors, from "No-CHeese Cheesiness" to "Avocado-Licious). Even though coconut oil is one of those fats I generally stay away from since it has saturated fat (which clogs my arteries and is as bad for me as butter) I enjoy this as a treat. It is organic, non-GMO, and has 2 grams of protein in a serving. It also has 3.5 grams of fat and 6 grams of sugar, 5 of which are added sugars. Still, if you're going to go for a treat and enjoy popcorn that is slightly sweet and slightly salty, I'd choose LesserEvil any day. As they say: It's a LesserEvil.

Adopting a strict plant-based or vegan diet usually leaves a cheese-shaped void in your life, but Mother Raw is here to fill it, in a delicious, healthier way. Mother Raw's Queso is made with better-for-you alternatives to dairy like hemp seeds, chia seeds, olive oil, and nutritional yeast.

If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing dip that is also allergen-friendly, this queso is the perfect thing to serve at a get-together. With its tangy umami taste that is super reminiscent of the real thing and its clean ingredient list, cheese alternatives don't get better than this.

Gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, let Mother Raw's queso replace your go-to cheese dip and you'll be surprised that you sacrifice no flavor while you trade for a cleaner product. Available in Original, Nacho, and Spicy, I like to opt for the latter for a kick of heat, but all of the varieties are delicious.

You can purchase Mother Raw products on the brand's website or on Vegan Essentials' marketplace. 

Whenever I’m craving something sweet I always reach for the Blissfully Better’s Mint Thins in my fridge, which is low in calories, completely vegan, and made with natural ingredients. Each package comes with four small chocolate thins that are just bigger than bite-size and are the perfect snack or sweet fix to eat on the go. I put the thins in the fridge so they become a crisp, cool treat: They taste just like the mint thins Girl Scouts cookie but lean healthier. If you’re looking for a healthier-for-you treat that makes you feel good about your goals, try these out for yourself or give the gift of sweet treats to your loved one this holiday.

To purchase Blissfully Better's dairy-free mint thins, visit their website.

Most of my holiday cooking and baking requires one ingredient and that's heavy whipping cream. Plant-based recipes will typically swap out heavy whipping cream for full-fat coconut milk, but as someone who doesn't love coconut, this substitute wasn't the best fit for me. Instead, I tried finding a dairy-free heavy whipping cream that mimics the real thing and Silk's Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream alternative is the best one I have ever tried.

Silk is a dairy-free, vegan, non-GMO heavy whipping cream alternative that you can use in just about any recipe that calls for regular heavy whipping cream. It has the same texture and consistency as the real thing but it doesn't taste as rich. Heavy whipping cream is the perfect addition to any sauce or dessert: It creates a smooth, luxurious sauce as well as a soft, silky cake. Some of my favorite recipes that I have actually tested this product in include vegan creamed spinach, vodka sauce, and chocolate pecan pie (swap the coconut milk for cream). Each recipe came out better than I expected and was just as delicious as if I made it with real dairy.

Silk's heavy whipping cream alternative can be hard to find in stores, but you can order it online at Instacart here.

Over the last couple of years, shoppers have been overwhelmed by the influx of plant-based chicken products. It can be almost impossible to decide which product is the best on the market with so many options to choose from. Recently, Nowadays snagged first place in my mind, providing a vegan chicken nugget with clean ingredients, great nutritional value, and all the needed taste. Nowadays boasts that its nugget provides everything that any consumer would need, matching up its plant-based product against market competitors. On all counts, this is the best vegan nugget on the market.

The plant-based nuggets only contain seven simple, clean ingredients including Mushroom extract, water, whole wheat flour, sunflower oil, yeast extract, maple fiber, and its proprietary organic yellow pea protein blend. The plant-based chicken nugget is a crispy and juicy alternative to its animal-based counterpart. Beyond its delicious taste, it's jam-packed with protein and complimented by low fat and low calories count. Next time you are looking for a new plant-based nugget and feel overwhelmed by the options, choose Nowadays.

You can purchase the Nowadays nuggets on the company's website here.