The Beet's Editors' Favorite Plant-Based Snacks and Products Now

At The Beet, our editors are always trying out new, innovative plant-based products in order to give our readers the best possible recommendations. There's always something exciting stocked in our fridges, cabinets, and pantries, and we thought we would show you what products we're loving this week. Below are the best-loved products from our team of editors, Lucy, Stephanie, Hailey, and Caitlin. We only recommend what we love. So here they are:

Lucy's Favorite Plant-Based Products of the Week

1. Snap Plant-Based All-Natural Vegan Protein Supplement

After a workout, when your muscles are crying out for energy to refuel and rebuild, you want clean protein made from plants that offer the full array of essential aminos, and Snap Supplements makes the best one I’ve tasted so far. It’s a clean vanilla powder that delivers 21 grams of protein derived from brown rice, yellow peas, and lentils for a complete source of vegan protein that helps build muscle fiber while leaving out all the unhealthy stuff in the form of artificial ingredients, added sugars or chemicals. When you hop off the spin bike or finish a punishing session in the gym, you don’t want to undo all that great work with the wrong refuel, and while I usually hate the taste and heaviness of protein powders, I actually find myself craving this one.

Snap is soy-free, gluten-free and free of all the usual chalky taste that other protein powders often have. The folks at Snap assume that athletes are control freaks, and want to be over-informed about what they put into their bodies, so the container is a veritable biochemistry lesson in amino acids, with a complete profile of the drink as well as the nutrition facts. If you want the short playing version to know this: 1 scoop contains only 1 gram of carbs, 101 calories and 2 grams of fat, and still delivers all your 9 essential aminos plus 9 others for good measure, and a Nitric Oxide booster to help deliver more oxygen to your vitals. The vanilla flavor is perfect on its own or in a smoothie: Add berries, oat milk, and a spoonful of almond butter for your perfect post-sweat-session recovery drink. Then get ready to crush it again the next time, because you’ll “snap back” faster thanks to your secret weapon: Snap.

2. Divine Organic Chocolate Bars — 85% Cocoa

There is nothing I want more at night, after dinner after cleaning up the dishes, before turning out the kitchen lights and telling myself “the kitchen is closed: than a bite of dark chocolate. Enter Divine, which makes an organic vegan dark chocolate infused with flavors — they offer Blueberry &Popped Quinoa, Turmeric & Ginger, Lemon, Cocoa Nibs and others–but to my mind, it might as well be the sinfully rich candy bars I grew up with that always satisfied my sweet tooth. Fun extra bonus feature: A little red line on the inner plastic tells me what the right serving size is, and there are only 170 calories per serving, which is a bargain, considering you’re also getting 4 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein with your sweet treat.

True confession: I didn't want to open the beautifully cardboard-wrapped bars when they arrived from England, but instead thought I should save them to bring two bars as a house-warming gift to friends having me over for drinks. They look so beautifully gift wrapped in their cardboard illustrated design, you can choose whether you want to stash them in hiding for secret treats (don’t share with the family, since these are too good to waste on undiscerning mouths) or gift them to hosts instead of wine. With the real blueberry and popped quinoa a lucky recipient won’t believe these are a “healthier” treat. But they are. Stock up….
https://shop.divinechocolateusa.com/Organic-Line/c/DivineChocolate@Organic

Stephanie's Favorite Plant-Based Products of the Week

1. Karma Nuts Wrapped Cashews

During the past few weeks, Karma Nuts have become my go-to work from home snack. These snack-packed cashews are a little different than the ones you usually buy from the store: They're non-GMO, and unlike traditional cashews, they're not oil fried. They're insanely crunchy, and provide 6 essential vitamins and minerals in a range of different flavors like Golden Turmeric, Cinnamon, Lime Twist, Sea Salt, Peri Peri, and Sweet Matcha.

When I'm not eating these cashews on their own by the handful, I've found they make a delicious salad topping, and have tried soaking the Sea Salt and Golden Turmeric flavors to make a quick, cheezy sauce for pasta or pizza, without the need for any dairy. You can purchase Karma Nuts on Amazon and Thrive Market, or use their retail locater to find a store near you.

2. Vegetarian Vitamin D3 Spray, FitFormula Wellness

Currently, I'm on the coast, and if there's one thing my pale skin hates more than anything about warm weather, its long days spent at the beach. I burn any time I'm out in the sun for more than 15 minutes, so SPF 50 sunscreen is a must-have for me at all times. Along with sunscreen, I always make sure to take my Vitamin D, which I've noticed personally decreases the change that I will see redness after being in the sun, which can happen even when I'm vigorously reapplying sunscreen. It seems like science may back this up too: An October 2017 study suggests that vitamin D3 may help decrease redness and inflammation from sunburns.

This is where FitFormula Wellness' Vitamin D3 Spray comes in, which is my latest favorite way to get my daily dose. The spray is sunflower oil-based, vegetarian, and gluten-free, and has a very pleasant, subtle orange flavor. You can purchase FitFormula's spray here. Like any supplement, consult your doctor before taking it.

Hailey's Favorite Plant-Based Products of the Week

1. Root 9 Baking Company Cookies

Root Nine cookies are heavenly. I’m the type that loves warm, fudgy, heavy, chunky cookies and these check off all the boxes. When I took a bite of the brownie batter stuffed chocolate chip cookie, I had to double-check the package to confirm that the ingredients are vegan. It certainly tasted better than any other vegan cookie I’ve ever baked. There’s a gooey filling of brownie batter or peanut butter in two flavors of the cookies, the best surprise I had all day. I enjoy heating them in the microwave for about ten seconds before I dunk them in a glass of oat milk and treat myself to a plant-based dessert. Root Nine sells cookies ina 4-pack ($20) or in a 6-pack ($28) assortment for cookie lovers which makes a perfect gift for anyone with dietary restrictions, allergies, or simply someone who loves to indulge in a sweet and savory treat. I’m a fan of anything peanut butter so my favorite is the peanut butter and jelly flavor that I crave every night. It’s soft, chewy, sweet (but not too sweet), and the best tasting vegan cookie I’ve had--hands down.

2. Vitamix Blender

I used to use this product every day until I lent it to my grandmother to try since she loves to make smoothies and now I don’t think I will ever get it back. This product is the best machine on the planet and blends faster, cleaner, and easier than any other blender I’ve ever used. For someone that loves to make smoothies, soups, and hummus, it’s the perfect appliance to have on hand or give as a generous gift. You will be surprised how quickly it can blend anything you throw into the mix. The turbo speed also reduces your prep and chopping time. I like to joke that it could break down tree bark because it’s that powerful. The Vitamix is on the pricey side but it’s worth the quality investment. You can use this product for every meal of the day starting with a smoothie for breakfast, hummus wrap for lunch, and a zesty soup for dinner. Try making hummus in the blender by adding chickpeas, tahini, spices, and a little bit of vegetable oil to soften the mixture. I also like to make cauliflower soup by blending roasted cauliflower, onions, curry spices, cayenne pepper, and vegetable stock in the Vitamix and heating it up in a pot on the stove. I’ve saved so much time using this blender for most of my meals and find it to be a convenient product for people who don’t like to cook (like me) or need a convenient and seamless snack to power through the day like a smoothie.

Caitlin's Favorite Plant-Based Products of the Week

1. Capao Cacao Fruit Smoothie Balls

Capao Cacao Fruit Smoothie Balls are a guilt-free treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth. The delicious and fruity snack is the perfect pick me up made with healthy ingredients. The gluten-free smoothie balls have five grams of protein and two grams of added sugar. Capao, which is made out of cacao fruit, is unlike other smoothie balls that are filled with unhealthy ingredients. Capao uses not the cocoa beans from the cacao fruit but the pulp. Besides cacao fruit pulp, the smoothie balls are made with clean ingredients such as a blend of dried fruit and nuts.

Capao Cacao Fruit Smoothie Balls come in three flavors: Apricot and Golden Berries with Plant Protein, Golden Berries, and Apricots with Chia Seeds, and Mango and Coconut with Cashews. You can buy these in individual packs or in a variety pack that comes with all three flavors. Capao can be found in many California grocery stores like Beverly Hills Market but can also be purchase online for $27.99 a pack of six. These smoothie balls are perfect for throwing in your pack when you're on the go or are in need of a mid-day snack.

2. La Colombe Oatmilk Draft Latte

La Colombe Oatmilk Latte is the freshest and strongest coffee that can be bought in-stores. I typically don't love canned coffee, but this latte has the taste and aroma as if you grabbed it from La Colombe's coffee shop. This dairy-free latte is creamier than a real dairy latte and has a touch of sweetness. La Colombe uses 100% Arabica, single-origin, Brazilian cold brew coffee and combines it with sustainably sourced oat milk. One can is the equivalent of one and a half cups. of coffee, which comes out to 120mg of natural caffeine.

If you like your latte flavored, you can find the oat milk draft lattes in vanilla and caramel flavors. Rather than spend almost five dollars on your morning lattes, you can buy a 4-pack for $14. You can find the lattes in packs of 12 in major grocery stores like Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, and Wegmans. Try these lattes out and if you love it, La Colombe offers a subscription for monthly deliveries in 12 or 24 packs. Keep these lattes on hand for those busy days you can't go grab a coffee.