The First Vegan Cheesy Flatbreads Are Now Available. Here’s Where

Americans eat 3 billion pizzas every year, according to the National Association of Pizza Operators, but a number of allergies prevent pizza lovers from indulging in their favorite affordable food. Until now. Leading vegan cheese brand Daiya just announced the first-ever selection of plant-based and allergen-friendly frozen cheesy flatbreads. The three new flatbreads are inspired by the Italian trattoria experience, bringing allergen-susceptible and plant-based customers an affordable pizza option.

Featuring Daiya’s award-winning Cutting Board Cheeze Shreds on a gluten-free crust, the three flatbreads will be available at Stop & Shop, Giant, Whole Foods, New Seasons Market, and Price Chopper locations across North America. The three pizzas will be available for $9.79 online and for varying prices at retail locations. Designed to provide customers with a convenient plant-based option, the new range includes three flavors with specialty ingredients from Daiya’s current product offerings.

“At Daiya, our longstanding tradition of breakthrough plant-based discoveries continues with our first-to-market flatbreads,” Dan Hua, Vice President of Marketing, said. “We know that consumers are often still choosing to cook at home, versus eating out as a result of the pandemic, and so we wanted to ensure they had the option for both a quick and convenient, yet delicious-tasting flatbread that was both plant-based and allergen-friendly.”

This February, the Product of the Year Awards granted Daiya Cheese the award for the best Plant Based Food category. The brand received the award alongside Quorn's Chiqin Cutlets, which won the Meatless category. The data agency claims that this product award is the largest consumer-voted award for product development, revealing what consumers really love to eat.

Daiya's vegan cheese products have become a household name since its founding in 2008. However, vegan cheese faces significant consumer backlash for its minimal nutrients and off-putting taste. Last December, Daiya announced that it reformulated its product selection to improve the taste, texture, and nutritional value of its vegan cheeses. Using ingredients including oat and chickpeas, the Daiya cheese blocks will range in flavor, including Medium Cheddar, Jalapeno Havarti, Smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack flavors.

Daiya's plant-based flatbreads will give consumers an opportunity to enjoy the tasty flavors of their favorite meal without the consequences of consuming dairy. Eating dairy presents serious health risks including inflammation, joint and muscle pains, diabetes, and even cancer.

Recently, Loma Linda researchers found that drinking milk increases the risk of prostate cancer by 60 percent. Another study from the International Epidemiology Association found that one serving of milk a day was linked to a 30 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Cutting out dairy can also help protect your heart. Due to its high levels of saturated fat, milk present significant risks to the heart and cardiovascular health. One study found that by reducing milk consumption and lowering saturated fat intake, consumers can lower their risk of heart disease by 21 percent.

For more great products, check out The Beet's rankings of frozen vegan pizzas and dairy-free cheese shreds.

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.