The 5 Best Plant-Based Products of the Week from the Editors of The Beet

When celebrating Earth Month, eating plant-based for the planet is one of the best ways that you can live a more sustainable life. In fact, one person switching to a fully plant-based dish for just one meal a day saves the same amount of energy every year that it takes to drive from New York to Los Angeles, or 3,000 miles.

Here, the editors of The Beet share our favorite products of the week, and this week, we're highlighting eco-conscious brands or products to help you live a greener life, now. Each week we do the shopping and taste testing for you, so you can know which items are worth it and which ones are a pass.

Below, we recommend our favorite items (and the ones we like to buy ourselves). Some are treats or indulgences, but they are healthier treats, so decide for yourself how many or how often to eat. Get ready to love every plant-based bite, and feel good about the steps you're taking to live more sustainably.

If you love a mint chocolate cookie, or caramel sea salt, or chocolate fudge, or peanut butter cups, now you can enjoy these classic taste treats and know that you're indulging the healthy way when you choose Aloha's brand of protein bars. They are plant-based, non-GMO, vegan, and soy-free as well as stevia-free. This Spring every pack you order comes with adorable "plant and grow" seed cards that let you feel the love for the Earth that Aloha espouses as a value. These bars are from a certified B Corp company that gives back to the growers, is employee-owned, and makes sure to support ethical growing and harvesting conditions. Choose the 100 percent USDA Organic plant-based protein powder or bars or a bundle of both, then get outside and have your own Aloha Moment!

Just because Earth Day has passed doesn't mean you shouldn't choose sustainable brands all year long. Free Rain is a drink brand that donates 1 percent to environmental causes.

Free Rain offers 100 percent recyclable, adaptogen-packed sparkling drinks with functional ingredients that target different needs like Calm, Energy, or Focus. The drinks are flavored with fruit and adaptogens such as ashwagandha or passionflower to give you the boost that you need, naturally. My favorite is the delicious tang of Free Rain's Energy variety which features Tart Cherry and Siberian Ginsing for enhanced energy with no crash.

The brand is planting one tree in U.S. National Forests for every package shipped to customers in April in partnership with One Tree Planted.

Purchase Free Rain on the brand's website here. 

I finally found the plant-based bar I've been looking for. For a small amount of food, YourSuper.com Energy Bars fill me up, make me satisfied, and naturally contain caffeine, providing the boost of energy I need. The bar is the best combination of sweet and savory. Usually, when I eat energy bars, they're either way too sweet or too savory and have a bland taste, but on the flip side, Your Super.com Energy Bomb Bars mastered the best of both worlds.

The base of these bars include cashews, raisins, sates, and sesame seeds, along with their specialty Energy Bomb, a mix of acai, guarana, maca, lucuma, and banana. Each bar is free from dairy, sweeteners, soy, stevia, preservatives, added sugar, anything artificial. If you're looking for a healthy, all-natural plant-based bar to enjoy on the go or as a quick snack to tide you over for your next meal, try Super.com Energy Bomb Bars, click here to purchase.

Whenever I'm craving a healthy lunch but don't have a ton of time, I reach for Dr. Praeger's Veggie Burgers. Dr. Praeger's Tex Mex Veggie Burger is packed with 12 different veggies such as carrots, beans and peas and my favorite part is that you can see each of these whole foods in the patty itself.

Dr. Praeger's Tex Mex Veggie Burgers have become a permanent item in my freezer after I discovered how versatile they are. Rather than a classic burger on a bun, I've been using these patties in grain bowls and veggie wraps. These Tex Mex patties add a hint of spice to every meal while also being a good source of protein. In every burger, there are 130 calories, 14 grams of carbs, 210 mg of sodium, 6 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.

Dr. Praegers has 17 other flavors including Black Bean Quinoa, Classic, Mushroom Risotto, Asian Burgers and Super Greens. You can find Dr. Praeger's at major grocery stores such as Stop & Shop, ShopRite, Whole Foods and Wegmans.

1.Good Food For Good BBQ Sauce

This all-organic, fully vegan sauce pulls together a homemade barbecue meal perfectly. Good Food For Good’s straightforward recipe consists of apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, date paste, an organic spice blend, onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt. The final product is a blend of smokey and sweet that brings just the right flavors to the table. Unlike many other conventional barbecue sauces, the sweetness comes solely from the dates with no added sugars.

The key component to any good barbecue meal is the sauce. Good Food For Good’s product can be a topping for vegan BBQ Nachos, a flavorful base for BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, or a dipping sauce for french fries or homemade onion rings. It pairs perfectly with a vinegar-based slaw for a quick lunch or can be incorporated into a full barbecue dinner. I highly suggest trying this sauce, especially if you are preparing for primetime summer BBQ season.

Make sure to visit Good Food For Good's website to order some sauces for yourself. If you like the BBQ, try the companies fresh Ketchup or Vegan Butter Chicken flavors. You can also find all the company's products at Whole Foods nationwide.