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

If you're new to the plant-based lifestyle, one of the best tips for beginners is to find delicious swaps for products and recipes you already love. That means finding healthy alternatives to traditional products that are made with dairy, meat, or gluten.

At The Beet, we have the fun job of taste testing and reviewing some of the best new plant-based products on the market, and passing along our recommendations to you!

Here is what we are loving right now, so you don't have to waste your time or money on the wrong thing or puzzle through which vegan cream cheese is best or which dairy-free cheese passes the melt test. Here, the editors share what we're buying, trying, and recommending to our friends.

We only recommend products that we truly love and would purchase ourselves. Order yours and have more energy and feel healthier, every day of your action-packed, plant-filled life!

When people ask me: What is the best non-dairy creamer to use in my coffee? I answer: I don’t use creamer but I can tell you with certainty: It’s Califia’s Barista Blend. It’s made from oats, is gluten-free, made from whole rolled oats and steams like the real thing. It also froths up perfectly for lattes.

But unlike dairy, it doesn’t deliver any of the estrogens (that pass from the milking cow to our bodies) nor much of the saturated fat (known to increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes) nor dairy casein (the protein in milk that has been shown in the lab to feed tumor cells and promote cancer growth).

Now that we have your attention, check out the amazing recipes you can make with Califia’s Barista Blend, including these Lemon Lavender Squares (which I am planning to make for my dinner party this Saturday). It’s also unsweetened, made with whole rolled, gluten-free oats, and has no gums or stabilizers. Califia’s Barista Blend is nut-free, allergen-free, soy-free, non-GMO gluten-free, kosher, and shelf-stable.

Buy it on Amazon here. 

I have been super eager for a company to come to disrupt the dairy-free cream cheese market–all of the premade vegan offerings I have tried over the years seemed to lack something, whether that be in taste or texture. As a serious bagel connoisseur, I have scoured NYC's offerings high and low, and believe the best dairy-free cream cheese is made at my local bagel shop in Brooklyn, but when I need a premade option to enjoy at home that stacks up to it, Monty's NYC is my new go-to.

What's different about Monty's is that cashews are used to deliver a creamy spread along with just three other ingredients and a fermentation process which gives a really nice acidity that tastes very close to the 'real' thing.

Available in three flavors including Original, Everything, and Scallion, these cream cheeses are perfect for a bagel, but equally as a delicious spread on crackers, a veggie-filled wrap, or even in pasta to mimic the taste and texture of ricotta cheese.

You can purchase Monty's cashew-based cream cheeses and butter here on the brand's website, nationwide shipping available. 

Mother Raw's queso is a quality product everyone should opt for when they're in the mood for a cheesy, delicious sauce to complement salsa or guacamole or complete taco night. I'm a big fan of all Mother Raw products since the company mastered healthy and delicious plant-based, low-calorie alternatives to dressings and sauces. But, the best thing I've tasted so far is this vegan queso sauce that's made with all-natural plant-based ingredients like turmeric, nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, paprika, and more. When I open the jar I already know I'll be scrapping the sides in five minutes, the taste is fresh, smokey, and cheesy, and satisfying. I recommend this product for everyone, but especially cheese lovers.

To purchase Mother Raw Vegan Queso, click here.

Siete Foods makes the lightest and most delicious grain-free products. After falling in love with their queso, I decided to give the tortillas a try and it was better than I expected. The best part about Siete Foods is that all products are made with minimal ingredients and are completely grain-free.

The tortillas taste super healthy and hold any sauce or filling so well. I highly recommend baking the tortillas if you are trying a tostada recipe like Pinto Bean & Salsa Verde Tostadas and warming in a pan when making Enchiladas.

The majority of tortillas, especially gluten-free ones, are packed with tons of fake ingredients and are unhealthy. Siete tortillas have only eight ingredients including Cassava Flour, Coconut Flour, Coconut Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum. In every serving, there are 120 calories, 3 grams of saturated fat, 24 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of fiber.

Siete Foods also has almond flour, chickpea flour, and cassava, and chia seed tortillas. Buy them online here or find them at Target, CVS, or Whole Foods.

One of the most difficult things to adjust to without dairy can be pizza. Often, vegan pizza means a pizza with just sauce, but that can be frustrating and make the pizza feel half made. I've found that Violife's vegan mozzarella is the exact texture and melt-ability that I am looking for when making pizza at home. Of course, the cheese alternative staples, like Follow Your Heart and Daiya, can be good, but Violife brings more to the table and I've found is the best option for pizza. The vegan mozzarella markets itself as just like the real thing, and the company has gotten just about as close as possible. The dairy-free cheese looks and tastes as close to real mozzarella, so once you try it, it'll take the place as a regular grocery purchase.

You can find it in multiple retailers nationwide or check out the company website to order online.