The Best Plant-Based Products of the Week, From the Editors of The Beet

Thanks to new clever, innovative products launching every week, it's easier than ever to eat plant-based and never miss your favorite tasty treat or savory dinner. Traditional food companies and plant-based startups alike are boldly jumping into the plant-based pool, offering vegan and dairy-free cheeses, coffee creamers, sauces and dressings, ice creams, and cream cheese – all free of any animal product. Meanwhile, you can sip, snack, and dine on vegan or plant-based indulgences that are healthier for you, the planet, and animals. Nowadays going plant-based is easy, without sacrificing taste.

Here, the editors of The Beet recommend our favorite healthy snacks, sips, and sauces, along with not-so-healthy indulgences like chocolate that will keep you happy. If you're trying to eat more plant-based and still love every bite, we're here to help.

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!

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

If you love bittersweet chocolate and still want to keep your sugar intake low – while indulging in a treat – Venchi is here for you. This Italian company has been in business for a long time, since 1878, when Italy was still a kingdom under  King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia, and the rich taste is fit for a king.

Founded by a 20-year-old from Turin who loved chocolate so much he spent all his savings on two bronze cauldrons and began to experiment, first in his apartment, then in a small shop, Venchi began as Nougatine, or chocolate with chopped, caramelized Piedmont Hazelnuts coated in extra-dark chocolate. The shop quickly became “the most elegant chocolate shop in Piedmont” and was allowed to use the royal coat of arms, as “Purveyor to the Royal Household."

Now the company has modernized and offers gelato, and a range of chocolate that includes plant-based offerings, including a healthier-for-your addition of fiber that makes it feel like you're taking care of yourself even as you're indulging. The dark chocolate has chicory root fiber (22.2 percent) as well as cocoa powder, soy lecithin, ground vanilla beans, and chocolate liquor. The result is a rich emulsified dark chocolate bar that can satisfy even the sweetest of sweet tooths, without all the usual added sugar. Try their Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts if you love a little crunch with your chocolate or the extra dark chocolate for when a velvety smooth taste is what you're looking for. Shop Venchi for yourself, or give it as a gift. It's like bringing a fine wine, only the host won't want to share it.

Crafted by hand in the foothills of the Swiss alps, Rhythm 108's selection of truffles, chocolate bars, and cookies are a luxurious treat for those who are plant-based and conscious of buying sustainable products. The all-natural ingredients are vegan, organic, made without palm oil, and contain less sugar. However, this definitely doesn't compromise taste as these treats are delicious. I tried the truffle selection, chocolate peanut butter soft-baked cookie, creamy coconut bar, and almond and sea salt bar (don't judge, it wasn't in one sitting and I did share) and they all tasted fantastic, particularly the coconut bar which reminded me of a Bounty Bar in my pre-vegan days. If you're looking to treat yourself or someone special, Rhythm 108 offer 'care packages' to send which would be lovely to receive. Rhythm 108 products are currently available in European countries and you can order from their website here.

If you're cutting out dairy and feel like you've tried all of the plant-based milk alternatives on the market but have yet to find a replacement that tastes like the real thing, NotMilk has you covered. I love a good almond, coconut, or oat milk, but was blown away at the way that NotMilk exactly mimics the real thing. I think this milk would even hold up in a blind taste test against dairy, and it has that full, roundness of flavor that most alternative milks lack.

I like to use NotMilk Whole in my coffee as creamer because its richness is the perfect dairy substitute. I've even used it to thicken vodka sauce for pasta, and it has worked perfectly. Made with pea protein, NotMilk Whole boasts 25 percent of your daily calcium in one serving.

Find NotMilk at your local Whole Foods Market. 

On a recent trip to the airport, I was searching for a healthy plant-based snack to take on the plane for a long flight and came across my newest snack obsession –here’s why.

Oh Snap! Pickles in a pouch are my go-to airport snack because they’re often sold at Hudson or a small snack store so I know I can always find them, and other than that, they’re a deliciously healthy, low-calorie snack, and are extremely accessible. There are no preservatives or additives in this packaged food, just fresh pickles. 

The packaging couldn’t be more convenient – the pickles come in a small pouch and are handy to bring on the go, or just to have in general to add to a veggie burger or chopped in a salad. 

If you’re looking for a healthy plant-based snack or just an easy way to love pickles, try these and find them on their website.

Snacks are my weak spot and my latest find that I can't get enough of is Craize toasted corn crackers. Most gluten-free crackers I have tried are either grainy are break too easily but Craize crackers are the first ones that don't taste gluten-free and are crispy and crunchy. You can add any topping like mashed avocado or soft vegan cheese or dip it in hummus. It's the perfect snack to have in between meals or to take on the go with you.

What I love about these crackers is with the right choice of plant-based toppings, it will keep you full until your next meal. In one serving, which is 9 crackers, there are 120 calories, 3 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber and 22 grams of carbohydrates. These vegan and gluten-free crackers come in six different flavors including Everything, Roasted Corn, Sweet Corn, Coconut, Guava, Plantain and Seeded. After trying a couple of flavors, the Everything is definitely my favorite but the next on my "to-try" list is Plantain.

To buy Craize Toasted Corn Crackers, click here.

Fury Hot Sauce Habenero Bahn Mi

Fury produces one of my favorite, most versatile hot sauces on the market. The Habenero Bahn Mi hot sauces are complete with all the flavors connected to the Vietnamese classic. The hot sauce itself is a blend of scallions, pickled daikon radishes, and cilantro alongside Jalapeno and Habanero peppers to give it just the right amount of heat. The company provides a spice that is not overwhelming but completely adaptable.

The Fury Habanero Bahn Mi sauce can easily be used for its namesake, giving a tofu Bahn mi the kick it really needs, but it also adds a little something extra to a variety of dishes. I would use this hot sauce on tacos, in ramen, and plant-based chicken nuggets. For an experienced hot sauce lover, the heat of this hot sauce won't be so intense, but it still packs a good punch. I would recommend this as Fury's greatest sauce (but for a bigger challenge check out the company's Bird Brain Peri-Peri).

Check out Fury's website here to purchase the Habanero Bahn Mi Hot Sauce or any other sauces that catch your eye.