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

Here to help you sift through the ever-growing barrage of new plant-based items and choose only the best is our weekly roundup by the editors of The Beet where we recommend our top picks of the week in the plant-based world.

We have the privilege of sampling nearly every new plant-based or vegan product on the market, and we want to ensure that we only steer you towards brands and items that we truly recommend and would purchase ourselves

Here are the editors' recommendations, our favorite healthy snacks, sips, and sauces, along with not-so-healthy indulgences like dairy-free desserts 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.

I have a house full of sour lovers. These people, big and small, will climb onto counters to reach the top shelf where I hide the gummy worms, candy sharks, and all nature of "sugary fruit" treats, so that perhaps they won't find them and will eat dinner. While I am safe to keep the chocolate in plain sight – and no one touches it until I have a chocolate attack of my own – gummies and sours get devoured at an alarming rate, even now that my kids are big.

I no longer worry. Smart Sweets changed all that. It's a "healthier" version of these sour and gummy candies that, had they been around when my kids were first getting their grown-up teeth, I wouldn't have been so obsessed. Now I find myself actually enjoying these candies (at least the plant-based ones) with my husband and kids and know that they are the least sugar-loaded of any I've ever encountered. Smart Sweets have something for everyone and come in flavors as varied as a candy store shelf: Sourmelon, Cola Gummies, Gummy Worms, Red Twists, Sweet Worms, Peach Rings, Fruity Gummy Bears, Sour Blast Buddies... I found myself loving these.

With just 3 grams of natural sugar per 50 grams bag, and no added sugars, this candy choice seems less sweet and a lot less guilt-inducing than the other brands. "Smartly sweetened without sugar alcohols" these little pleasures are rich in fiber, made with natural flavors, and contain no artificial sweeteners. Instead, they are colored with fruit and vegetable juices and contain soluble corn fiber that actually makes them relatively healthy, with 13 grams of fiber per bag.

Now I'm not saying these are like watching your kids eat an apple, but as any mom of kids can tell you when Halloween rolls around and you try to hide the candy, and there's always a chance that some little munchkin is going to fall off that countertop looking for the forbidden bowl or bag one of these days. Now I can leave these treats in the bowl, right in plain sight.

Smart Sweets is female-founded by Tara Bosch in her kitchen and now sold in 20,000 stores across the USA & Canada, including Whole Foods, by 2019 the company had helped people kick over 1 billion grams of sugar.

Buy your box of Smart Sweets off the brand's website.

Founder Chris created this plant-based protein because he was tired of countless supplements that left him bloated and lacking energy. No Ordinary Moments Plant Protein + is a combination of hemp, pumpkin, and chia protein (totaling 10 grams of protein per serving), adaptogenic mushrooms such as Reishi, Cordyceps, and Lion's mane, and amino acids for collagen synthesis. It's vegan, ethically sourced, and contains no artificial sweeteners (it's sweetened with coconut sugar — four grams per serving).

With all those superfoods that are good for the brain, energy, muscle building, and skin, I figured it may have a slightly unpleasant flavor, but I was wrong about this — I found it delicious, even on its own mixed with oat milk it has a tasty chocolate flavor from the natural cacao. Equally, it tastes great with fruit such as blueberries and extra greens blended in. I really like this blend, even though it contains a little coconut sugar, it kept me full enough to avoid snacking and saw me through until early afternoon.

A UK-based company, they also ship worldwide and you can order from their website here.

Nothing can turn around a bad day like a particularly good helping of dessert, and one of my best friends knew exactly what she was doing when she had some of Mia's Brooklyn Bakery's treats delivered to my door to cheer me up this week.

At first glance, Mia's vegan offerings look anything but: Decadent and intricately decorated, these cakes look like they belong in a French bakery. Veteran vegans know that plant-based baked goods often look and taste a bit more homemade, but these treats were hands-down the best vegan desserts I've ever had, and the tastes transported me back to before I gave up animal products.

Although not all of Mia's Brooklyn Bakery's offerings are vegan, they have a nice selection of cakes, cupcakes, and more and have clearly mastered making plant-based baked goods that taste incredible and look sophisticated.

If you're ever in the New York area, quell your sweet tooth and stop by one of Mia's Brooklyn Bakery locations at 139 Smith Street in Brooklyn or at 716 7th Ave in Times Square. 

Most of the protein powders I've tried made my smoothies way too heavy or left me feeling bloated. After trying over a dozen plant-based protein powders, Your Super Skinny Protein Powder is the first one that keeps me full for hours and leaves me with no bloating or feelings of being overly full. Your Super's Skinny Protein mix really won me over for its five simple, clean ingredients including pea protein, hemp protein, moringa, spirulina, and alfalfa powder. I love how each ingredient in this mix is a superfood and that there are no fillers or preservatives.

Add two tablespoons of Your Super Skinny Protein to your smoothies, pancakes, or energy bites, to boost protein and sneak some greens into your diet. My favorite way to use Your Super protein is in a mixed berry, banana, and spinach smoothie. In one serving, there are nine grams of protein and two grams of fiber. Your Super protein mix also has all essential amino acids and is rich in micronutrients including B12, Vitamin A, Iron, and Magnesium.

Want to try Your Super Plant-Based Protein for yourself? Click here to buy it. 

There is nothing easier or more immediately satisfying than a box of mac and cheese. Whether it is a mid-day snack or quick lunch fix, Banza's Plant-Based Mac features a delicious and healthy alternative to the conventional boxes of macaroni and cheese. The vegan macaroni and cheese contain the company's signature chickpea-based shell noodles coated in a specialized sweet potato-based cheese sauce. The final product is a sweet, tasty macaroni that can be made in 10 minutes.

The hidden secret about Banza's Plant-Based Mac is not the taste, but the nutritional benefits. The company jam-packed this plant-based alternative with 12g of protein and 6g of fiber per 3.5oz serving. This is more than twice the amount of competing vegan macs on the market. The combination of chickpeas and sweet potatoes is both delectable but also health-heavy.

Whether you add broccoli, hot sauce, paprika, or peas to your box macaroni, Banza is one of the best options on the market.

You can either order it on the company's website or use the store locator to find a retailer near you.