There's a Pepperoni Shortage! Perfect Time to Try Vegan Pepperoni

When I heard on the nightly news that there's a shortage of pepperoni pizza across the country, as Americans comforted themselves with their favorite nap-inducing food, I thought: Ruh Roh. Lots of unhappy people going to be in a panic right about now. But the truth is that there are amazing versions of vegan pepperoni and vegan cheese pizza that can keep you more than satisfied without requiring you to pop a cholesterol drug in the morning. The twist: Vegan pepperoni is so delicious you may not know the difference, and It's actually better for you in every way than the meat version.

Processed meat is a Group 1 carcinogen and has been linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and chronic inflammation -- the kind that makes it even riskier if you get COVID-19 since these inflammatory conditions can lead to severe complications from the virus. So if you're eating pepperoni pizza by the pie in order to quell your coronavirus anxiety, quit the pepperoni and you can quit the anxiety with it.

So instead of paying more for pepperoni, as Bloomberg suggests prices are going up as supplies are going down, or skipping the pepperoni and having plain cheese, try these vegan pizzas that The Beet highly recommends, and save your heart as well as your wallet:

Plant-based pizza used to be a rare find but now every major city from Atlanta to Tampa offers options for meatless pepperoni and vegan cheese. Atlanta has a Plant-Based Pizzeria, while Tampa offers the Gourmet Pizza Company, with Gluten-free and vegan options, both.

Three Girls Creamery Vegan Pepperoni: Add this to your pizza at home

Check out their recipes for homemade super satisfying pizza here.

Amy' Meatless Pepperoni Pizza with Organic Flour & Tomatoes: We're stocking up

Daya Dairy-Free Vegan Pepperoni Pizza: Order this to have in the freezer

LightLife Meatless Veggie Pepperoni Pizza: With 9 grams of protein

Veestro Meal Delivery Meatless Pepperoni Pizza Napoletana: Order a la carte

Bethehive.com makes a vegan pepperoni that you can order and add to your pie

Or head over to Double Zero, Matthew Kenney's vegan Italian restaurant in New York's East Village or Venice California, that serves Pepperoni Cashew Mozarella Tomato Calabrian Chili Pizza.