Vegan Bacon Flavor & Healthy Cookies to Buy This Week

If you think going plant-based or vegan and giving up meat means never tasting bacon again, you would be wrong. There are a variety of vegan bacon substitutes on the market, and even vegan bacon seasoning that offers up the salty, savory taste and aroma that you grew up on, that would get even the sleepiest heads out of bed in the morning.

Here, we tell you about the latest bacon flavoring to add to any sandwich, salad, or dish, along with the healthiest cookie we've tasted lately, and other plant-based products we're loving right now. Check out the favorite plant-based products of the week and share yours on The Beet's Facebook page. We all want to be healthy and plant-based together. What's your pick of the week? Here are ours.

Lucy's Favorite

1. Off Our Rocker Cookies Made with Sweet Potatoes

When you find a cookie that has a whole food as the first ingredient listed on the label, buy it. When that cookie is also vegan, gluten-free and delicious, as well as "powered by women" founders, it's a triple win. That's why we are keeping Off Our Rocker cookies "baked with soul" stocked this summer; When your sweet tooth is talking and you want to reach for something sinful, try the "Cinn-Full Chip" cookies made of Sweet Potato, Almond Flour, Gluten-Free Oats, Maple Syrup, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Cocoa Butter based, no dairy) and Cinnamon. Or try any of their 7 flavors of cookies that will satisfy the cookie monsters in nyour household without feeding them all the junk that gets snuck into the baking of most store-bought cookies. These are high in vitamin A and fiber, healthy fats, and natural sugars.

Each batch is hand baked by "senior-preneurs," two women who call themselves "Co-Rockers" instead of co-founders, and who admit they started their baking careers at a young age with their Easy Bake Oven (remember those) and you can serve them to the kiddos guilt-free. How else are they going to eat a sweet potato and beg for more? With 210 calories these aren't necessarily something you'd call diet-friendly but they are healthy, and with 3 grams of fiber, 50 mg of calcium, and 8 percent of your iron for the day, you can scarf one up and feel pretty good about things. You can buy Off Our Rockers on their website.

Stephanie's Favorite

1. The Raging Pig Company Vegan Bacon Seasoning

This is one of those products that I didn’t know I needed in my life until I stumbled upon it. Little does every plant-based eater know that there is a vegan bacon seasoning-sized void in their pantry, and The Raging Pig Company has blended up the perfect way to add some meaty goodness into your meat-free meals.

Luckily, this seasoning comes in a large pouch, and once you try it you’re going to want to add it to every savory dish you have. So far I have tried the delicious dust out on tofu, potato wedges, and cauliflower wings, but I’m eager to find more ways to incorporate it into my cooking because it's that good. Salty, smokey, and a little sweet, this seasoning is gluten-free, soy-free, GMO-free, and, shockingly, calorie-free, although you wouldn’t ever be able to guess by the incredible taste.

It's difficult to adequately capture the taste of this seasoning with words, but just know that if you try it, I guarantee you’ll be hooked like I am. I am almost finished with my first pouch and know that I will be repurchasing many, many more.

You can buy The Raging Pig Company’s Vegan Bacon Seasoning online on the brand’s website.

Hailey's Favorite

1. Splendid Spoon Plant-Based Meal Delivery

Splendid Spoon is one of my favorite plant-based meal delivery services that make eating healthy so easy, and tasty. My favorite meal is flavorful and hearty Green Tomatillo Chili Soup made with tofu, navy beans, and tomatillos. The soup is extremely filling because it’s high in fiber, curbing my appetite for unhealthy foods and snacks. The taste has tangy, spicy flavors from the tomatillos, a Mexican husk tomato that helps prevent and cramps, and zesty herbs like cilantro and spices like cumin that are full of antioxidants. My favorite go-to smoothie is the Chocolate Cherry Smoothie, it's like a healthy treat that tastes like chocolate-covered cherries. The cacao nibs add crips texture while the bananas add smooth, creamy consistency and after one of these drinks, I feel completely satiated. I recommend trying Splendid Spoon if you want to eat healthy or start your plant-based diet.

Caitlin's Favorite

1. Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger Dressing

Whenever I dine out at a Japanese restaurant, I always start with a house salad. It may seem like there's nothing too special about a bowl of leafy greens and tomatoes but what makes these salads are the ginger dressing. In an attempt to stop eating out so much and start eating healthier, I bought Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger dressing to recreate my favorite salad and it tastes just as good (if not better) than the one you get at restaurants.

Most dressings are too creamy or heavy for me, but Primal Kitchen's sesame ginger vinaigrette is light and packed with tons of flavor. This soy-free, gluten-free dressing is made with better-for-you ingredients including apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, organic ginger and organic spices. I love this dressing because you can see the real ingredients like ginger the minute you open the bottle. For anyone who is fully vegan, this dressing is made with organic honey, so you may want to opt for one of Primal Kitchen's fully vegan dressings like Vegan Caesar. Salads aren't the only way you can use this dressing: Use it as a marinade on tofu or add it to your plant-based fried rice for an extra flare of flavor.

You can buy Primal Kitchen dressings online or in stores such as Whole Foods, CVS, Shoprite or Stop & Shop.

Max's Favorite

1. CHI Kitchen Vegan Kimchi

Kimchi's popularity is on the rise. The fermented vegetable dish is currently experiencing a 90 percent growth rate that only continues accelerating, so it's important to know what kimchi to shop for because at this rate it will become a household food item. CHI Kitchen's Vegan Kimchi is a top competitor, producing one of the most delicious kimchis on the shelves. For years, the company has been producing a gut-healthy, probiotic kimchi product that any consumer would love to eat. I tasted it for the first time and the jar was empty a day later.

The Vegan Kimchi is the perfect snack, or it can be used to prepare some favorite dishes. My jar of kimchi went so fast because I used it to prepare a Vegan Bibimbap alongside fresh vegetables and a housemade gochujang sauce as well as a kimchi fried rice. Both meals benefited from vegan kimchi, and now it'll become a regular ingredient in my kitchen. If you need a new healthy snack or something to spice up some dinner recipes, I recommend going to Whole Foods or visiting the company's website to stock up on this delicious kimchi product.