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ICYMI, the summer Fancy Food Show was held in NYC this week. If you’re unfamiliar with the Fancy Food Show, it’s a bi-annual food show that is the biggest specialty food industry event on the continent. This year, the massive show included a Plant-Based Pavilion, as well as exhibitors from around the world with vegan products recently in the market, or coming to market.

Unlike Plant Based World, this show is not specifically vegan so it was a little adventure to discover the products which were fully vegan.

In all, I visited around 50 booths serving up vegan options and these are five vegan products from Fancy Food Show I’m excited for.

Nutty Bunny

Remember McDonald’s soft serve ice cream? Nutty Bunny tastes like that and it’s good! Creamy, not too sweet, and a perfect texture makes this vegan ice cream one I definitely want to try again.

Not only do they make non-dairy ice cream, they also make an iced tea sorbet line that include chai, Earl Grey and more.

Unshellfish Foods

Originally a Maryland girl, I’m a sucker for anything that is a vegan version of crabcakes. There are only a couple I love, and this Lion’s Mane Crabless cake from Unshellish Foods gets the flavor nearly perfect. It’s also got a similar texture to crabcakes, so I’m looking forward to digging into these when they come to a shop or restaurant near me.

These bad boys come from mushrooms farmed from Two River Organic Mushrooms in Millstone, NJ.

Prime Roots

I’m normally not a fan of vegan deli meats, but the minute I sunk my teeth into these vegan deli meats from Prime Roots, I was a convert. Excellent flavor, excellent texture and definitely something I’d slap onto a sandwich and devour. 

They’re use Koji, a fungi, to create this delish vegan meats and their product line includes deli meats, bacon and charcuterie options. Deli meats include smoked vegan ham and turkey, Black Forest turkey and cracked pepper and Sugar Shack maple ham. The charcuterie includes salami, pepperoni, pate and more. 

Caviarum Plant Pearls

This caviar company is making vegan caviar. While it’s a little more mushroom than ocean, I love the concept and think this product makes a perfect addition to a boogie wine and (fill-in-your-taste) board.

Caviarum’s vegan caviar uses formulated seaweed and mushroom broth to create black pearls that provide a similar mouth feel to fish caviar.

Mochidoki

I love passionfruit and I love a squishy mochi and Mochidoki (which won for best product) delivers this. Their vegan passionfruit mochi combines two of my loves for a sweet, refreshing treat. You can bet I’ll be buying these when they come out near me.

Their vegan collection made with coconut cream and oat milk features passionfruit, lychee, coconut, matcha, chocolate hazelnut and mango.

What products are you excited to try? Let me know in the comments!

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The tiny slab of meat in my hand is ground and shaped into a burger. The middle of the patty is a dark pink and gets darker and browner as it expands to the edges. I put it up to my nose to smell it. I flick my tongue out to see if I can get a little taste before I bite into it, but then think better of it. Instead, I enter into a stare down with the baby burger no bigger than my knuckle. Am I really going to eat a piece of meat when I haven’t for more than a decade?

My vegan brain whirls with objections, but the argument that is the loudest is: it’s cultivated meat, no animals were harmed in this. Give. It. A Try.

The day I went vegan was the day it all connected. I was in my new home of Chiang Mai, Thailand, heading back from a day spent at the elephant sanctuary I had just started working for. En route home, face pressed against the window of the Toyota van that is synonymous with tours in the region, I saw a truck filled with pigs, their pink heads and floppy ears poking through slats. They were being taken to slaughter.

It wasn’t like I didn’t know about animals being killed for my food before, but seeing this very real image of adorable faces being taken on their final drive to be killed was all I needed to see. That was July 20123 and until May 20, 2023, I never had a single piece of meat.

Why I tried cultivated meat

I stand, still holding the meat, looking into the camera I had set up to document this trial of Ohayo’s WagyuMe burger. I bring it to my mouth. Pull it away. Bring it to my mouth again. Purse my lips like a child who refuses to open wide for food. I glance back at the screen, showing my confusion, my apprehension, as I sit with my hand perched inches from my mouth. My brain fights a battle with my hand.

In the end, the logic wins: if I can show people that this cell cultured meat is a viable option, then I’ve done something good for the animals and the environment. After all, so many people tell me they would go vegan but they don’t want to give up the taste of meat and the experience eating it brings.

My hand makes its way to my mouth as I slowly part my jaw, scraping off the most microscopic bite of burger I can muster. I roll it around in my mouth. I let my tongue feel the ground texture. The flavor sinks into my tastebuds.

The first place I taste it are the sides of my tongue — that umami flavor I’ve always thought I understood, but really never did until this moment. Mostly because before I became vegan, I wasn’t a true foodie. Since I moved into that era, I’ve tasted umami, but not in this iteration. It’s earthy, heavy, thick and entirely unpleasant in my mouth. It tastes exactly like what I remember meat tasting like.  And, after more than a decade of abstaining, meat is no longer a part of my palette.

But, if I don’t like it, that means other people — meat-eaters — hopefully will. After all, it is meat. It’s just not from an animal that was killed to be ground up and stuffed into a spongy burger roll and dressed with all the condiments and consumed. It’s the “good” without the horrific, which I can get behind as a vegan.

What is cultured meat?

Instead, Ohayo’s wagyu, like other cell-cultivated meats, comes from just that — cells. Public-facing testimonies and information state the cell removal is done painlessly from animals. Then, it is created by “feeding” these cells nutrients so they can grow in a bioreactor, ultimately morphing into a consumable meat product. More complex meats, like the wagyu, are constructed via “scaffolding”. These hold together muscle, fat and connective tissue, recreating the structure of meat.

Dr. Jess Krieger, the CEO and founder of Ohayo, has been called a pioneer and visionary (according to the company’s website) when it comes to cultivated meat. She first delved into that world in 2010. A scientist, she applied her muscle tissue engineering experience to product development for structured meats and is among the leaders.

The company’s wagyu blends plant-based proteins and fat, mixed with cultivated wagyu cells and the result is impressive. If you’re vegan like me, it’s wild to be tasting and eating meat that is meat (and therefore tough for me to stomach). However, for meat-eaters, it’s perhaps the answer to the growing issues around animal agriculture and climate change.

Today, animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of global warming. But, the rapid development of cultivated meats hold a glimmer of hope in a world that is getting hotter by the day and land burns for crops.

So, is cultivated meat actually vegan?

This is where it gets a little gray. If you ask me, I’m going to go with “yes.” A resounding “yes.” The animal itself is not harmed, though cells are taken from an animal to initially create this product. I support this as a far more viable and cruetly-free (and death-free) option for people who still want to the taste and experience of eating meat without harming or killing an animal for it.

I’ve long been outspoken on perfection as the achille’s heel of veganism and policing which makes it harder for people to go vegan. If this product helps save an animal, I’m all for it.

Will I eat it?

Nah, it’s not for me. Even though I went through my steak and meat phase in my late 20s, I’ve lost any taste for them. 

Will I support people who choose to eat this?

Absolutely I will. Change has to happen sometime, and this is an excellent opportunity.

Is cultivated meat the future?

There are currently more than 100 companies around the world creating cell-based proteins. These run the gamut — cows, chicken, oysters and even lab-grown foie gras. It is still cost prohibitive for the general public. However, in the next decade science promises cheaper price points as technology improves and demand expands. Meaning the future of our food will likely be rooted in science rather than animal ag.

And, that gives me hope. Even as I fight the urge to spit the meat into a napkin and wash it down with an Impossible burger and vegan wine.  But, that’s an entirely other subject for another time.

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I’ve been working hard to get more protein in my diet lately. Of course, as a vegan the biggest question I get asked is “where you get your protein.” I know, we’re all sick of it. But, as I’ve tried to seriously up my protein game for weight loss, I’ve struggled with cramming enough into my eating without feeling overly full. Enter Naked Nutrition.

Naked Nutrition’s vegan product line

Naked Nutrition offers more than 50 products, including vegan ones. What I love about them is that there isn’t a lot of junk in the ingredients. In fact, most of Naked Nutrition’s products have three ingredients or less. Their goal is to give people control over their health and fitness journey, therefore they use pure ingredients.

Vegan protein in Naked Shakes

I tried two of their products — the Naked Pea, a pea protein supplement, and the Naked Shake PB Blueberry and Vegan Protein Powder.

Naked Pea

First, let’s dive into Naked Pea. This product doesn’t have much of a taste so it’s easy to sneak it into smoothies or dishes like oatmeal without knowing it’s in there. With a whopping 27 grams of protein per serving and only 120 calories, this was my go-to to get in protein on most days.

PB Blueberry and Vegan Protein Powder

But, I loved the PB Blueberry and Vegan Protein Powder from Naked Pea. The flavor isn’t overpowering, but it’s a nice addition to smoothies or oatmeal. While it is less protein than the Naked Pea, I liked the flavor it added. Protein in the powder is 20 grams and 150 calories.

My favorite Naked Shake recipe

As I got to experiment a little with the products, I started toying around with different fruit combos in my smoothies. It’s super quick and easy to toss in some berries, kale and scoops of the protein powder into a Nutribullet.

And, I got into oatmeal. There’s a protein oatmeal from Trader Joe’s so I used that to make hearty oatmeal. Combine it with Naked Shake and you’ve got one protein-rich meal that will keep you full for hours.

Yield: 1

Naked Shake ultimate vegan protein oatmeal recipe

Cook Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 1 minute

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Gluten Free Organic Rolled Oats with Ancient Grains & Seeds from Trader Joe's
• 2 scoops (5.8 tbsp) PB Blueberry Vegan Protein from Naked Shake
• 1/2 cup mixed berries frozen

Instructions

1. Boil 1 cup water and then add in oatmeal and fruit
2. Stir continuously for one minute
3. Remove from heat and stir in Naked PB + Blueberry powder. If too thick, add more water. Let sit for two minutes
4. Serve

Notes

If not using this brand of oatmeal, follow instructions for the oatmeal you are using. If you want to add in more nutrients, then add 1 tbsp chia seeds during the cooking of the oatmeal and top with 1 tbsp flax seeds when serving.

Recommended Products

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• PB Blueberry Vegan Protein | Naked Shake - 30 Servings

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What makes Rebar special is how different it is from any of the other bars in Las Vegas. The entire venue is for sale. Including the bar where drinks are served. 

That’s right: Rebar is a hot dog-serving, craft-beer-slinging antique shop/bar. And we dig it. They even have a cocktail menu with a portion of each cocktail going back to a non-profit. Rad, right?

Let’s talk eats. 

Vegan options at ReBAR in Las Vegas

In 2022, ReBAR revamped its offerings, including adding more vegan options to the Las Vegas bar. As a result, now there are a handful of vegan eats. Choose from a vegan sausage with vegan aioli, sauerkraut, relish ‘n pickled onions, a Southwestern bowl complete with vegan cheese, veggies and hummus plate and a vegan black bean burger. Plus, they’ve got snacks like warm chips and salsa, or chips and guac. 

So, tuck into the eats, grab a craft beer, explore the antiques for sale or curl up on a couch and play some old Trivial Pursuit.

1225 S. Main Street, Las Vegas, 89104; 702-349-2283; Mon. – Thurs.: noon – midnight; Fri. – Sun.: noon – 2 a.m.

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Are you looking for the best vegan Thanksgiving recipes to prepare this holiday season? We always are! It’s been a decade feasting on a plant based Thanksgiving meal and this year we’re sharing our favorites that we’ve enjoyed.

From our vegan Thanksgiving stuffing in the air fryer to a vegan turkey recipe, vegan gluten-free Thanksgiving ideas and even vegan Thanksgiving desserts, this post shares all our top picks.

Vegan Thanksgiving Sides

What’s a plant based Thanksgiving without a myriad of delicious sides? TBH, they’re our favorite thing about the meal so of course these are our go-to recipes.

Vegan Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes

Let’s start with vegan Thanksgiving stuffing. We’ve been messing around in the kitchen and even did a segment on Good Day Dallas with our recipe. It’s vegan stuffing in the air fryer and it’s so easy and quick to make.

If you want a more traditional stovetop stuffing recipe, we love the stuffing recipe from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Next, the vegan green bean casserole recipes. Creamy, crunchy and super cozy, the green bean casserole is a must when it comes to vegan Thanksgiving sides. Our favorite comes courtesy of Chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Post Punk Kitchen.

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

We’ve tested a lot of the sweet potato casserole recipes and found the coconut milk many of them use makes it tastes less like what we grew up on. So, the vegan sweet potato casserole recipe we dig is the one from My Darling Vegan.

Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe

There are a million vegan mashed potato recipes on the internet. But, you don’t have to go far to find the best. And, that comes courtesy of The Minimalist Baker. These fluffy bad boys rock.

Vegan Brussels Sprouts Recipe

When it comes to sprouts, Chef Leslie Durso’s maple glazed ones are perfection. The way they crisp up and their flavor make this a must-make for the holiday.

Vegan Thanksgiving Main Dish

Vegan Holiday Roast Recipe

For the vegan Thanksgiving main dish, try Sweet Simple Vegan’s holiday roast. This seitan turkey comes with all the fixins.

Vegan Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipe

However, if you’re gluten-free, a seitan roast isn’t going to cut it. So, check out Vegan Richa’s gluten free vegan roast instead.This one has got chickpeas and tofu as its base.

Vegan Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe

We love a good pumpkin pie! Check out World of Vegan’s easy recipe for vegan pumpkin pie.

Vegan Pecan Pie Recipe

Finally, let’s talk vegan pecan pie. If you’re looking for a good vegan pecan pie recipe check out the one from The Conscious Plant Kitchen.

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Forget baking stuffing in the oven. We’re all about making easy vegan air fryer recipes and this vegan Thanksgiving stuffing is about as easy as they come. If you’re celebrating a vegan Thanksgiving and looking for vegan Thanksgiving sides, this easy vegan recipe is one to save.

It takes less than 30 minutes to make this plant based stuffing.

Yield: 4 - 6 people

Vegan Air Fryer Recipes: Vegan Thanksgiving Stuffing

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of crusty bread. cubed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 - 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 5 - 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups of water or vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sprigs thyme, stems removed
• 2 leaves sage, chopped
• 2 sprigs rosemary, stemmed, chopped
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Cube loaf of bread and put into mixing bowl
2. Dice onion, celery and mince garlic. Separate onion from celery and garlic.
3. Pour 3 tbsp of olive oil in saute pan on medium. Once hot, add onion and saute until starts to become transluscent.
4. Add in celery and garlic and continue cooking until celery begins to become clear.
5. Pour 2 cups of water or veg stock into pan and add herbs. Stir.
6. Pour onions, celery and stock over cubed bread.
7. Shake up mixture and be sure to coat bread.
8. Pour into air fryer, covering the bottom. (Make sure not to fill up the entire basket. If you need to separate into more than one, it's ok.)
9. Set air fryer to 400 degrees and time for three minutes. Once time is done, take out and toss and then put back in. Repeat until bread is golden.
10. Put into serving bowl and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 624Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1283mgCarbohydrates: 100gFiber: 8gSugar: 13gProtein: 18g

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Over the years, I’ve become a lot more conscious of what I consume and what my dollars support. I’ve also become more focused on consuming products that aren’t loaded with ingredients I can’t pronounce. That’s why when I was introduced to Barnana, I fell in love. Hard.

Meet Barnana

Founded by Caue Suplicy, Barnana makes organic and sustainable banana and plantain snacks. But, Suplicy goes further than just making the snacks sustainable. They’re also healthier than other similar snacks on the market. And, he’s focused on their environmental impact.

A certified B-corporation, Barnana focuses on expanding their partnerships with Indigenous communities and farmers in the Amazon. Since they launched in 2012, they’ve upcycled tens of millions of bananas and plantains that would have gone to waste because they were the wrong shape or size but still delicious enough to eat. This year alone, they upcycled more than 12 million, saving them from becoming greenhouse gas-emitting food waste. In addition, the upcycling creates a revenue stream for produce that would otherwise go to waste.

The company is also a founding member of the Upcycled Food Association where Suplicy serves on the Board.

Barnana’s Products

Barnana offers a line-up of products available at Whole Foods, Publix and many more. Which do you want to try first?

Barnana Plantain Crisps

First up are the Barnana Plantain Crisps. These flakey, layered crisps are unlike anything else on the market. Inspired by homemade tostones (which I adore and eat whenever I’m in Puerto Rico), these are a healthier snack option. They’re made with 100 percent organic coconut oil and organic green plantains. Get them in Sea Salt (my favorite!) or Garlic.

Barnana Plantain Ridged Chips

If you’re craving a salty, crunchy snack, try these Organic Ridged Plantain Chips. They’re GMO-free and gluten-free. Like the chips, they’re made with organic coconut oil and organic green plantains. They come in four flavors – Himalayan Pink Salt, Acapulco Lime, Sea Salt and Vinegar and Spicy Mango Salsa.

Barnana Plantain Nuggets

One of their new offerings, Plantain Nuggets are golden cubes packed with savory flavor. They’re the perfect healthy option if you’re looking for a one-bite snack. I eat them by the handful or toss them on a salad for a little extra crunch. Try them in Pink Salt, Ranch, Chili Lime and BBQ.

Other Barnana Snacks

Wait! There’s more! Barnana also makes their Organic Banana Bites. Their signature snack, they’re made with only two ingredients – organic bananas and organic banana powder. They also come in Mango Goldenberry and Coconut flavors.

Next up, the Dipped Barnana Bites. These bite-size, sweet chewy banana snacks are dipped into peanut butter, peanut butter cup or dark chocolate flavors for a fun way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Finally, there are the Plantain Tortilla Chips. These grain-free babies are made from delicately seasoned ground plantains and cooked in 100% avocado oil. The result? A chip that’s healthier and perfect for dipping in salsa. They come in Himalayan Pink Salt or Lime and Sea Salt.

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PHOTO: VEGAN BOIL SHACK

When Vegan Boil Shack launched, people in Las Vegas were ordering a few dozen at once to accompany the boil bags. Now, the couple behind Vegan Boil Shack and Vintage Vegan Diner, Tay and Tumn, have created a way for more people to try their popular biscuits. They’re shipping across the country.

“Many customers have said they dipped the biscuits straight into the sauce, and even that one took us by surprise,” says Tumn. “People who know Vintage Vegan Diner know that it’s a staple for us to bake our own bread, and the biscuits are no different.”

The recipe, inspired by Red Lobster’s biscuits, took months to hone but once they did, they became an immediate best-seller.

Making vegan food more accessible

According to Tumn, they wanted a way for more people to try the cheddar biscuits so they created a dry mix  in a resealable/reusable bag for purchase on their website. The dry mix even comes with dehydrated vegan cheddar cheese. All that’s needed is non-dairy milk, vegan butter and apple cider vinegar.

“We’re no strangers to shipping food and making our eats accessible,” says Tumn. “We know better than anyone the cost of vegan alternatives can be out of reach for most.”

To order, head to Vegan Boil Shack’s website. It’s $6 per order and it serves 12 people.

In Las Vegas, you can order Vegan Boil Shack’s boil. It comes loaded with veggies and housemade vegan sausage, and cooked in their signature boil sauce. Other items offered are the cheddar biscuits, creamy Alfredo penne, steamed rice and fresh lemonade.

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