It’s a great time to be vegan — unlike, say, 10 years ago. These days there’s a bevy of cruelty-free cuisine options in restaurants, stores, and even places like schools, corporate campuses and prisons (yes, seriously).
Grocery store shelves in particular are getting lots of plant-based love from vegan and non-vegan companies alike, all eager to cash in on the dietary renaissance. Hit up your average Safeway or Publix and you’ll find all kinds of vegan goodies.
So, for the vegans and veg-curious, here are nine groundbreaking new vegan products coming soon to stores near you.
1. Tofurky Ham Roast
Holidays will be awkward no more as Tofurky’s newest product can replace the ham roast your stubborn uncle insists on. Smoky and sweet with a delicious beer glaze, this hearty meal option includes five servings — enough to feed even the most ravenous relatives. The roast is seasonal, so it’ll be in stores around Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Look for it in national retailers when the holidays approach.
2. Daiya Cutting Board Shreds
Photo courtesy of Daiya
Vegan cheesemaker Daiya is known for its popular shreds (found in pizzerias nationwide), and this new formulation melts 100 percent like cow’s milk cheese. Ooey, gooey and totally stretchable, the company will offer the shreds in cheddar, mozzarella and pepperjack styles. They’ll hit stores in late summer, early fall.
3. Follow Your Heart Rocket Cakes
Photo courtesy of Follow Your Heart
Pancakes might be the best breakfast food ever, but who wants to be bothered with making the batter? Rocket Cakes will solve the lazy man’s morning conundrum. This pre-made, squeezable batter means delightfully fluffy pancakes are only minutes away. Spot it on shelves in late 2017 or early 2018.
4. Field Roast Mac ‘n Chao
Photo courtesy of Field Roast
Mac n’ cheese is in everyone’s top five fave foods list, easy — and it’s no different for vegans. Field Roast, maker of vegan sausages extraordinaire, is getting into the mac and cheese business with their popular, super-creamy Chao cheese product. Mac ‘n Chao will come in creamy and chili varieties. They’re hitting West Coast retailers now, and will make their nationwide appearance later this month.
5. Field Roast Miniature Corn Dogs
Corn dogs, seriously?! And miniature ones, at that, so you can eat like 10 per sitting. Imagine Field Roast’s veggie frankfurters wrapped in a sweet corn batter. These pint-sized snacks will be hitting stores starting in August.
6. Upton’s Naturals Ch’eesy Mac
Photo courtesy of Upton’s Naturals
More mac and cheese! Upton’s Naturals — purveyors of jackfruit, seitan and other meaty meals — is getting into the pasta game. The company is releasing two varieties of pre-cooked mac — Ch’eesy Mac and Ch’eesy Bacon Mac. The varieties are made with a nutritional yeast-based cheese and hearty noodles. The bacon mac comes with extra crispy bacon seitan. These should be in stores by late summer.
7. Daiya Deluxe Cheeze Sauce
Photo courtesy of Daiya
Sometimes you just need cheese to cover ALL of the food. That’s what Daiya’s new cheeze sauce is for. In Alfredo and cheddar-styles, it comes shelf-stable and can be poured on just about everything from broccoli to macaroni to nachos. The boxed sauces will also make it to stores in late summer, early fall.
8. Follow Your Heart Yogurt
Photo courtesy of Follow Your Heart
There’s a mess of vegan yogurt on the market already, but the flavor selection is pretty limited. But no longer! Follow Your Heart is releasing a new line that includes a vast array of options including Cherry, Peach, Strawberry, Raspberry, Key Lime, Piña Colada, Strawberry Rhubarb, Vanilla and Plain. These will also hit stores in late 2017 or early 2018.
9. MorningStar Farms® Meal Starters Pulled Pork
Photo courtesy of MorningStar Farms
Pulled pork sammies aren’t usually on the menu for your average vegan, but that’s about to change. Morningstar Farms’ new pulled pork is cooked and ready to be sauced with your BBQ variety of choice — sweet, spicy or a little bit of both. It’s in select stores as we speak.
Hannah Sentenac is a freelance writer and journalist who covers veg food, drink, pop culture, travel, and animal advocacy issues. She’s written for Live Happy magazine, Foxnews.com, MindBodyGreen.com, and numerous other publications and websites. Hannah is also the Editor-in-Chief of LatestVeganNews.com, a publication dedicated to positive, original news from the vegan and plant-based world.