Browsing around the grocery stores this week I ran into some new vegan items. In Kroger, I noticed Silk now has iced latte available in half gallon sizes. Being a coffee snob, I’m one to make my own iced coffees at home but for those who need a coffee fix on the go with ultimate pre-made convenience, these may fit the need.

Also, at Whole Foods the much reported Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Puffs and vegan butter popcorn and well as vegan cheddar popcorn is now available. At $3.99 a bag these we’re a bit out of my snack price range. Considering the cheddar popcorn seemed to be no more than popcorn with salt a nutritional yeast, paying more than 99 cents for a big bag is just out of the question for me. I can make that stuff at home by the metric ton. I may try the puffs if I find them cheaper or on sale, however.

Sometimes a vegan likes to eat the things they loved before becoming one who avoids animal products. Many vegans will say cheese is one of the hardest things to give up on the path to veganism. There are many cheese substitutes in the grocery store now, many more than just 5 years ago. As a vegan you have to read your labels even on these veggie-based cheeses as many contain casein. That’s something I’ve never understood. Why put milk in a cheese if your trying to make a veggie cheese? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? I realize the casein is there to give the cheese the proper texture when melted but if you can’t obtain the proper texture without it then why bother making the veggie cheese to begin with? Many vegan cheeses  have found the proper ingredient formula to get all the stretchy goodness of melted cheese without the extra animal squeezings. Galaxy Nutritional Foods is the latest to give this a try.

Galaxy Nutrition Foods has just come out with two varieties of vegan cheese shreds, mozzarella and a Mexican blend. I gave the mozzarella a try on the only proper way to do so: pizza.  Not just any pizza but grilled pizza, my favorite way to bake a pie.

 

The cheese has a good flavor and melts very well. As far as stringy stretch it doesn’t quite get there like another very popular vegan cheese but instead has a more “liquid” consistency when melted. As far as flavor, it is very tasty. I would prefer more of the stretch but still a very good vegan cheese.

I’ve only found Galaxy Nutritional Foods Shreds at Kroger and EarthFare but I’m sure it will be making it’s way to other outlets soon.

 

 

I get emails regularly asking from new vegans asking for advice. I recently received one and was asked for general advice as well as what I would tell a new vegan in regards to grocery shopping. Below is the reply I sent. I thought It would be good to get some input from the community as far as advice others would give. Add your advice to new vegans in the comments or if you’re a new vegan add your questions.

I sometimes go through two pounds of coffee a week at home. That’s alot of coffee and I sometimes drink it with a creamer. When I’m not home finding a vegan creamer at a coffee shop or restaurant isn’t easy and is usually impossible. SoyGo is trying to fix that.

SoyGo Soy Creamer is a soy-based powder coffee creamer in a small, travel-sized packet that’s easy to carry wherever you go. Very welcome to the vegan or health conscious who don’t want the unpronounceable chemicals in most powdered creamers or a non-dairy creamer in their coffee.

A single pack of SoyGo gives enough creamer for an 8 ounce cup of coffee. Much more coffee than that and you’ll need a second pack of SoyGo to get the flavor and proper results. It’s been a couple decades since I used a powdered coffee creamer such as CoffeeMate so I don’t remember how well it dissolves but SoyGo needs a very good stirring before breaking down sufficiently and then it still leaves a powdery swirl in your cup. I stirred for about 30-40 seconds yet the majority of the powder had still not dissolved. The flavor is there, lightly but I would prefer it dissolve better. At the bottom of your cup you will find a sludge of soy powder goo once you drink the coffee.

The ingredients are all-natural and all-vegan. – Soy Powder (non-GMO), Vegan Sugar, Color Added (All-natural whitener), Xantham Gum, Inulin, Natural Flavors (French Vanilla), Natural Flavors (Non-dairy cream flavor), Dipotassium Phosphate, Lecithin, Salt

Overall, SoyGo is a welcome product. I like having the option to get a cup of Sock Juice (brewed coffee) while away from home and have the option to add a vegan creamer. I would like to see it dissolve a bit better and maybe a half-ounce more product per packet so a larger cup or mug of coffee can be fixed up with just one pack. With that said, I’ll be sure to take a few packs with me on road trips. It will come in very handy at those coffee shops where vegans are never taken into consideration at the condiment bar.

SoyGo Soy Creamer is available at most Whole Foods locations including Coolsprings and Green Hills. You can find it in the baking aisle near the cocoa in both of those stores. It is also available directly from SoyGo, Amazon and some other online vegan outlets.

For more information on SoyGo Soy Creamer visit SavingOpusOne.

SoyGo Soy Creamer Review