My Top 10 Favourite Vegan Specialty Brands/Products

Whoever said being vegan was difficult? Since becoming a vegan over 2 years ago, I have discovered some of the best food, drinks, snacks, restaurants, clothing and beauty products. I thought I would compile a list of some of my favourite snacks and/or food brands. Enjoy and try not to get too hungry.

Dandies Marshmallows-- Where do I even begin? Dandies are, by far, the best marshmallow on the market, period. They taste and look identical to the real thing with one major difference, they are cruelty-free and they don't make me feel sick like the real ones always did. I have an issue with not eating a whole bag when I stick my hand in to "just have one". Light, fluffy goodness and toast just like the real deal. This is always a must have for our camping trips. The funny thing is, I never even really liked marshmallows pre-vegan days.

Go Max Go Bars-- Hands down, the BEST vegan chocolate bars on the market. The only downside, I can't find them locally. I have tried all the bars but the new "Thumbs Up" one and they all have delicious smooth chocolate and taste very much like the "real" bars they are imitating. Twilight is a vegan Mars bar, Thumbs up is Butterfinger, Jokerz is Snickers, Snap is Crunch, Mahalo is Almond Joy, Buccaneer is Three Muskateers and Cleo's is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. These could fool any non-vegan chocolate lover.

Gardein-- I have a love affair going on with Gardein (shhh don't tell the hubby). I happen to think they make some of the best vegan meats on the market. I love that I never have to worry about eggs or dairy showing up in any bag of Gardein. Their products are just so awesomely flavorful and filling, that even for someone who is a bottomless pit, like myself, it fills you up. They have tons of variety and are always engineering new ideas to satisfy the meatless world. I, only hope, some of those new products make their way to shelves near me. My favourite happen to be the Crispy Chipotle Lime Fingers.

Tofurky-- Another meatless favourite of mine. We always have the Tofurky roast at Thanksgiving and Christmas and my mouth simply waters at the thought. I love their deli slices, my favourite sandwich consists of them. They make awesome sausages and pizzas and now have a whole new line of pies and pockets which I am dying to try. Tofurky is a full vegan company, just like Gardein and are filled with flavour and delicious satisfaction.

 Surf Sweets-- I just can't help this sweet tooth of mine. Surf makes some of my favourite gummy candies on the market. Not all of their products are vegan but they mark the ones that are with the word, which is highly appreciated in my book. Their candies are soft and naturally sweet, so you don't feel like you are eating overly artificial garbage. Get a bag in my hands, it's gone within minutes.

Peanut Butter & Co (White chocolate wonderful)-- PB&Co makes the best peanut butter I have ever eaten, no questions asked. They have no cholesterol, no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, and no high-fructose corn syrup which is a score one in my world. It's all natural but doesn't have that nasty oil floating on the top either. Many of the flavours are certified vegan and you can see the seal on the packages. As you can probably guess, White Chocolate Wonderful is my favourite. It's sweet and peanut buttery and perfect in every way.

Panda licorice-- I have a little nostalgia thinking about Panda licorice. My deceased grandfather used to love the Panda black licorice, so I kind of get a double happy trip when I eat it. Panda is all natural, which makes it totally awesome. I am a licorice addict and this stuff is my favourite. They have unique flavours and they aren't sickly sweet and artificial like other brands.

Tofutti-- Tofutti has a full product line and I can't say there's anything I haven't loved but I am particularly fond of the Yours Truly drumsticks and their Tofutti cuties. My only wish is some of the products like their pizzas and ravioli would fly their way to Canada.

Country Choice Organic Cookies-- These are basically my alternative to Oreo (since I won't eat them because they can't confirm the sugar sources). These are better though, organic and much healthier than Oreos. The only issue I have is not eating the whole package. They taste almost identical to Oreos without the grossness.

Enjoy Life-- I love Enjoy Life because they make food accessible to many different people. They are not only vegan-friendly but also contain none of the major allergy ingredients. My favourite products are their chocolate chips and dill and sour cream Plentils. They make awesome cookies and bars too. The only non-vegan ingredient you have to look out for is honey.