Today, I’m sharing my favorite plant based finds from Whole Foods Market. Mateo and I eat as much actual whole foods (produce, grains, nuts, seeds, beans etc) as possible and semi-limit processed foods but we do love them as a treat.

I obviously buy a ton of produce but that’s not all that exciting to see in a haul, so here are the packaged goodies you’ll love.

Plant Based Faux Dairy

Oh my Heart Vegan Smoked Gouda - This one is awesome for grilled cheese and my son likes it just as is as a snack. I can’t say that it tastes like what I remember smoked Gouda (or even cheese) to taste like but it is delicious and creamy and melts considerably well.

Forager Cashew Yogurt - It’s hands down my favorite plant based yogurt. I like plain but am about to try vanilla bean, pictured above as they were out of plain last time. I usually add berries, banana and granola. I also add it to smoothies so that Mateo and I get our daily dose of probiotics. I started putting some on top of oatmeal, a little happy accident from when I wanted both at the Kripalu breakfast bar but only had one bowl.

Miyokos Vegan Butter - Vegan butter that’s not made from palm oil! Finally! I usually get the “European Style Cultured Vegan Butter” but tried out oat milk based one this haul. I prefer the original.

Kite Hill Ricotta - Yep. It exists. Vegan Ricotta. And it’s amazing in lasagnas and pastas, and even makes for a nice sandwich spread.

365 Brand and Blue Diamond Almond Milks - I prefer the refrigerated ones versus shelf stable but we keep a ton of both in the house. This is our smoothie base so we go through a lot. Kids don’t need cow’s milk at any point in their development despite what the dairy industry wants us to tihnk. They don’t need a dairy free substitute either. But, it’s nice to have something other than water and Mateo really enjoys drinking it so this is what we use.

Veganized Dinners

Kite Hill Plant Based Ravioli and Tortellini - I nearly cried when I saw this at Whole Foods in early 2020. Wow. Just wow. I love ravioli and tortellini and never thought I’d have it again because even the pumpkin and butternut squash varieties that I’d seen before all contained egg. Not this one.

Vegetable Pot Stickers - It’s tricky because many dumplings and pot stickers have egg either in the filling or dough but these are vegan and really yummy.

Sushi and Fresh Rolls with Peanut Sauce - The prepared meals section usually has a sushi bar and the ones wrapped in green rubber bands are vegan. I love the brown rice avocado-cucumber-carrot sushi and the fresh rolls with peanut dipping sauce. The price mirrors take out but they’re good!

Hilary’s Veggie Burgers - I love the whole line.

Sweet Earth, Vegan Veggie Lover’s Frozen Pizza - This is my current favorite frozen vegan pizza. For me, pizza was my vegetarian to vegan deal breaker for a long time. When I finally found my motivator (compassion for animals) I said goodbye and to be honest, ti was hard. But, I have had some faux brands that I like and mostly, I make my own that I think are so delicious.

Amy’s Roasted Vegetable Frozen Pizza - This one is a runner up that I’ve had a handful of times. It does not taste like traditional pizza at all but it is really delicious. They apparently now have a vegan pesto and roasted artichoke one so sign me up for that!

Pizza Dough - As you can see, I love pizza and making my own has been my favorite way to enjoy it. I usually top with a little tomato sauce (homemade or jarred), black olives and artichokes and then fresh arugula and basil after it’s finished cooking. Yum.

Annie’s Mac and Cheese - It tastes just like what I remember boxed mac and cheese to taste like, which is to say, delicious. I make my own faux mac and cheese regularly now thanks to Ellen Fisher’s ebook recipe but I got this to try for a quick fix and I am definitely adding this into our pantry back up’s!

Sauces

Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto - Goes great with the Kite Hill pastas above. So delicious. I make my own in the summer when I have a ton of basil but wow this is great when I don’t have basil on hand.

365 and Siete Enchilada Sauces - You have to make the enchiladas but both of these sauces are delicious.

Tessemae’s Vegan Zesty Ranch - The best light salad dressing with the ranch flavor. It’s just so good.

Breakfasts

Kashi 7 Grain Waffles - Believe it or not, most frozen waffles are not vegan. But these are, woo hoo!

Annie’s Cinnamon Rolls - Betcha didn’t know these guys are vegan.

Abe’s Blueberry Muffins - Yum. We usually make our own but these are really tasty.

Desserts

Rubicon Vanilla Cupcakes - Hands down, the best vegan cupcake out there. They even have a dollop of frosting in the center. Yum. The top frosting to cake ratio is a bit high for me so frosting lovers, get on this one.

WFM Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies - A totally non-vegan friend of mine got me hooked on these.

Chocolate Covered Cocomel Bites - I found these originally on Thrive Market but I know that WFM carries them too. Super yum.

Ben & Jerry’s Vegan Ice Creams - Have you had them? This nice cream is amazing! My favorite is PB Cookie. Mint Cookie is a runner up.

Everything Else

And then there are so many obvious ones that I don’t think I really need to mention them. We buy peanut butter, almond butter, apple sauce, dried fruit, pasta, tea, snacks, etc. along with our produce.

Coffee

They have the best cold brew at the coffee bar. Even the decaf gives me a kick in the pants. And I am loving the prepackaged cold brew options. I haven’t disliked any of the brands they carry. It’s a nice alternative to going out to get coffee if you’re trying to save a bit of money on that. Obviously, brewing your own is much cheaper but these are a nice treat!

What I don’t buy at Whole Foods

I hear often that folks think that Whole Foods is expensive. I actually don’t agree. I just think you have to shop smart. I don’t buy things like Maple Syrup for example because I can get a large jug of it at Costco for half the price. But their produce, and packaged vegan products are on par with any other grocery store except perhaps Trader Joe’s. If you think you’re saving money at Stop and Shop though, I’d like to compare receipts.

I don’t love their vegan donuts. Let’s shout out that they should veganize their apple cider donuts because I bet those would be amazing!

In my opinion, Whole Foods Market is good for…

• Foodies

• Those looking for specialty items that traditional grocery stores may not carry

• Those looking to avoid a lot of the junk found in traditional grocery stores. One thing that used to bother me so much was the trash magazines and candy in line at other stores. I love that the Whole Foods lines have beautiful magazines featuring beautiful food and yoga photography and limited junk food.

Do you have a Whole Foods near you? Do you love it? I’d love to know your thoughts. Leave a note in the comments below or join the conversation on Instagram.

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