Katia and I recently attended The Seed 2013.   It’s a 2-day event for vegans (me!), vegetarians and those who are veg-curious (like Katia!).  What an amazing experience. The Soho event space was filled with tables representing cruelty-free products and services, vegan restaurants and foods, authors, athletes, and more.  Also, there was a full schedule of world-renowned speakers and free exercise classes!

I’ve been vegan for almost 2 years and before that I was vegetarian for 14 years so this was heaven for me!  In particular, I fell in love with 5 food products:
 

1. Phoney Baloney’s Coconut Bacon-  You have to trust me on this one!  I’d read great things about this product but was honestly too scared to try it.  The Seed gave me the perfect opportunity to sample it and WOW- I am so glad I did! It’s salty, smoky, crisp, and naturally greasy.  I’ve been sprinkling it on my kale salads and using it for BLTs. Visit their site.

2. Dandies Vegan Marshmallows-  I hadn’t had a marshmallow in over 15 years when I sampled this product! These fluffy sweets taste just the way I remember.  Katia, who has enjoyed many  s’mores in the last 15 years, loved them just as much! These are a must-have item for vegan campers. Visit their site.

3. Treeline Treenut Cheese- This table was swarming with people reaching for seconds and thirds of the samples! We tried (and I quickly purchased) their Cracked Pepper Hard Cheese and Scallion French-Style Soft Cheese.  These cheeses are nothing like soy-based imitation cheeses.  They’re complex, tangy, and pair perfectly with olive oil, bread, and olives.  Visit their site.
 

4. One Lucky Duck Rosemary Quackers-  These are the crackers served on my favorite “cheese” plate in the city from Pure Food and Wine.  They are made with almonds, flax seeds, and nutritional yeast.  They are a bit pricey at $13.50 a bag but are absolutely worth it for a special meal or snack.  You’ll savor every bite! These were amazing with our Treeline cheese.   Visit their site.

5. Food for Lovers Vegan Queso-  This tastes just like that delicious-but-unhealthy cheese dip I used to love before going vegan.  It is fat free and only 20 calories per serving and made with natural ingredients like nutritional yeast, tomatoes, green chili peppers, and mustard seed.  Whether you are vegan or not, this is a perfect healthy alternative for this cheesy craving.   Visit their site.