I have my go-to vegan products and foods. You know, those items you make sure you always – always – have on hand. For me, it’s stuff like Vegenaise, rice milk and Sriracha (that’s my dream team in the photo above). Plus, nutritional yeast (those in the know call it “nooch” ’cause we’re that friendly with it), whole wheat flour, Earth Balance spreads. My list goes on and on. There are so many good things you find when you’re full-blown vegan or transitioning into this lifestyle.

But instead of just compiling my list and throwing it out at you, I thought it’d be nice to ask around and find out what others have to say. So I posed this question – what are the best vegan foods and products you’ve found, the ones you can’t live without and that help make being vegan (or transitioning to being vegan) easy? I asked friends, family and my awesome online vegan community, and here’s what they said.

WHAT’S THE BEST VEGAN THING OUT THERE?

“Nutritional yeast – cheesy goodness for all my cheese needs in so many things.”
–Brenda, doTerra Wellness Advocate

“If I don’t have popcorn to pop, I’m not a happy camper. You don’t want to see me without my popcorn stash. And adding a smidge of melted Earth Balance, a splash of Sriracha, and a pinch of salt bumps it up a minimum of three notches.”
–Anthony

“So Delicious original coconut milk creamer in the red half and half type pint container. AMAZING, perfect in coffee, EXACTLY like whole milk.”
-Wanda

“I just found Red Palm Oil and I’m in love.”
–Angela, VeganHeartedSuperHero.com

“Amy’s frozen dishes, especially her vegan, gluten-free pizza.”
-Marlene

“Toasted Sesame Oil…adds a smoky meaty taste to tofu dishes, stir-fries and veggies. I also use liquid smoke in a lot of my greens especially.”
-Jacki, SoulfullyRaw.com

“Beyond Meat strips and crumbles, nooch, tahini, king oyster mushroom “scallops” and all manner of beans. P.S. Just Mayo! For goodness sake, that stuff is amazing.“
-Kathi, Vegan As I Wanna Be

“Reduced-fat Vegenaise, vegan Becel margarine, Silk & So Delicious creamers, and Daiya pepper jack cheese.”
-Cat

“I love the Lite Life Gimme Lean Grounds, the ones that substitute for ground beef. I love meatballs and sloppy joes and stuffed cabbage, and this allows me to make the foods I love from scratch. I also love Daiya cheeses, especially the mozzarella-type shreds for pizza.”
– Donna

“Veganaise, Earth Balance, Gardein products, and seitan. Boca Crumbles – knowing I can have my favorite, now UNmeat, sauce over pasta made the transition easy and delicious.”
-Joyce

“Tofu cream cheese (like Tofutti!) and vegan butter (Earth Balance – I like them all, especially the whipped version), because I used to eat bagels like crazy before going vegan and now I still can.”
–Rachel, The Paw Report

“My junky cheese dip for when I really miss nachos with dairy cheese. No recipe really, just 1 part arrowroot powder to 3 parts nutritional yeast, then add unsweetened nondairy milk while stirring until I get the consistency of mayonnaise. Add salt to taste (I use a fair amount because, after all, it’s junky). Sometimes I add garlic powder and onion powder depending on mood. Then I throw in a handful of finely diced (but not minced) red bell pepper and a good handful of cheddar Daiya. Microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between. I end up with something similar to Cheez Whiz but tastier. Glop into a dish, grab a bag of tortilla chips, and it’s junk food time!”
-Chandra

“What helped me transition (to being vegan) was Isa’s Appetite For Reduction. But honestly, I don’t find being vegan hard. It’s easy for me. Especially since I can still eat dark chocolate.”
-Sandra

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE VEGAN THING?
Let us know below!

(By the way, special thanks to The Vegan Food Enthusiast group on Facebook for input and help with this post – I adore you guys!)