Plant-Based Brands to Buy for Earth Month
April marks Earth Month, and a perfect time to invest in plant-based eating. Adopting a plant-based diet is a great way to help protect the environment, since plant-based foods can help reduce greenhouse emissions, conserve resources, and improve your own health.
This month, we're highlighting our peers in the plant-based industry who are helping to make plant-based lifestyles feel like an act of self-love rather than sacrifice. Consider buying from these brands and their founders:
OmniFoods
OmniFoods is a plant-based food brand known for a diverse range of vegan and vegetarian products, such as their plant-based pork strips, plant-based crab cakes, and even familiar appetizers and entrees such as bao buns and spring rolls.
Founded by David Yeung in 2012, OmniFoods products are available around the world. Yeung himself has been vegan since the age of 24 in hopes of promoting animal welfare, and runs Green Monday, a social movement organization promoting plant-based eating, as well.
Daring Foods
This delicious meat alternative brand creates chicken substitutes and is sold around the country. Their products provide the familiar taste and texture of chicken while being entirely free of animal ingredients. We love their flavored lemon and herb chicken, breaded wings, and plant bowls found in the freezer aisle.
Co-Founded by Scottish immigrants Ross Mackay, a former tennis player, and Eliott Kessas, Daring Foods was fully launched in 2020. As the current CEO, Mackay was quoted in December 2022 noting that their repeat purchase rate was about 33% – a great sign that consumers enjoy their products (as do we!).
Todo Verde
This true-to-culture Mexican seasoning brand offers three fully plant-based taco seasoning flavors, including Al Pastor, Carnitas, and Tinga. It’s currently sold in Bristol Farms and Clark’s Nutrition, in addition to online sales on Amazon and directly from the brand’s website, todoverde.org.
Chef and Founder Jocelyn Ramirez created the brand with a mission to promote plant-based eating within the Latino community. With a focus on community engagement and education, Jocelyn shares recipes on her social media channels to inspire others to explore the delicious possibilities of plant-based eating with Todo Verde.
Actual Veggies
Founded in 2020, this brand has experienced explosive growth for its chef-crafted, vegetable-based burgers. Sold at select Whole Foods Market stores and other retailers nationwide, they offer refrigerated and frozen patties.
Co-Founded by Jason Rosenbaum and Hailey Swartz, Actual Veggies is headquartered in New York and boasts colorful, flavorful patty blends.
Climax Foods
Created as an A.I. Food Tech startup, Climax Foods is based in California and has been using science to create non-dairy cheese options. Partnering with renowned chefs and small restaurants, the brand currently offers a few select options, including their bleu cheese, (our personal favorite), and made news last year for uncovering a plant casein that mimics diary’s stretch, melt, and browning.
This brand was founded by astrophysicist Oliver Zahn, who promises that Climax Foods formulation processes will one day be applied more vastly, to replace other animal-based foods beyond cheese.
Follow Your Heart
A leading dairy-free, plant-based cheese brand, Follow Your Heart is known for its cheeses made from non-GMO ingredients. Their Provolone cheese is our personal favorite, offering a rich and savory option for sandwiches, pizzas, and more.
This brand was co-founded by friends and business partners Michael Besançon, Bob Goldberg, Paul Lewin, and Spencer Windbiel, after running a small soup, salad, and sandwich counter in the back of a natural food store in Southern California circa 1970. It’s still open today!
Konscious Foods
This frozen, plant-based sushi brand has a variety of beloved products including onigiri snacks, sushi rolls, and poke bowls. Crafted with fresh ingredients, one of our personal favorites is their roasted corn poblano onigiri, created with pumpkin, sesame, and chili.
Founded by Yves Potvin, this brand is available in all Whole Foods locations across the US and Canada. Potvin himself is a Canadian chef passionate about clean ingredients, and all of Konscious Foods products use zero wheat or soy.
These brands and their founders are helping expand the variety of plant-based options on the market. For a more Earth-friendly way to eat this April and beyond, consider sampling them (and us!) by buying directly or searching for them the next time you’re at the store.
