Vegan Gold

The following list includes my favorite products, which can be purchased locally at Whole Foods and other health-food stores.

Living Harvest Hempmilk, Original. Not sweet, like other "milks," and with a slightly nutty flavor. Shake well before using.

Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese Alternative. They melt, and sometimes that's all you need.

Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread. No trans-fats, great for cooking, yummy on toast.

Amy's Organic Soups Low-Fat Butternut Squash. Creamy, without the cream.

Amy's Kids Meals Baked Ziti. My daughter's favorite new dinner-in-a-hurry.

Larabars. These chewy snack bars are soy-free, with no added sugar and usually just three ingredients. There's one in my purse right now.

Alternative Baking Co. Chocolate Chip Cookie. Each huge cookie is supposed to be two servings. Good luck with that.

365 Chocolate Creme Cookies. Better than Oreos. Seriously.

Frankly Natural Vegan Decadence Butterscotch Blondie or Chocolate Blondie. Crumbly, rich, and becoming a real problem for me.

Diana's Bananas Banana Babies Dark Chocolate. When you've got chocolate-covered bananas, who needs ice cream?

Awesome Foods' Tempuraw. Admittedly, an acquired taste. But these chips - a weird combination of crispy dried veggies, cashew butter and onion powder - hit the salty-crunchy spot so much better than Funyuns, without any of the nasty ingredients. Locally made, too!

- Wendy Rosenfield