11 Vegan Food Trends to Watch in 2019

By Danny Prater

New dairy-free favorites, surprising protein sources and automated everything: We’ve prepped a list of 2019’s biggest food trends—all
vegan, of course. Like you, millions of people are more curious than ever before about the latest developments in the vegan culinary world. Below, you can check out the newest, fanciest vegan foods and the hottest trends that will help you reduce your environmental footprint, improve your personal health and spare hundreds of animals a violent death in the coming year.

Here are the biggest vegan food trends to watch for in 2019:

Oat Milk

Sure, almond and soy milk are cool, but 2019 will be the year of smooth, creamy oat milk. Try it in your coffee or cereal or even as the base for dairy-free ice cream. Check out these brands that are bringing us one of the most sustainable and delicious vegan milks around:

• Oatly!: This Swedish company already sells oat milk in the U.S. and hopes to offer other oat-based beverages and yogurt products soon.

• RISE Brewing Co.’s Oat Milk Latte: Jump-start your new year with this nitrogen-infused cold brew oat milk latte.

• Quaker Oats: The popular cereal brand plans to release its own oat milk lineup in January, according to The New York Times, proving that vegan milk is what the people want.

• Pacific Foods: This brand’s oat milk can already be found on supermarket shelves, and it’ll make every morning meal of the new year a bit brighter.

Tahini in Desserts

Tahini’s not just for hummus anymore! Look for this Middle Eastern sesame seed butter in new versions of favorites like
ice cream and milkshakes.

Green (Pea) Protein

The humble pea packs a protein punch, and in 2019, we think more brands will be exploiting this little green machine for all it’s worth. Try these vegan pea-based products:

• Beyond Meat’s Beyond Sausage (Original Bratwurst, Sweet Italian and Hot Italian)

• World Peas Brand’s Peatos (Masala and Fiery Hot varieties only)

• Bolthouse Farms’ Plant Protein Milk (Original, Unsweetened, Vanilla and Chocolate)

• Ripple Foods’ Nutritious Pea Milk (Original, Unsweetened Original, Vanilla, Unsweetened Vanilla and Chocolate)

Vegan Fast Food Goes Mainstream

Fast-food and chain restaurants are increasingly a hotbed of vegan options. In 2019, keep an ear to the ground as Del Taco expands the availability of its Beyond Meat tacos and as other chains, including TGI Fridays, add the Beyond Burger.

Fish-Free and Fabulous

In 2018, millennials may have ”
killed canned tuna“—just in time, because 2019 is coming and vegan seafood is riding in on a big wave. In the new year, look for snacks packed with omega-3s, such as dulse bacon and kelp noodles. These vegan seafood products are already available in stores:

• Loma Linda’s Fishless Tuna

• Ocean Hugger Foods’ Ahimi (fish-free sushi)

• New Wave Foods’ Plant-Based Shrimp

There’s Something in the Water

Bye, bye, boring water.
Cut back on your plastic use by grabbing a reuseable water bottle (or cup or jar), and try one of these specialized vegan waters:

• AquaBotanical’s Still or Sparkling Botanical Water (made from fruits and veggies!)

• Laird Superfood’s HYDRATE Powdered Coconut Water

Healthy Fat- and Carb-Conscious Menus

You’ll see more emphasis on healthy fats in 2019—vegan restaurants and the kitchens of home-cooks included. With popular
high-fat, low-carb vegan keto meals, you can use cauliflower, zucchini, and avocado to get your macros.

Probiotics and Other Gut-Healthy Options

Fermented foods and friendly bacteria to the rescue! In 2019, we’ll go beyond kombucha, as other probiotics and gut-healthy options take center stage. These vegan gut-healthy products will be big next year:

• Califia Farms’ Probiotic Dairy Free Yogurt

• Wildbrine’s Probiotic Smoky Jalapeño Sriracha

• Gold Mine’s Organic Raw Golden Kraut

Meat-Free Mushroom Snacks

Vegan pork rinds? Pig-free bacon chips? Keep pigs out of your pantry by opting for mushroom-based munchies. Look for these meat-free snack options in 2019:

• Snacklins’ Puffed Chips (Barbeque, Soy Ginger and Chesapeake Bay)

• PigOut’s Pigless Bacon Chips (Original, Cheddar, Chipotle and Kansas City BBQ)

Puffs

Chips are canceled: 2019 is the year of the airy vegan puff. Fried or baked, these pop-able snacks will be everywhere in the new year. Try these vegan snack puffs:

• Hippeas’ Organic Chickpea Puffs (Vegan White Cheddar, Far Out Fajita, Sriracha Sunshine, Pepper Power and Bohemian Barbecue)—order them on Amazon.

• Vegan Rob’s Puffs (Dairy Free Cheddar, Beet, Brussel Sprout, Moringa and Jackfruit; plus, two gut-healthy varieties: Probiotic Cauliflower and Probiotic Dragon Puffs)—order them on Amazon.

• Brandless’ Corn & Quinoa Puffs

• Watusee Foods’ Popped Chickpeatos

• Human Bean Co.’s Air Puffed & Crunchy Faba Beans (Lightly Salted, Original Aussie BBQ, Sea Salt and Vinegar, Lime and Black Pepper, and Pizza Supreme)

• LesserEvil’s Grain Free Paleo Puffs (“No Cheese” Cheesiness, Himalayan Pink Salt and Himalayan Salt ‘N Apple Cider Vinegar)

• Popchips’ Nutter Puffs

• Square Organics’ Protein Popcorn

Automation

“Alexa, go vegan!”
Amazon Echo devices offer a host of vegan and animal-friendly “skills,” like searching for vegan recipes or even entertaining your cat while you’re away. (“Alexa, donate to PETA” is unsurprisingly our fave.) Expect 2019 to bring in more automatic, robotic wonders. To bring your culinary repertoire up to date, consider splurging on a high-tech kitchen device like an Instant Pot or air fryer to cook your favorite vegan foods.

Get on Trend—Go Vegan Today!

Using animals for food is unsustainable, unhealthy, and unkind. Be part of the vegan revolution in 2019 by ditching meat, eggs, and dairy “products.” There’s a whole world of new vegan products out there waiting to be discovered. Check out the ones listed on this page, and be sure to order a free vegan starter kit if you don’t already have one.