5. Best healthy plant-based cheese: Good Foods Plant-Based Queso Dip
“When we decided to create a dairy-free queso, we knew we had to get it right!” Good Foods says about this plant-based queso, noting that “our almond-veggie dip provides an incredible, cheesy flavor profile that would make any cheese head proud.” The four-packs of individual dipping cups are cauliflower-based and boast a creamy and cheesy flavor profile despite being completely dairy-free.
The expert’s take: “This has the best nutritional profile of this set of products,” says Upton.
Our tasting notes: “I’m not vegan, but I love to try out the latest dairy-free cheeses at the grocery store. When this was picked as the winner of the plant-based cheese category, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it—and I wasn’t disappointed! I tried this dip straight out of the cup with tortilla chips, and I absolutely loved it. It’s creamy and cheesy and would work perfectly as a fresh dip for veggies, topping for nachos or tacos, or even as a dressing for salads,” says McDonald.
6. Best healthy plant-based snack: White Chedda Outstanding Puffs
Outstanding Foods’ Outstanding Puffs are a vegan version of your favorite snack puff, and they contain 21 grams of plant protein. They’re also a good source of iron, calcium, zinc, as well as vitamins A, B6, B12, D, and E.
The expert’s take: “Low in calories, sat fat and no sugar with lots of filling protein,” says Upton.
Our tasting notes: “When I opened the bag, I was surprised by how many puffs were inside! These puffs aren’t like other chips and snacks that come in bags filled mostly with air. They’re smaller than I expected, but they’re super cheesy and have a good crunch to them,” says McDonald.