Vegan Food News of the Week: Veggie Cheerios, Apricot Milk, and Cookie Dough Snacks

This week, a new innovation in Switzerland, apricot milk, proves that vegan milk can come from just about anything these days. 

With summer around the corner, we’re all looking for a sweet frozen treat and Doughlicious is delivering with its cookie dough-covered gelato bites, which are headed for a Whole Foods Market near you. 

And Cheerios recently went the veggie route with a new line of cereals. But do they have more fiber than others? Read on for more. 

Vegan food news

We’re starting this week off with breakfast news. First, did you know that there is a Veggie Blend line of Cheerios in Apple Strawberry and Blueberry Banana flavors that both feature ¼ cup of vegetables such as spinach, carrot, and sweet potatoes? General Mills introduced this line in late 2023 exclusively at Walmart and you’d think it delivers a nutritional punch given all those veggies. 

However, there’s an asterisk. Nutrition sleuths have pointed out that since the veggies are in a powder form, they add little in terms of fiber while packing in six grams more sugar per serving than the original flavor. 

Karma Kernel

We’re sticking to regular Cheerios and reaching for a fun new vegan milk with the help of Karma Kernel Apricot Drink. This innovative vegan milk was developed through a collaboration between Swiss supermarket chain Coop, Austria’s Kern Tec, and the Swiss dairy manufacturer Emmi Group. It tastes a bit like almond milk but is made from repurposed apricot pits from fruit processing, reducing waste and carbon emissions. 

The only problem? We’ll have to travel to Switzerland to try some. 

Back in the States, Beyond Meat might be best known for its burgers. But this week, it’s the vegan meat company’s beef crumbles making news. That’s because it launched an updated and expanded line of Beyond Crumbles, now boasting certifications from both the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Program and the American Diabetes Association’s Better Choices for Life Program.

 Beyond Meat

These plant-based crumbles come in three flavors: Original, Feisty, and the new Beyond Sausage Crumbles Italian-Style. “We continue to innovate across our product lines to deliver delicious taste and health benefits alike,” Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat Founder and CEO, said in a statement. 

“For consumers who love the taste and versatility of beef, but want to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in their diet, Beyond Crumbles offer a convenient, healthy protein for the center of the plate,” Brown said. 

For more ways to reduce cholesterol intake, we turn to Kraft Heinz Not Company, the joint venture between Kraft Heinz and The Not Company that has been turning America’s most beloved products vegan. This week, the joint venture released a new format of its Kraft NotMayo, which—like all other vegan products—contains zero cholesterol. 

This plant-based mayonnaise, renowned for its similarity in taste and appearance to traditional mayo, is now available in squeeze bottles, responding to the increasing demand for this convenient format. 

Kraft Heinz NotCo

Additionally, the joint venture launched its first creative campaign titled “Mayo Haters” to playfully engage consumers who are typically not fans of mayonnaise, by challenging them to try NotMayo and potentially change their perspective.

And for a little something sweet, head to Whole Foods Market where a new vegan cookie dough ice cream snack is hitting shelves this month in Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Truffle, and Mint Chocolate Chip. 

Made by the London Dough Co. in the United Kingdom, the Doughlicious Frozen Cookie Dough & Gelato Bites offer a combination of vegan cookie dough made with oats, surrounded by creamy non-dairy gelato, and encased in a soft cookie crumb.

Vegan business news

In vegan business news, the development and proliferation of animal-free egg whites from Onego Bio just got a $40 million boost thanks to a successful Series A funding, one of the largest in the Nordics. The company will now scale and commercialize its revolutionary Bioalbumen, which it makes using precision fermentation. 

Onego Bio

“Eggs are an essential part of food businesses, but with the egg market constantly fluctuating due to avian flu and increased demand for cage-free, manufacturers are challenged to find a viable replacement with a consistent, reliable, and safe supply of high-quality protein at an accessible price,” Jim Mellon, Executive Chairman and co-founder of Agronomics, one of Onego Bio’s existing investors, said in a statement. 

“A long-term sustainable solution for chicken eggs is needed,” Mellon said. 

As its name suggests, Bioalbumen is bio-identical to the major protein in chicken egg whites, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative for food manufacturers. What can these vegan egg whites do? Think baked goods, meringues, omelettes, aiolis, and so much more.

Both Canada and the UK are also supporting plant-based innovation. Our great Northern neighbor recently invested more than $19 million through Protein Industries Canada to develop innovative ingredients for new snack and food options. 

This initiative, involving Avena Foods, will leverage the funding to create oat and pulse ingredients aimed at replacing processing aids in products by Big Mountain Foods, Danone Canada, and Old Dutch Foods, leading to new consumer offerings including allergy-friendly alternatives. 

“The global food market is in need of sustainable and nutritious ingredients, and Canada is helping meet that demand,” The Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, said in a statement.

Onego Bio

Across the pond in the UK, the government has unveiled a significant investment of £12 million ($15 million) into the Microbial Food Hub, aimed at bolstering research into fermentation-based food solutions. This initiative, spearheaded by Dr. Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro at Imperial College London, aims to harness microorganisms for developing sustainable and innovative alternatives to traditional animal products. 

The funding, provided by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will support the exploration of technologies including biomass fermentation for mycoprotein production and precision fermentation for creating bioidentical egg or dairy proteins, among others. 

Vegan restaurant news 

Oatly’s oat milks have made their way just about everywhere and, most recently, hit the menu at more than 100 locations of Tous Les Jours bakeries across the US.

Tous les Jours

As the chain’s exclusive oat milk partner, Oatly is featured in two new beverages introduced to celebrate the partnership: the Shakerato, an iced espresso drink shaken with vanilla syrup and topped with Oatly’s Barista Edition Oatmilk, and the Shaken Tea Latte, blending Assam tea and vanilla syrup with Oatly oat milk. 

“Our new beverages, the Shakerato and Shaken Tea Latte, are crafted with care, blending premium ingredients like vanilla syrup with the creamy goodness of Oatly oatmilk,” Sue Han, marketing manager for Tous Les Jours, said in a statement. 

“Each sip is a testament to our dedication to providing our customers with delightful, planet-friendly options,” Han said. 

As the temperatures warm up, we’re craving cool and simple poke bowls. Luckily, major chain Island Fin Poké Co. just introduced a new vegan option, the Faux Ahi Tuna Bowl, to its menu for a limited time. 

This innovative bowl offered by the Florida-based chain is composed of a choice of base, complemented by a plant-based version of ahi tuna, and topped with an assortment of fresh ingredients, along with the brand’s signature sauces. 

Island Fin Poke Co.

“The Faux Ahi Tuna Bowl is our new way of reaching out to guests who may not typically opt for our bowls,” Mark Setterington, CEO and founder of Island Fin Poké Co., said in a statement. 

“It’s an opportunity to showcase our creativity and commitment to offering something extraordinary for our vegan community,” Setterington said. 

We were already planning a spring trip to Atlanta to get Sluttified (again) and it looks like there is a brand new vegan reason to visit. That’s because this month Stir House, an innovative Asian-Southern fusion-themed stir fry concept, is opening its doors in the Southern city, marking its debut as the first restaurant of its kind in the Southeast. 

A mission-driven venture co-owned by Antonio Brown, Ebony Austin, Phillandas Thompson, and Tosin Adesanya, the menu features unique creations.  

“We plan to use Stir House as an educational instrument providing information on conscious eating,” Austin and Thompson said in a statement. “With the restaurant, we plan to educate customers on our ingredients and the specific offerings on our menu.”

The A-Town is a nod to Atlanta’s vibrant culture, featuring Jasmine rice paired with Impossible grounds, onions, garlic, sweet peppers, red beans, corn, and purple cabbage. It’s topped with a vegan fried drumstick and drizzled with red pepper aioli sauce.

The Khan draws inspiration from pan-Asian flavors, combining rice noodles with Impossible grounds, garlic, onions, bok choy, sweet peppers, and basil. It’s topped with Daring Chicken and coated in a rich Mongolian sauce.

Stir House

And we can’t wait to try The Nola, which pays homage to New Orleans’ culinary traditions, mixing Jasmine rice with vegan shrimp, onions, garlic, sweet peppers, spinach, red beans, and green onions, all tossed in Jambalaya sauce and topped with spicy Beyond sausage.