Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Frozen Waffles

The Vegan Thing I Like today is Trader Joe's Gluten Free Frozen Waffles. I started eating these a few years ago when I was introduced to them by my partner (along with a lot of other things at Trader Joe's). We buy these as an occasional treat. I like the Plain flavor with (real!) maple syrup and a generous dousing of cinnamon. Sometimes I add sliced bananas or other fruit, but just maple and cinnamon is my preferred method of consumption!

Since I'm not allergic, I don't make a point of avoiding gluten, but these are vegan and are so delicious, who could complain? They are also perfect right out of the toaster unlike some other brands I've tried in the past that needed to be microwaved and THEN toasted in order to get warm all the way through (am I the only one who's had that experience??).

(As a side note, another Vegan Thing I Like is this plate that my partner bought for me on clearance a few years ago! Penguin plates make everything taste better!)

Umpqua Oats

Being at the airport makes me SO hungry. I don't know why this is, but I think it's just that flying is less nauseating when you have had something to eat. So, I was really excited when I found these Umpqua Oats available for sale in a bookstore cafe at Midway Airport in Chicago. They are super simple, no sweetener, and delicious! The staff at the cafe added hot water and I added a cut up banana and this was a great travel meal. It also passed the "not stinky" test, which I think that ALL travel food should adhere to lest you gross out your fellow travelers with your food smells.

While I probably wouldn't buy these for home due to all of the excess packaging waste that creates, I would definitely buy them again while I was on the go. I believe I have seen them in other airports, as well, so keep your eyes peeled!

Bhakti Chai

As I never ever buy bottled iced teas or the like, I would have never known that Bhakti Chai existed (or that it was vegan), until my friend, Flo, picked one up at a Whole Foods in New Orleans. Bhakti Chai is deeeelicious! It's made with soy milk and just the right amount of ginger-y spice. They also make a less sweet version, which I love, and a decaf version, which I really really love. Bhakti Chai also is also socially-conscious company, donating 10% of their profits to "nonprofits that invest in women, girls, and the environment" - all awesome things to invest in! I love that the company mission is also based on actual Bhakti (not just co-opting the word for faux authenticity), or devotion through action, as practiced for thousands of years in India. The chai comes in a glass bottle, not plastic, which is something I've become more conscious of lately. This photo of delicious Decaf Bhakti Chai was taken in a rental car outside of Santa Monica's Co-Opportunity Natural Foods.

Simply Suzanne Granola

Yesterday, we were at Whole Foods stocking up on snacks for our upcoming trip to India on Tuesday and I saw this on an end cap: Simply Suzanne's Lotsa Chocolate Granola. It is vegan, nut-free, and really tasty! It's also made in my home state of Michigan. The ingredient list is simple and includes things like cinnamon and black pepper in addition to the chocolate, brown sugar, and maple syrup for a great balance of sweet and savory. They have a few other flavors listed on their website that I will be interested to try, but this chocolate is pretty darn good!

(For some reason, the Lotsa Chocolate flavor is not listed as vegan on their website, though it appears to be totally vegan based on the ingredient list.)