Honorable mentions that didn't make the list: -S’moreables--vegan graham crackers; these were great. Looks like they're still around but I haven't seen them in ages. -Tofurkey frozen pizzas--I have a vague memory of these; they looked really good! -Tofurkey jerky--this looked delicious and I wish it was still around! -Fig Newmans--still around but I highly associate these with the 2000s.
My kids were really young back then. They loved Soyboy notdogs and Tings. I remember making vegan pancakes and French toast a lot. The 2000's were a huge improvement compared to the 1970's when I first went vegan. Back then, there were very few vegan convenience foods, other than canned faux meats and TVP. The only plant milk you could find was powdered soy milk, and it was awful. I do remember cooking a lot of whole foods back then, and enjoying them.
So amazing to have been vegan for so long, Linda!! And yes, a common theme I heard echoed among people who were vegan in the 70s and 80s was that they were pretty satisfied with the foods they ate. I guess not knowing any different leads to a greater satisfaction with what you have!
This was really cool to watch. I always snap out of my bubble when I see a vegan throwback, like oh that’s right the concept of veganism wasn’t invented when I went vegan in 2020. I was still a young seed in the early 20s being watered by the meatrix, chicken run, and finding nemo. Would be awesome to see this as a series like, perception of veganism in 2000’s, vegan commercials, events, activism highlights etc
I'm so glad you enjoyed this even though your vegan journey started later! And I know what you mean; I felt the same way seeing products from the 90s etc. I love your suggestion for future videos; it definitely feels like there's a lot to explore here!
Found you through your Vegan of Course conversation lass, interesting seeing all these nostalgic products I unfortunately didn't go Vegan till 2017 an even then I'm from Eire so the products tend to be different from your neck of the woods anyway.🌱🌍 Fair play video wise.🖖🍀
Hi; happy to have you here! And yes these are very US-based products; I'm sure there were/are many different products in Ireland! Glad you enjoyed regardless 😊🍀
World Health Organization: a shift towards more plant-based diets is “essential” for the health of people and planet. Anti-vegans: I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that.
@@tinknal6449That is literally animal ag industry propaganda seeping into bureaucratic guidelines. You are hilariously confused on who is trying to sell you an agenda.
@@brothermayihavesomeloops7048 Classic vegan gaslighting. Blame facts you don't like on the "meat industry". Did you even bother to look up the report? The "meat industry" had nothing to do with it.
Though I'm much older than you, Marielle, my first foray into veganism occurred between 2001 and 2004, so this tracks. I was eating some commercial vegan products as a vegetarian beginning in 1994, mind you, so my black hole of vegan products is larger, LOL! We've come a long way, but we stilI have problems: I learned the other day that WhoFoo is phasing out vegan donuts in their bakery section. With many of the companies in this video, it's a matter of being premature for the market. But I'm seriously planning to move to the UK, where the trend is in favor of vegan living. This was a fun and slightly shattering walk down memory lane; thanks for posting!
I heard a quote once that said "nostalgia is a crazy drug; it makes you happy and sad at the same time" and that could not apply more here! I think your assessment of many of these products being premature is spot on. I thought it would be fun for a future video to interview a few of the founders of these defunct companies. And yes I have heard lots of chatter about Whole Foods and their removal of bakery products. It's just so sad, especially seeing the old photo of the vegan hot bar section! I am jealous and in support of your potential UK move; maybe I will join you! (I do wonder how much of it is a "grass is greener" effect; UK vegans surely envy us for many things, but damn they seem to have it good!). PS I found a fun IG account specifically about 90s vegan products; not sure if you've seen it but you would probably get a kick out of it! instagram.com/soynotoi_unofficial
@@TotallyForkable Thanks for the link! I think you would do a great job at interviewing founders of defunct vegan companies. You should seriiously pursue this, if you have the time!
Yes this unlocks memories. As I mentioned before I went vegan some time in December 2009, but since I don't remember the exact date I count Jan 1, 2010 as day 1. Before going vegan I definitely enjoyed Tofutti Cuties. I had also been using Rice Dream for years for the simple reason that they did not need to be refrigerated until opened. I could buy a large quantity at once unlike cow milk. I also enjoyed Amy's enchiladas before and after going vegan.
Yep I was going to mention Cuties. They were huge at that time and then I _think_ they went away and came back? They are still pretty prominent today (and I already have tons of desserts on the list 😂) so I decided not to use them. I also thought about mentioning Amy's but honestly they haven't changed much since the 2000s 🤷🏻♀️
The minute you brought up that image of energ it unlocked a memory. It worked in vegan egg drop soup and quiche but i had other recipes where it was horrible
I'm only a baby vegan (since 2019) so I can't say I have nostalgia yet, though I notice every year how many more great products are available. I wish I had gone vegan much earlier! #TypicalVeganRegret
It is a typical regret but you made the connection and change sooner than like 97% of the population so be proud of yourself 😊 Also you surely will have the "vegan nostalgia" at some point. There's def at least a few products I can think of that have been discontinued in the last few years 🥲
@@TotallyForkable I mostly have vegan restaurant nostalgia so far. I went vegan just before the pandemic and all restaurants have been struggling to stay afloat since (finding/keeping employees, inflation, interest rates, etc.). Lost at least 2 great restaurants so far. 😥
Sooo many restaurants have closed 😢 It's wild when I look back at my camera roll sometimes and realize how may places I went/assumed I'd be back to that are now gone.
Boca wasn't the only popular burger back then, and in fact the excerpt you show from Skinny Bitch mentions Gardenburger RIGHT AFTER the line about Health is Wealth wings! Gardenburger was pretty good, and I think they're still around.
Absolutely; Gardenburger was big. BUT many of Gardenburger's products were not vegan (not sure about now, but definitely at that time). I got responses from multiple vegans and vegetarians from the time who exclusively mentioned Boca, so that's why I included it.
Yves is still big here in Canada. I believe the company is from Montreal. It’s my preference in deli slices, ground, chikun nuggets…I like them and Gardein the best. I tried Tofurky slices last week for the first time and did not like them very much. Sticking with Yves deli slices.
Yes I had an instinct Yves was a Canadian company! If I recall they had a "Canadian bacon" product at one point? TBF I haven't really tried many of their products; based on your recommendations I may have to try a few!
I remember Rice Dream ice cream, and rice milk. Rice Dream was the first plant based milk alternative I ever tried from a sample at Wild Oats. I was surprised how much I liked it, and my wife and I bought the small sizes for snacks on the go.
I was thinking of including Larabar! I remember them being huge in the early 2010s but clearly they were around for longer than that. My former boss knew Lara and her family; she was just a normal girl who started a company. Pretty awesome!
@@TotallyForkable if you like chocolate, the double chocolate truffle one is so amazing. It's my new go to when I need something chocolatey! Apparently they also now make a pineapple upside down cake, which I would love to try if I can find it!
If you think being vegan in the 00s was a hoot, you should have tried the 90s! I’m sorry I missed the polls. It would have been fun! I remember Nayonaisse! It was disgusting! But I fooled myself into thinking it was good. Ener-G Egg Replacer was still around a few years ago. I worked in a vegan restaurant where we used it to make pastries. I haven’t seen it on store shelves recently, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still available to businesses.
"It was disgusting! But I fooled myself into thinking it was good" could be applied to so many vegan products of the past...😂 Kudos to you for being vegan since the '90s! 🙌🏻 I replied to another comment with this but I bet you'd get a kick out of this account that specifically references '90s vegan products: instagram.com/soynotoi_unofficial
I used to love roasted carob powder! I wish I could find it in stores. I will have to buy some on line. I would put it in my smoothies, and on frozen bananas.
It used to be all over health food stores! My boyfriend was recently looking for carob products and I think he found exactly 1 carob bar in our local health food store. Roasted carob powder sounds good!
Earth Balance has a version but they're not very good IMO--in the meantime they had these _amazing_ chips back in 2017, had a delicious sour cream & onion flavor, but quickly discontinued them never to be mentioned again 😞 www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/earth-balance-sour-cream-onion-flavored-kettle-chips-b00jftr2oo
@@TotallyForkable My local health food store, called Apple Valley. It's a very small store. I've been going to there since I went vegan in 2008, they've always had them there :) I feel really fortunate now. If they stopped carrying them in store I would definitely order online. Nothing beats their chocolate chip cookie.
That sounds like my health food store adventures back in the day! A fresh sandwich, vegan snack and sweet treat and I was on my way! Simpler times, hehe 😊
IMO their vegan pizza is so boring. My local WF has one vegan pizza; it's a run-of-the-mill "veggie pizza" (which I don't personally like). I think it would be cool to have the vegan pizza rotate and have a different theme/topping every day. (One day pepperoni, one day white pizza, one day baked potato pizza, etc.) What they have is just so uninspired.
Honorable mentions that didn't make the list:
-S’moreables--vegan graham crackers; these were great. Looks like they're still around but I haven't seen them in ages.
-Tofurkey frozen pizzas--I have a vague memory of these; they looked really good!
-Tofurkey jerky--this looked delicious and I wish it was still around!
-Fig Newmans--still around but I highly associate these with the 2000s.
I used to eat the Tofurkey pizzas all the time. I remember them being really good.
My kids were really young back then. They loved Soyboy notdogs and Tings. I remember making vegan pancakes and French toast a lot. The 2000's were a huge improvement compared to the 1970's when I first went vegan. Back then, there were very few vegan convenience foods, other than canned faux meats and TVP. The only plant milk you could find was powdered soy milk, and it was awful. I do remember cooking a lot of whole foods back then, and enjoying them.
Congrats on going vegan in the 70's. 👏
So amazing to have been vegan for so long, Linda!! And yes, a common theme I heard echoed among people who were vegan in the 70s and 80s was that they were pretty satisfied with the foods they ate. I guess not knowing any different leads to a greater satisfaction with what you have!
This was really cool to watch. I always snap out of my bubble when I see a vegan throwback, like oh that’s right the concept of veganism wasn’t invented when I went vegan in 2020. I was still a young seed in the early 20s being watered by the meatrix, chicken run, and finding nemo. Would be awesome to see this as a series like, perception of veganism in 2000’s, vegan commercials, events, activism highlights etc
I'm so glad you enjoyed this even though your vegan journey started later! And I know what you mean; I felt the same way seeing products from the 90s etc. I love your suggestion for future videos; it definitely feels like there's a lot to explore here!
Loved the "Skinny B**" book ;) Great video! :)
It was very memorable! 😂 So glad you enjoyed this!
Found you through your Vegan of Course conversation lass, interesting seeing all these nostalgic products I unfortunately didn't go Vegan till 2017 an even then I'm from Eire so the products tend to be different from your neck of the woods anyway.🌱🌍 Fair play video wise.🖖🍀
Hi; happy to have you here! And yes these are very US-based products; I'm sure there were/are many different products in Ireland! Glad you enjoyed regardless 😊🍀
I wasn't strictly vegan back then, but I did follow a Buddhist vegetarian, and it was fairly challenging, but not dramatically moreso than today.
World Health Organization: a shift towards more plant-based diets is “essential” for the health of people and planet.
Anti-vegans: I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that.
Some people are determined to believe what they already believe.
The UN FAO says that we need to produce more animal protein for human health and nutrition. Did you miss that part?
@@TotallyForkable And some people never question vegan propaganda.
@@tinknal6449That is literally animal ag industry propaganda seeping into bureaucratic guidelines. You are hilariously confused on who is trying to sell you an agenda.
@@brothermayihavesomeloops7048 Classic vegan gaslighting. Blame facts you don't like on the "meat industry". Did you even bother to look up the report? The "meat industry" had nothing to do with it.
oh YEEEEAAAAHHH! the sweet&sara s’more was such a treat!! great video ❤
SUCH a treat; nothing like it!
Though I'm much older than you, Marielle, my first foray into veganism occurred between 2001 and 2004, so this tracks. I was eating some commercial vegan products as a vegetarian beginning in 1994, mind you, so my black hole of vegan products is larger, LOL! We've come a long way, but we stilI have problems: I learned the other day that WhoFoo is phasing out vegan donuts in their bakery section. With many of the companies in this video, it's a matter of being premature for the market. But I'm seriously planning to move to the UK, where the trend is in favor of vegan living. This was a fun and slightly shattering walk down memory lane; thanks for posting!
I heard a quote once that said "nostalgia is a crazy drug; it makes you happy and sad at the same time" and that could not apply more here! I think your assessment of many of these products being premature is spot on. I thought it would be fun for a future video to interview a few of the founders of these defunct companies. And yes I have heard lots of chatter about Whole Foods and their removal of bakery products. It's just so sad, especially seeing the old photo of the vegan hot bar section! I am jealous and in support of your potential UK move; maybe I will join you! (I do wonder how much of it is a "grass is greener" effect; UK vegans surely envy us for many things, but damn they seem to have it good!).
PS I found a fun IG account specifically about 90s vegan products; not sure if you've seen it but you would probably get a kick out of it! instagram.com/soynotoi_unofficial
@@TotallyForkable Thanks for the link! I think you would do a great job at interviewing founders of defunct vegan companies. You should seriiously pursue this, if you have the time!
Great walk down memory lane :)
So glad! 😊
Yes this unlocks memories. As I mentioned before I went vegan some time in December 2009, but since I don't remember the exact date I count Jan 1, 2010 as day 1. Before going vegan I definitely enjoyed Tofutti Cuties. I had also been using Rice Dream for years for the simple reason that they did not need to be refrigerated until opened. I could buy a large quantity at once unlike cow milk. I also enjoyed Amy's enchiladas before and after going vegan.
Yep I was going to mention Cuties. They were huge at that time and then I _think_ they went away and came back? They are still pretty prominent today (and I already have tons of desserts on the list 😂) so I decided not to use them. I also thought about mentioning Amy's but honestly they haven't changed much since the 2000s 🤷🏻♀️
Sweet and Sara was life changing!!
Sooo good, such a loss!
The minute you brought up that image of energ it unlocked a memory. It worked in vegan egg drop soup and quiche but i had other recipes where it was horrible
Wow I'm impressed it worked with egg drop soup and quiche! Love unlocking memories; such a cool feeling! 🔓
The Buffalo Wings line 💀💀💀
🪦
I'm only a baby vegan (since 2019) so I can't say I have nostalgia yet, though I notice every year how many more great products are available. I wish I had gone vegan much earlier! #TypicalVeganRegret
It is a typical regret but you made the connection and change sooner than like 97% of the population so be proud of yourself 😊 Also you surely will have the "vegan nostalgia" at some point. There's def at least a few products I can think of that have been discontinued in the last few years 🥲
@@TotallyForkable I mostly have vegan restaurant nostalgia so far. I went vegan just before the pandemic and all restaurants have been struggling to stay afloat since (finding/keeping employees, inflation, interest rates, etc.). Lost at least 2 great restaurants so far. 😥
Sooo many restaurants have closed 😢 It's wild when I look back at my camera roll sometimes and realize how may places I went/assumed I'd be back to that are now gone.
Boca wasn't the only popular burger back then, and in fact the excerpt you show from Skinny Bitch mentions Gardenburger RIGHT AFTER the line about Health is Wealth wings! Gardenburger was pretty good, and I think they're still around.
Absolutely; Gardenburger was big. BUT many of Gardenburger's products were not vegan (not sure about now, but definitely at that time). I got responses from multiple vegans and vegetarians from the time who exclusively mentioned Boca, so that's why I included it.
Yves is still big here in Canada. I believe the company is from Montreal. It’s my preference in deli slices, ground, chikun nuggets…I like them and Gardein the best. I tried Tofurky slices last week for the first time and did not like them very much. Sticking with Yves deli slices.
Yes I had an instinct Yves was a Canadian company! If I recall they had a "Canadian bacon" product at one point? TBF I haven't really tried many of their products; based on your recommendations I may have to try a few!
Let me know how many of these you remember!
I remember Rice Dream ice cream, and rice milk. Rice Dream was the first plant based milk alternative I ever tried from a sample at Wild Oats. I was surprised how much I liked it, and my wife and I bought the small sizes for snacks on the go.
OMG I so miss the pistachio Larabar! Larabar still makes awesome vegan bars, but the pistachio ones were my favorite back in the day.
I was thinking of including Larabar! I remember them being huge in the early 2010s but clearly they were around for longer than that. My former boss knew Lara and her family; she was just a normal girl who started a company. Pretty awesome!
@@TotallyForkable if you like chocolate, the double chocolate truffle one is so amazing. It's my new go to when I need something chocolatey! Apparently they also now make a pineapple upside down cake, which I would love to try if I can find it!
I would drive an hour to get to whole foods and wild oats. And also ordered things from vegan essentials!
Those little vegan adventures were the best 😊
If you think being vegan in the 00s was a hoot, you should have tried the 90s!
I’m sorry I missed the polls. It would have been fun!
I remember Nayonaisse! It was disgusting! But I fooled myself into thinking it was good.
Ener-G Egg Replacer was still around a few years ago. I worked in a vegan restaurant where we used it to make pastries. I haven’t seen it on store shelves recently, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still available to businesses.
"It was disgusting! But I fooled myself into thinking it was good" could be applied to so many vegan products of the past...😂 Kudos to you for being vegan since the '90s! 🙌🏻 I replied to another comment with this but I bet you'd get a kick out of this account that specifically references '90s vegan products: instagram.com/soynotoi_unofficial
@@TotallyForkable Soy, Not Oi! lol now THAT is very 90s!
OMG, Tofutti! Veat Bites! So gross! How did I ever get by?
LOL; our standards were lower back then 😜
Yeah, I noticed whole foods stopped having many vegan options right after John Mackey left.
Yes there was definitely a clear drop-off. I need to look into it more.
Charlie's Angels (2000). Good choice for a fashion sample. 👍
🤣 I thought it represented a good variety of '00s trends.
I used to love roasted carob powder! I wish I could find it in stores. I will have to buy some on line. I would put it in my smoothies, and on frozen bananas.
It used to be all over health food stores! My boyfriend was recently looking for carob products and I think he found exactly 1 carob bar in our local health food store. Roasted carob powder sounds good!
@@TotallyForkable Also tasty in coffee.
We need to write to pirates booty and ask them to jump on the vegan train
Earth Balance has a version but they're not very good IMO--in the meantime they had these _amazing_ chips back in 2017, had a delicious sour cream & onion flavor, but quickly discontinued them never to be mentioned again 😞 www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/earth-balance-sour-cream-onion-flavored-kettle-chips-b00jftr2oo
Ahhh I remember wild oats!!
I can't believe I forgot about it!!
Daiya is like the hating on barney the Dinosaur but for vegans
LOL!!
I still eat those alternative baking co. cookies lol had one today!
That's amazing! Where do you buy them? I was thinking about ordering some for their website; I haven't seen them in stores in years.
@@TotallyForkable My local health food store, called Apple Valley. It's a very small store. I've been going to there since I went vegan in 2008, they've always had them there :)
I feel really fortunate now. If they stopped carrying them in store I would definitely order online. Nothing beats their chocolate chip cookie.
That's amazing!! I love that they're still supporting smaller vegan companies, and love that you're supporting your local health food store!
I lived on tofutti cuties and tempeh “blt” sandwiches from a local vegan cafe in the 2000s- super healthy LOL
That sounds like my health food store adventures back in the day! A fresh sandwich, vegan snack and sweet treat and I was on my way! Simpler times, hehe 😊
I still like that horrible plastic soy cheese slices for burgers. 😂
LOL, at least it's fun to unwrap! 🤪
Yes that was the cheese 🤣🤣 I’m loving this video
Yayyy! Your suggestions were 🎯
LOL. Try being vegan in 1989. Nothing is a good word to describe the experience.
Major respect!!! I'm guessing you were WFPB by default, not necessarily by choice 😂
@@TotallyForkable That's correct. However, I met the odd vegan now and then whoo thought eating falafel all day was a good dietary plan.
I remember trying soy milk in the late 90's and it was gross. it's yummy now
I agree that it's so(y) delicious (sorry). I also remember not liking it at first but loving it in the last 7 years or so.
Whole Foods has vegan pizza now a days also but I know that’s not healthy.
IMO their vegan pizza is so boring. My local WF has one vegan pizza; it's a run-of-the-mill "veggie pizza" (which I don't personally like). I think it would be cool to have the vegan pizza rotate and have a different theme/topping every day. (One day pepperoni, one day white pizza, one day baked potato pizza, etc.) What they have is just so uninspired.