Online Sources for Vegetarian Food
By Susan Palmquist
From meat-free deli slices to vegan marshmallows,
stocking your vegetarian pantry has never been easier, thanks
to the internet.
Here are some online stores that are sure to carry the product
you’re looking for.
ShopNatural
www.shopnatural.com (520) 884-0745
ShopNatural carries over 6,000 products on their web site, many
of which are vegetarian. Cara Silverstein, e-customer relations
specialist at ShopNatural, says some of the most popular products
for vegetarians are the packaged mixes produced by Fantastic
Foods and Tasty Bite.
If you live in an area where it’s difficult to buy even
the basic vegetarian staples, ShopNatural can supply you with
rice, beans, nut butters and soy beverages. Silverstein says
they add new items every month and are always looking for both
vegetarian and vegan options for their customers. They don’t
accept checks or money orders, but you can place an order on
their web site using a credit card.
MannaHarvest
www.mannaharvest.net (866) 436-1390
MannaHarvest carries over 8,000 natural health foods. Richard
Webb, president/owner of the company, says some of the most
popular items are coconut oil, cherry juice concentrate, dried
pears and strawberries, almond flour, nuts and seeds. If you’re
a beginning vegetarian, Webb suggests trying some of their
soy jerquee, nut flours and checking out the items in the snack
section. They accept checks, money orders, credit cards and
Paypal.
The Mail Order Catalog for Healthy Eating
www.healthy-eating.com (800) 695-2241
Cynthia Holzapfel, who co-owns the company with her husband Bob,
says some of their best selling items include textured soy protein,
Worthington and Turtle Island deli slices, gourmet sausages and
Tofurkys. They also sell hard-to-find vegetarian products like
vegan marshmallows and offer shoppers a great selection of cookbooks,
sampler packs, broth powders for flavoring textured soy and grains.
A new product they’ll be adding to their lineup is soy
whipped cream. They can also ship case packs of foods like soy
cheese and deli slices and have an auto-ship program for some
of their frozen and refrigerated foods. They have an extensive
print catalog that’s free to customers. “We’re
a company of vegetarians,” says Holzapfel. “Some
employees are second-generation vegetarians and believe in what
they sell. We ourselves love helping people shop for such good-for-you
food.”
Dixie Dinner
www.dixiedinner.com (800) 233-3668
This company offers products like Soysage pattie mix, Turkey
(not!) and Beef (not!) soup mixes, soy snacks,
vegetarian broths and mixes for vegetarian meatloaves and meatballs.
Vegetarian
Store
www.vegetarianstore.com
Foods are split into three categories: dairy alternatives, meat
alternatives (both vegetarian and vegan) and strictly vegan
meat alternatives. You’ll find products from Worthington
and Loma Linda. They have a vegetarian lifestyles staples program
where products are auto-shipped to you.
Pangea
www.veganstore.com (800) 340-1200
For those of you looking for strictly vegan products, this company
sells a whole range of products, including food items. You’ll
find vegan marshmallows, egg replacer, Worcestershire sauce,
Bacuns (vegan bacon bits) and dairy-free macaroni and cheese.
Print catalogs are available on request.
Many online stores sell items in bulk or packs,
so if you live a long way from a store offering vegetarian
foods, this is the
ideal way to stock both your pantry and freezer while saving
money and gas. Visiting a company’s web site is also a
good way to learn about vegetarian products and see what’s
new in vegetarian cuisine.
© Susan
Palmquist
NFO Food Editor Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer specializing
in food, wellness and money-saving topics. Her work has appeared
in publications such as Psychology Today, Budget Savvy magazine and American
Profile. She writes a weekly column that can be
viewed every Friday at GardenAndHearth.com and
a new monthly column called “Budget Smart” for Let's
Go!.
