This week, as the world celebrated Earth Day, many people reflected on what they can do to better protect the planet. Reducing plastic use, recycling, and taking public transport are all meaningful steps—but one of the most impactful? Going vegan, of course.
Fortunately, adopting a plant-based lifestyle has never been easier. Just look at this week’s food news: new vegan product launches, ice cream taste tests, and major celebrity names backing dairy-free brands.
Ready for some inspiration? Let’s dive in.
Yves Veggie Cuisine
Yves Veggie Cuisine might be coming back
In August 2025, Hain Celestial Group announced that Yves Veggie Cuisine—a pioneer in the plant-based meat industry—was being discontinued. But it turns out, the story may not be over just yet.
Kreg Stern of Big Box Vegan recently uncovered trademark filings suggesting that Canadian food giant Maple Leaf Foods has acquired the brand, pointing to a possible comeback. The filings even reference potential new products under the Yves name, including jerky, vegan burgers, and hot dogs.
Nothing has been officially confirmed, but it’s definitely one to watch.
Kite Hill
Kite Hill debuts new high-protein Greek yogurt flavors
Have we reached peak protein? Not quite, according to Kite Hill. The popular dairy-free brand recently launched a high-protein cream cheese, and now it’s rolling out two new high-protein Greek yogurt flavors: Vanilla Cinnamon and Raspberry.
“Our creamiest, tastiest Greek yet, with a touch of coconut cream and 11 grams of protein to keep you going,” the company shared. The new yogurts will be available exclusively at Sprouts Farmers Market.
Ben & Jerry’s
‘The New York Times’ names winners of vegan ice cream taste test
The New York Times is, of course one of the most highly respected publications in the US. In fact, it has won the most Pulitzer Prizes of any publication in the world. So, of course, when it rates vegan ice cream, we pay attention.
The Times team took the job very seriously, testing 55 pints of vegan ice cream and around 10 novelties (things like pops, bars, and cones) to come up with its results. Speaking of which—drum roll, please. These are the nine options that The New York Times thinks are the best on the market.
Want to know VegNews readers’ top three ice cream picks? Check out the 2026 Veggie Award winners here.
Tacotarian x Klimon
Tacotarian and Klimon to serve up vegan ice cream sandwiches and Mexican fare at Las Vegas music festival
If you’re heading to the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas this weekend, good news: you won’t go hungry. Tacotarian and Klimon are teaming up to serve rock fans a mouthwatering lineup of vegan tacos, nachos, birria ramen, and Klimon’s churro-flavored dairy-free ice cream sandwiches.
“Sick New World is all about energy and pushing boundaries, which is exactly what we do with our menu,” said Regina Simmons, Tacotarian’s co-owner. “Partnering with KLIMON allows us to offer festival-goers a dessert experience that is just as bold and exciting as our tacos.”
Planet Oat
Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine star in new Planet Oat campaign
Are you team iced coffee or hot coffee? That’s what Planet Oat, Rebel Wilson, and Adam Devine want to know. The popular oat milk brand has launched a playful new campaign, The Great Coffee Debate, inviting fans to cast their vote through a sweepstakes. Up for grabs are two in-home barista coffee experiences and 100 cartons of Planet Oat oatmilk.
If you’re iced all the way, you’re firmly on Team Wilson. Prefer it hot? You’re with Devine.
“I’m Team Iced through and through. There’s a crisp, beautiful energy in a refreshing iced coffee that’s simply aca-awesome. To keep that profile flawless, I reach for Planet Oat Unsweetened Extra Creamy Oatmilk,” Wilson said in a statement. “With zero grams of sugar, it’s the ultimate headliner, hitting all the right notes without any of the background noise.”
The Three Sisters Garden Project
PETA gifts vegan groceries and seedlings to a vandalized community farm in Massachusetts
The Three Sisters Garden Project in Ipswich, MA, was founded to grow herbs and vegetables for food-insecure families and individuals in the community. But in April 2026, tragedy struck when 20,000 of its seedlings were deliberately destroyed.
In the aftermath, the project received thousands of dollars in donations, which is enough to fully replace the lost crops and continue its mission. Animal rights organization PETA also stepped in, delivering baskets of new seedlings along with shelf-stable plant-based foods for the community.
“Everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy, and animal-friendly vegan food,” said Ingrid Newkirk in a statement. “PETA is honored to support Three Sisters’ mission and hopes this donation helps them get back to serving the community.”
Celleste Bio
The first cultured cocoa milk chocolate bars debut
You’ve probably heard of cultured meat—but what about cultured chocolate? Candy giant Mondelez International has taken a major step toward making it a reality, debuting the first-ever milk chocolate bars made with cocoa butter produced with Celleste Bio’s cell suspension culture technology.
The bars aren’t dairy-free (yet), but the breakthrough could have wide-reaching implications for the industry. Cocoa production is increasingly under pressure from rising global temperatures, with climate impacts contributing to surging chocolate prices.
“Celleste launched in 2022 with the mission to secure a sustainable future for the global chocolate industry amidst increasing supply chain pressures of climate change, disease, traceability and geopolitical instability,” said Michal Beressi Golomb, CEO, Celleste Bio. “In three years, we’ve made unprecedented progress to meet this formidable scientific challenge,” he continued. “We’ve validated our ingredients as drop-in replacements, created an operational R&D pilot facility to scale up our volumes, and now proven our cocoa butter performs identically to conventional cocoa, clearing the next phase to commercial scale.”
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
