After this, we wanted to do some grogery shopping. So we left "Mercado Central" and hit the city.

I asked, What vegan products can I find at the local grocery stores?

So my family took me to their favorite store!

My cousin and I started by getting some vegan chocolate and vegan condensed milk. Well, chocolate and condensed milk are national bestsellers... so it's no wonder you can find vegan versions of these 2 items everywhere!

I then noticed that most of the popular Brazilian products (i.e milk and cheese products), had been made into vegan versions by switching milk to soy milk, and cheese to soy cheese — that was easy!

Here they are:

1. "Bem me Quer, Pasta de Soja" | Soy Paste in Chocolate and Dried Tomato Flavors: At this section of the mall, next to the traditional cheese products, such as "requeijão cremoso orgânico", creamy organic cream cheese, we saw the vegan creamy soy paste. See below:

2. "SOYMILKE, Sabor Doce de Leite" | Caramel Flavored Condensed Milk: I then saw a popular dessert ingredient that adults and kids love. Sometimes, they just grab a spoon and eat it straight from the can! lol...

3. "Nolac, Leite Condensado" | Nolac, Condensed Soy Milk: Another staple dessert ingredient. Kids use it to make "Brigadeiros", Brazilian Truffles.

Add the Condensed Soy Milk plus some Cocoa Powder to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep mixing and cooking the mixture for about 15 min (until it thickens enough that you can see the bottom of the pan while stirring).

After letting it cool in another dish, kids can roll the creamy thick mixture into small chocolate balls, roll them into sprinkles, and place them into small paper cups. Done!

4. "Mistura para Bolo com Soja, Com Açucar Orgânico" | Soy Cake Mix with Organic Sugar: Brazilians love cake, so cake mixes are a necessity in Brazilian households. The flavors I saw were orange and chocolate.

5. "Carnes Vegetais" | Vegetable Meats: The brand "Superbom" (Verygood) has made all the popular Brazilian meats in vegan versions. Impressive!

6. "Biscoito Salgado Sem Glúten, Gergelim e Alecrim" | Gluten Free Cracker, with Sesame and Rosemary : It was about time for Brazil to have some gluten free cookies! lol... With so many bakeries and french breads being part of the country's daily cuisine, perhaps the body needs a little break from gluten.

7. "Biscoito de Tapioca com Batata Doce" | Tapioca Biscuit with Sweet Potato: Tapioca as well as sweet potatoes are common in tropical regions, especially in Brazil. Tapioca is a starch extracted from the tuberous roots of the cassava plant (also called manioc).

Why Brazilians loves Tapioca: It's veratile ingredinet that's gluten free, fat free, and easily digested....and since it's rich in carbohydrates, many eat it as an pre-workout and post workout meal!

8. "A Tal da Castanha" | Cashew Milk: A brand of cashews milks that are rich in omega 9, gluten free, lactose free, soy free, and cholesterol free. Their flavors include:

9. "Isola Bio" | Isola Bio Vegan Milks: This brand offers vegan and gluten free milk alternatives. These are also gluten and cholesterol free (except the Spelt Milk of course).

Also, I noticed that these are referred to as "vegan beverages" in Brazil... But they are closest to the vegan milks that we have in the US.

Let's go to the other refrigerated section:

We noticed that soy products are NOT placed with traditional cheese products. Rather, they are in a separate part of the refrigerator, or on another side of the store. So when shopping in Brazil, make sure to look around, or ask any employee for help.

10. "Requei Soy" | Vegan Soy Cream Cheese: A soy cheese in cheddar and provolone flavors with a great texture and aroma.

11. "DeliSoy, Sabor Chocolate" | Soy Chocolate Yogurts: A tasty and healthy protein rich soy dessert. Lactose-free and made with organic ingredients.

12. Vegan Cheeses: Yellow (Cheddar?) and Parmesan cheeses now made vegan. I later got to try these when my cousin prepared some vegan pizza. ;)

So we ended our shopping at a section of the market called "Espaço Bem-Estar", Well-Being Space:

They wrote: For those with dietary restrictions and those who want to have a healthy diet. "Para quem tem restrição alimentar e para aqueles que querem ter uma alimentação saudável."

Wow! So many exciting new products!! :) After looking around we decided to get some organic grape juice.

Also check it out

	Let's grab some Chocolate, Beer and Coconut Water in Brazil Brazilian chocolate brands, and yes, vegan! Plus coconut water or beer... what would you like?
	Typical Brazilian Meals You can Prepare at Home... Vegan! Finding local vegan food was a bit difficult, so let's combine some ingredients Ready for some home cooked meal?
	A Vegan Breakfast in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil plus a Fun Day at the Mall Vegan home breakfast in Rio, Brazil Take a look at some Pamonha de Forno: Vegan and Gluten Free
	Top 15 Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil wow! we can now find vegan food in Rio With the 2016 Olympics and many changes to town, here are some good ones...
	What's Your Favorite Fruit? And Why? Brazil has so many delicious and unique tropical fruits Have you tried Açai, Guava or Papaya!
	Is following a meat free, lactose, dairy free vegan diet still a social challenge? If yes, here are some fun solutions Birthday Party ideas and more
	Enjoying some home grown veggies, fresh from the yard A look at great grandma's home Plus 5 cute family stories