When you think of Nestlé, you might think of a powdered milkshake (known, of course, as Nesquik). Or you might think of Nescafé, the company’s popular coffee brand. Or maybe you think of “taking a break” with KitKat, one of Nestlé’s much-loved candy bars (which it sells in Europe—Hershey’s produces KitKat in the US). Today, it’s hard to walk into a grocery store without seeing a Nestlé product. Right now, the food giant owns more than 2,000 brands and sells its products in nearly every country around the world.
Over the years, Nestlé has seen enormous growth, but it has also weathered its fair share of controversies. As a result, many people choose not to engage with the company. Still, the fact remains that it is the biggest food and beverage company in the world, so its influence is undeniably significant.
In recent years, Nestlé has used some of that influence to encourage more people to embrace plant-based products. Lately, however, many vegan products and brands have come and gone from its portfolio.
In 2017, Nestlé acquired the plant-based, independently owned brand Sweet Earth. But in 2022, it announced that it was closing the California production facility used to manufacture the brand’s plant-based meals, saying production would move to Ohio. At the time of writing, however, Sweet Earth appears to be no longer in operation. Its Instagram account is empty, and its old URL redirects to the Nestlé website. RIP.
In 2022, the company rolled out dairy-free versions of KitKat in 15 countries across Europe, but in 2025, it pulled the plug on the popular chocolate bar. According to a spokesperson, falling “global demand” and “complex” manufacturing were behind the decision.
Nestlé still, however, manufactures plant-based offerings. Here, we take a look at some of the most popular—from Garden of Life to Garden Gourmet.
Garden of Life
Garden of Life makes it easy to find vegan, organic supplements
Organic supplement brand Garden of Life is known for making its formulas with real, whole-food ingredients rather than synthetic alternatives. While the Nestlé-owned brand isn’t entirely vegan, a significant number of its products are plant-based. In fact, more than 120 vegan products are available from the brand. Here are some of our top Garden of Life picks:
- Raw Organic Protein (packed with 22 grams of protein and flavored with vanilla)
- Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin C (packed with 500 milligrams of raw vitamin C and bioflavonoids)
- mykind Organics Women’s Once Daily (a whole-food multivitamin from Alicia Silverstone’s range—and the entire line is vegan)
- mykind Organics Organic Plant Collagen Builder (collagen supplements often come from animals, but this one utilizes 30 organic fruits, vegetables, and botanicals)
- Vitamin Code Raw B-Complex (a high-potency formula packed with those all-important B vitamins)
Coffee-Mate
Coffee-Mate makes oat and almond milk creamers
Most of Nestlé’s creamer brand Coffee-Mate’s range is lactose-free, but it isn’t vegan due to the presence of a small number of milk proteins. However, there are a handful of plant-based options available from the brand, including its Oat Milk Vanilla Coffee Creamer and Almond Milk Coffee Creamer (they’re also available in singles, too).
Nestlé
Many of Nestlé’s popular cereals are free of animal products
While many kinds of cereal contain animal-derived ingredients such as cow’s milk or non-vegan vitamin D, much of Nestlé’s range is totally vegan. Yep, you can safely munch away on options like Shredded Wheat, Coco Shreddies, Frosted Shreddies, Go Free Rice Pops, and Go Free Corn Flakes without worrying about sneaky animal ingredients.
The only catch? Most are only available outside the US. But if you’re keen to give them a try, you might be in luck—you can find some imported boxes at retailers like Amazon and Walmart.
Garden Gourmet
Garden Gourmet’s products are vegan, with a few exceptions
Garden Gourmet isn’t entirely vegan, but it does offer a wide range of totally plant-based products. As well as its popular vegan tuna alternative, Vuna, the vegetarian brand makes Crunchy Tofu, Vegan Nuggets, Vegan Schnitzel, various vegan chicken pieces, falafel, and burgers. In fact, only a handful of products in the Garden Gourmet range aren’t plant-based: the Cheesy Nuggets, Veggie Rondo, Veggie Balls, and Classic Balls all contain animal products.
There’s another catch, though. Yep, you guessed it. This vegan-friendly brand isn’t available on supermarket shelves in the US. However, it is still stocked in stores across Europe, and you can also find its products on select restaurant menus. In Spain, for example, Garden Gourmet supplies the vegan meat for the Vegan Cheeseburger empanada at the popular empanada chain Las Muns.
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
JUMP TO ... Latest News | Recipes | Guides | Health | Subscribe
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the plant-based lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include links where we might earn a small commission, but in no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
