I've been vegan for 7 years and love shopping at Trader Joe's — here are 18 items I always buy

Before I was vegan, store-bought fresh ravioli was one of my favorite mid-week meals, so when Trader Joe's rolled out a plant-based version last year, I grabbed it immediately.

And it's delicious. Mixed with a vegan pesto or a tomato-based sauce and some roasted vegetables — asparagus with a squeeze of lemon is the best match, in my opinion — this ravioli is great for a quick, comforting dinner.

The 8.8-ounce pack costs $3.99. I usually buy an extra pack to stash in the freezer when I get home.

Vegan-friendly premade pesto isn't the easiest thing to find on the shelves — traditionally, it contains Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, or both, Food & Wine reported. If you want that salty kick, this pesto might fall short, but it still has a citrusy tang, and it tastes creamy thanks to the cashews.

As well as using this on pasta, I like to spread a layer over crusty bread before adding lettuce, tomato, avocado, and thin slices of smoked tofu.

This 8-ounce container costs $3.99.

While I am a big advocate of fake-meat products — and how they can be a gateway to veganism for some people — I don't actually buy many myself. But I make an exception for Trader Joe's soy chorizo, which I add to breakfast burritos and tacos, alongside other fillings such as scrambled tofu, potatoes, salsa, and avocado.

While I've never eaten real chorizo so can't comment on how similar this is, it's vinegary and spicy, and adds some textual variety to my burritos.

It costs $2.69 for 12 ounces, which is a generous portion in my experience. I usually use one half — which makes about four burritos with the other fillings — and then freeze the other half for future meals.

For another meat alternative, I typically buy extra-firm tofu and then press it at home, before marinating or cooking it. But Trader Joe's sells tofu that has already been baked and flavored, making the whole process much easier.

Its teriyaki- and sriracha-flavored baked tofu, which each cost $3.99 for 7 ounces, can be eaten hot or cold, straight from the packet. Plus, it's a great source of plant-based protein, with 15 grams per serving, which is half a package.

While I love Trader Joe's flavored tofu and soy chorizo, in my opinion, the store falls short of other companies when it comes to other meat alternatives, like its chickenless crispy tenders, so I shop elsewhere for those.

I would live on this plain unsweetened cashew yogurt if I could. It's tangy but creamy, and serves as the perfect topping for fresh or warm fruit or oatmeal. I use it in smoothies, baking, and even as a sour-cream alternative.

The $4.99 24-ounce container tastes identical to the organic unsweetened plain cashew yogurt by Forager Project, which costs $6.29 for 24 ounces at my local Hannaford store in New York.

When reached by Insider, Trader Joe's would not comment on the manufacturer of this cashew yogurt, but it does source products from other companies before adding its own labels, SFGate reported.

I have relatives who live closer to Trader Joe's than I do and know that bringing me one of these bright-blue bags is the way to my heart.

The granola contains chunky nutty clusters, as well as peanut halves, and it gets an extra boost of protein from pea protein. It has 11 grams of protein a serving, but I actually find half a serving — a third of a cup — is enough for me as a topping for yogurt and fruit.

It's worth noting that this granola doesn't have "vegan" printed on its packaging because, while it does not have any animal products in its ingredient list, it "may contain" traces of milk. This typically means that, while milk has not been added, the item may have come into contact with milk during processing, perhaps because it shares equipment with another product that does contain milk, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Depending on your preference, you may want to grab a different granola instead. An alternative is the grainless granola, which Trader Joe's website lists as vegan. It's pretty heavy on the coconut flavor but also a delicious option.

A 1-pound bag of raw whole cashews at Trader Joe's costs $7.99, a price my other local supermarkets just can't beat — the same amount costs $11.98 at Hannaford.

Plus, I get through a bag this size surprisingly quickly. I use soaked and blended cashews to add creaminess to soups and sauces, and to make my own vegan cheese, queso, and dips.

Cashews lurk in so many of my go-to recipes that it's great to have a cost-effective source. 

I usually grab a 28-ounce bag of frozen mango for $3.29, and a 16-ounce bag of frozen wild blueberries for $2.49.

Beyond smoothies, oatmeal, and baked goods, I also like to microwave a bowl of the frozen berries until they get warm and juicy, then top them with the cashew yogurt and peanut-butter granola. It tastes like dessert for breakfast.

These nut butters, which are $6.99 each for 16 ounces, add a boost of plant-based protein to any meal, from smoothies or toast at breakfast to noodle, tofu, or curry dishes for dinner.

Trader Joe's sells both smooth and crunchy peanut and almond butters, and with and without salt.

Hemp seeds are packed with nutrients — some of which vegans have to consciously add to their diets because they're typically found in animal products — such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Additionally, they're complete proteins.

They add a slight nutty taste so go well in smoothies and on salads or toast. They're another staple that I add to my cart at Trader Joe's, where they cost $6.49 for 8 ounces.

Bamba, an iconic Israeli snack food, are peanut butter-flavored corn puffs. They're somehow both soft and crunchy, savory and sweet, and nutty but not too dry. You cannot just have one of these, and my toddler agrees.

A 3.5-ounce bag, which is 3.5 servings, costs just $1.79.

Trader Joe's also now sells Bamba with a hazelnut-creme filling, which are also free of animal products. They cost a little more for a little less — $1.99 for 3 ounces — but they are, quite simply, otherworldly.

These crispy Belgian cookies, which cost $2.29 for a 7-ounce packet, have the same sweet, caramel-and-cinnamon taste of Lotus Biscoff cookies, but they're a bit thicker.

Some people pair speculoos cookies with coffee, or crush and sprinkle them over ice cream, but I think they're perfect dunked in a cup of milky English breakfast tea.

These chips are made from lentil flour and potato starch, although I think they taste more like potatoes. I love them mostly for their satisfying crunch, and I typically dip them in hummus for a more filling — albeit pretty messy — snack.

The bag is big, too. It's 6 ounces and costs $2.99.

Among Trader Joe's lineup of fun seasonings, the Mushroom & Company multipurpose umami seasoning blend is my favorite. The 2.1-ounce jar, which costs $2.99, is a mix of salt, dried onion, mustard seed, porcini and white-button mushroom powders, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and thyme.

It adds a salty earthiness to a range of dishes, and the red pepper adds a touch of heat. For vegan dishes, it can help bring a depth of flavor. In our house, it's mostly used on creamy pastas, mushroom ramen, or risotto.

I mostly like using the spread, which is a mix of pureed roasted red peppers, eggplant, and garlic, in sandwiches along with hummus, greens, olives, and cucumber, but it's also good as a stand-in chutney on crackers with vegan cheese, or with falafel and hummus in pita. It's rich but also sweet, thanks to some added sugar.

The 12-ounce jar costs $2.99.

I always grab a loaf of Trader Joe's vegan banana bread, which costs $5.49 for a pound, or eight servings. It's delicious: sweet and moist, with a strong banana taste and not too many walnuts to get in the way of the soft cake.

Even though I find some vegan baked goods go downhill after the first day, somehow this banana bread stays fresh for a few days ... although it rarely lasts that long.