Actual Veggies, the frozen food brand built around real vegetables and recognizable ingredients, has been named to the 2026 Inc. 5000. The Denver, Colorado-headquartered company ranks No. 614 overall and No. 30 in Food & Beverage after delivering 561% revenue growth from 2022 through 2025.
This marks Actual Veggies’ second consecutive year among the
list’s top 1,000 companies and its second as the fastest-growing plant-based meatless brand represented. It debuted at No. 561 in 2025 after posting 732% three-year growth.
The recognition validates the company’s thinking. When Actual Veggies launched in more than 350 Sprouts Farmers Market stores in summer 2021, much of the plant-based industry was focused on products designed to imitate meat.
Actual Veggies took the opposite approach: thick, colorful burgers made from vegetables, legumes, grains and spices consumers could see and recognize. Its belief was simple: vegetables did not need to imitate meat to earn a place at the center of the plate.
“When we entered retail, the category was focused on fake meat. We made the opposite bet,” said Hailey Swartz, co-founder and co-chief executive officer. “We believed consumers wanted real food and that vegetables could be the hero. Consumers are shifting in our direction. Being the Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing plant-based meatless company for two consecutive years validates where the category is going.”
Actual Veggies surpassed $20 million in sales during 2025 and projects $30 million in 2026. Its products are available in more than 15,000 retail locations across the USA, including Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Sprouts and Albertsons.
Recent Milestones include the following:
• Launching its first organic burger this summer, a Costco-exclusive 10-count Organic Black Bean Veggie Burger across multiple Costco regions.
• Expanding into family-friendly foods with vegetable-packed Dinosaur Nuggets, introduced nationwide at Whole Foods Market and select Kroger banners.
• Becoming the No. 1 brand by dollar sales in the entire plant-based meat category within the natural channel, according to SPINS Natural Expanded data for the four weeks ending May 17, 2026.
• Earning the No. 1 position in Chowhound’s August taste test of popular veggie burgers for grilling with the California Garden Veggie Burger.
“Consumers are not turning away from plant-based food – they are becoming more thoughtful about what they buy,” said Swartz. “People still want convenient meatless options, but increasingly want real food and recognizable ingredients. We built Actual Veggies for this moment.”
