Plant-based eating is becoming increasingly popular. Many people opt for vegetarian food, but the number of vegans is also growing. In this article, you’ll learn all the ins and outs.
Vegans eat entirely plant-based and avoid all animal products. This means finding alternatives for meat, fish, cheese, eggs, and dairy.
There are now many vegan meat substitutes available, often made from soy (tempeh and tofu) or mushrooms. Vegans also cook more often with legumes like chickpeas and lentils.
There are also more and more plant-based alternatives to dairy. Most supermarkets now sell soy yogurt, oat milk, and almond milk. There are even vegan versions of cooking cream and whipped cream. A major advantage is that plant-based dairy has a much longer shelf life.
Cheese is more difficult to replace. It has a unique taste and texture that’s hard to mimic. Grated cheese for pasta can be substituted with a mix of ground cashews, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast.
Eggs can be replaced, depending on the recipe—sometimes with baking powder, other times with applesauce.
Healthier vegan snacks include roasted chickpeas, nuts, peanuts, popcorn, nut bars, fruit, snack vegetables, olives (or tapenade), and crackers.
Vegan eating is a fun challenge in the kitchen. You’ll discover new flavors while also making healthy choices. Try eating vegan one day a week—you’ll see it’s easier than you think.
But note: a vegan diet is not nutritionally complete. You will need supplements, such as vitamin B12, and possibly iron, vitamin B1, B2, and calcium.