Rice bowl with tofu, chickpeas, and brussel sprouts

Easy Vegan Swaps

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Many people have the same questions when it comes to going vegan- how to replace the foods they love, or make the animal based recipes they crave. The market is flooded more than ever with vegan substitutes, but choosing the right one can be a tough call. These are our go to substitutes that are healthy, tasty, and won't break the bank.

Meat

Mushrooms

The savory, umami flavor of mushrooms and meaty texture make them a great sub for all kinds of meaty cravings, and the variety of mushrooms out their lend themselves to all kinds of dishes. Try oyster or lions main mushrooms in place of seafood, portabello for sandwiches or burgers, or shitake for bacon, tacos, or pasta sauce.

Tofu cooked with sauce to mimic fish on rice

Tofu and Tempeh

By far the most classic vegan proteins, tofu and tempeh are both soybean based. They're sponges for flavor, so are incredibly versatile depending on the seasonings and sauces used. Tempeh bacon is one of my favorite recipes ever because its just so easy- just marinate your tempeh overnight in soy sauce, maple syrup, and smoked paprika.

Seitan

Although not an option for the gluten-free amoung us, this one is extra fun because it can be made at home. Primarily consisting of wheat gluten boiled in broth, you can add in all sorts of good flavor during the making. You're left with delicious meaty nuggets that go great in all sorts of stews, stir frys, or just by themselves.

Beans and Lentils

I can't over emphasize how much of an important staple beans and lentils are. They pack in high nutrition and flavor while being incredibly inexpensive and shelf stable. The uses are also endless. Beans can be the star of tacos, chilis, or a delicious black bean burger that can even be made at home. Lentils are a perfect substitute for ground meat in all sorts of dishes like a bolgonese or shepards pie.

Dairy

Milk

Thankfully there are lots of great alternative milks out there: oat, soy, almond, and more. I'm a big fan of oat for coffee or cereal, and it's what we use at the bakery, but it's really a matter of taste. If you want to really impress you can even make your own alternative milk at home- it's not too difficult, but no one will blame you for going with store bought.

Butter

Vegan butters can be used as one-to-one subs for dairy butter in any recipe. Our favorite is Melt - it works terrifically in all our baking. You can also substitute straight oil such as extra virgin olive oil for baking.

Cream/Whipped Cream

Coconut cream is the standout when it comes to vegan whipped cream. It also works great to thicken recipes that generally call for cream, or you could use blended silken tofu which also comes with a protein boost.

a slice of vegan gluten-free spinach cheddar quiche

Cheese

Theres so much vegan cheese out there, but lets be honest- not all of it is good. At the bakery we use Daiya cheddar, and Daiya really holds up when it comes to texture, taste, and meltability. If you're trying to add some "cheesy" flavor into a recipe nutritional yeast is a great option- we have a whole post about it here.

Eggs

A tofu scramble with mushrooms on a place with a salad

When it comes to baking, we have an entire blog post about different egg substitutes and their advantages here. If your looking for a breakfast scramble, there's a few products out there that mimic eggs but our preference is the old classic of tofu scramble. It's not going to perfectly replicate eggs, but with the right seasoning it perfectly hits those savory breakfast cravings.

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