Cooking With Kindness: Vegan Tips & Substitutes for a Healthy Plant-Based Diet - Part I
“If vegans hate meat so much, why do they try to make their food taste like it?!”
Cue obnoxious, raucous laughter of the carnivore, who is now convinced that they have checkmated their vegan counterpart with the ultimate gotcha move.
On the list of eye-roll-inducing digs and ridiculous fallacies that every vegan endures ad nauseum, this one is pretty much as absurd as they come.
There are many reasons why people choose a vegan lifestyle. However, the overwhelming majority of vegans make the commitment for ethical reasons related to animal cruelty. As one of our resident vegan GreenPan team members succinctly puts it: “Animals are my friends. I don’t eat my friends”.
While not unheard of, not liking the taste of meat and other animal products typically falls somewhere near the bottom of the list of reasons to go vegan. Let’s be honest: meat, seafood, cheese, eggs and other non-vegan foods taste delicious. Deciding to go vegan, therefore, is simply a matter of prioritising the lives and welfare of the beings with whom we share the planet over one’s own sensory pleasure. If vegan’s can achieve all that while eating food that mimics the taste on non-vegan items, then why not?
Is a Vegan Diet Healthy?
While these are unquestionably admirable sentiments, it’s understandable that many people may be sceptical of the health implications of a plant-based diet. While every vegan’s eyes roll into the back of their heads when asked, “Where do you get your protein?” for the 129478862864th time, for the uninitiated, it’s a reasonable question to ask. Is it possible to be healthy with a vegan lifestyle?
The answer is a resounding YES. We are blessed to live in a time when all our necessary nutrients - including protein - are easily and affordably available to us without a single animal having to suffer or lose its life. In fact, a balanced, well-planned vegan diet has been recognised by the US Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics as being not only good for you but also having potential superior health1 benefits1. But - and this is a big” but” - you could also exist on a diet of potato chips, Coke and Skittles every day, and while you’re unlikely to live to a ripe old age, you’d still be vegan!
To complicate matters further, many vegan replacement foods, such as vegan “meats”, non-dairy “cheeses”, and yoghurt, are highly processed and can be loaded with saturated fats, salt, preservatives, and other chemical nasties.
This can present a curly challenge to dyed-in-the-wool vegans, those pondering whether a change or simply looking to add more plants to their diet, who wish to remain healthy but are not ready to give up the flavours and textures of the foods they love.
Fear not, animal lovers! We’re about to unlock the secrets to creating your favourite dishes using plant-based substitutions that will satisfy your morals and your cravings. We’ll lift the lid on ingenious tricks that are not only healthy and nutritious but will leave you and your family and friends saying, “I can’t believe this is vegan!”.
The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Cooking Substitutions - Part 1: Baked & Sweet Treats
Going vegan may be a morally simple choice for some. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who will try to convince you that it’s a straightforward, practical move while keeping a straight face. Cutting out meat and fish is just the start. Subscribing to vegan philosophy means eliminating all animal-derived products from your lifestyle. That means no more eggs, dairy, or even honey. It’s not until you start looking into the foods you eat that you realise the magnitude of the challenge. That’s particularly the case when it comes to the sweeter aspects of your gastronomic life. Baked goods, crepes, pancakes and other fluffy favourites are beloved staples that many assume cannot be mastered without animal-based ingredients such as milk and eggs.
There’s good news, vegetable folk! Anything they can do, you can do vegan! Let’s break it down and discover how we can make the process so much easier and just as delicious.
The first question we need to ask is why we use eggs in food to begin with. Any seasoned cook or baker will tell you that eggs serve as a binding agent that holds things together and keeps them fluffy.
The good news is that several plant-based alternatives perform the same function admirably. So, hold my beer, Sarah Lee, while we show you how to create gorgeous breakfast, brunch or all-day delights without harming a single animal!
I. Vegan Egg Substitutes:
- Flax “Eggs”
- 1 Tablespoon ground flax/linseed (use pre-ground, or blitz whole seeds in a blender).
- 2.5 Tablespoons of warm water
- Combine the two well in a small bowl and let the mixture sit to thicken for 5 minutes. Some people prefer to let the mixture sit in the fridge for 15 minutes, but you do you.
Also known as linseed, ground flax, when mixed with water, creates a highly viscous texture that almost perfectly mimics the consistency of egg and is so simple to make:
This recipe makes the equivalent of 1 egg, so multiply the quantities for the numberer of eggs in the recipe and voila! Welcome to vegan deliciousness!
Chia seeds work in exactly the same way as flax but can be used ground or whole. Whole chia can add a delightful texture but have an unfortunate tendency to get stuck between your teeth. The ratios and method are identical to the recipe above. The only slight difference is that chia typically starts to congeal almost immediately, so you may not have to wait as long for the mixture to be usable.
The added advantage of these marvellous seeds is that they are incredibly rich in nutrients such as fibre, omega-3s, vitamin B1 and more. Chia has the added bonus of delivering a walloping antioxidant punch in addition to calcium, phosphorous and other micro-nutrients.
This ingenious switch is not just for babies; it is tried and tested and can seriously elevate your culinary game. It may seem slightly counterintuitive, but apple sauce solidifies and is an exceptional binder when folded into your mixture and baked or cooked. It may not provide all of the micronutrients of the superfoods mentioned above, but you’ll get plenty of the dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals that apples contain.
Another food more commonly found all over babies’ faces, bananas also do yeoman’s service when it comes to holding your favourite treats together, eliminating the need for chicken embryos in your muffins. It’s a fabulous source of soluble fibre and vitamin K (potassium), making it a healthy choice. Compared to apple sauce, it will impart a more powerful distinctive flavour to your food, so if you would rather avoid the banana taste, you might be better off with one of the other options on our list.
As an added health bonus, apple sauce and mashed banana's natural sweetness may allow you to significantly reduce the amount of sugar or other sweeteners you require for your recipe.
And that, dear reader, is the perfect segue into our next section:
II. Vegan Sweeteners & Sugar Substitutes
Wait! Vegan sweeteners? This one needs a bit of explaining, as sweeteners aren’t necessarily ingredients you would naturally associate with animals. However, they make the list because many vegans shun the two go-to options:
a) Honey: Vegans are concerned for the welfare of all living things, including insects. Although it doesn’t directly cause bee deaths, there are numerous reasons why honey is not vegan2.
b) Cane Sugar: There is nothing inherently non-vegan about sugar. However, a large percentage of vegans are acutely health conscious and avoid processed sugar in favour of less harmful sweeteners.
Before we start, if you’re looking to eliminate sugar from your life, it’s critical to note that all the options we’re about to discuss are not magic bullets. They’re all still sugar, just in a different form, making them easier for your body to process. So, let’s take a look at more humane and (somewhat) healthier ways to satisfy your sweet tooth:
Contrary to popular belief, coconut sugar comes from the sap of the coconut palm, not from the fruit. It has a less intense sweetness and a deep brown colour that can add a caramel hue to your creations. Coconut sugar has the same calorific value as cane sugar but contains a modest amount of soluble fibre, giving it a lower glycemic index. Spruikers like to reference the various nutrients that coconut sugar contains, but the quantities are so minute that they provide no practical nutritional benefits.
Grab your ice hockey sticks and say “Eh?” to Canada’s most famous export. Too often reserved only for pancakes and waffles, maple syrup also has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar, which may help moderate blood-glucose spikes. Maple’s intense sweetness means that, in many cases, you can get away with using less of it than other sweeteners, which can help to lower the total sugar content of your food. Most importantly, maple syrup’s golden colour and distinctively rich, complex flavour can add a delicious twist to your favourite baked goods, salad dressings, sauces and more.
Traditional agave negtar has been used in authentic Mexican home cooking for centuries Made from the sap of the Agave Cactus, it’s responsible for many a regrettable big night in its other guise as the base ingredient for tequila. The modern agave syrup available on our supermarket shelves is a highly processed version of the sweetener. Similar to high-fructose corn syrup, any health benefits that agave may have are eliminated in the production process, so there is little advantage in using agave syrup over sugar.
Another easy-to-find option is rice malt syrup. Its thick consistency and malty flavour make it an amazing substitute for honey. Similar to golden syrup, it can be used to make vegan versions of sweet treats like honeycomb and honey joys. However, this substitute has no health benefits compared to sugar. It’s great for the bees but won’t lower your blood sugar!
With all these options available, it should already be clear that you can produce incredible feats of baking virtuosity that, in most cases, will be better for you and better for our furry, four-legged (or winged) friends.
For now, however, it’s time to dust the flour off your apron and move to the other side of the kitchen counter as we explore more ways to fill your kitchen with kinder, creamier ingredients.
III. Vegan Dairy Substitutes
Butter, milk and other dairy products are essential items in a plethora of baked goods. The creamy texture and fat content they impart make them extra-moreish and impart that comforting, homey goodness we all love.
While this is not an exposé of the dairy industry, many vegans will tell you that from an animal welfare perspective, dairy is actually worse than meat. Fortunately, there is a wealth of options when it comes to creating mouthwatering delicacies without the moo juice. Better still, with the scourge of lactose intolerance (also known as Notababycowitis) so common, you can get all the flavour and yumminess without the bloating, discomfort and associated embarrassingly noisy after-effects. You know what I’m talking about!
1. Vegan Milk Substitutes:
Life has never been this good for the vegetable folk. Today’s supermarket shelves are bursting at the seams with a superlative range of plant-based “milks” to choose from. Confused about which to try? Let’s break down the most popular options for you:
Arguably the most popular of the vegan milks, and with good reason. Soy milk has a rich, creamy texture and palate that is as close as you can get to dairy milk without the cow. Its protein content is comparable to cow’s milk too!
Another popular item, almond milk has a unique nutty flavour that provides an added dimension. It is typically less sweet than many other options, but sweetened varieties are also available. If you have the time and inclination, homemade almond milk is jaw-droppingly delicious and simple to make, so try out this almond milk recipe and enjoy!
A little less creamy than some of the other varieties but with a natural subtle sweetness that makes it a great option. It’s one of the lower-calorie milk alternatives, so it's somewhat better for your waistline.
Oat milk is quickly becoming one of the more popular alternatives due to its authentically creamy taste, which may have you checking the carton to confirm it is indeed plant-based. In terms of calories and sugar content, oat milk is comparable to cow’s milk but contains less fat.
A delightfully rich taste, macadamias’ high oil content makes this one somewhat higher in fat than its cousins, but the flavour is worth it.
Pea milk is a relative newcomer to the scene, but it is quite simply delicious. It is one of the most nutritious options and works beautifully for baking.
The are, of course other options on the market, such as hemp, hazelnut, cashew, linseed and more. However, our list above should give you a great start. When it comes to cooking and baking, a higher protein and fat content usually produces the best results, so we generally tend towards soy, oat or pea. However, feel free to go crazy and experiment to see which works best for you!
2. Vegan Butter Substitutes:
The delectable flavour of butter is a feature of so many of our favourite recipes. Purists will swear that butter is irreplaceable. However, you will be pleasantly surprised at how authentic vegan baked goods can taste with non-dairy replacements. Even delicacies such as shortbread, savoury pastries and others can be recreated with non-dairy butter alternatives without anyone being the wiser.
The first and most obvious vegan butter replacement is margarine. While some may baulk at the supposed health implications, it’s worth noting that butter is itself not exactly good for you and both have very high fat content. The reputation of margarine for being filled with chemicals is not well deserved and is more a product of the dairy industry’s marketing department than a realistic impression. In fact, butter typically comprises 50% saturated fats, so many vegetable-based margarines may, in fact, be somewhat better for you.
There are a number of specialty vegan imitation “butters” that have been crafted to replicate the flavour and texture of the real thing. This industry is still in its relative infancy, but some available options are surprisingly good. A quick online search will turn up your options. They tend to be a bit pricey, but if you’re a true fan of buttery goodness, they may be worth every penny.
If you’d rather simplify your life, just open the bottle and pour away! Butter is, after all, a fat, so your favourite vegetable oil will usually do just the same job at a fraction of the cost. If you’re looking for something distinctive with a bit more Mediterranean feel, olive oil works spectacularly in many cookies, muffins and cakes. This is especially the case with citrusy recipes that include lemon or orange as the stars of the show. Give it a try; you won’t be disappointed!
3. Vegan Buttermilk Substitute:
The last stop on our journey through the world of vegan culinary arts is buttermilk. We’ve included it in its own section given that - as the name suggests - it straddles the butter and milk categories.
If you’re looking for a vegan alternative for your pancake or waffle mixture, the good news is that vegan buttermilk is absurdly easy to make using only two ingredients! Here goes:
- 1 cup of your favourite plant-based milk. Higher-protein varieties are best, so ideally, choose soy or pea milk.
- 1 Tablespoon of acid (lemon juice, or vinegar - apple cider vinegar works great!)
- Combine and leave to curdle for a few minutes until the buttermilk reaches the desired consistency.
- Enjoy!!
Honourable Mention: Vegan French Toast
How many of us grew up with French toast on a Sunday morning, slathered in maple syrup and a dollop of fresh berries? French toast kind of occupies its own category, as it can contain all of the above substitutes. We figured this warranted its own section! In fact, we’ve decided to go one better and provide you with our extra-special Vegan French Toast Recipe !
The Best Vegan French Toast Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6-8 Slices of thick slices of your favourite bread. We HIGHLY recommend vegan challah bread or brioche for this recipe. If you can’t find it, a baguette or other French-style bread will do nicely
- 1 Cup of your vegan milk of choice - unsweetened works best
- ¼ Cup of cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seeds
- 1 Teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 Teaspoons of maple syrup or agave
- 1 Teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 3 tablespoons of vegan butter or vegetable oil (for the pan)
Method:
- Mix together the vegan milk, cornstarch, ground flax, baking powder, sweetener and vanilla in a wide, shallow bowl.
- Add your vegan butter/oil to a sturdy non-stick pan on medium heat.
- While the fat is heating, quickly whisk the batter together again to ensure it’s blended (the cornstarch tends to clump at the bottom, and the flax tends to float to the top, so don’t skip this step!)
- Dip each side of the bread in the mixture for 10-15 seconds
- Add the coated bread to the pan and fry until golden brown and just a little bit crispy. Usually about 2-3 minutes, but can take a little bit longer depending on your preference.
- Serve with your favourite condiments, and enjoy!
Additional Resources
Few things spark quite as much joy as creating superb food in the kitchen. The glorious feeling of all that chemistry coming together to produce delicious items that come steaming out of the oven or off the stove can’t be replicated.
We hope that this guide helps start your vegan journey so you can enjoy all the yummy goodies you love and sleep soundly at night, knowing that you’ve made brilliant ethical choices.
For more information on vegan baking, here are some of our favourite online resources:
- The Minimalist Baker - A legend in the vegan world. Controversially re-added dairy foods to the blog a while back, but is still a go-to location for superb vegan recipes
- Nora Cooks - A wellspring of to-die-for, yet easy-to-make vegan recipes
- Project Vegan Baking - A gorgeous range of classic, crowd-pleasing Mexican and Tex-Mex fusion recipes.
- The Vegan Baker - Zacchary Bird is arguably one of the greatest innovators in the vegan world. Check out his definitely baking cookbook!
Note:
1Melina et al; Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, Dec 2016: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:~:text=Abstract,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases
2The Vegan Society; The Honey Industry: https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/why-go-vegan/honey-industry
