Superfood - the perfect complement for a vegan diet

Vegan Alternatives

Cooking and baking with creative vegan cooking ideas requires certain replacement products, which better be tasty if you are used to using butter, eggs and animal milk. So what is available if you are looking for alternatives that also needed to replace the nutrients found in animal foods such as protein and iron, calcium and iodine, as well as vitamin B12 ? You will be surprised by the many options ! 

BUTTER

Replacing butter is the easiest. Plant margarines are available made from:

• Soy
• Canola
• Sunflower oil
• Coconut oil

EGGS

With eggs you will need to experiment a little. Different foods are well suited to replace eggs.

• Egg substitute powder – made at your local health food store and consisting of corn-starch and sweet lupon flour
• Soy flower mixed with starch
• Soy yogurt
• Silken tofu
• No-Egg: Product originating in Australia and based on potato starch and tapioca, as well as mineral leavening agents
• Arrow root starch
• Ground flaxseed: mix with water, good for recipes requiring 1-3 eggs
• ½ banana for 1 egg
• ¼ cup appelsauce for 1 egg
• Chia seeds: mix 1 Tbsp. with 3 Tbsp. of water

MILK

Cow, goat, and sheep milk can all be replaced with plant-based alternatives. It is fun to try out the different flavors. A smoothie made from almond milk tastes different from one made with coconut milk. You can also produce almond milk yourself: just mix 3 Tbsp. of almond butter with 500 ml of water.

• Soy milk
• Almond milk
• Rice milk
• Oat drink
• Spelt milk
• Coconut milk

CREME

Finding an alternative is the most difficult if you need whipped crème, but ice cold coconut milk works just as well. For mixing and in sauces soy milk is well suited.

Instead of quark or crème fraiche you can also use pureed tofu or silken tofu.

CHEESE

Here you will need to be inventive. For a quick alternative you can find quite a few cheese replacement products at the retail market, even for fondue. Most of them are based on cashews, soy products, and yeast flakes and a combination of starch, flour, and water.

If you want to make it to top baked products yourself, simply take soy and/or oat crème, ground nuts and plant oil, and sprinkle yeast flakes and seasonings to complete the cheese taste, and then thicken it with flour. 

HONEY

To replace honey you don’t have to look very hard, as there are quite a few sweet alternatives available.

• Maple syrup
• Agave syrup
• Coconut blossom syrup
• Sugar beet syrup
• Dandelion syrup
• Rice syrup
• Cane sugar
• Pureed dried fruits

MEAT & SAUSAGE

Whole food stores, supermarkets, and health food stores offer a large assortment of products that replace meat and sausage. Soy and wheat or lupine protein are used the most. You can, however, also experiment with tofu and vegetables in combination with spices and herbs yourself, in order to find your ideal sandwich spread.

Products with animal sources such as gelatine also need to be avoided. Agar Agar – made from red algae – can be used. Know that ¾ tsp Agar Agar can replace 6 sheets of gelatine.

Tofu is vegan meat so to speak. It is rich in calcium, protein, and vitamin E, and only needs to be spiced as the original taste is fairly neutral.

Seitan is a replacement product made from wheat. During processing only gluten remains, and starch and bran are washed away. Seitan has almost no cholesterol or fat and scores a high protein content.  

However, Seitan is not suitable for those suffering from celiac disease.

Since their launch in 2009, Beyond Meat's meat substitutes have been an absolute hit with the Beyond Chicken. With the Beyond Burger, the Californian company has also succeeded in completely rethinking a classic burger. 

These vegan products consist mainly of a mixture of water, pea protein and various vegetable oils. With different spices and aromas and other ingredients, a taste experience is created that pleasantly surprises meat lovers.

Jackfruit, a tropical tree fruit with a fibrous consistency, offers a fruity meat alternative. Cooked longer, it is reminiscent of meat. 

And no matter which alternative you choose: You should be aware that vegan meat replacement is a highly processed product.