World Vegan Month 2026: Lesser-Known Plant-Based Alternatives

From slurrp.com

World Vegan Month is an opportunity to explore plant-based cooking beyond familiar options such as tofu and soy milk. From aquafaba and flaxseed gel to cashew cream and jackfruit, discover five lesser-known ingredients that can replace common foods in everyday recipes 

November is celebrated as World Vegan Month, with November 1 being observed as World Vegan Day. The observance traces its roots to the Vegan Society, established in November 1944. The month highlights veganism and promotes people to know more about food choices that bypass animal-derived ingredients, with animal welfare and reducing animal exploitation at the core of the movement.

For someone exploring vegan cooking for the very first time, however, changing familiar recipes can seem like a challenge. Tofu, soy milk and packaged plant-based meat are often the first choices that cross the mind, but they're not the only options. Everyday pantry ingredients like chickpeas, flaxseeds, cashews and raw jackfruit can do different jobs for the same dishes that you love. Some help in binding cake batter, whereas others make a creamy gravy or add a shredded texture to the savoury dishes. Knowing how to use them can make plant-based cooking more varied and easy to approach.

Aquafaba: Chickpea Water That Can Replace Egg Whites

Aquafaba is the thick liquid that is left after cooking chickpeas or drained from the canned chickpeas. It is especially useful in recipes that need whipped egg whites, as it can be beaten into a light foam. Use about three tablespoons of it to replace one egg white, or try it in vegan meringues, macarons, mousses and also mayonnaise. Aquafaba has dissolved compounds that it gets from the chickpeas that help it hold air when it is whipped, similar to egg whites. Its flavour is light, so it usually does not overpower any sweet preparations. If the liquid seems to be too thin, simmer it for a short while to reduce and thicken it.

Flaxseed Gel: A Simple Binder For Cakes And Cookies

Ground flaxseeds can do more than just add fibre to your breakfast bowls. When mixed with water and left to soak for about 10 to15 minutes, it forms a thick gel that helps bind ingredients together. This mixture, often called a flax egg, can easily replace eggs in recipes where binding and moisture are needed, such as brownies, muffins, pancakes or cookies. A common ratio is one tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water in place of one egg. The gel has a light nutty taste and may make baked goods feel denser, so it is better to use in moist bakes than airy sponge cakes.

Cashew Cream: A Dairy-Free Alternative To Fresh Cream

Soaked cashews when they are blended with water makes a smooth, thick cream that can easily take the place of dairy cream in many savoury dishes. It has light, a bit sweet, nutty taste that does not overpower spices, making it useful addon to use in tomato gravies, pasta sauces, soups and also for creamy dips. Use less water if you want a thick consistency or add more to get a pourable sauce. A little lemon juice and salt can make it more convenient for savoury recipes. Unlike coconut cream, cashew cream has a fairly neutral taste, so it works when you want to have richness without adding an evident coconut aroma.

Raw Jackfruit: A Shredded Alternative To Pulled Meat

Young, unripe jackfruit has a fibrous consistency that separates into strands when it is cooked, making it useful in dishes that traditionally use shredded meat. Drain and rinse the canned young jackfruit, remove any tough central portions and then simmer the pieces with spices until tender. Once they are cooked, pull them apart with a fork and then use them in tacos, rolls, sandwiches, biryani or a spicy Indian-style curry. Its flavour is relatively mild, allowing it to soak up marinades, chilli, garlic and other seasonings. However, jackfruit mainly adds texture rather than the protein content of the meat, so pair it with beans or lentils for a more wholesome meal.

Chickpea Flour: An Egg-Free Base For Savoury Dishes

Chickpea flour, also known as besan, is a familiar Indian kitchen ingredient that can easily replace eggs in some savoury preparations. Mixed with water, it makes a pourable batter that sets when cooked, making it appropriate for vegan omelettes, pancakes, savoury crepes and vegetable fritters. Add some chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander and turmeric to give it the taste of a masala omelette. Chickpea flour has a naturally earthy, nutty taste and adds structure without needing eggs. Cook the batter thoroughly over a medium flame so that the centre sets rather than remaining pasty. It is especially useful for breakfast and quick snacks.

https://www.slurrp.com/amp/article/world-vegan-month-2026-lesser-known-plant-based-alternatives-to-common-foods-1793618373580

"My most memorable meal: 13 courses at a vegan restaurant in Copenhagen"

From irishtimes.com

By Órla Ryan

Everybody has a cross to bear, and mine is being a vegetarian who doesn’t like mushrooms.

Before you ask, yes – it is hard to get up in the morning. Yet I persist. The human spirit is truly indomitable.

More often than not, at whatever restaurant or wedding I’m attending, the vegetarian option involves mushrooms in some capacity. This often feels like a personal attack.

In August, I made it all the way to Copenhagen in Denmark. On a previous visit, I contemplated going to a Michelin-hyped restaurant but decided not to – it seemed an overindulgence in an already expensive city. This time around I took the plunge. 

Ark came highly recommended – “the best meal I’ve ever had”, one friend said. The vegan restaurant has a Michelin Green Star (the accolade recognises innovation and sustainability but is being “retired” next month).

I viewed the sample menu beforehand, so I knew what I was letting myself in for: two of the dishes revolved around mushrooms. Adapting the wise words of the philosopher Meat Loaf, I thought, “11 out of 13 ain’t bad”. So I found myself at a corner table with an empty stomach and high expectations.

Órla Ryan's starter at Ark

Things started off promisingly with a tartlet combining kimchi, dill and pear. It was divine. A stream of beautifully presented dishes followed, featuring an array of vegetables – “What do you mean that’s a potato? It’s a work of art!” – and vegan caviar (it’s seed-based, in case you were wondering). So far, so delicious.

Around the midway point, I had to face my fear: lion’s mane. A few bites validated my choice to live a fungi-free life. Mushrooms also featured in one of the “sweet” dishes, but the less said about that the better. I would do anything for dessert, but I won’t do that.

Vegan caviar at Ark

Every other dish was genuinely gorgeous. Most of the wine pairings were light, but the waiter – who trained at Adare Manor in Co Limerick – warned me that an apple wine served with dessert was “very strong”. Sceptical, I took a sip. I can only compare it to poitín – which, following that much food, was a bold move.

After five hours, I left very full and very satisfied. My friend was right – it was the best meal I’ve ever had, mushrooms aside.

https://www.irishtimes.com/food/2026/11/03/my-most-memorable-meal-13-courses-at-a-vegan-restaurant-in-copenhagen/

Vegan diets have a surprising effect on gut bacteria, study reveals

From earth.com 

A study reveals that vegans have less diverse gut bacteria than meat-eaters, despite eating more fibre and showing several healthier metabolic markers

Plant-based diets are widely believed to support a healthy gut, partly because fibre feeds beneficial bacteria.

Scientists therefore expected vegans to have a greater variety of gut microbes than people who eat meat. But a study of 150 healthy adults in Denmark found the opposite.

Vegans had less diverse gut bacteria, even though several other measures of their gut and metabolic health appeared more favourable.

The study was led by Oluf Borbye Pedersen, a professor at the University of Copenhagen‘s Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research.

“This came as a major surprise,” Pedersen said.

“Because vegans eat only plant-based foods and therefore consume large amounts of dietary fibre and other health-promoting plant compounds that stimulate the gut microbiome, we expected the vegan group to have greater bacterial diversity than the omnivores.

“But that was not the case.”

A plant-based diet can influence the composition of bacteria living in the human gut. Credit: Shutterstock

Four days of meals

The volunteers lived in urban Denmark and joined through newspaper and social media ads. They ranged from 18 to 65, and each group had an average age of 31, with 40 women and 35 men.

Each vegan had eaten that way for at least a year, with an average of about six and a half years.

Researchers excluded people with gut disease, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and anyone who had taken antibiotics or probiotics in the previous three months.

For four days, each person weighed everything they ate on a precision scale, covering two workdays and two weekend days. They also gave stool, blood and urine samples.

Scientists at Université Paris-Saclay in France read DNA from the stool to identify the microbes.

Researchers at Imperial College London measured more than 200 small molecules in the stool, blood and urine.

Protein may matter

Both groups ate roughly the same number of calories. But protein supplied 12% of the vegans’ calories, compared with 17% for meat-eaters.

The vegans ate nearly 70% more fibre, yet their gut bacteria were less varied on most measures. Scientists often use bacterial variety as a sign of good metabolic health.

Among vegans, those who ate more protein tended to have more kinds of gut bacteria, while fibre showed no such link. People who had been vegan longer also tended to carry more species.

Protein intake, time on the diet and age together explained about a third of the differences in species counts among vegans.

Pedersen thinks lower protein intake may help explain the lower variety, making protein a factor worth studying more closely.

Which bacteria showed up

The team found 109 bacterial species whose amounts differed between the groups: 82 were more common in meat-eaters and 27 in vegans. Many of those more common in vegans were linked to higher fibre intake.

Two species more common in meat-eaters, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactococcus lactis, also occur in dairy products.

To assess the bacteria, researchers used a ranking published in Nature in 2025, based on their links to heart and metabolic health in US and UK populations.

Of the 16 ranked species that were more common in vegans, 13 fell on the healthy side, compared with 28 of the 66 species more common in meat-eaters.

Vegans in the top third for protein intake carried more of the healthy-rated species usually found in meat-eaters, while those in the bottom third carried fewer.

“Apart from the reduced diversity of gut bacteria, we found that the vegans had a health-promoting gut microbiome,” Pedersen said.

What blood tests showed

The vegans had lower blood sugar on two standard tests. They also had lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

Their blood contained fewer white blood cells and less C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. Blood pressure was the same in both groups, and body size was almost identical.

Meat-eaters had more of two compounds that gut bacteria help make in their urine, including TMAO. Earlier studies have linked both compounds to heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Here, neither compound clearly tracked cholesterol or other health measures after researchers accounted for age, sex and body size.

The team also did not adjust for how diluted the urine samples were, which could explain some of the difference.

Other gut findings

Despite the different mix of bacteria, both groups carried bacterial genes for nearly the same jobs.

Only four of 320 gene sets differed, including one involved in breaking down a building block of protein and another involved in antibiotic resistance.

Bacteria have viruses of their own, and these differed too. Vegans carried fewer kinds of viruses that kill the bacteria they infect.

Viruses that can live inside bacteria without killing them were about equally common in both groups.

The authors suggested that fewer destructive viruses might mean a steadier gut community, with fewer bacteria being killed and replaced.

Another gut resident

A single-celled organism called Blastocystis appeared in 27 of the 75 vegans, compared with 14 of the 75 meat-eaters.

Vegans carrying it had lower systolic blood pressure, the top number in a reading, after researchers accounted for age, sex and body size.

Among meat-eaters, blood pressure was similar whether people carried it or not.

The authors think Blastocystis may signal a healthy gut. A 2024 study of nearly 57,000 people across 32 countries linked it to healthier diets and better heart and metabolic health.

But this team identified it only through stool DNA, without a second lab test to confirm it. Too few people carried each type for researchers to work out which type, if any, might explain the blood pressure link.

Limitations of the study

Researchers measured each person once and studied the diets people already followed. That can reveal links, but it cannot show that diet caused the differences.

No one changed the vegans’ meals and then checked what happened to their gut bacteria.

Eating more protein might affect bacterial variety, or something else about the people who ate more protein might explain the pattern.

The study involved just 150 healthy adults in Denmark, most at a normal weight, so the findings may not apply to broader populations.

Rethinking a healthy gut

Pedersen said the findings cannot serve as diet recommendations, though they support paying attention to nutrition whatever people eat.

“Vegans in particular should consider whether they are getting enough protein in their diet, since they do not obtain it from meat, eggs or dairy products,” he added.

“Good vegan sources of protein include beans, lentils, hemp seeds, chia seeds, quinoa, almonds and nuts.”

The findings challenge the idea that a more diverse gut microbiome is always a healthier one.

Although protein intake may help explain some of the differences, researchers need further studies to understand how vegan diets shape gut bacteria and what those changes mean for long-term health.

The study is published in the journal Microbiome.

https://www.earth.com/lifestyle/vegan-diets-have-a-surprising-effect-on-gut-bacteria-study-reveals/

8 Warm Breakfasts To Start Your Day

From plantbasednews.org

By Kaitlyn Lourens

Try these breakfast recipes sure to keep you warm during cold mornings 

When the weather turns cold, warm breakfasts can make mornings feel a little more inviting. A hot meal gives you a chance to slow down before the day begins, whether you prefer something sweet, savoury, or packed with warming spices. There are plenty of ways to make breakfast more interesting than the usual bowl of cereal.

Oats, rice, chickpeas, tofu, and fresh vegetables all work well in hot breakfast recipes. Some bring fruit and gentle sweetness, while others offer bold spices, savoury flavours, or a mix of textures. You can also prepare certain dishes ahead of time, making busy mornings easier without sacrificing variety.

If you’re looking for new ideas to add to your morning routine, these recipes offer something for different tastes and schedules. From familiar breakfast favorites with a twist to dishes inspired by cuisines around the world, there’s plenty of inspiration to help you start the day with a warm meal.

Tofu scramble breakfast sandwiches

Hayden SteinbaughAdd your favourite vegan cheese to this sandwich

Try these tofu scramble breakfast sandwiches by Six Vegan Sisters for a savoury start to the day. Garlicky toasted bread holds tofu scramble, vegan bacon, mashed avocado, and melted vegan Cheddar for a breakfast packed with flavour and texture.

Find the recipe here.

Ginger peach baked oatmeal

Amber AsakuraFresh peaches work here too

This ginger peach baked oatmeal from Clean Food Dirty Girl combines juicy peaches with rolled oats, dates, raisins, and almonds. Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves bring warming spice, while the baked texture makes it easy to slice and reheat for breakfast throughout the week.

Find the recipe here.

Pak choi congee (Chinese rice porridge)

Katharina PinczolitsCongee was historically a famine food, but now it’s connected to comfort

The third recipe on this list comes from Yang Liu and Katharina Pinczolits. Their Chinese-style congee slowly cooks rice into a creamy porridge, with shiitake mushrooms and salted radish adding savoury flavour. Fresh pak choi and spring onions finish the dish with a little crunch.

Find the recipe here.

Ginger-infused strawberry oat bake

Hannah BodsworthHave a slice with tea or coffee in the morning

Frankie Paz puts a fruity spin on baked oats with this strawberry oat bake. Homemade strawberry chia jam sits between layers of oats and ground almonds, while ginger and cardamom add a gentle spice. Cut it into bars for an easy breakfast or morning snack.

Find the recipe here.

10-minute smashed chickpea scramble

Sarah NevinsThis high-protein scramble makes for a quick and high-protein meal to start your day

Short on time? Try this smashed chickpea scramble by Sarah Nevins, which takes just 10 minutes to prepare. Mashed chickpeas combine with softened onions, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, and garlic powder for a quick savoury alternative to a traditional scramble.

Find the recipe here.

Spicy Southwestern breakfast burrito

Toni ZernickThis breakfast dish contains plenty of protein and fibre

Black beans, corn, red peppers, jalapeños, and chickpea scramble fill this spicy Southwestern breakfast burrito by Will Edmond. Cumin and smoked paprika give the filling a smoky kick, while avocado, fresh cilantro, and lime bring freshness to every bite.

Find the recipe here.

Pumpkin spiced latte pancakes

The Happy PearYou can add fruit, vegan yogurt, and other toppings to these autumnal pancakes

For something inspired by a coffeehouse favourite, try these pumpkin-spiced latte pancakes from The Happy Pear. Pumpkin puree keeps the pancakes moist, while cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and optional ground coffee recreate the familiar flavours of a spiced latte.

Find the recipe here.

Loaded zucchini breakfast casserole

Melanie McDonaldServe this breakfast casserole to a group or use it as meal prep for the week

Melanie McDonald gives breakfast casserole a plant-based twist with zucchini, onions, hash browns, and crusty bread layered in a savoury tofu custard. Garlic, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and herbs add flavour, while the oven creates a golden top and soft centre.

Find the recipe here.

https://plantbasednews.org/veganrecipes/breakfast/warm-breakfasts-to-start-your-day/