Interested in a Vegan Diet? Here Are Some Simple Food Swaps To Try

From brightonjournal.co.uk

Have you thought about adopting a vegan lifestyle? While staying away from animal products like meat, dairy and eggs can be challenging for some, there’s no reason why you can’t try it for a few days or even a couple of meals per week. Cutting down on meat has benefits such as lowering your chance of a stroke and high blood pressure. So even if you’re not worried about the ethical side of consuming animal products, you could still improve your health by adopting a plant-based diet every now and then.

But we understand that making the swap to vegan substitute foods can be challenging. In many cases, it could even be more expensive! So to help you out, here are a couple of simple yet popular food swaps that you can try.

Seitan, Tofu and Tempeh

Meat substitutes are a staple of any vegan diet, especially if you’re accustomed to eating meat. These three are some of the most popular alternatives to meat, but they each taste and feel slightly different. For instance, seitan is typically chewier than the other two, but it’s rich in protein and is often used for vegan meat dishes like burgers and meatballs. On the other hand, tempeh is a fermented soybean product that has a nutty taste and firm texture. Tofu is a little different because it can be soft and silky, but it can also be firm. It’s incredibly versatile no matter what kind of tofu you get, and it’s packed full of protein and essential amino acids.

Nutritional Yeast

Cheese is one of the big dairy products that people miss when they try a vegan diet. Thankfully, there are plenty of substitutes on the market for sliced cheese. But what about the grated variety? If you want to add a cheesy flavour to your food then give nutritional yeast a try. It’s got a slightly nutty flavour and is often used as a topping for salad and pasta. It’s also packed full of vitamin B12 and protein, making it healthy too

Coconut and Plant-Based Milk

Milk is another common dairy product that people miss, but there are so many different varieties of vegan milk now that you’re spoilt for choice! Plant-based milk is an easy swap, but it can taste a little different compared to regular milk. They’re all fortified with additional nutrients, giving them the same nutritional benefits as dairy milk. You can also get coconut milk which contains more fat and has a creamy texture. You’ll also find that these products carry over into other foods such as vegan Easter chocolate, pasta sauces, cakes, and so on. So if you were ever worried about missing out on dairy milk, don’t be!

Aquafaba

Lastly, we have aquafaba, a unique product that comes from cooking chickpeas and other legumes. Aquafaba is a creamy white liquid that is used as a substitute for eggs in many recipes. It can be whipped together with some cream of tartar to make stiff peaks for meringues and macaroons, or it can be added to cakes and cookies. It’s a fantastic product to have around and you can either make it from canned chickpeas or even buy it as a separate product.

https://brightonjournal.co.uk/interested-in-a-vegan-diet-here-are-some-simple-food-swaps-to-try/