The 10 Easiest Vegan Swaps To Get More Plants In Your Diet
Whether you’re going vegan full time or just looking to make more mindful choices, the benefits of eating plant-based start one meal at a time. There are so many opportunities throughout your day to replace animal products with plant-based alternatives. You’ll be surprised how easy (and delicious) it is to make these changes. Below you’ll find the best vegan swaps to add flavor and nourishment to your daily routine.
1. Swap eggs for a tofu scramble
Tofu scrambles are a great source of plant-based protein and their fluffy texture is just as satisfying as real scrambled eggs. The best part is you can customize them to your liking, as you would with any other scramble recipe. Saute lots of veggies and greens for a nutrient-dense start to your day, or keep it simple with your favorite vegan cheese and a spoonful of salsa.
2. Try a vegan egg in baked goods
Replace the eggs in your favorite baked recipes with a substitute that doesn’t sacrifice flavor or texture. Bananas or applesauce keep cakes, muffins, and quick breads moist and tender. You can also mix flaxseed meal with water for a light and airy binding agent, or save the liquid from your canned chickpeas. Known as aquafaba, the starchy garbanzo bean water is perfect for cakes and also whips up into a lovely meringue.
3. Stock up on plant-based condiments
On your next trip to the grocery store, look for dairy-free, certified vegan-friendly pantry staples, which guarantee a 100% absence of animal products or testing. Plant-based mayo complements any sandwich well, and vegan butter offers so much versatility. Spread some on toast or add a dollop to the pan you’re heating up for that tofu scramble.
4. Enjoy your morning coffee with your favorite plant-based milk
Swapping cream in your morning coffee for a dairy-free alternative is one of the easiest substitutes you can implement. Some of the options include:
- Almond milk: If you enjoy a little nutty flavor and want to increase your calcium intake, almond milk includes 158 mg of this essential mineral per 100 grams (just under half a cup).
- Soy milk: Of all non-dairy milks, soy has a nutrition profile closest to cow’s milk, with 3.55 grams of protein per serving.
- Oat milk: With oat milk, you get a subtle flavor that won’t overpower your coffee, plus 68 IU of Vitamin D per serving.
- Coconut milk: Rich and flavorful, coconut milk offers the highest calcium content at 188 mg per serving.
5. Cook dinner with a plant-based protein
Add meatless Mondays (or any other day of the week) to the menu and exchange an animal protein for a plant-based one. Craving barbecue? Fable, a shiitake mushroom-based protein, mimics the texture of pulled pork and is simple to prepare. Instead of ground beef on Taco Tuesday, try lentils, vegan chorizo, or load up on rice, beans, and veggies. It’s amazing how many traditionally non-vegan flavor profiles easily transfer to plant-based swaps.
6. Save cooking liquid for thicker sauces
When you want the creamy texture without the heavy cream, leftover cooking water makes an excellent thickening agent. You may already be familiar with using a ladle of pasta water in your homemade marinara. The same concept works with other grains, as well as beans.
7. Replace ricotta with tofu
When you want hearty lasagna without the dairy, trade the ricotta cheese for a blend of firm tofu and nutritional yeast. The consistency comes out so close to the real thing that your family might not even be able to tell the difference.
8. Make your own plant-based stocks and sauces
Certain vegan condiments are pretty low effort if you want to try making your own. Blend tofu, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar for smooth dairy-free sour cream. Making your own vegetable stock is a great way to reduce waste and use any scraps leftover from other meals. You can even make your own fishless fish sauce, packed with plenty of umami, with dried mushrooms and hot water. The more you experiment, the better you get at building satisfying plant-based flavors.
9. Sprinkle nutritional yeast instead of cheese
Add cheesy taste and a serving of protein to your favorite snacks with nutritional yeast. These yellow flakes of deactivated yeast have an impressive nutritional profile, full of essential minerals and vitamins — and it just so happens to go great on popcorn.
10. Let Purple Carrot do the planning twice a week
As work deadlines pile up and the to-do list never seems to end, sometimes it’s just too much to plan dinner. Let someone else do the heavy lifting and add Purple Carrot meal kits to the rotation twice a week. Our plant-based meals are designed with the help of trained dietitians, meant to provide meals that support healthy nutrition and satisfy your cravings.
Swap the hard work for Purple Carrot
If you’ve been thinking about incorporating plant-based eating into your weekly routine, but aren’t sure how to start, Purple Carrot is here to help. Our plant-based meal kits offer macro-friendly recipes made to support gut health and give you the energy you need for a great week. Get plant-based meal kits delivered to your door every week and enjoy unwinding with easy-to-follow cooking instructions. Choose recipes that align with your goals, whether it’s upping fiber intake or finding healthy recipes that take 30 minutes or less. Before you know it, you’ll wonder how you made it through the week without Purple Carrot’s plant-based swaps.
