Sourcing alternatives to your everyday ingredients when you have committed to transition to a plant based diet and lifestyle may be confusing and somewhat challenging to start.
But fear not, there are so many alternatives, with some that may already be in your pantry.
By being aware of the basics will provide you with the tools to make so much more healthy and nourishing food at home rather than purchase commercially processed speciality plant based foods and meals found in the supermarkets for example.
A delicious sriracha mayonnaise (recipe below) can be created with just cashew nuts, aqua faba (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas), nutritional yeast, olive oil, sriracha chilli sauce and garlic. Eggs in cakes can be replaced with chia seeds and water (see below) and plant based mylk have endless possibilities to be made at home using nuts, including oats, rice and even pepitas.
You may also like to purchase a plant based recipe book which uses many of the alternative ingredients below, and often includes recipes for homemade coconut yogurt for example, plant based cakes, lunches, breakfasts and main meals.
Here are a few everyday essentials with a plant based alternative to get you started:
Chocolate
Fortunately for chocolate lovers the choice for dairy free chocolate has significantly grown.
Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content such as 80% or a specific dairy free option are a good starting point, though always read the label to see if dairy is actually included in the ingredients. Vego for example is a delicious and very creamy ‘Mylk’ chocolate for a treat, so too is panna chocolate which can be found in some supermarkets.
Visiting your local health food store should have a range to choose from though always read the labels first.
Milk
You may like to replace dairy milk with some of the most popular plant based mylks to start such as Almond, Oat, Coconut or Soya, all of which can be used in coffee, almond being my favourite.
Cheese
Plant based non dairy cheese has also come a long way with most supermarkets and health foods stores stocking a range.
You may like to make your own dairy free soft cheeses at home which often have a base of nuts or seeds with the addition as part of the recipe with nutritional yeast which provides a ‘cheese flavour’. Nutritional yeast can also be used sprinkled over pasta and pizza to give a cheese flavour too.
Egg replacement in recipes
Chia seeds work in the same way as flax seeds with both being an excellent egg replacement in recipes.
To replace one medium egg mix 1 tsp of whole Chia seeds to 3 tbsp of water and mix until you have a gel like texture, this should take about 5 minutes.
Flax seeds, also known as linseeds or golden linseeds are used in a similar way though need to be ground first. Flax seeds also do not have a sweetness or flavour so can be used in either sweet or savoury dishes.
Yogurt
You will be surprised again how easy it is to make your own coconut yogurt at home with just a tin or organic coconut cream and the content of 2 probiotic capusles.
Butter
Choose a plant based variety made with non-hydrogenated fats, and always check the label as some spreads look to be plant based though do contain milk. Sunflower and soya margarine are a good option or use a thin spread of tahini instead which is made of sesame seeds for a change.
Cream
Making your own cashew cream is quick, simple and delicious with plenty of recipes found in plant based books.
Alternatively use soya cream, or coconut cream. Or use a nut or coconut based yogurt to top desserts.
Recipe:
Sriracha mayonnaise:
Ingredients:
100g cashews (soaked overnight)
180g aquafaba (liquid from a can of chick peas)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
1 garlic clove
Method: Drain the cashews and place in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend for 1 minute until you have a smooth, creamy mayonnaise. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge where it will keep for up to a week.
