Whether you’re transitioning into eating a whole foods, plant-based diet going for it full tilt - or whether you’re just dipping your toes into trying to incorporate more of this healthy way of eating into your daily diet - one thing that can be difficult at first is not wanting to give up some of your dairy, meat, eggs and oils. BUT - there are many very healthy whole foods, plant based substitutes that work so you can continue making your fave dishes and recipes and enjoy most of the types of foods you love!  You can turn just about any regular recipe into a much healthier one by learning to incorporate these substitutes.  I’ll bet you’ll find some surprises here to try!

But first: many people who are new to moving towards a vegan or plant-based eating  lifestyle start out by buying some of the many faux meats, cheeses, and other vegan snacks like crackers, vegan chips and other highly processed foods. What I see happening with people who do this is that they end up not losing the weight they hoped to lose, and don’t actually feel that much better energy-wise. Part of the reasons is these foods - while advertised as “vegan” or “plant-based” - are also highly processed which we know is not the healthiest choice for us. The market is full of these foods and they are huge business and while they are indeed vegan/plant-based, they are not going to help you with your goal of optimal HEALTH through good nutrition. 

Some of the most common things you may be missing or want to find substitutes for so you can make your fave dishes but in a healthy, whole foods plant-based way are: meat, cheese, milk, butter, buttermilk, eggs, ice cream and sauces. 

Here are some easy substitutes for meat, dairy, eggs AND the highly processed and less healthy plant-based substitutes on the market. 

>> PLANT-BASED MEAT SUBSTITUTES:

We know that highly processed vegan faux meats such as vegan versions of burgers, sausages, salami, chicken etc. may indeed be better for animals and the environment, but they are not good for your health as they are highly processed. You can easily make the MOST DELICIOUS veggie burgers yourself (there are tons of yummy recipes out there!) with things like beans, quinoa, lentils, rice combinations. You can also get the complete protein you need through these meat substitutes. 

- BEANS AND LENTILS

You can substitute either of these in many ways for meat dishes and they have the added value of more nutrients, complete protein and lots of healthy fiber. 

- TOFU 

Tofu is another complete protein made from soybeans. It comes in various firmness levels with the “extra firm” being most like a meat substitute in dishes and the softest one (“Silken”) being the best for sauces or cheese substitute in dishes. Tofu can be incorporated seamlessly into any dish because it will take on the flavor and spices of the meal you are cooking.  You can crumble firm tofu to use in place of ground meat, or cube it  and roast it till crispy. One of my fave ways to use tofu is in a “tofu scramble” as it can be crumbled up and cooked up like scrambled eggs with some addd veggie fixings, and a shake or two of turmeric spice will add health benefits, flavor and also turn it pale yellow like eggs!

- TEMPEH

Tempeh is a complete protein made from fermented soybeans. Tempeh is my very fave meat substitute as it is firm, textured, crumbly and almost nutty flavor (although it is the same as tofu in that it also takes on the flavor of whatever marinades, sauces, spices, and cooking liquids you use in  your dish. Cubes and slices of tempeh can be sauteed, baked, roasted, steamed, or added to stews. Crumbled or chopped tempeh can be used as a substitute for ground meat in chili, burgers, spaghetti sauce and taco filling. 

- VEGGIES

People don’t often think of veggies as a meat substitute go-to, but you can make amazingly healthy and delicious dishes using cauliflower as “steaks” and incredible veggie burgers using a portobello mushroom cap. There are easy recipes online for this and it’s all about how you cut the cauliflower and all about the flavorings and spices you use! You can play with this to your taste and have fun  with it!

>> PLANT-BASED EGG SUBSTITUTES

As I mentioned above, one of my fave egg substitutes for “scrambled eggs” is crumbled firm or extra firm  tofu. But did you know you can use a bunch of different substitutes for eggs if you are wanting to bake things? Eggs in baking are mostly there to help “bind” the ingredients and hold batters and doughs together. So replacing eggs with just water or another liquid, for example,  won’t have the same success as using an egg substitute will.

- Applesauce: ¼ cup = one egg and also adds sweetness so you can reuse the sugar in your recipe.

- Fruit purees like pear, rhubarb, or prune: 1/4 cup = one egg and adds sweetness and prune puree is great for recipes with chocolate.

- Squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato puree: ¼ cup = one egg and also adds a yellow color.

- Aquafaba: this is the liquid that is in a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans. It is a fairly thick liquid that is fantastic to save and use (don’t throw it down the drain!). It can be whisked until frothy just like beaten eggs. To get the equivalent of one egg, whisk 3 TBSP of aquafaba until frothy. To get the equivalent of one egg white, whisk or beat 2 TBSP tablespoons of aquafaba.

-Banana (the riper, the better): ¼ cup mashed banana (the riper, the better) can be used as an egg replacement in recipes although the banana flavor will be there so probably best used in recipes where you would want that flavor even if slight.

-Flaxseeds: 1 TBSP ground flaxseeds stirred into 3 TBSP of water (let thicken for 5 minutes before using) is a great binder for baking and will also keep baked goods moist.

-Chia seeds: 1 TBSP ground seeds stirred into 3 tablespoons water (let stand for 10 minutes until it gels) is also a great binder for baking.

- Tofu: ¼ cup silken, soft, or firm textured tofu and be blended until smooth and creamy then the texture will help keep more delicate baked goods in particular, tender and moist.

>> PLANT-BASED  BUTTER SUBSTITUTES

For most things  you cook and eat, you don’t even actually need butter. It’s just something we are used to out of habit or taste. Although there are many non-dairy butter substitutes in the market, they are made with processed vegetables oils and are not healthy for you. I challenge you to question if you really even need butter for most things. For example, you don’t need butter or oil to sauté things with, you can simply use a bit of water. For things like eating toast, you can add nut butters (without any additives) or jam or honey without also adding the butter on your toast, for example. Here are some other ideas for healthy, whole-foods plant-based substitutes for butter. 

>>FOR TOPPING TOAST OR OTHER BREAD PRODUCTS

Homemade fruit compote, mashed avocado, nut butters, and bean purees like hummus make flavorful alternatives to butter or buttery spreads. These also add nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy sources of fat. Bingo!

>> FOR SAUCES

You don’t need butter or oils in sauces either. It is your flavorings that will make your sauces awesome and these substitutes will help give your sauce the extra flavor and smoothness yo u might need 

- Save and use cooking liquid. One of the best ways you can add starch to help thicken sauces is to use the liquid you cooked pasta or veggies in. 

- Deglaze and serve pan juices. Add ½ to 1 cup water, broth, juice, or another liquid to deglaze a hot pan after sautéing food. Once the liquid has stopped bubbling, you’ll have tasty pan juice to serve with your food.  

-Thicken with a starch. You can always add 1 TSBP of cornstarch or arrowroot powder for each cup of liquid to turn broths and cooking juices into nice, thickened sauces. First whisk the starch source with 1 TBSP or so of cold water then add to your sauce that is cooking and it will thicken. To make it more of a thick gravy, use 2 TBSPS of cornstarch or arrowroot per cup of liquid.

-Use aquafaba in pan juices and sauces. This super-useful liquid which you may not have ever thought about, is also fantastic at adding thickness to sauces.

>> PLANT-BASED SUBSTITUTES FOR MILK 

More and more milk substitutes are available in grocery stores. In the earlier days it was mostly soy or rice milk but now there are more options. (Note: you can also make your own homemade nut milks or oat milk very easily!) While which type of plant-based milk you might want to drink or add to your coffee etc. may be based on your own preferences (some are more “watery” and you may also enjoy the flavored ones like vanilla) there are some choices that are better than others if you are using plant-based milk in certain types of cooking or baking.

-  For baking: soy milk has the most similarities to a low-fat cow’s milk so it is  good for baking. 

• For breads or pizza crusts: rice milk is best as it also adds a touch of sweetness yet has less flavor than nut milks.

• For sauces: nut milks such as almond, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia nut etc. are more creamy due to having a higher (healthy source) fat content. These can also be used for baking for the same reason. They do tend to have more of a flavor than soy or rice. Oat milk is also very good for sauces and also baked goods as it is creamy with a bit of sweetness but a milder flavor than nut milks.

• To make “buttermilk”: if you are baking, you may often find recipes that call for buttermilk. Butterilk plays an important role in these recipes so you can make up a plant-based version which will have the same effects. All you have to do is add 1 TBSP lemon juice OR 1 TBSP vinegar into a 1-cup measuring cup, then stirring in enough plant milk to top it off to 1 cup total. Let stand 5 minutes to allow the mixture to curdle, then use whatever amount you need according to the recipe.

>> PLANT-BASED SUBSTITUTES FOR CHEESE

Cheese is one of, if not THE, most common things I find people have a hard time giving up when they transition to plant-based eating. Cheese made from dairy can actually be quite addictive but you CAN give it up and it’s worth giving up as cheese made from dairy is high i saturated fat which is associated with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. To start with, many people switch to the various brands of vegan cheese in stores but these too are not healthy as they are a processed food that is very high in oils and fat. Here are some substitutes for cheese.

-Nutritional Yeast: I always have some of this on hand and I sprinkle it or add it to many dishes in cooking and also on salads, veggies, just about everything. It is very different from what you might think of as yeast (used for baking) and it adds a cheesy flavor to whatever you add it to as well as nutrients such as the very important Vitamin B12 which is something that some vegans need to supplement with. It is a go-to for sure!

 - Non-dairy, whole foods, plant-based cheese sauces: there are numerous recipes on the internet but  I make a batch of “cheese” sauce every week or so and use it on steamed veggies and potatoes and wherever I want cheese sauce with my meals. I base it off this recipe although I use fresh jalapeños, one small chipotle adobe canned pepper, or I will sometimes use red peppers instead. https://highcarbhannah.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/VeganCheeseSauce-HighCarbHannah.pdf

>> PLANT-BASED SUBSTITUTE FOR ICE CREAM

 - It is super easy to make a yummy ice cream substitute using blended, frozen fruit. You don’t have to add anything to it, just blend it up and freeze then pull out when you want to eat it. Particularly good is mango or strawberry and you can add banana for extra creaminess if you want. 

NUTRITION SPARK!

There are many super healthy and delicious recipes that can be found on the internet for whole-foods, plant-based versions of your fave meals! I will be sharing some of my go-to’s in a coming blog post so stay tuned! 

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