10 Vegan Alternatives to Help You Transition!
Hey guys!
I know many of us have been swept up in the wave of plant-based diets in recent years. Documentaries like What the Health and The Game Changers has definitely helped make us more conscious of what's in our food and how it affects our bodies.
I personally have been interested in changing my eating habits for several years. After completing several Daniel's Fasts for spiritual reasons, I would notice how much better I felt eating a super clean fruits and veggies diet. Even though I felt better, I still struggled with actually implementing this transition full-time in my life...until recently. I started out my changing a few things at a time, then at the start of 2020 I really went for it. Minus the first 6 weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown 😳 lol, I have been on a mostly plant-based diet. I say "mostly" because I'm not super hard on myself about being perfect. I just try to make good decisions one at a time and that works for me.
I wrote this post to give you guys a peek into some of the changes I've made in my diet. Also, I wanted to show you some vegan or plant-based alternatives that allow you to still enjoy foods you love while transitioning.
# 1 Orgain - Organic Protein Powder
I love to mix :
2 scoops of this
1 cup of black coffee
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 ripe banana
2 cups of ice
#2 Great Value - Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
I use this as a milk substitute. I put it in cereal, coffee, etc.
#3 Boca Burger Crumbles
I love to put this in chili, spaghetti, tacos, etc. Anything you would use ground beef in, you can use this instead.
#4 Earth Balance - Vegan Butter
I use this as a alternative to regular butter. It can be kind of salty, so I use it primarily in veggies and just don't add salt.
#5 Boca - All American Burger
I love putting this on multigrain 35 calorie bread with sautéed onions and a Chao vegan cheese slice. It reminds me of a patty melt and it's amazing!
#6 Morning Star - Sausage Patties
This one is vegetarian, not vegan. I don't eat it all the time, but when I really want a full breakfast I love it with some fried potatoes.
#7 Chao - Vegan "Cheese" Slices
These are sooooo good melted on sandwiches. It has a really good creamy taste, but I do not recommend it for everything. When it's super melty it can be a little slimy. I tried it in a pasta bake before and the flavor was good but the texture was definitely...different.
#8 Boca - Spicy Chik'n Veggie Patties
Lawwwwd. These are my absolute fav! I pan fry these in a skillet to get them crispy and eat them on lettuce with spicy mayo. It is just too perfect for words. You gotta try it! There are also plain chicken patties if you're not into spicy!
My Spicy Mayo:
Vegan Mayo(if you can find it)
add Sriracha until you get to your desired heat level
#9 Silk - Almond Milk Coffee Creamer
I drink coffee every morning with almond milk and almond milk creamer. I love it. I will caution you that it is pretty sweet.
#10 Fortune - Yakisoba Stir Fry Noodle
Y'all. These noodles are bomb. I know it says teriyaki flavor, but that seasoning is in a separate pack that you don't have to use. I never use it. I sauté onions and red peppers, add steamed broccoli, and add little bit of any sweet asian sauce I have...smh it makes no sense how good it is! I'm sure if you wanted to add more veggies or stick with just oil and soy sauce that would be good too. No mater what you do, I would always add at least garlic.
I hope this helps and can encourage you if you were feeling a little limited by being plant-based. You don't have to just eat straight plants. It's ok to throw in some of these alternatives to help keep you encouraged or to just satisfy a craving!
Love always,
Sam