vegan alternatives quick guide

It’s World Vegan Day on November 1st, and what better way to celebrate than talking all things alternatives! If you’ve recently gone vegan, you may find it pretty hard at first to find alternatives. But don’t worry, with the right guidance you’ll find your feet in no time. And for those who aren’t new to veganism, a few reminders about suitable alternatives can help keep your meal and snack ideas fresh. Read on for our alternatives suggestions.

Cow’s milk

Go nuts for plant-based milk alternatives!

• Nut milk, e.g. almond, hazelnut, macadamia
• Soy milk, some are fortified with calcium, B12 and protein
• Coconut milk, perfect for smoothies
• Grain milk, great for extra energy, e.g. rice and oat

Honey

Runny, natural goodness… there’s nothing like drizzling sweetness over your morning porridge. Thankfully there are plenty of honey alternatives for vegans, including:

• Agave nectar
• Maple syrup
• Date paste
• Brown rice syrup
• Coconut nectar
• Molasses
• Stevia

Chocolate

There are plenty of mouth-watering vegan chocolates available. Some of our personal favourites include:

• Vego hazelnut chocolate bar
• Loving Earth chocolates, like their Hazelnut Mylk Chocolate and Salted Caramel Swayzee Chocolate Bar
• Alter Ego chocolates, try their Dark Quinoa and Dark Mint chocolate flabours

Meat

• Jackfruit! If you haven’t tried Upton’s Naturals jackfruit as a pulled pork alternative, do yourself a favour and try it this weekend.
• Vegan burgers (lentil, mushroom, brown rice & vegie etc.)
• Tofu
• Mushrooms
• Lentils
• Falafel
• Tempeh
• Tofurkey

Eggs

So many baking recipes feature eggs. But don’t despair, try using VeganEgg or create your own simple flax egg using this recipe:

• For 1 egg simply combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds and 2-3 tablespoons water in a saucepan for 5 minutes or until it turns into a thick consistency, like an egg! Cool before using in recipes.

Cheese

There’s no reason you can’t sprinkle cheese alternatives on vegan bolognese and other delicious recipes. Try:

• Daiya cheeses, including cheddar, mozzarella, pepperjack and classic blend styles
• Flannerys Own savoury yeast flakes
• Cashew cream cheese, see our recipe here: https://flannerys.com.au/recipes/vegan-cashew-cream-cheese/

Ice cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for (vegan) ice cream! Try these vegan alternatives:

• So Delicious, heaps of flavours to choose from: chocolate cookies n’ cream, creamy cashew, very vanilla, dark chocolate truffle and more
• Coyo, with plenty of flavours to choose from: coco latte, chocolate, vanilla bean & nutmeg, sea salted caramel and more
• Try Cocowhip – a delicious vegan soft serve alternative (only in some stores)

Spreads

Spread the love with vegan alternatives on your toast in the morning. Some of our favourites include:

• Nut butter, including peanut, almond, cashew, brazil, ABC and more
• Vegemite
• Cashew cream cheese
• Avocado/guacamole
• Hummus

Bread

Some breads contain contain added whey (a milk protein), eggs and stabilizers that make them unsuitable for vegans. Try these vegan-friendly breads:

• Pure Life Biodynamic Sprouted Wholegrain Breads
• Ancient Grains *except honey oat cobb
• Herman Brot Lower Carb Bread
• SOL organic breads, such as spelt megagrain and spelt wholemeal