Tags: Vegan, Diet, Cooking, Nutrition, Articles

Plant Friendly

Cooking with Benefits

Incorporating more plant-forward dishes into your meal plan is easy, as long as you're stocked with the key ingredients. Make your pantry more plant friendly with these switches, but remember, subbing a plant product for an animal product means a different – though still tasty – flavor profile. Don't expect tempeh to taste like chicken; do, however, expect it to be a deliciously different kind of meal. There are many more proteins out there that you can experiment with, but this handy guide can get you started!

Instead of this...

Try this...

Why that?

Chicken

Eggplant

Use eggplant as a substitute for chicken in chicken parmesan!

Beef

Portobello Mushrooms

The meaty texture and umami flavor makes a tasty stand-in for burgers and more.

Pork

Jackfruit

This slightly sweet fruit is a light and savory substitute in pulled pork dishes.

Seafood

Various

For seafood, it can really come down to how you season your substitute (try Old Bay, seaweed or lemon).

Any Meat

Faux Meats

Tempeh, seitan and tofu are tasty, versatile protein substitutes for any meat, depending on the desired texture and the dish.

Any Meat

Lentils, Beans, Legumes

These OG plant-forward proteins work in recipes from chili to burgers to vegan 'tuna' salad.

Butter

Coconut Oil

Slightly sweet and nutty with about the same smoke point.

Cow/Dairy Milk

Soy Milk

There are many great options for a milk substitute, but we love soy milk for a more nutritionally-equivalent option.

Cow/Dairy Milk

Cashew Milk

Due to it's natural sweetness, it makes for an adequate substitute when baking dessert.

Egg

Baking Soda

To replace 1 egg as a leavening agent in baking recipes, mix 2 teaspoons baking soda with 2 tablespoons warm water.

Egg

Flaxseeds

Great for use in recipes that call for eggs to be used as a binder. To replace 1 egg as a binding agent in recipes, mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water.

Egg

Applesauce

To replace 1 egg for moisture in baking recipes, substitute with 1/4 cup applesauce.

- RECIPE -

ZESTY QUINOA
PATTIES

A fish-free crab
 cake alternative.

Get Recipe >>
 

- RECIPE -

MEDITERRANEAN
BUDDHA BOWL

Feta and farro make this dish a
 delicious combination of flavors.

Get Recipe >>
 

- RECIPE -

WHITE BEAN
VEGGIE BURGERS

Cannelinis bring the
 bite to these burgers.

Get Recipe >>
 

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MEATLESS MONDAYS:
IDEAS FOR PLANT‍-‍POWERED PLATES

Need more ideas for plant‍-‍based meals?
Big Y has you covered with simple switches.