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Articles and Information
Know Your Alternatives
by Tammie Ortlieb
While I prefer not to re-do a dish in order to copy a once loved meat, egg, or dairy favorite, I do occasionally toss in the standby faux meats, egg replacers, or dairy substitutes. I could just as easily have my spaghetti with sautéed red pepper, mushrooms, onion, and loads of garlic. Sometimes, though, when the dogs are barking, someone's at the door, the kids need help with homework, and somebody just spilled something in the other room, it's much more convenient to open a bag of veggie crumbles and toss them onto some noodles with a jar of marinara. And when I'm feeling overworked, overburdened, and overwhelmed, I often find myself craving something a little on the "cheesy" side. At times like this, nutritional yeast just isn't going to cut it. That's when I head to my local health food store or the vegetarian section of my supermarket for what I like to call fake meat, fake cheese, or pretend eggs.
If this sounds a lot like your life, it's important to know that not all seemingly vegan foods are actually vegan. Soy cheeses, for example, often contain milk products that aid in melting and what is called "mouth feel" in the industry, or simply the way the product feels in your mouth. In addition, foods labeled non-dairy may also harbor hidden milk ingredients. According to www.godairyfree.org, non-dairy can simply mean one-half percent or less milk by weight. Whipped cream is a major shifty character when it comes to using the "fake" non-dairy label. To avoid any shopping cart mishaps, brush up on animal product ingredients and nutritional labeling before heading out to the grocery.
You can either print a list and take it with you or simply review occasionally so that you can recognize offensive ingredients when you see them. Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer, in The Garden of Vegan: How It All Vegan Again! , include a section they call "Vegan No-nos, A to Z." They list every imaginable animal product ingredient that could be lurking in your store bought alternatives. A couple of the more common, whey and casein, both byproducts of the milk industry, are popular in many brands of soy cheese. Also be on the lookout for lactose and milk protein, other common offenders. The website, www.godairyfree.org, lists strictly dairy products that often show up in vegetarian foods. Be forewarned, this is not a vegetarian site. It's geared more toward allergies and intolerance. It does, however, contain quite complete nutritional information on the topic.
Many companies have switched to allergy related labeling, making shopping easier on us vegans. At the end of the ingredient list, these labels will name allergens contained in the product, eggs and dairy among those listed when present. Other food producers will stamp the word "vegan" on the box front or use the vegan "V" symbol someplace on the cover. To save even more time at the store, I have compiled a list of brands that carry vegan products. While egg replacers are not typically prepared foods, I have included them to make the transition to vegan cooking that much easier. Often during the switch from an omnivorous diet or a vegetarian diet to a strictly plant based menu, we prefer to alter the meals we are familiar with. On that note, I hope you find the following tips help you ease into the green life. If you have been vegan for awhile, but just need a little guide to save some sanity at the grocery, then feel free to take a peek yourself.
Egg replacers (substitute for one egg in baked good recipes)
- 2 tablespoons water + 1 tablespoon oil + 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Ener-G Egg Replacer (available in most natural foods stores)
- 1/2 small ripe banana + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup blended silken tofu + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons water (process until "eggy")
- Dreena Burton, in her new book,
Eat, Drink & Be Vegan: Great Vegan Food for Special and Everyday Celebrations
 , suggests simply omitting the egg in some recipes (she cautions that this won't work in all batters)
Dairy alternatives
- Milk - Rice milk, nut milk, oat milk, and soy milk are among the many milk alternatives. Those with soy allergies should check out www.pacificfoods.com for a variety of nut and grain beverages. If you're looking for soy milk, Silk makes a wide range of milks, including vanilla, chai, light, chocolate, and organic (www.silksoymilk.com ).
- Cheese - My recommendation is Follow Your Heart's Vegan Gourmet cheese alternative. It works nicely in recipes, tastes yummy, and contains no casein. Follow Your Heart (www.followyourheart.com) is also the producer of the wonderful mayonnaise substitute, Vegenaise.
- Parmesan - Parma! brand is by far my absolute favorite parmesan alternative. It contains nothing more than walnuts, nutritional yeast, and sea salt. You can even choose the new Chipotle Cayenne flavor. Order it at www.eatintheraw.com.
- Butter - Earth Balance makes a buttery tasting spread called Soy Garden. Non hydrogenated and containing no trans fats, it is 100% vegan. You might also try pure fruit jellies, nut butters, and hummus for spreading on toast. In baking, try substituting olive oil for the called for butter.
- Sour cream - I like Tofutti's Better than Sour Cream. This one has none of those horrid trans fats. Careful, though, because their Sour Supreme is not quite so innocent. Instead of "sour cream" on a baked potato, try a drizzle of olive oil with a generous amount of garlic or opt for salsa and black beans.
- Cream cheese - Try Tofutti brand. Their Better than Cream Cheese comes in a variety of flavors and can be found in most health food stores. Check it out at www.tofutti.com.
- Ice cream - For you moms and dads, Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent can't be touched by the competition. In Ben & Jerry type flavors, my favorite is the Cherry Nirvana. Find them at www.turtlemountain.com. Your little ones, however, will appreciate just their size Tofutti Cuties. A take on the beloved ice cream sandwich, they come in ten flavors (cheers for Cookies and Cream and Mint Chocolate Chip!) and fit perfectly in tiny hands.
Meat substitutes
- Veggie burgers - Morningstar and Boca both market vegan options of the turn to veggie burger. Gardenburger (www.gardenburger.com ) also carries a few tasty versions of the vegetarian favorite. And don't shy away from checking out one of the many recipes for a good homemade veggie burger. Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet has quite a selection from which to choose. Whip up some Stuffed Mushroom Burgers, Thai Peanut-Burger Wraps, or just plain Great Grain and Vegetable Burgers.
- Veggie dogs - Try Lightlife Smart Dogs (www.lightlife.com) with a little homemade chili and chopped onions!
- Chik patties - Boca's Original Chik'n Patties, Spicy Chik'n Patties, and Chik'n Nuggets are all vegan and easy on the budget (www.bocafoods.com ).
- Deli slices - Try Yves brand slices stuffed in a pita with hummus and veggies! Lots of choices here from "ham" to "turkey" to "pepperoni." My kids' all time favorite is "salami." Go to www.yvesveggie.com to check out nutrition information.
- Veggie crumbles - Both Boca and Morningstar market their own vegan versions of these ground beef substitutes. Crumbles taste great in chili, casseroles, and sloppy "Jodies." You can usually find them in the freezer section of most large supermarkets.
Tammie Ortlieb is a freelance writer with a Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology. Her work has appeared in VegNews, Veggie Life, Vegetarian Baby and Child Online Magazine, and Mothering.com. She resides in southwest Michigan with her omnivorous husband, three terrific teenagers- two veg, one wannabe-, and a you-tell-em-like-it-is-sister future green revolutionist fabulous fourth grader.
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