Vegan & Vegetarian Meals

Excluding meat from your diet does not necessarily mean you will reduce the variety of what you eat. In fact, many vegetarians find themselves eating a greater variety of foods, including items they had never before tried. The trick to enjoying delicious vegetarian and vegan meals is a shift in mindset over what constitutes a proper meal. The increasing variety and availability of meat and dairy substitutes also make it possible for you to enjoy delicious versions of old favorites.

Types

Some vegetarians choose to eat animal products that do not result in the death of the animal. These foods include dairy products, eggs and honey. The vegan diet excludes all animal products. Diets that exclude only some forms of meat, such as beef or chicken, are not vegetarian diets.

Staples

Vegetarian staples include vegetables, fruits, nuts, tofu, tempeh, pasta, rice, millet, quinoa, wheatberries, barley and beans. These foods can be transformed into countless different dishes through the use of herbs, spices and sauces. Quick and simple meals include sandwiches made with nut butters, hummus, avocado or tempeh slices; vegetable soup; veggie burgers; pasta with meat-free tomato sauce or pesto; and many brands of waffles, frozen dinners and canned foods. More and more vegan options are available at health food stores and, sometimes, large supermarkets. Vegetarians who are not vegan can, of course, also enjoy cheese and egg dishes, which adds yet more variety.

Geography

Many world cuisines base their meals around vegetarian staples, using meat as a supplement or not at all. For inspiration in the kitchen, look to traditional recipes from India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Asia, South America, Mexico and Africa. You will find not only delicious vegetarian dishes, but also new ingredients, spices and flavor combinations to experiment with. Consider vegan pancakes made with chickpea flour (India and Italy), fresh fava bean purée (Egypt), spicy peanut soup (Africa), chutneys (India), spicy cabbage pickle (Korea), stuffed grape leaves (Greece), red lentils with cumin (India), coconut curries (Southeast Asia), stuffed poblano peppers (Mexico) and minty eggplant (Turkey and Afghanistan).

Substitutions

There are many foods available to use in place of meat in recipes. Tempeh, a fermented soybean product, works well crumbled, grilled or cut into strips. It can replace stir fry meat, ground beef and lunch meats. Tofu can also be used in this way, but it is more moist and mushy. Seitan, a meaty food made from wheat gluten, is another favorite for some vegetarians. It is used in some commercial brands of vegetarian lunch meats and sausage. It can also be used in stir fry or to make meatballs. Health food stores carry many varieties of meatless burgers, hot dogs, lunch meats, sausages and chicken sticks.

Replacing dairy and egg is a little more tricky and may require some practice under the guidance of vegan recipes. Packaged dairy-free cheeses are available, and some vegans make their own cheese out of soy or nuts. Nutritional yeast can replace Parmesan cheese as a topping. Milk is easily replaced with soy, almond, hemp or coconut milk. These dairy-free beverages are also used to create vegan ice cream. Vegan cookies, cakes and muffins are also becoming more popular in health food stores and, in some areas, they are even available in coffee shops.

Misconceptions

It is not necessary to carefully combine plant proteins to obtain a complete protein of all nine essential amino acids. If you are eating a varied diet that supplies enough calories, you are likely meeting your protein requirements, according to Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.