A person who follows a vegan diet avoids eating all meat products and animal by-products. Some vegans also avoid eating honey. Switching to a vegan diet can be hard if a person does not know what to shop for. A vegan's shopping list should include a number of beneficial foods.
Soymilk
Vegans should have soymilk on their shopping lists. Soymilk will not spoil as quickly as dairy milk if it is kept unopened. Soymilk comes in unflavored, organic, vanilla and chocolate varieties. Vegans can use soymilk to replace dairy milk in baked goods, to pour over cereal and to drink on its own. Soymilk offers a significant amount of protein, at about 8 g per cup.
Tofu
Many vegan recipes call for tofu. Available in firm and soft versions, tofu contains a significant amount of protein and can be used as a substitution for various meats and cheeses. It has no flavor of its own, but takes on the flavor of what it is cooked with.
Egg Replacement
Ener-G Egg Replacer can replace eggs in many baked goods, reports "Vegetarian Times." Ener-G Egg Replacer is sold at health food stores. Mixing this wheat-based product with water produces the egg replacement.
Vegan Cheese
A vegan diet requires the elimination of all dairy products. Some vegans may want to replace dairy-based cheese with soy cheese. Not all soy cheeses are alike, and many are not vegan; they may be dairy free, but they still contain the animal by-product casein. Therefore, vegans must read the labels on non-dairy cheese closely to find the varieties that are truly vegan.
Lentils
Lentils are packed with protein. Cooked into soups, salads and rice dishes, lentils make for quick and healthy vegan meals that can be frozen and reheated for later use.
Beans
Beans are an important dietary staple because they offer vegans an additional source of protein. Also, beans are high in fiber, which is important for overall health and digestion.
Spirulina
Eating a vegan diet can put a person at risk for developing a vitamin B12 deficiency, as the vitamin is mostly found in animal-based products. Spirulina, which is derived from a freshwater algae, contains significant amounts of vitamin B12 and high amounts of iron, calcium and magnesium, reports PlanetGreen.com. Spirulina comes in a powder form and can be added to juices and smoothies to increase the vitamin B12 content.
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