What Do Vegans Eat?
“When I first started looking into vegetarianism and then veganism, I chose to explore a new type of cooking or a new type of food every week: Indian one week, recipes for this strange grain called ‘quinoa’ the next… Thai, seitan, Middle Eastern, nutritional yeast. Soon, I had a menu that far far exceeded my previous, omnivorous diet, in both diversity and taste.”
Erik
Marcus, author of Meat Market and
Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating
Many people believe that eliminating all animal products will greatly narrow their menus. But according to most vegans, quite the opposite happens. Once you start frequenting your local health/natural food stores and co-ops, perusing a few vegan cookbooks, or just following some of the suggestions in this guide, you’ll soon become familiar with the wide variety of options that weren’t a part of your previous diet. Over time, you’ll also discover you can follow almost any recipe – old or new – by substituting ingredients.
For those who prefer not to cook, vegan meals are usually offered at Chinese,
Italian, Indian,
and other ethnic restaurants, as well as at many chains, such as Taco Bell
and Johnny Rockets. Plus, there are lots of cruelty-free convenience foods
to choose from: frozen dinners; canned and dehydrated soups, stews, and chilies;
items of all sorts for quick and easy sandwiches like vegan dogs and burgers,
deli slices, bacons, sausages, untuna and unchicken salads, and soy and rice
cheeses; and delicious desserts including soy yogurts and ice creams. You
may even find that your local health food store has its own deli counter,
stocked with prepared foods.
The variety of vegan products is growing each year; and supermarkets are carrying more and more products that used to be found only in specialty stores. If meat and dairy substitutes aren’t plentiful locally, you can also order them through online catalogs, such as Pangea or the Mail Order Catalog.
Simple Meal Ideas
Here are just a few examples.
Breakfast
Oatmeal or cold cereal with fruit and nondairy milk
Toast, bagel, or English muffin with fruit spread and peanut butter or vegan cream cheese
Tofu scramble with hash browns and veggie sausage
Fruit smoothie made with nondairy milk or soy yogurt
Pancakes or waffles (many brands of prepared mixes and a variety of Van’s frozen waffles are vegan)
Fruit-filled toaster pastry
Lunch
Veggie burger or dog with fries
Faux lunchmeat sandwich with chips
Veggie pizza
Bean burrito
Falafel pita sandwich with hummus
Peanut butter and jelly
Dinner
Pasta with faux meat sauce, faux meatballs, or faux sausage
Faux meat tacos, burritos, or enchiladas (click here for cooking tips on vegan tacos and chili)
Stir-fry with tofu, tempeh, or faux meat (see tips)
Faux meat with gravy and mashed potatoes
Vegetable tofu lasagna (see tofu ricotta recipe)
Right: Pasta and tomato sauce topped with Tofurky Italian Sausage (photo courtesy of Turtle Island Foods).
Snacks or Dessert
Nondairy ice cream or frozen soy yogurt
Vegan cookies, pie, cake, or pudding (see recipes)
Fresh or dried fruit
Nuts or seeds
Trail mix
Pretzels or popcorn
Chips and salsa
Energy bar (vegan Clif Bar)
Right: An assortment of delicious dairy-free desserts (photo courtesy of PETA). Keep in mind, though, many popular snacks and other convenience foods are also vegan – see “I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan!”
Staying
Healthy | Starter Guide Contents | Vegan
Foods Glossary 