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, Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating

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What do vegans eat?

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 the dozens of vegan cookbooks, or just following the suggestions in this booklet, you will soon become familiar with the wide variety of options that weren’t a part of your previous diet. Over time, you will also discover that it is possible to follow almost any recipe by substituting ingredients.

For those who prefer not to cook, there are a wide variety of packaged foods from which to choose: 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. The variety is growing every year. You may even find that your local health food store has its own deli counter, stocked with prepared foods.

More and more supermarkets are starting to carry the same products that used to be found only in specialty stores.

If you do not have many vegan offerings in your area, you may want to contact the Mail Order Catalog, a great source for ordering meat and dairy substitutes like soy products, seitan, TVP, nutritional yeast – even vegan broth mixes.

Vegan Foods Glossary

Egg Replacer is ideal for baking and can be used in any recipe that calls for eggs as a binding agent. Try Ener-G Egg Replacer, a blend of raising ingredients and stabilizers including potato starch and tapioca flour. Bananas, silken tofu, and apple sauce also serve as egg substitutes in baking.

Meat alternatives are increasingly available, both in the number of varieties, and the locations where they are sold. There are too many to list here, but some of our favorites include Gardenburger® Flame Grilled Hamburger Style, Lightlife’s Smart Bacon®, Deli Slices, and Gimme Lean® Sausage Style and Ground Beef Style, and Turtle Island Food’s Tofurky Deli Slices™, Sweet Italian Sausage and Beer Brats.

Also see Pangea's list of meat alternatives.

Milk alternatives can be made from nondairy sources: almonds, oats, potatoes, rice, or soy. Most vegan milks are fortified with calcium, vitamins D and B12, etc.; some contain sweeteners and come in flavored varieties—like chocolate, carob, or vanilla. Taste and richness vary widely from brand to brand—so experiment to find your favorite. You’ll find vegan milks in the dairy case, as well as in shelf-stable aseptic packages, which require refrigeration after opening.

Although some are delicious to drink straight from the carton, milk alternatives are indispensable for eating cereal and making creamed soups and sauces, milk shakes, frozen desserts, and baked goods. There are vegan creamers available for your coffee, too.

Also see Pangea's list of dairy alternatives.

Miso is made from fermented soybeans, rice, barley, and other grains. Different types of miso vary in flavor, aroma, and color. Tamari and shoyu can be used in place of dark miso for flavoring. These sauces are superior to most commercial soy sauces, which are unfermented.

Nutritional Yeast Red Star's Vegetarian Support Formula (T6635+) is fortified with Vitamin B12. Available as flakes or powder, nutritional yeast adds a toasted, nutty-cheesy flavor to all sorts of foods.

Seitan (say-TAN), is a meat alternative.

Most of what people like about meat is the texture and the seasoning. The seasoning is easy; for texture, seitan comes closest.

Seitan, also known as wheat meat, is versatile, succulent, hearty, and chewy. It is available already prepared (refrigerated or frozen) or in ready-to-make mixes. Seitan is also relatively easy to make yourself (see recipes). And, given that it keeps well (up to ten days stored tightly covered in the refrigerator, or up to six months in the freezer), it’s good to make a lot to have on hand.

The main ingredient is vital wheat gluten, also called instant gluten flour. This can generally be found in the baking aisle at larger grocery stores. Be sure not to substitute any other flour – high gluten flour is not the same.

Seitan can be prepared several different ways, each of which has variations limited only by one’s spice cabinet and imagination. Vegan Vittles has an excellent section on seitan, including recipes for ground seitan, sausage-style seitan, and seitan salami, pepperoni, and pastrami.

See also prepared seitan, boxed mixes, and the seitan section at VRG.

Soy margarine is a great substitute for butter when baking cakes and other desserts. Earth Balance® Natural Buttery Spread (nonhydrogenated and GMO-free) is tasty on bread.

Tahini, a staple in Middle Eastern cooking, is a versatile paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds. (Sesame butter, from unhulled seeds, is thicker and more bitter.) Tahini made from roasted seeds has a stronger flavor than the variety made from raw seeds. Tahini is calcium-rich, and its nutty taste and creamy consistency are great for sauces, dips, spreads, and creamy dressings.

Tempeh is traditionally made from fermented whole soybeans, although some commercially available varieties are made from soybeans combined with grains or other beans. Tempeh is richer in absorbable nutrients and more flavorful than tofu.

Tofu (bean curd) is made from the mild white milk of the soybean. Inexpensive and easy to find, tofu is a great source of protein.

There are two major types of tofu. Silken tofu (such as Mori-Nu), sold in shelf-stable aseptic packages, is used for dressings, spreads, sauces, soups, desserts, and baked goods. Regular tofu (such as White Wave), sold water-packed and refrigerated, is generally used as a meat substitute. It is firmer than silken tofu and can be frozen, which produces a chewy texture.

Tofu’s neutral taste makes it extremely versatile, allowing it to pick up flavors from herbs, spices, and other ingredients. Pressed tofu can be stir-fried, baked, broiled, grilled, marinated, scrambled, steamed, or crumbled into salads. White Wave produces baked tofu in several flavors: barbecue, Thai, Italian, etc.

Tofu is a wonderful substitute for dairy products. You can select from the variety of ready-made tofu products on the market (e.g., cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise) or create your own dairy alternatives (e.g., mix tofu with lemon, sugar, salt, oil, basil, and garlic to make ricotta-style filling for veggie lasagna). Tofu can also be used for tasty cheesecakes, cream pies, puddings, ice creams, and more!

See WhiteWave's Tofu tips and recipes, and MoriNu's tips. Also, recipes at tofu.com, and Veggies Unite.

TVP (texturized vegetable protein) is made from soy flour that has been cooked under pressure, extruded, and dried. Since the oil has been extracted, it has a long shelf-life. TVP is high in protein, iron, calcium, fiber, and zinc. It can be used in recipes instead of ground meat.

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