Finding Vegan Food - The "Hunt"

Starting my non-meat journey, I had to find protein to replace the protein laden

foods that I typically ate with meat in them with other foods - many I had never tried before. To begin with, I started with things I could find locally, and honestly eight years ago, there wasn't much. Luckily today, there are so many choices and many are reasonably priced as well.

Non-Meat Meat

Gosh, there are so many options from fresh to frozen - Beyond, Boca, Impossible, Incogmeato, Morning Star, Nuggs etc. Locally, we source and serve non-meats from the Minneapolis company The Herbivorous Butcher at Curiosi-Tea House.

Dairy Replacements

Most butter replacements had too much water so it made bread or toast soggy and tasted off, but now there are a half dozen different blends that are amazing. Milks have come a long way from just plain soy or almond milk to cashew, oat, vanilla and creamy varieties.

Cheeses have improved too with great tasting brands like Chao, Earth Balance, Miyoko, Vevan and Violife that offer both slices, blocks and shreds in assorted flavors. Mayo brands sure upped their game too and now are equal to or even better than their dairy varieties.

Egg replacements are a little trickier in that some taste or replace better than others depending on what you are replacing egg in, but there are some great options there too. I use Just Egg for anything scrambled or fried to flax seed, which is great for baking, and aquafaba (chickpea water) is good for whipping and helping add volume (to name just a few).

A Whole New World of Food

Instead of replacing a meat for a n0n-meat substitute, I could make or create things I had never tried making before with other ingredients and a whole new world opened up to me. I had never made chickpea sandwiches before and had only known their use in hummus. But taking chopped up chickpeas as a base for a salad sandwich could mimic a tuna, or egg salad spread with the right spices. Ah there was the key spices!

flavors, seasonings and spices

Think of any meat you would cook and then what flavors, seasonings and spices you add to it to add flavor and you can do that with any n0n-meat. Tofu, chickpeas, jackfruit (the texture can mimic chicken or pork), lentils, soy curls, textured pea protein and heart of palm are all great options.