Vegan January is already in full swing. If you're not already there, we'll show you how you can easily integrate plant-based alternatives into your everyday life and why you should pay attention!
There is more vegan than you might think
Whether consciously or unconsciously: Many products in a balanced diet already consist to a (more or less) large extent of plant-based foods: vegetables, fruit, potatoes, rice, salad, cereals, etc. Many other things can be easily replaced and sometimes very nearly taste-wise: milk, yoghurt, margarine, cream... (see list below)...
Very easy vegan cooking & baking
Tried and tested recipes that you like to use can often be easily modified. This means that you don't have to throw away your favorite recipes after switching to a plant-based diet. With a few tricks, you can easily replace ingredients of animal origin when baking and cooking. (See list below...)
Always discovering new things
Those who switch to a vegan diet usually get to know a lot of new foods. And isn't that exciting? Be open to tofu, lentils and the like - you'll be amazed at how diverse they are! For example, you can use beans to conjure up not only warming stews, but also burgers and even brownies.
Cover your nutritional needs
The intake of carbohydrates such as potatoes, grains (products), etc. is the smallest challenge in a vegan diet. You can ensure your protein intake by regularly integrating protein-rich foods and using all food groups. Pulses, soy products, and pseudo-grains are excellent sources of protein. And don't forget the fats in the form of nuts and seeds, purees and oils, as well as algae oil, because these are what make a vegan diet complete.
There are a few but manageable challenges
The consequences of a vegan diet can be easily avoided. Pay particular attention to calcium, iron, iodine, selenium, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin D, protein and omega-3 fatty acids. How you can improve your intake and whether and what you should supplement should be discussed with your doctor and have regular check-ups!
Very easy to replace:
Milk
- Plant milk from soy, oats, coconut, almond, cashew, spelt, rice, hazelnut
cream
- Plant-based cream made from soy, rice, oats, coconut, almond, cashew or nut butter
yogurt
- Plant-based yoghurt made from soy, rice, hemp, coconut, lupins
butter
- Milk protein-free margarine, coconut fat, vegetable oils
quark
- Vegetable curd made from soya or lupine, natural tofu, silken tofu
Cheese
- vegan substitutes, yeast flakes, homemade cheeses
egg
- Banana (½ mashed)
- Applesauce (2 tsp)
- Flaxseed (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water -> let soak for 10 minutes)
- Chia seeds (1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water -> let soak for 15 min.)
- Soy flour (1 tablespoon soy flour + 2 tablespoons mineral water)
- Carob seed flour (1 tablespoon carob seed flour + 2 tablespoons mineral water)
- Silken tofu (50 grams)
scrambled eggs
- Made from (silken) tofu or chickpea flour
Honey
- Agave syrup, maple syrup, coconut blossom syrup, rice syrup, date syrup
Meat
- Seitan, tofu, lupine, tempeh, soy strips, jackfruit, vegan substitutes