Vegetarian & Vegan Substitutions
A common issue for new vegetarians and vegans is what to substitute an animal product for. Here are some recommendations for substitutions. Note that Tofurky is the only brand where all products are vegan.
Ground beef/Turkey: Morningstar Farms Griller Crumbles, Boca Meatless Ground Burger, Marinated Tofu, Seitan, and Tempeh. [ALL VEGAN]
Sausage: Morningstar Farms Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles, Boca Italian Sausage, Tofurky Sweet Italian Sausage, and Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Patties/Links. [FIRST 3 VEGAN] These are the only ones I have tried. Each are great depending on how you want to use them. The Tofurky Sausage has sun-dried tomatoes and basil in it, making it good in pasta or on a kabob.
Chicken: Morningstar Farms, Boca, and Quorn… all have a variety of Patties, Tenders, Spicy Patties, and/or Buffalo Wings. [BOCA IS VEGAN]
Pork Products: Lightlife Smart Bacon and Smart BBQ. [VEGAN]
Deli-Style Meat: Tofurky, Worthington Wham, Worthington Meatless Corned Beef, Worthington Chicken Slices, Lightlife Slices, and Yves Deli Slices. [WORTHINGTON IS NOT VEGAN, TOFURKY IS, I BELIEVE YVES VARIES BY PRODUCT, LIGHTLIFE IS VEGAN]
Mayonnaise: Vegenaise [VEGAN]
Eggs: 1/4 cup blended tofu = 1 egg, 1/4 cup applesauce = 1 egg, 1/2 banana mashed = 1 egg. The fruit is good for baked goods while the tofu is good in a frittata or other egg dishes. Ener-G egg replacer is a little expensive and interesting, but it works (It’s made from a potato starch) in every recipe. [VEGAN]
Ice Cream: Double Rainbow Soy Cream [VEGAN]. First vegan substitute that has ever tasted like the real thing. I recommend the Cherry Chocolate Chip.
Milk: [Original, Vanilla, Chocolate] Soy, Almond, Rice, & Oat. [VEGAN]
Butter: Some margarines are vegan, but contain a ton of trans fat. I HIGHLY recommend Earth Balance brand.
Cheese: This is hard because I have yet to find a vegan cheese that I like, so I can’t recommend one. But in terms of animal rennet-free cheese, Tillamook definately tops the list!
Alcohol: Some alcohol companies use gelatin and bone char in their products, so some are not veggie friendly.
Click here for the list.
Worcestershire sauce: Most contains anchovies, but there are some on the market that do not. I recommend World Harbors.
Sugar: Most sugar is not vegetarian, many use animal bone char (brands like C&H, Domino, etc). Beet juice (vs. cane) sugar never uses bone char. Some vegetarian brands include Sugar in the Raw, Florida Crystals, and Trader Joe’s brand. Evaporated cane juice crystals are what you should look for.
Maple Syrup: Like sugar, artificial maple syrup commonly contains bone char sugar. To avoid this, I recommend using pure maple syrup. This can be an issue though as some contain trace amounts of lard or other animal products.
For more information on sugars and other sweeteners, follow this link
