4 Ways To Replace The Non-Vegan Foods You Love

Often when going vegan, one of the first things people will think about is what they’re giving up.

“But what if I want to have pizza?”

“Does that mean I can never have ice cream ever again?”

“I would just miss cheese too much.”

Some will also say that the vegan stuff isn’t exact. And while that is true, you would be surprised how close you can get to the real thing. So if you’re afraid you won’t be able to have your favorite things ever again on a plant-based lifestyle, read on! You won’t leave with an empty plate.

1. Craving BBQ Ribs?

Ribs used to be a favorite of mine before I went vegan. It was one of the things I never thought I would give up. Now as an 8 year vegan, I’ve basically forgotten what meat tastes like (if I’m being honest here), but that doesn’t mean I don’t get a craving every now and then for something delicious, meaty and slathered with barbecue sauce.

This recipe from Baked In truly saves the day. I’ve made it on multiple occasions, and it is mouth-wateringly good. It’s the closest non-meat thing to the real thing that I’ve ever had in my life.

Pro tip: Use a really good (and anchovy-free) barbecue sauce, and don’t skimp on it.

2. What about ice cream?

In this day and age, vegan ice cream is almost as easy to find as regular ice cream. What kind you get is important though; the ones that I’ve found taste the closest to regular ice cream are usually cashew and oatmilk varieties. Though if allergens are a concern, almondmilk, coconut and even soymilk varieties exist.

One of my favorites right now is Breyer’s non-dairy peanut butter swirl (made from almondmilk). It is dangerous. Ben & Jerry’s also has a whole bunch of vegan flavors (one of my favorites is the peanut butter half baked).

3. What if you’re dying for pizza?

This might be a little tricky, as vegan cheese can be an adjustment for some people. But never fear! If you want to make a pizza at home, all you really need to do is replace the cheese (so long as your dough doesn’t have any eggs or dairy in it). Violife has been approved (by my mom, who is picky about vegan cheese) as a very close alternative to the regular stuff, so you might look for that.

If you’re looking for something in the frozen pizza variety, Daiya has several options for topped pizzas (such as pepperoni, supreme, plain cheese, and fire roasted vegetable). Alpha Foods also has a selection of vegan personal pizzas.

If you’re ordering in, it can be as simple as ordering a veggie pizza sans cheese (just be sure to ask if the crust is egg and dairy-free). It may not be a perfect solution, but hey, at least you could dip your crust in pizza sauce 🙂

4. Snacks are important.

And snacks you shall have! You may walk down the chip or cookie aisle and feel a sense of longing, believing you can no longer touch any of it, but that’s simply not true.

As far as the savory stuff goes, keep an eye out for these:

• Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos
• Several flavors of Lays potato chips (including but not limited to Barbecue and Dill Pickle)
• Pretzels are usually vegan (and Snyder’s Hot Buffalo Wing pretzel pieces are to die for)
• Kettle Corn, Sweet Chili and Sea Salt flavors of Popcorners

And for the sweets:

• Most flavors of Oreos (as with anything, be sure and double-check the label)
• Jell-o pudding mix (check labels for specific flavors), prepared with canned coconut milk
• Chick-o-stic (which to me resembles a no-chocolate, coconutty Butterfinger)
• Clif bars (which make great meal replacement bars and come in flavors like chocolate chip, peanut butter, and white chocolate macadamia nut)

Hopefully you feel a little better about tackling veganism! It can definitely be done. Not to mention there are so many vegan options making their way into grocery stores. There’s so little room to feel deprived!

Thanks for reading! I’ll probably do more posts like this one in the future. I do hope it was informative for you. Until next time, peace 🙂