As a plant-based nutrition coach, I am passionate about guiding individuals towards a healthier and more sustainable way of eating. Transitioning to a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be overwhelming or difficult. Here are a few simple food swaps you can start incorporating more plant-based options into your daily meals. These swaps not only benefit your health but also contribute to a positive impact on the environment.
Swap Dairy Milk for Plant-Based Milk:
One of the easiest and most popular food swaps is replacing dairy milk with plant-based alternatives. It’s easy to try different alternative milks at your local cafe and when you look in the supermarket plant-based milk is often fortified with essential nutrients like calcium and vitamin D, making it an excellent choice for bone health. Additionally, opting for plant-based milk reduces your environmental footprint significantly, as it requires fewer resources to produce compared to dairy milk. I find oat milk to be the tastiest for coffee as it’s slightly sweet whereas soy can be great for cooking as it has a similar texture, protein and fat count to dairy milk. If you do want to add to the flavour of your dish, almond or coconut can be a great choice for sauces or desserts.
Replace Meat with Plant-Based Protein Sources:
By swapping out meat for plant-based protein sources, you can enjoy a wide range of delicious and nutrient-dense alternatives. Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, tofu, tempeh, and edamame are fantastic plant-based protein options. These foods are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, supporting your overall health and wellbeing. Getting enough protein when starting a plant-based diet tends to be one of people’s main worries and it’s a lot easier than you think! Just shifting your mindset from cutting out animal products to crowding in lots of different plant-based options is a great start.
Swap Eggs with Plant-Based Alternatives in Cooking:
In baking and cooking, eggs often play a crucial role in binding and adding moisture to recipes. However, there are simple and effective plant-based substitutes for eggs. I often use mashed bananas, unsweetened applesauce, or chia seed or flaxseed gel. They can also add a really nice flavour and sweetness, so you don’t need to add as much sugar. To make a chia seed or flaxseed gel, combine one tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flaxseeds with three tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes until it thickens to a gel-like consistency, and then use it as a replacement for one egg in recipes. It can take a bit of practice and I would recommend trying recipes that use these options already before experimenting further by making swaps with your favourite dishes.
Use Nutritional Yeast as a Cheese Replacement:
Nutritional yeast is a fantastic plant-based alternative to cheese in recipes. The savoury, cheesy taste works well in pasta dishes, sauces, dressings and even sprinkled on popcorn. It’s much easier to find than you think, if you’ve never heard of it you’ve probably never tried to find it! It tends to be sold in powder form or in bigger flakes. It is rich in B vitamins, including vitamin B12, which is especially important for vegans and vegetarians who may have difficulty obtaining sufficient B12 from plant sources alone.
Plant-based Banana Bread:
This is been my most requested recipe on land and at sea! Very easy, you can add chocolate chips, nuts, blueberries or spread with nut butter when you serve it.
- 80ml maple syrup
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- 100g coconut oil melted (important it’s liquid so it blends properly)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 80g soft brown sugar
- 150g flour
- 50g almond flour
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarb
- Pinch of salt
- Handful of chocolate chips or any addition you fancy
1. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Celsius and grease a cake tin.
2.Mix maple syrup, mashed banana, coconut oil, vanilla, chia seeds and sugar. In another bowl mix flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt.
3.Combine wet and dry and mix well with the chocolate chips
4.Keep an eye on it in the oven because you don’t want it to dry out ! It’ll depend if you use a loaf tin or a flatter cake. It should be lightly brown on top and just firm to the touch , mine took around half an hour. Another bonus of egg free baking is you don’t have to worry about it being slightly underdone.
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