After a long while deliberating, you’ve finally taken the plunge to start your transition to veganism. But then the classic doubtful questions loom… but what about bacon? Chocolate? Scrambled eggs? And of course, cheese??
Despite how strongly you may feel about your motive for transitioning to Veganism, it’s natural to feel a bit overwhelmed at the thought of cutting out all your favourite comfort foods. Afterall, there’s a very slim chance that even the most devout Vegans came out their mother’s womb craving a bit of avo on toast.
So, how can you staying on track when you’re hungover AF after a boozy night out at HiFi, and all the cravings start to hit? The secret is transitioning slowly, planning ahead and finding plant-based alternatives with similar textures/flavours to the food that you’re missing. Yes, most of the time it won’t taste exactly the same to the real deal, but eventually your palette adapts and you start appreciating new flavours more, then before you know (dare I say it)- you actually start craving fruit and veg!
I’ve put together some of my top vegan alternatives to satisfy those classic cravings…
You’re craving: A Full English fry-up the morning (or most likely afternoon) after a night out
Vegan swap: Linda McCartney sausages, Baked Beans, Hash Browns (check the packet if they’re vegan, but most are), fried mushrooms in olive oil, sliced avocado on toast
Lazy option: Greasy Pig offer a vegan fry up, and you can upgrade to add hummus too!
You’re craving: A pot of ice-cream whilst binge-ing on [enter your favourite Netflix series here]
Vegan swap: You can make yourself some vegan ice-cream by mashing up some banana and mixing it with cocoa powder, a little maple syrup and coconut milk, then popping it in the freezer to solidify.
Lazy option: There’s a tonne of dairy-free ice-creams on the market now with such a wide variety of flavours. For a creamy traditional tasting ice-cream, I recommend Swedish Glace’s Raspberry ice-cream (you won’t believe it’s dairy free!), or for a healthier option, Alpro’s Chocolate Hazelnut Ice-cream tastes like an absolute dream.
You’re craving: Creamy pesto pasta after a long day at Uni
Vegan swap: Making your own vegan pesto is quite simple as you can use nutritional yeast (which is packed with vitamins), cashew nuts and/or tofu instead of the Parmesan cheese. For extra creaminess, try adding some smashed avocado to the pasta, then throw in some sun-dried tomatoes to take this dish to a whole new level!
Lazy option: Sacla do a vegan pesto which tastes near enough the same to the normal one! If you’re still missing a soft-cheese creaminess, you could buy a vegan-soft cheese alternative, although bear in mind these are usually quite high in fat so not necessarily a healthier option.
You’re craving: A chocolatey pudding to satisfy your sweet-tooth
Vegan Swap: Make yourself a vegan chocolate mug cake, subbing in plant-based milk and vegan margarine then mashed banana instead of egg. There’s loads of recipes online for these and they’re so simple to make too!
Lazy option: Believe it or not, you can actually make vegan brownies by adding Coca Cola to Betty Crocker Brownie mix (yes you read that right!), they actually taste the same as the normal ones too!
For more vegan recipes and tips visit www.basilandvogue.com
Andri Neocleous
Images: Andri Neocleous