going vegan from vegetarian --- need help with dairy and egg substitutes

[Anonymous]

I'm looking to go vegan, which means eliminating eggs and dairy, since I am already a vegetarian. I would appreciate any recommendations for specific brands of vegan cheese (both for melting/cooking and eating raw), yogurt, sour cream, etc. I already drink almond milk but am looking for something for coffee. (I love strong coffee with 1/2 & 1/2. Not sure what to substitute here.) I would also appreciate any suggestions for breakfast substitutes for eggs (tofu scramble?)

I am going to Whole Foods to pick out a few things, but I thought I would ask for some advice here first.

TiA!

[Anonymous]

I would check out PETA's "Accidentally Vegan" food list:
http://www.peta.org/living/food/accidentally-vegan/

One substitute, you can use for egg in baking is boiling flax seeds. It makes an egg white consistency and can be used as a binder.

[Anonymous]

I was vegan for years. While the substitutes are available now, the best solution is start changing the way you eat, because most of the subs are terrible for you (lab contrived stuff), or are simply not as satisfying as their "real" counterparts.

For cheese, Daiya is probably the best and closest approximation of cheese you'll find. If you're recently removed from cheese, you may love or hate it. Most of the tofu slice types aren't terrible in, let's say a grilled cheese, but again, they are not cheese, but cheese like.

The tofutti sour cream, cream cheese, etc. is all decent. There are some new coconut based "yogurts" etc. that are pretty tasty. Again.. The amount of stuff they have to put in to make it "yogurt like" starts to be a little concerning, when you can just find something else to eat other than yogurt.

Tofu scramble is tasty. Check out the Post Punk kitchen for some great recipes and such... If I recall, one of their books has a pretty good list of substitutions (veganomicon) http://www.theppk.com

[Anonymous]

Apple sauce is a good egg substitute in baking.

[Anonymous]

I could never find something that I liked as a sub for half & half so that is the only dairy that I digest. Eggs were easy to give up, and don't really need a substitute. If I have to use eggs in a recipe for family, I just won't eat it.

[Anonymous]

So Delcious Coconut creamer for half and half, it's in the milk case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was vegan for years. While the substitutes are available now, the best solution is start changing the way you eat, because most of the subs are terrible for you (lab contrived stuff), or are simply not as satisfying as their "real" counterparts.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Google flax egg or chia egg

[Anonymous]

Flax eggs are the best sub for eggs in baking. 3 tbsp water to 1 tbsp ground flax seed, let sit until it congeals, = 1 egg.

SoDelicious makes coconut milk creamer. Better than regular almond or coconut milk for tea/coffee.

If you want to avoid soy, Daiya makes a cream cheese. If you want "whipped cream" you can whip coconut cream (skim it off the top of a can of full fat coconut milk) with vanilla and maple syrup.

[Anonymous]

We are "accidentally" vegan on account of food allergies. My kid will eat Daiya on pizza and tacos because he's never known anything else, but to me it tastes like the hind end of a wildebeest. I recently discovered nutritional yeast is a good sub for that cheesy umami goodness -- sprinkle it on popcorn or blend it with garlic and silken tofu for lasagne or stuffed shells.

Refrigerated coconut milk + sugar + vanilla is a good whipped cream sub.

Earth Balance is the best of the dairy-free margarines.

A few Tb of vegan sour cream in the dough is the difference between a delicious dairy-free sugar cookie and a plateful of sadness.

Alton Brown's tofu-based chocolate pie is amazing.

[Anonymous]

I've been vegetarian my entire life. I became vegan 4 years ago. I've done lots of tasting and sampling to find my substitutes. Here's my list:
Best cheese for melting on pizza/Italian food - Follow Your Heart mozerrela style (block)
Best cream cheese - Kite Hill Almond Milk cream cheese
Best creamer - So Delicious coconut milk Hazelnut creamer
Best egg substitute - (for scrambled eggs) tofu
(for omelet) chickpea flower + nutritional yeast, (for baking) Ener-G
Best tofu - Wild Oaks extra firm tofu
Best cheese for eating raw - follow your heart provolone style slices (also great for grilled cheese), Treeline cheese spreads and hard cashew cheese - the cracked black pepper is excellent. There are some new artisanal cashew milk cheeses that are very good. Also, Kite Hills's white alder Brie style is excellent
Best nacho cheese- Heidi Ho nacho cheese
Best dessert topping - So Delicious whipped topping (frozen)
I probably have more recs. just can't list them all. OP if you are looking for something more, just post and I'll give you my 2 cents.

[Anonymous]

*chickpea flour, not flower

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could never find something that I liked as a sub for half & half so that is the only dairy that I digest. Eggs were easy to give up, and don't really need a substitute. If I have to use eggs in a recipe for family, I just won't eat it.

Going to try the suggested half&half substitute. Will purchase tonight.

[Anonymous]

this thread makes me feel hungry and sad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this thread makes me feel hungry and sad

why sad? i'm so happy that we have so many options nowadays for my dairy allergic daughter!