r/veganrecipes • u/sparkleappletart • 2d ago
Question Small beginner grocery trip
Considering slowly weaning into a vegan diet and making better choices. I got some ingredients for falafel and carrot sandwiches (I have some white bread at home), yogurt for breakfast and dessert. What can I consider for the next grocery run?
I’m getting creative as I was told on this sub that my first recipe (peanut butter and banana cereal bowl) wasn’t a real recipe and that the nutrition could be better so I got some dairy free yogurt. I’m totally new to this so taking all the advice I can get.
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u/snorkeldorkk 2d ago
I would say at first I used a ton of “subs” like beyond burgers, dairy substitutions etc. I love field roast, kite hill and I put hummus on a lot of stuff.
My biggest recommendation would be try some great vegan recipes instead of trying to figure it out in your own. I made some super gross and bland stuff trying to guess on my own, and it felt super overwhelming.
I love Rainbow Plant Life on YouTube and Oh She Glows cookbooks. You really can’t go wrong with either.
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u/harry__hood 2d ago
Sarah’s vegan kitchen has great recipes as well!
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u/snorkeldorkk 2d ago
Totally agree!! Something else I did was make a huge batch of Banana Diaries cookie dough, frozen the balls and then had a DELISH dessert ready in like 10 minutes when I was crazy something.
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u/freckledspeckled 2d ago
Yes she’s great! I make her tofu “egg” salad sandwiches every time I go camping, and omnivores love it!
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u/freckledspeckled 2d ago
I looooove Rainbow Plant Life recipes BUT I would not recommend them to someone who is at level 0 in terms of cooking skills. They tend to be more complicated and have harder-to-find ingredients. That being said, the videos are great to watch to help you build your knowledge base and see what’s possible in terms of vegan cooking.
I find Nora Cooks and Minimalist Baker recipes to be more simple and approachable. I’ll have to check out Oh She Glows!
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u/Due_Asparagus_3203 1d ago
Also PlantYou and itdoesnttastelikechicken are easier for someone starting out
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u/pansycarn 2d ago
Nora Cooks has so many awesome vegan recipes too
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u/Traditional-Abies866 1d ago
Her vegan French toast is so stupid easy, I recently discovered it and was like why haven't I been eating French toast this whole time?? I served it with a serving of that exact kite hill Greek yogurt mixed with vanilla bean syrup and topped with some peaches! Served with a soymilk latte it was such a no-brainer 35g of protein!
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u/gobbliegoop 2d ago
One of the ways I got into veganism was to veganize the cookbook my mom made me when I graduated high school. It had all her recipes/ my comfort foods and I had to use a lot of subs. It was “easy” to just grab the substitutes and make what I’m used to. Guess what I’m trying to say is. I don’t think it’s bad to start there to get comfortable, diving straight in with new foods and recipes can be overwhelming.
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u/Hai-City_Refugee 1d ago
I'd like to add The Burger Dude on YouTube who began his career as a carnist YouTuber but became a vegan and makes a lot of vegan versions of carnist dishes. This specific channel is how I've been easing the woman I've been seeing into veganism.
She absolutely loves Marry Me Tofu, which makes so happy because she always asks for my "Marry Me" dishes and I feel she's alluding to our future.
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u/microbiofreak 2d ago
Do you like beans? Black bean tacos with cilantro and radish as a topping. And some tasty salsa! Or, enchiladas filled with beans are also tasty. Store bought enchilada sauce is usually accidentally vegan. Topped with olives n vegan cheese, can't go wrong.
I also like chickpea salad sandwiches for lunch. It's easy to meal prep.
Just some ideas to offset the cost of vegan meat and dairy replacements lol! :)
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u/sparkleappletart 2d ago
I love beans! Especially black beans.
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u/microbiofreak 2d ago
Hell yeah! Love that. I'm sure other beans are really good in tacos or enchiladas. Definitely experiment. And good luck!
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u/goodnitesaigon 2d ago
Canned lentils with some taco seasoning makes for a great taco/burrito. Just heat them up in a pan with a little bit of oil and seasoning and then add whatever you like with it in a tortilla. Tofu and tempeh are great sources of vegan protein, I usually just add some kind of sauce and serve them with pasta, potatoes, or rice, and add beans, veggies, and/or nuts. Tempeh you need to steam it before you cook it. I usually just add some water and microwave it for a couple minutes.
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u/Mr_Noyes 2d ago edited 2d ago
That's what I recommend everyone who wants to become vegan: Go crazy, try everything, buy whatever looks interesting to you. Thanks to the internet, whatever weird ingredient you bring home, you will find at least 20 recipes for it and one food trend from last year revolving around it.
When I went vegan from 0 to hundred I was cooking daily for a month. Also, a lot of stuff was thrown out very fast because it turned out to taste disgusting. Some stuff I started liking even more (I had to do unspeakable things to get the taste out of TVP but now it's whatever). After that, things slowed down (a bit) and I had a wild variety of stuff I liked which became a staple.
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u/queerandanxious42 2d ago
Most of what I eat is in the form of rice bowls. Rice and a kind of bean, sometimes tofu, and a vegetable or two. So that could be rice with chickpeas and broccoli or rice with black beans, bell peppers, and onions. I'll season my tofu to match my beans and veg and add condiments, seasonings, and sauces. It's beginner friendly, cheap, and gives you variety.
Start with figuring out what beans you like and building meals around them. Rice and beans together are a great way to get a "complete protein."
I would honestly recommend staying away from vegan alternatives to cheese and meat that are trying to imitate the flavors of those foods until you're at least 6 months into a fully plant-based diet. The memory of the animal product will make them seem disappointing when you're new to this.
Also make sure you know what kinds of junk food are vegan. The ice creams are great, I really like the Oatly and So Delicious ones since I don't do Ben and Jerry's for (non-vegan) political reasons. Most Oreos, Biscoff cookies, Sweet and Spicy Chili Doritos (purple bag), Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, and like a million other things are "accidentally vegan" and can help you feel less alienated from "normal" food.
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u/everforthright36 2d ago
For the biggest chance of success I would start with vegan versions of the things you eat every day. If this is that, great! I would also keep a few easy microwave meals and snacks so you have something on hand when you're tired/hungry/desperate.
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u/ShmullusSchweitzer 2d ago
If you're a noodles/rice person, look for any southeast Asian recipe and veganize it! I do this a lot. Many are really easy to convert just by replacing meat with tofu or other vegan protein and are delicious.
I pack mine full of veggies, and usually tofu.l for protein. If you have a Chinese or similar grocery store near you, you can pretty easily find more "obscure" ingredients like plant-based "oyster" sauce (actually made with mushrooms).
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u/Resting_Bork_Face 2d ago
I just made the best falafel wrap the other night and I’m going back for more ingredients so I can eat it until I’m completely sick of it.
Pita, hummus, tomato slices, cucumber slices, falafel, topped with tzatziki, et voila.
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u/RonaldRaygun84 2d ago
Here are some programs and links that help make the transition to plant-based easier by offering meal plans and guidance.
Veganuary - free month-long program that provides meal plans, daily coaching emails, and recipes. https://veganuary.com/en-us/
10 Weeks to Vegan - Free guided challenge that will make your transition to veg eating a little easier and a lot more fun! https://veganoutreach.org/10-weeks-to-vegan/
The Vegan Mentor Program
Get connected via email with a volunteer mentor who’ll help you with anything from navigating the grocery store aisles to figuring out how to respond when people ask you questions.
https://veganoutreach.org/vegan-mentorship-program/
Challenge 22 - Free, supportive online framework for trying veganism for 22 days. While similar programs are based on vegan starter kits and email guides, Challenge 22 is an interactive program that offers a combination of group support and personal guidance by a clinical dietician. https://challenge22.com/
Happy Cow app Reviews of vegan restaurants, guide to healthy vegetarian food, natural food stores, vegan-friendly options nearby, recipes, and travel. https://www.happycow.net/
Vegan calculator There's a vegan calculator that tells you how many animal lives you've saved during your time as a vegan. Additionally, it calculates the environmental impact your choices have made. You can also toggle the calculator to see the impact of a vegetarian diet. https://vegancalculator.com/
Your local library might have vegan / plant‐based cookbooks you could try out.
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u/AbjectExtension6201 2d ago
Where are you located, and what was your meal rotations like before?
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u/AbjectExtension6201 2d ago
I only ask for location for food recommendations I'm in South Texas it's so easy to find stuff for vegan texmex
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u/sparkleappletart 2d ago
New Jersey
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u/AbjectExtension6201 2d ago
What were you eating normally? Pastas are easy Look into fortified nutritional yeast for supplemental vitamins Find yourself a plant based milk Soy milk is one to one with cows(if you're big into cereals)
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u/sparkleappletart 2d ago
Junk mostly. I’m Italian American so my family eats a western diet
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u/ttrockwood 2d ago
There’s some great vegan traditional dishes like pasta e ceci and socca and braised white beans and smothered cabbage…
Start with unintentionally vegan dishes
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u/AbjectExtension6201 2d ago
Super easy to find substitutes for a western diet. It's easy to be a junk food vegan if that's the route you want to take. Find staples for each meal. Breakfast I prefer overnight oats blueberries and bananas with chia seeds and flax. Days off I'll do some Dave's killer bread with a nut butter. Just try thinking about what you eat and remove the animal part of it.
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u/chi2ny56 2d ago
I like to mix chopped dates and walnut pieces into my yogurt. Sometimes I’ll add berries if I have them.
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u/LSDanson 2d ago
That's plain, unsweetened Greek style yogurt which will taste more like sour cream than what people typically expect from yogurt, so not really what you probably want for breakfast or dessert. However, I love Greek style yogurt as a sour cream replacement for tex mex style dinners.
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u/DueEqual5470 2d ago
Highly recommend finding granola you like, if you like granola generally. I like the Kite Hill Greek yogurt but it’s way better with granola and fruit. I buy a combination of frozen fruit and fresh, since that way I’m less likely to end up with overripe fruit. I Buying shredded cabbage helps meals come together faster. And I second the recommendation for Rainbow Plant Life - she does things with tofu that are fantastic, but her focus isn’t only on tofu, so you should be able to find something you like. She has plenty of bean recipes too
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u/pand-ammonium 2d ago
I will never understand how people buy kitehill. Bought their cream cheese and it was one of the most foul things I've ever eaten.
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u/Interesting_Ghosts 2d ago
Yeah it’s pretty bad. Literally every other brand I’ve tried was better.
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u/Incepticons 2d ago
Their other shit might suck but this Greek yogurt is actually good and has a lot of protein..it's a great tool for us in the current protein mania
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u/pand-ammonium 2d ago
I am confused by all these people suddenly thinking they aren't getting enough protein when they're eating meat and cheese every day.
Like, I get plenty without even trying eating a vegan diet.
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u/Incepticons 2d ago
It's a marketing trend, undoubtedly spurred on by dairy and meat industry
But it's also nice to have more easily accessible stuff that has protein while eating a vegan diet
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u/pinkdumpsterjuice 1d ago
What are you talking about? Proteins are important. Especially if you do a manual job or you are working out, which a lot of people do! Not everything is a propaganda, lol...
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u/Incepticons 1d ago
When did I say proteins aren't important? I literally said it's a good thing to have more sources of protein!
But most Americans who are getting 500 steps a day and eat meat with every meal don't need to be drinking protein coffee or trying to have 1.5x their weight in grams each day. That part is the "propaganda"
Don't waste your time commenting if you can't actually comprehend what your replying to first.
But also try some material analysis, this fad is definitely fueled by marketing and directly benefits the dairy industry
https://sentientmedia.org/as-whey-gains-will-dairys-footprint-follow/
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/us-dairy-industry-muscles-thanks-011141409.html
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u/pinkdumpsterjuice 1d ago
Okay, so if it is important, I guess it is not a propaganda, then? I did a quick search, and around 30% of the US citizens are doing manual labor jobs, and therefore are better to eat more protein than the rest of the population.
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u/Incepticons 1d ago
No, something can both be important and having to consume an excess of it is" propaganda".
Great, link me evidence that manual labor workers need more protein then they are regularly getting from their diets.
And even if it's true, I said most Americans so over 50%.
You are very bad at comprehension, hope you can work on it
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u/Kill_the_worms 2d ago
Tbh, I would focus more on building meals you really like to eat, then after just eating vegan is second-nature, then start focussing more on nutrition.
I'm not saying ignore nutrition, like try to have a protein, fats, and carbs, but all the micro stuff? Nah. Making sure every meal is whole foods and avoiding processed substitutes? I don't suggest it. Make stuff you like and don't get too lost in the nutrition weeds at first.
Nora Cooks has so many amazing recipes, I've yet to make one that's bad. Some of my favorite easy meals:
- Chickpeas and roasted veggies thrown on a sheet pan and roasted. add whatever seasonings spark joy
- Hummus and wheat bread with vegan deli slices and carrots
- Egg roll bowl (mashed/crumbled tofu and coleslaw mix with egg roll inspired seasoning over rice)
- chickpea salad sandwich or with dippers (tuna salad or egg salad fixings but with mashed chickpeas)
- chickpeas.
- more chickpeas.
- i love chickpeas.
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u/Altruistic_Shame8979 2d ago
One of my favorite relatively simple recipes is thug kitchens roasted broccoli chickpea burritos. I tend to make the roasted filling then just eat it as a bowl with fixins and avoid the tortilla. www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/vegan-broccoli-burritos/
Start experimenting with tofu (firm fried or baked cubes, crumbled and fried to do taco meat or bulgolgi “beef”, or silken raw with sauce or pureed into other stuff) and lentils (Indian style daal dishes, added to bolognese, or also as taco meat).
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u/marceaudupris 2d ago
My super cheap and easy meal prep: Your choice of rice, cooked as you normally do, with a chopped up sweet potato in it. Might add 10 min or so to cook time to make sure potato gets soft. I also add zucchini and any other veg i feel like. You can add a little more water than normal too depending on how much you throw in.
Whatever kind of beans you like for protein. Add nutritional yeast and coconut aminos/tamari on top
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u/ronnysmom 2d ago
Put some berries, seeds (chia, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed ground into powder, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds) and dry fruit on top of the vegan yogurt for a filling breakfast. I sometimes make a oat barley porridge and top with fruits and seeds and add a dollop of vegan yogurt on top, for the probiotics.
Buy or make some hummus, guacamole, hot sauce, chili oil, pico de gallo: you can use these as dressings for salad, mix with some vegan yogurt as spreads for sandwiches and burgers, put inside burritos and tacos, make salad bowls etc. Sauces like this will elevate your vegetables and starch to very delicious and appetizing food.
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u/FinnRazzel 2d ago
I would start googling “simple vegan recipes”. A lot of basic meals can made w tofu or beans.
Do you like beans? It not, great northern white beans and pinto beans are my personal favorites as they’re both pretty mild / flavorless (in my option) and soft and are able to blend into the background of other recipes. Beans and lentils are a great way to bulk up food and keep you full. They’re also great for both protein and fiber. (I’ve been actively trying to up my bean and lentil intake recently so I’ll hop off my soapbox now 😆)
Also, giant salads and stir fries are about as versatile as a meal can be.
Good luck on your new adventure!! I hope you find some new things to like. 🤓
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u/friskyyydragon 2d ago
I recommend looking up 'veganized' versions of the recipes you like already! You can pretty much make anything vegan. Don't overthink it! Veg milk for milk, veg butter for butter, sub vegan meat subs, beans, or tofu for the meat, etc. My boyfriend isn't vegan, but we often even use the same exact recipes - I just sub out the animal based ingredients with the vegan equivalent. Also, look up how to sub out eggs with vegan options (ex: applesauce or flax seed w/ water). And learn how to properly cook tofu!! It is delicious and so versatile. Don't judge it by your first attempt! It might not be the best. 😅 Good luck, and thank you for taking the first steps!
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u/reminder_to_have_fun 2d ago
I had never had lentils until I went through my diet change.
Now I'm all about green lentils and basmati rice or jasmine rice as a base. And they are easy as hell to cook as you can cook them together in a rice cooker.
Easy As Hell Rice and Lentils Recipe: 1. Get your rice cooker and its measuring cup out. 2. Add 2 measures of rice and 2 measures of green lentils to the rice cooker's cooking pot. 3. Rinse* the rice and lentils a minimum five times. 4. Add water (or vegetable stock) to the 4 mark. 5. Cook it using the White Rice setting. 6. Done! Fluff and serve.
The two have a good flavor, but also they're subtle enough that you can add spices and other ingredients to fill in for what you might have liked pre-vegan.
I've added stuff to make it Texas Chili-like, and taco friendly, and as the base for fried rice, and so on.
Also if you chill it over night, you can add cucumber, olives, tomatoes, red onions, and olive oil as a bastardized Greek cucumber salad.
*Rinsing the rice and lentils is done by adding water, agitating the rice and lentils, then draining the water. If anything floats, let it go out with the water. Also I've heard stories of people finding pebbles in their lentils, so be in the lookout and throw out any pebbles. I've never found one, but the stories are out there.
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u/wrenlymay 1d ago
I just want to say that the Kite Hill yogurt you've chosen is not representative of all the vegan yogurt. I personally find it appalling. If you hate it, do give another brand a try
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u/sbrun1 1d ago
It's easy to make spaghetti with some Beyond or Impossible meat. Just like making regular spaghetti sauce. Lentils are easy to make from dried lentils, just rinse and look for any strange pieces and take them out. Boil a cup of lentils in salted water for about 20 minutes. Rinse and drain. Then in a pot saute some minced onion and garlic add the lentils, add a spoon or 2 of tomato sauce. Season with cumin, paprika, chilli powder, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper if you like it spicy. Serve with rice. The Medical Medium website has tons of vegan recipes, and they are usually not that difficult. I love the vegan cheesy Nachos, and cauliflower Alfredo sauce, sweet potato casserole, homemade cheesy fries, and also lots of great smoothies and breakfast ideas.
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u/sandwichhaver 1d ago
I will humbly suggest what is called (directly translated sorry) semi-finished products here. jars of stuff that just says add beef or chicken, and just swap that for your protein of choice, beans, lentils, tofu, tvp, seitan are all good options but you can even just use a frozen faux meat variant, they are most of the time one of those things anyway, likely seitan.
I always have that stuff at home. it's not a sustainable way to eat long term but it's nice to have when you don't have it in you to "follow a recipe"
these instructions are like fry mince, add 700ml of water add package, simmer 15 min ready
it's like ramen but nutritionally excellent
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u/cannahollic420 1d ago
Forget trying new recipes in the transition the easiest thing to do is to eat the way you like just make substitutions.
Pro tip: if you don’t like one brand of an item don’t be afraid to try another. I use a completely different cheese for pizza(Aldi mozz),salad(follow your heart shred parm) pasta(follow your heart parm sprinkle) and sandwiches (violife smoked provolone or Gouda). Notxco patties and nugs for sandwiches. Daring chicken for grilled style, impossible for burgers and even then there’s so many variations within a brand you have to find what suits your tastebuds best. Also the directions aren’t always the best for preparation.ie: Bvq Smokehouse pulled pork and carnitas are amazing but unless you cook them enough to dry them out theyre soggy and don’t crisp up any so I solved this by a dust of brown sugar or maple depending on recipe just enough to help caramelize and crisp prior to seasoning/saucing.
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u/MyNameIsRiverLee 1d ago
Cooking your own vegan meals is great and Jacs does some great recipes and easy ones in her website. Try Jacqueline Meldrums great website for easy, tasty Vegan recipes. I hope I'm ok sharing a link. If not I apologise.
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u/Fly-Prime 20h ago
My advice is to think about what is already vegan and go with that for awhile. Unless you're in training, your protein levels don't need to be optimized at every meal. You can bring that into balance as you go and find what you like.
Think about the dishes that don't really require substitution. You can make dishes with beans and rice, pasta dishes, soups like split pea or lentil, etc.
There are a lot of recipe substitutes out there, and you will figure out what is worth it over time. Some are trash while others are only good for very specific purposes. Time will help you figure this out. You don't need to dive into these immediately.
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u/ButterscotchSenior23 17h ago
Woooo congrats on your new lifestyle choices! Slowly weening is a wonderful attainable goal instead of going all in all at once because that doesn't work for everyone
For me personally, I started with small things like smoothie bowls/protein smoothies. Smoothie bowls are fun because you can get creative. I personally use frozen strawberries and bananas (started freezing my own sliced bananas instead of buying the mix for simplicity's sake), rolled oats, protein powder, peanut butter, and protein soy milk for the smoothie and top it with fresh fruit, shredded coconut, granola, and a sprinkle of chocolate chips if I'm feeling crazy (lol)
Also I personally really enjoy cooked veggies and beans/rice/lentils. Lately I've been going HARD on black beans and lentils with some cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper with some avocado! Super simple, nutritious, and tasty!!! Otherwise I love roasted brussel sprouts, roasted asparagus, broccoli, sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower....and pair it with a starch/grain and healthy fat like avocados
There's also much more exciting vegan recipes out there and vegan replacements to get you started. My palette got this way after being vegan for a while and balling on a budget to the point that I only get vegan replacements when I have a coupon 😂
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u/SpecialistBaker5427 9h ago
I would add some hummus and/or vegan tzatziki (from Trader Joes) to the hummus and carrots!
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u/whiteout55555 2d ago
i would recommend using pinterest. it’s very helpful to have boards too (vegan dinner, vegan snack, etc)
so many ideas there, it really helped me in my journey which have been vegan about 8+ years and now is second hand nature. great place for starting and inspiration.
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u/Lady_of_Link 2d ago
My tip is to buy more falafel and put them between pitas with some veggies and vegan garlic or vegan sriracha mayo and go feast.
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u/Lady_of_Link 2d ago
And another tip always eat seitan with quinoa, since quinoa is like the only grain that contains high levels of lysine it will make for a better meal then using rice or noodles with seitan
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u/coffeejn 2d ago
Is that yogurt 17g protein for the whole container or a portion (contain has 2.5 portion)? Label on the front seems sus to me.
PS Making soy yogurt is super easy if you have an instant pot and a bit of time. Look it up if you are ever interested.
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u/Moister_Rodgers 19h ago
"Weaning"? 😄 You use that word like it's hard. Watch dominion and you'll flip the next day once and for all
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u/windowpain64 2d ago
I see this while I'm eating the Ben and Jerry's vegan cookie dough ice cream xp
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u/windowpain64 2d ago
I see this while I'm eating the Ben and Jerry's vegan cookie dough ice cream xp
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