By Mihika Chechi, VRG Intern

There’s a common misconception that becoming vegan also means being forced to give up enjoyable foods. It’s understandable why people might assume this; after all, people often stereotype vegans as eating nothing but salads and uncooked vegetables for each meal. But in reality, nothing could be further from the truth! Vegan foods encompass an incredibly diverse range of cuisines, from Japanese to Ethiopian to Mediterranean to Mexican, and there are plenty of nutrients found in these foods – coming from more sources than just lettuce and celery sticks!

Not only are vegan dining options from just about every type of cuisine much easier to find than people assume, but making vegan versions of your favorite non-vegan dishes is usually possible too! In many cases, you might even find that vegan alternatives to popular snacks taste better to you; for me, that’s specifically been the case when it comes to most pastries and desserts, which is perfect because I’ve always had a sweet tooth and haven’t had to give that up since becoming vegan!

Found below are some of the favorite vegan snacks, meals, and desserts from The Vegetarian Resource Group’s members, interns, and volunteers. If you’re interested in becoming vegan but not quite sure where to start in terms of everyday meals, we’d recommend trying out one or more (or all!) of the recipes and ideas below. A lot of these dishes are actually homemade originals – who knows, you might get inspired to start experimenting with new ones yourself!

Snacks:

Amy: “Chips & salsa or chips & guacamole are always a great [vegan] snack.”

Stephanie: “I love Mid-Day Squares. They’re vegan brownies. I love these because they are the right amount of sweet and they have great ingredients. I highly recommend these brownies.”

Elaina: “Some of my favorite snacks are potato chips, rye chips, fruit leather, carrots, and French fries.”

Jeff: “I rarely eat snacks, but when I do, it’s usually a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts, or mixed nuts) and some kind of fruit (usually a banana).”

Marcy:  “I use Just Egg* to make breakfast sandwiches, as well as oat milk for cappuccinos.”

*please note that Just Egg is a plant-based company, though it is not officially classified as vegan because some of its ingredients were tested on (fed to) animals because of government regulations (though were not killed). See: https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan/comments/cdhpjx/fyi_just_egg_replacement_product_is_plantbased/

Meals:

Jason: “As for my favorite vegan foods, I always enjoy fresh local foods. The fun is the variety of fruits and veggies and when they come in season. This time of year, I could eat a meal of all blueberries or methley plums. And nothing beats breakfast for dinner with some pancakes.”

Coda: “Some of my favorite vegan foods are my dad’s really simple but seriously good guacamole recipe and a barbeque tofu sandwich recipe my family likes a lot. Both are super affordable too! Totally budget friendly. You can make the guacamole with only three smashed avocados, 3 Tablespoons Pico de Gallo style salsa, and salt and garlic powder to taste. The barbeque tofu sandwiches are also pretty easy. All you need to do is grate a block of extra-firm tofu, then season it with salt and pepper and cook it until it’s light brown. Then you add barbeque sauce and let it cook a little more. Finally, you scoop some of the barbequed tofu in-between some toasted burger buns.”

Elaina: “My favorite dinners are vegan tofu pesto scramble and cowboy caviar. These dinners make me feel fueled and healthy; they help me have energy when I run and when I work.”

Amy: “For dinners, I would say curries and stir-fries are my go-to recipes but I also make a great chili in the slow cooker. For a nondairy sour cream, the Kite Hill brand is a good pick.”

Jeff: “I’m about as uncreative in the kitchen as they come. As for dinners, some of my favorites are:

• Black bean burger (on whole wheat but with tomato and avocado slices)
• Taco salad (with spinach, diced tomato/avocado, and black beans instead of meat for protein)
• Tofu tikka masala (like chicken tikka masala, but substitute tofu for chicken)
• Pasta primavera (with plant-based “meat” balls)”

Stephanie: “I work from home so I need quick hearty lunches. These items can also be eaten for dinner. Whole Foods has a great vegan chili that I love. Add half an avocado and you will have a very filling meal. I highly recommend this product. Trader Joe’s has a great quick and easy vegan pasta dish. It’s so hearty and tasty. I also recommend this product.”

Desserts:

Stephanie: “I love So Delicious ice cream sandwiches. They’re super delicious and they really hit the spot when you are in the mood for dessert. I highly recommend it [link almond milk flavor]. So Delicious also has ice cream sandwiches using coconut milk. This one is so incredibly delicious because you get a hint of coconut flavor which is so yummy. I highly enjoy this product.” If you are looking for a richer dessert, So Delicious makes an amazing dipped coconut almond ice cream bar. These are terrific when your sweet tooth wants something super decadent. I highly recommend this product.”

Coda: “My mom and I have been taking basic box cake mixes and making them into easy vegan pineapple upside down cakes. Add smashed banana in place of the eggs, add applesauce instead of the oil, and pineapple juice from the can instead of the  water. Place the pineapple rings into a cake pan sprayed with coconut oil and sprinkled with brown sugar (organic) then just pour the batter on top.”

Elaina: “Some of my favorite vegan desserts are chia seed pudding with coconut milk, vegan mango sticky rice, and granola.”

Marcy: “I love chia pudding, chocolate tofu pie, and vegan apple pie with vegan ice cream.”

Amy: “For dessert, I love vegan cookies and cupcakes and sorbet or nondairy ice cream.”

Jason: “I’ve been enjoying Just Egg of late. It’s allowed me to recreate some childhood recipes in a better way than flax seeds and other egg substitutes.”

For other ideas, see

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue2/2015_issue2_cooking_tips.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue4/2015_issue4_vegan_snacks.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2002issue3/2002_issue3_snack_attack.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2001jan/2001_jan_party_snacks.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99sep/1999_sep_snack_attack.php

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.