Imagine you’re at a restaurant awaiting your meal and the server is a few steps away from your table. The aroma of the delicious food you ordered gets to you a few seconds before the plate touches the table. You immediately know the first bite will be unforgettable.
Contrary to what some believe, you can have this same experience with vegan foods too. Vegan dishes can be just as scrumptious as others with a few helpful tips.
Tip #1: Use High-Quality Ingredients
As you transition to a vegan diet, you’re going to have to do a bit of experimenting, but you can save yourself some time and trouble simply by starting with high-quality ingredients.
This doesn’t mean cooking has to take forever. Many superb vegan recipes use ready-to-use organic soups, broths and stocks to add flavor and creaminess to entrees. Similarly, organic plant-based beverages can add creaminess to savory dishes, desserts, and snacks. These are high-quality products, so they’re timesavers you can use without skimping on quality.
Tip #2: Let Non-Dairy Cheese Save the Day
Do you love cheese as much as we do? There are all kinds of non-dairy cheese substitutes on the market today, and science has finally caught up to demand. These non-dairy cheeses not only taste like cheese, but they also behave like cheese. They actually melt!
There have been non-dairy cheeses on the market for many years, but until recently, these products were largely disappointing. In the last few years, however, products that successfully emulate a variety of cheeses—feta, parmesan, mozzarella, and more—have become easier to find.
Vegan cheeses can give your foods the creamy texture you sometimes crave. Plus, many of them are quite flavorful, so sprinkling a little bit on your favorite entree can make a delicious difference.
Tip #3: Spend Some Time in the Spice Aisle
Spices are often overlooked when it comes to cooking delicious meals. Yet, when it comes to cooking vegan, spices are your best friend. A good way to zero in on what spices to try first is to think in terms of the “spice profile” of some of the cuisines you enjoy most.
For example, if you love Thai food, you might want to take home some dried red Thai chilies, sweet basil, lemongrass, lime leaves, and cilantro. If you love Indian food, pick up some cloves, cumin, mustard seeds, cardamom, fenugreek, and ginger.
A kitchen well stocked with spices you already know you enjoy will enable you to follow more recipes without an extra trip to the store. Plus, it can help you experiment with new spice and ingredient combinations.
Tip #4: Focus on Snacks and Desserts
As it turns out, almost nothing you love about dessert is dependent on dairy, eggs, or honey. It’s not even dependent on wheat (but that’s a discussion for another day).
Transitioning to a new way of eating can feel restrictive. The solution to that exact problem is desserts.
Vegan desserts can provide crunch, creaminess, and something that tastes suspiciously like real dairy flavor. Because they can satisfy so many of your cravings, we recommend mastering a few vegan desserts very early in your transition to a vegan diet. Some of them even keep well in the freezer or refrigerator, so you can keep some on hand for any time you’re feeling like you need a treat.
Tip #5: Try a Little Vegan Recipe Surfing
If you’re new to a vegan diet or just thinking about giving it a try, we recommend starting with a deep dive into a big pile of yummy vegan recipes. Here are some of our favorites:
- 15 Vegan Soup Recipes That Will Leave You Feeling Complete
- 24 Lazy Vegan Recipes You Can’t Miss Out On
- 14 Simple and Delicious Vegan Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
One big upside to your commitment to eating vegan is that it may end up being a vehicle for understanding what you find deeply satisfying about the foods you enjoy most. This is your opportunity to retool one of the most important aspects of your life: your diet.
Transitioning to a vegan diet can be tricky. But eating vegan becomes almost effortless once you’ve identified enough meals and treats that nourish both your body and your spirit.
You don’t have to be a foodie to make delicious vegan dishes. It’s all about knowing what you like and looking through as many recipes as you can get your hands on.
Take Your Favorite Meals to the Next Level With Pacific Foods
Eating vegan doesn’t have to be complicated. Our delicious and wholesome beverages, soups, broths, and stocks can help you take any recipe to the next level. Find Pacific Foods in a grocery aisle near you by shopping now.
