People are continually switching to Vegan, plant-based diets for health and environmental benefits. If you plan to jump on the no-meat-eggs-or-dairy bandwagon, you should know what you’re getting into. 

A vegan diet means having food devoid of animal products. Therefore, a vegan diet is primarily a plant-based diet that includes fruits, vegetables, soy, legumes, nuts, and nut Butter, plant-based dairy alternatives, sprouted or fermented plant foods, and whole grains.

Vegan diets can be healthy; however, finding suitable alternatives to animal-free products may not be easy. Therefore, before you switch to veganism or are confused about what to eat on your day one of a vegan diet, you should know all the food options you can replace. 

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate…and appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes.”

Let’s check out the three premium vegan product options to help your transition process be easy.

1. Plant-Based Milk

One of the biggest challenges while transitioning your regular diet to a vegan diet is cutting out dairy products and replacing them with plant-based alternatives. If you are wondering if this will limit your options, think again.

The sale of vegan Milk has exploded in recent years. Vegan milk is made from a wide assortment of nuts, seeds, beans, and grains. The most popular varieties include oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and rice milk.

If we compare the taste and texture of plant-based milk to regular dairy milk, there is a significant difference. However, that does not mean that plant-based milk options don’t taste good. 

a. Soy Milk

Soy milk is one of the most popular plant-based alternatives for vegan diets. It is commonly found at local baristas everywhere. It is low in fat and is also cholesterol free. 

While soy milk lacks calcium compared to regular milk, you can easily find soy milk options with added calcium, vitamins, and proteins. 

Soy milk typically has a mild and creamy flavor, but this can vary between brands. Some popular brands include Silk, Edensoy, WestSoy, and Whole Foods 365.

So, while you can save this vegan milk option to add to your diet, this substitute may not be suitable for you if you deal with soya allergies or sensitivities. So, say hello to oat milk!!

b. Oat Milk

According to a survey of European plant-based milk, consumers found that oat milk is the preferred alternative in the UK, Sweden, and Germany. It’s another favorite milk alternative for baristas too! 

This is because oat milk is naturally creamier and more flavourful than its alternatives. Moreover, its taste is not as overpowering as nut milk like almond and coconut.

If you look at its nutritional information, you can find oat milk varieties fortified with vitamins B2, B12, and D, and calcium or even iodine. Following a vegan diet will help you get a healthy dose of these important nutrients, which you may lack. 

Moreover, oat milk is easy to digest, low in fat, and low in sugar, with a healthy fiber content.

Amongst all the oat milk brands, Oatly stands out. The company is due to open its first UK factory in 2023 to keep up with the raising demand. Oatly’s secret ingredient is the addition of canola oil to provide a full, rich, dairy-like texture akin to dairy, typically missing from other plant-based milk. 

c. Almond Milk 

If you enjoy nutty flavors, you can also opt for almond milk. This make is so versatile that it can be used in smoothies, cereals, drinks, desserts, and even cooking. This milk is not just vegan-friendly; it is also gluten-free.

If you’re looking to try almond milk, your options are endless. You can get them in unsweetened flavors and enriched nutrients.

Some top-rated almond milk brands include Blue Diamond, Elmhurst, Silk Original Almond Milk, Califia Farms, Malk, and So Delicious. 

d. Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is made from the liquid of coconut flesh. It is a popular addition to meals for its creamy consistency. This milk is naturally sweet and very low in carbohydrates.

Some popular coconut milk brands include Native Forest, Nature’s Greatest, Trader Joe’s, Thai Kitchen, and Natural Value.

e. Rice Milk

If you have nut or soy allergies, you can opt for rice milk, which has been around longer than most milk alternatives. Rice milk, by far, has the most similar flavor to dairy milk but is significantly thinner in consistency. This milk works in both sweet and savory dishes.

Popular rice milk brands include rice dream, Pacific foods rice milk, Vitasoy rice milk, Trader Joe’s rice milk, Kirkland rice milk, and Whole Foods 365 rice milk.

2. Vegan Doughnuts  

Doughnuts are a delicious sweet treat that is hard to resist. They are not just great in taste, but they have an equally satisfying play of textures that are crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

If you happen to be in America or Great Britain, you can find them everywhere. A classic doughnut is made with flour, water, leavening, eggs, milk, sugar, oil, shortening, and natural or artificial flavors.

The presence of eggs helps in the dough’s elasticity, providing its unique texture. Then comes a wide variety of fillings and toppings that include dairy-packed cream, custard, caramel, and chocolate.

The above-mentioned list of ingredients surely rules out doughnuts for vegan diets. However, thankfully, the UK’s favorite jam fillings and sugar toppings are naturally vegan. Moreover, you can make eggless and dairy-free doughnuts at home. 

If you don’t wish to make them at home, you can also turn to Crosstown’s multi-award-winning premium vegan doughnuts in the UK. 

The uniqueness of Crosstown vegan doughnuts is that they replace the eggs and dairy butter with chia seeds and coconut butter for an improved flavor and texture. 

Best of all, they don’t cut back on the fillings or toppings either. Crosstown uses ingredients like dairy-like oat milk, rich vegan dark chocolate, coconut butter, and silken tofu for flavors such as cinnamon scroll, chocolate truffle, and the classic vanilla bean glaze. 

These vegan doughnuts can be ordered online or in select stores. You can also visit their dedicated vegan store in Marylebone, London. 

3. Plant-Based Cheese 

When you opt for a vegan diet, giving up dairy cheese is also a part of the process. Fortunately, you get to enjoy plant-based cheese options. However, there is quite a difference in the texture between dairy and plant-based cheese.

Plant-based cheeses are generally rubbery, off-putting, and bland. But over the years, their creamy alternatives have been developed. However, one problem with them is that they are super melty and don’t have that satisfying stretch. 

But the good news is that voted number 1 at the PETA Vegan Food Awards 2020 and by Vegan Food and Living Magazine in 2022, Applewood Vegan is a great alternative. This cheese is so popular that it sold out in 40% of stores on the first day it was launched. 

If you aren’t a big fan of smoked cheese, you can also try their Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature cheddar alternative. The beauty of these vegan cheeses is that they melt like dairy cheese!

These cheeses are made with water, coconut oil, potato starch, and modified maize starch. This makes them dairy, gluten, soy, lactose, and even palm oil free.

Moreover, you don’t have to miss out on the nutritional benefits of dairy cheese, as they also have added calcium and B12.

As you can see, even the most underwhelming vegan replacements out, some premium alternatives are high-on-guaranteed to satisfy your cravings. Make the best use of them by adding them to your vegan diet. 

4. Vegan Butter

Butter is one product that is a pantry staple because of its incredibly versatile nature. It is used in multiple ways in cooking and baking.

You can use it in cakes and cookies, sauté vegetables, spread it on toast, or even make buttercream frosting!

However, butter is produced by churning cow’s milk or cream. For this reason, it is not considered a vegan product. But don’t get disappointed just yet.

You don’t have to make a compromise just because you are vegan because vegan butter brands do exist! They are readily available for purchase in grocery outlets and online retailers worldwide.

Vegan butter is typically made from various oils like sunflower oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. It can also be made with animal-free ingredients like nuts, almonds, or cashews. 

So, make the best use of vegan butter brands like Vitalite, Tesco, Flora, Asda, Pure, and Frylight in the UK.

If you are a US resident, you can look up brands like Flora Plant Butter, Miyoko’s, Violife Plant Butter, Melt Organic, Country Crock Plant Butter with Avocado Oil, and Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread. 

If you relish nut butter, the good news is that most nut butter is free from animal products. Therefore they’re suitable for vegans.

In its purest form, nut butter is made by grinding nuts into a paste. You must skip brands that use milk powder, whey protein, honey, collagen, or egg whites in their nut butter.

Thus, you can opt for almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, and walnut butter. All these types of butter are full of vital vitamins. Moreover, you can use them in many ways.

5. Ice Creams and Desserts

Moving on from the diary doesn’t mean you have to miss the joy of enjoying an ice cream on hot summer days. There are countless vegan dessert options in health stores and grocery stores where you can find ice creams in different flavors, indulgent chocolate mousse, and mouth-watering cookies. 

Some vegan ice creams and desserts brands include Ben and Jerry’s, Arctic Zero, Brave Robot, Breyers Non-Dairy, Häagen-Dazs Non-Dairy, Jeni’s, Magnum Non-Dairy, Oatly, and Brave Robot. So, don’t let your cravings make you suffer. Select from these vegan alternatives to make the most of your vegan diet.

6. Chocolates

Are you a chocoholic? Are you not sure about having chocolate while on a vegan diet? Say hello to vegan chocolates! 

Most of the chocolate options on the market are made with cow’s milk. Thus, they read “milk chocolate.” So, you may think you can switch to dark chocolates.

While most dark chocolates are animal-free, sometimes they contain traces of milk or another animal product, like honey. Therefore, it’s important to always check the label before you buy. 

However, some exclusive chocolates are made for vegans that come in attractive packaging.

Some vegan-friendly brands include Comaprtes, Ritter Sport, Lindt, Ghirardelli, Trader Joe’s, Tony’s Chocolonely, Sugarfina, Dylan’s Candy Bar, Alter Eco, Valroha, Beyond Good, Enjoy Life Foods, Chocolove, Lily’s, Raaka, and Endangered Species. 

7. Pasta 

Pasta is another premium product that has high consumption around the world. You would be happy to know that most packaged pasta varieties are 100 percent vegan.

You can simply check the ingredients on your package while purchasing a packet from the grocery store. Most boxed pasta contains simply one or two plant-based ingredients, such as semolina and enriched wheat flour.

Therefore, you can enjoy shapes like spaghetti, linguini, fettuccini, fusilli, penne, orzo, jumbo shells, manicotti, lasagna noodles, and elbow macaroni.

 However, fresh pasta, sold in refrigerated sections, may contain eggs. These varieties are not vegan. So, before purchasing them, you should check the ingredients list. 

Final Thoughts

Dear reader, if you have embarked on the journey of veganism, some premium food options might seem underwhelming at once.

However, with the increasing demand for vegan products, the market today has many vegan-friendly options.

So, let there be no FOMO if you have hopped on the vegan bandwagon. Look out for all the options mentioned above and enjoy your meals.

Frequently Answered Questions (FAQs)