Easy Vegetarian Food Swaps

Food swapping is a common tactic for beginner vegetarians to use. It helps get on the vegetarian bandwagon while finding suitable options to replace foods that may not be part of a vegetarian lifestyle. If you are looking for some common food swaps that may help you on your beginning path to vegetarianism, consider these. These food swaps replace more common non-vegetarian foods without losing flavor or texture.

Mushrooms for Meat

One of the easiest food swaps you can do is to swap mushrooms for meat. This can be done for meat crumbles, hamburger patties, or as part of a pasta dish and vegan burger option. Mushrooms give the same texture as most meats and give that hearty flavor to your meals. They are easy to find and you can choose from a variety of mushrooms. For example, you can use portabello mushrooms as a vessel for your vegetable stuffing mixes or as a breakfast vessel for eggs if you are ovo-vegetarian. 

Coconut Oil for Butter

Butter has a number of issues with most vegans or vegetarians. Most of it has to do with how it is created and being a dairy option. You may be concerned about finding a substitute for this, but it is actually easy. Coconut oil is an ideal alternative and can work well with most recipes. Now, keep in mind this may not be the best option for baked goods. In those cases, you may have to buy your vegan baked goods already made by a trusted source. But for daily cooking and grilling, coconut oil is an ideal option.

Nut Milk for Traditional Milk

Milk is used in daily drinking, cooking, and in various ways throughout your daily life. You may be wondering how you are going to make a swap for this, but one way is to go with any nut milk out there. You can go with soy milk, almond milk, and cashew milk. Now, this may be an issue if you have a nut allergy. If that is the case, then you may want to go for another option, like coconut milk. These milk swaps can taste the same and work the same in many recipes as your traditional dairy and whole milk options. 

You can use these food swaps in multiple recipes, to help curb cravings, and to help you stay on your journey. There are other food swaps that can be made as well. Just look for things with similar textures or recipes that match recipes you love. You will find the swaps fairly easy and can make them in your own diet routine. 
