Whether you want to eat more plant-based meals or go full-on vegan, it all starts with changing what’s on your plate. However, when you go vegan, it can feel like you have to re-learn cooking because this is a whole new world.
To turn vegan cooking into an easy, wonderful, and scrumptious affair, follow these simple and sustainable tips:
- Invest in the Right Tools
A good chef’s knife can transform your experience in the kitchen. A big knife is easier to work with, and the long blade can easily cut through tougher foods, like pumpkins. These knives also have a lot of weight, so they will do most of the work for you.
Ceramic cookware is durable, non-toxic, and made to last. It’s what your favorite vegan influencers use to make those inspiring dishes you like, and it’s well worth the investment.
Another appliance that’ll make your life easier as a vegan is a high-powered blender. You can do everything in a blender, from smoothies and dressings to salsas and soups. A top-quality blender will make your vegan journey that much more tasty and interesting.
- Keep It Simple
Start with things that you know and love that are already vegan, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes. Then, start adding the vegan versions of things you might be used to, such as non-dairy milk, vegan butter, and even some vegan alternative meats.
If you want to learn how to make better smoothies and juices, start with simple combinations first and then add more complex ingredients as you get the hang of it.
When it comes to making salads, something as simple as chopping up some cucumber, kale, herbs, lime juice, and avocado is a great start. As you get more comfortable in your vegan journey, you can start making other things like cucumber noodles and blended sauces and dressings.
- Shop Locally and Seasonally
Buy your fruits and vegetables in-season and at a local farmer’s market if you have one. By incorporating more seasonal produce into your cooking, you’re going to automatically improve your meals without having to do anything different in the kitchen.
That’s because the fresh produce you’ll be cooking with will be sweeter, fresher, riper, and more flavorful. Speaking of fresh, start using more fresh herbs over dried to add unique flavor, dimension, and character to your cooking.
Dried herbs are convenient, but they can’t deliver what fresh herbs can in terms of nuanced flavor and texture.
- Experiment with Spices
Your entire spice cabinet is vegan. You can infuse so much flavor into your food with endless combinations of spices that’ll take your dishes from bland to totally delicious.
If you want to make your vegetable meals more exciting, pay attention to how you treat them. You can season, marinate, barbecue, smoke, and grill your broccoli, potatoes, tofu, beans, and other staples. They’re going to taste a lot better and make you far more excited about your vegan meals.
- Know Your Baking Replacements
When baking, you can replace eggs with flax seeds or chia seeds and water. Mashed bananas are another option, or you can use a store-bought egg replacer to make all of your favorite cookies, muffins, cakes, and pies.
If you find vegan cooking a struggle in the beginning, don’t worry – it’ll get easier over time. After all, you’ve been cooking one way your entire life, so it’s going to take some time to make the shift and break old habits.
Try out new recipes and techniques, get out of your comfort zone, and forgive yourself if you make any mistakes along the way.
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