28 Vegan Recipes You’ll Love Even If You Like Meat (2024)

FAQs

How to go vegan when you love meat? ›

You could start by removing meat or dairy one day a week and go from there. Or you could try changing one meal at a time, having vegan breakfasts during your first week, adding a vegan lunch during week two and so on.

A brine of rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and aromatics infuses veg with character while jump-starting the cooking process. Grill or smoke: To make meat like vegetables, grill them indirectly at low heat over charcoal and wood chips for a glorious smoky flavor.

Some people may adhere to diets that are primarily vegan or vegetarian, but may sometimes consume foods that are usually avoided in such diets. The word flexitarian refers to a person whose diet is largely plant-based, but who occasionally eats meat, fish, and poultry.

Cauliflower. When cauliflower is roasted or grilled, it takes on the texture of meat. It is a flexible meat substitute because of its neutral taste, which enables it to combine well with a variety of cuisines.

Best Ingredient to Replace Meat

When I'm creating a vegan version of something high in fat, calories, and protein, I usually gravitate toward ingredients like beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, TVP, and seitan. These are more filling than vegetables, which are sometimes too low in calories, if you know what I mean.

Umami is what gives savoury dishes that meaty, brothy taste – typically found as MSG. Some manufacturers will use what you might call an “umami bomb” to give plant-based applications the hearty, meaty taste consumers want from traditional meat.

A vegan diet excludes all meat and animal products (meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy and eggs), whereas a vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, fish and seafood. However, there are a few variations of a vegetarian diet that depend on whether you eat or exclude eggs, dairy and fish (see table below).

Start With One Plant-Based Meal a Day

The all-or-nothing approach is usually what makes switching to a plant-based diet too difficult. If you're having meat in every meal, the easiest way to stop is to slowly phase it out. Start with one plant-based meal per day. This doesn't have to be the same meal every time.

In some cases, meat cravings stem from an area of malnutrition. Whether it's a lack of protein, iron, or other vital nutrients, your body will begin to crave nutrient-dense meals. Meat can be an easy source. When you meal prep, you're able to make sure you're getting the right amount of nutrients with every meal.

Can a vegan live with a meat eater? ›

It's true that we all adapt and change over time, but it's important to accept that your dietary habits may remain a fundamental difference between the pair of you. Set ground rules so that you're each able to enjoy your own preferences. This might mean finding restaurants that meet both of your needs.