THE VEGAN HOW-TO

When first transitioning to a diet without animal products, it can feel as if all your favorite foods are no longer an option. By using egg substitutes, you can still recreate all your favorite meals the vegan way! 

This video shows 6 different Vegan Egg Substitutes used to make cupcakes:

- Carbonated water

- Aquafaba

- H20, Oil, Baking Powder

- Flax Egg 

- Mashed Banana 

- Applesauce 

You can check out the full video here to see how different the consistencies look and how the taste might change according to what is being made.

Personally, I always use either mashed banana, applesauce, or JUST Egg when making desserts. Most of the time, you can barely taste the difference, but even when you do, it will still taste just as good.

JUST Egg was not used in this video, but it is a vegan egg-substitute perfect for adding to a mix and on its own! I love using this just because it’s easy to get the right measurements and I find it has a better egg-like consistency in comparison to most substitutes. Even my mother, who is not vegan, enjoys making scrambled eggs for herself with JUST Egg, so I would especially recommend this to people who may miss the taste of eggs or are making food for non-vegans. 

Check out Part 1 here! 

2. If you’re unsure what’s safe to eat, ask the waiter for an allergy menu.

Many places provide these and some will even wash their cooking equipment or use separate utensils/ovens! Even Disney World has some vegan options and make the effort to use separate equipment safe for those with allergies to dairy and gluten. For fast-food restaurants, you can also find an allergy menu online because of food and safety regulation requirements. 

3. Substitutions are your best friend. 

Whether eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just drinking something, it is important to know your options and how you can substitute a certain ingredient to make something vegan!

Here are some examples from common food and drink locations - Taco Bell and Starbucks:

☆ Taco Bell 

Fun Fact: You can substitute any meat for beans! Taco Bell is actually one of my go-to places when I’m on the road because there are a lot more options there in comparison to many other fast-food restaurants where the only option is an over-priced salad or fries. 

ALSO -- ask for your meal FRESCO STYLE. This way, any cheese or sour cream will be substituted for pico de gallo! 

(Check out this post for more information on how to eat vegan at Taco Bell.)

➥ Elizabeth’s Pick: Before I went gluten-free, I loved their Chalupa - substitute meat for refried beans and make it fresco! Their Bean Burritos are also great - make it fresco, add lettuce and rice. Add some Cinnamon Twists for dessert and you’re good to go! Now, I always order hard shell corn tacos - substitute meat for refried beans and make it fresco as well!

☆ Starbucks 

Vegans need their caffeine fix too! Luckily, many Starbucks have a variety of substitute milks to choose from, such as soy, almond, coconut, and oat milk. 

Pictured above are two vegan beverages on the menu -- Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink (left) and Iced Golden Ginger Drink (right). 

*Always double-check to make sure a drink is completely vegan - some creams and syrups might not be vegan, for example, the caramel is vegan, but the syrup they put on top of their drinks is not!

As for food, there aren’t many vegan bakery options, but bagels are always a great choice! You can even have some guacamole on the side if you wish!

➥ Elizabeth’s Pick: My go-to order is a Pink Drink (Strawberry Acai Refresher with Coconut Milk) along with a Strawberry & Toasted Almonds Overnight Grains. (Shown above.)

4. Don’t feel bad! You’re not a nuisance for being plant-based. 

Though not everyone may struggle with confidently asking waiters to make adjustments, some vegans still do. Being the only vegan at the table can often make you feel outcasted, especially if those around you are unaccepting or hostile because you have a different dietary preference/lifestyle. 

Your diet is not a burden to the chef, and more often than not, restaurant waiters may be used to circumstances like this, so try not to feel bad about asking for substitutions. 

At the end of the day, you deserve to eat and enjoy your meal just as much as the next person, so do what you need to do to have a good experience when dining out! 

Part 1 | 2 

Check out Part 2 here!

Following a vegan diet can sometimes be difficult when eating out at restaurants, but in most cases, there are ways one can mold the menu to make options for you to enjoy a meal away from home! 

Here are some tips to help make eating at restaurants seem less like a hassle and more like a breeze:

1. If possible, try to do your research on the menu before arriving! 

Since vegetarian and vegan diets continue to become more common, many restaurants are expanding their menus to provide more plant-based options. Whether in the form of salads or mock meat meals, even the most popular restaurants are beginning to cater to plant-based diets a bit more! 

Here are some examples of both dine-in and fast food restaurants with vegan meal options on their menu: 

☆  Bolay 

One of my personal favorites! They sell bowls with vegetables and protein (kind of like Chipotle, which also has some vegan options) and are also gluten-free. Places like this are great because you get to choose what goes in your bowl, so you can potentially have more options to choose from for variety!

*Certified Vegan: Bases - Basmati Rice, Forbidden Black Rice, Kale Yeah Salad, Baby Spinach, Asian Sweet Potato Noodles | All Vegetable Options | Protein - Miso Glazed Tofu | Add-Ons - Freshly Chopped Cilantro, Avocado | Sauce - Creamy Garlic & Herb

➥ Elizabeth’s Pick: Bowl with Forbidden Black Rice, Power Beans, Miso Glazed Tofu and Creamy Garlic & Herb Sauce 

☆ The Cheesecake Factory

Though I may not go to The Cheesecake Factory often, it is definitely a popular chain restaurant with many locations, so it is always important to know whether there are options available! Surprisingly enough, the restaurant provides multiple vegan options, with opportunity to adjust others to suit your diet. 

*Certified Vegan: Most of their salads can be made vegan by removing the cheese, butter, or sauce/dressing. | Veggie Burger (Verify with waiter first as locations may vary -- ask for NO cheese/mayo and change bun to sourdough, wheat, Rustic Batard, or lettuce wrap) | Vinaigrettes - Lemon Blueberry, House, Lemon, Pomegranate, and Shallot 

(They also provide the Impossible Burger with cheese, but the company, Impossible Foods, tests on animals, so I wouldn’t recommend that option.) 

Part 1 | 2

♡ HOW TO MEAL PREP 12 EASY VEGAN RECIPES IN 90 MINUTES ♡ 

Personally, I found it a bit difficult to create exciting meals when I first became vegan. Often times, there is the misconception that vegans only eat salads and rarely get the amount of protein necessary for a considerably healthy diet. 

Meal prepping is something that I found to really make a difference. When I first started college, I was constantly hungry because there were not as many options available for me to choose from, as I also have a gluten intolerance. Having to turn to vending machines for snacks that wouldn’t satisfy or depending on a single protein bar to get me through the day really took a toll on my health. Meal prepping can help you plan out your daily meals, allowing you to create your own nutritious meals to enjoy and benefit your diet. 

♡ ACURE BRIGTENING FACIAL SCRUB ♡

Price: $9.99 | My Rating: ★★★★★ | For all skin types | PURCHASE HERE

For a while, I felt as if I was constantly searching for a facial scrub that worked well for my skin. As a performer, my skin has been through a bit of wear-and-tear with the makeup I remove only to reapply the next day. I felt like my skin was never truly clean no matter what I used, until I decided to give this ACURE facial scrub a try! 

The ACURE scrub made with French green clay, chlorella, lemon peel, sage and blackberry, is formulated to brighten one’s appearance and always leave my face feeling fresh and clean.

ACURE’s description of the scrub mentions that the “sea kelp super-nutrients soften and detox while lemon peel and French green clay cleanse.” 

If you’re looking for a Cruelty-Free scrub that’s easy on the skin and leaves your skin feeling great, I would definitely try this one out! 

(Their BRIGHTENING CLEANSING GEL is also one of my favorite skincare products I would also recommend to anyone looking for a good cleansing wash!)

♡ PUMPKIN PIE (VEGAN/GLUTEN-FREE) ♡

As the holiday season approaches, the smell of pumpkin spice and cinnamon fills the air, but as a vegan in the holiday season, it might not always be as simple to find vegan-friendly desserts sold in your local grocery store. 

When I first became vegan, it was easy to feel outcasted at family holiday parties because there wasn’t much to eat to enjoy a meal with everyone, unless I came prepared and brought my own food and desserts. It was awkward to sit at the table as everyone happily ate their ten types of pie, and while Whole Foods has a fantastic vegan and gluten-free pumpkin pie, the pricing is not always reasonable. 

For this holiday season, I would really recommend checking out this recipe if you’re a fan of pumpkin pie! I’ve tried various recipes from Rhian’s Recipes after finding her account on Instagram and I haven’t been let down once! 

Here’s the recipe straight from Rhian’s site -- I can’t wait to try this! 

Ingredients

For the filling:

450 g (15 oz) tin of pumpkin purée * (shop-bought or make your own)

300 ml (1 ¼ cup) unsweetened cashew milk (or sub unsweetened almond milk or oat milk)

12 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to taste (or sub a mixture of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, or mixed spice)

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

3 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) (or sub arrowroot)

For the pastry:

30 g (⅛ cup) coconut oil

75 g (⅔ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub rice flour, or plain all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)

75 g (⅔ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) **

7 tablespoons water

Instructions

For the filling:

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well, ensuring the cornflour (cornstarch) has dissolved completely

Once the mixture is mixed well, cook on a medium heat, stirring continuously, until thickened and gently bubbling

Depending on the consistency and texture of your pumpkin purée, it may not properly mix into your milk – if this is the case you can either transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender or use a hand-held stick blender to blend until completely smooth

Leave to cool slightly before pouring into the pastry

For the pastry:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl along with about 7 tablespoons of water, until it forms a firm dough – add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don’t add too much!

You can keep this pastry dough in the fridge for up to a day if you like, but there is no need to chill it before using

Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish (I used a 9inch/22.5cm pie dish)

You can use a fork or your fingers to create a pretty pattern around the edge if you like

Pour the filling into the pie crust just before putting in the oven (as otherwise the dough might ‘melt’)

Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown

Leave to cool completely before cutting, ideally putting the pie in the fridge for a couple of hours, to allow the filling to set properly

Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

*Recipe by Rhian’s Recipes (Check site for full recipe/substitution options/detailed descriptions.)