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Substitutions to Make Holidays Vegan, Vegetarian or Dairy- and Egg-Free

November 20, 2017 By Chef Michelle Hauser MD 1 Comment

Thanksgiving dinner

Do you want to lighten-up your holiday dinner without sacrificing taste?

Do you have a vegetarian, vegan, or someone with an egg or dairy allergy/intolerance coming to dinner?

Try some of these tips to cut out dairy and other high saturated fat and cholesterol ingredients—essentially “vegan-ize” your meal (or parts of your meal).

Basic Tips:

  • Eating vegan just means that one is not eating animal foods like meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs. Since all cholesterol comes from these products, vegans eat a zero-cholesterol diet!
  • Vegetarians eat dairy and eggs, but no meat or seafood.
  • What about those who don’t want to be vegan? No problem—everyone’s health can benefit by eating more plant-based, whole foods. Most of the recipes I post on Chef in Medicine are aimed at getting people to eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other plant-based foods that we know improve health.
  • If you are trying to vegan-ize recipes, the easiest recipes are those that only have one or two animal food items and these items are not the key ingredients.
  • For dishes that do have meat, dairy, seafood, or eggs as main ingredients, there generally are ways to vegan-ize them, but those methods are either more advanced and/or use a lot of heavily processed, plant-based foods to replicate the animal food being replaced.
  • Despite generally focusing on less processed plant-based foods, I have given some recommendations for these processed, animal food replacement items, based purely on taste, for those who would like to use them to get through the holidays. I have only included widely-available brands (for the most part). There are a lot of faux meat and dairy products out there that either taste terrible, don’t work well in recipes, or aren’t available in many areas of the US.

Here are quick tips on replacing some dairy and other animal-based foods in recipes:

  • EGGS: In baked items, an egg can be replaced with 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tablespoons hot water (called a “flax egg”). Alternatively, you can use a product called “Egg Replacer” as directed on the package. Both methods only work for recipes with 1-2 eggs in them, but don’t try this with recipes where eggs are the main ingredient.
  • CREAM (AKA. HEAVY CREAM): In items where cream is an ingredient, blend equal amounts of raw cashews and water together until completely smooth. Use as you would cream. This works for everything except whipped cream.
  • WHIPPED CREAM: Warning—the following is loaded with saturated fat, but is delicious, plant-based and dairy-free. Buy a can of coconut cream or regular (not-lite) coconut milk and refrigerate until very cold (~8 hours or overnight), making sure not to shake the can. Then open the can and scoop out the solid coconut fat into a mixing bowl (reserve liquid for another use), using a hand or stand mixer beat in 1/4 cup powdered sugar (or more, to taste) and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Use as you would whipped cream or whipped topping.
  • MILK: Silk Unsweetened Soymilk yields the best results when substituted for milk in my experience, but you can use any unsweetened non-dairy milk (rice, almond, coconut, etc.). Beware that “plain” or “original” non-dairy milks often contain sweetener and are terrible in mashed potatoes or savory food. Make sure to find unsweetened. Plain and original versions are fine for using in dishes that you don’t mind being sweet. Also note that most commercially-available nut-based milks contain very few nuts or nutrients (except those added in processing) and their creaminess generally comes from gums and thickeners, especially the “low-fat” or “lite” types.
  • MEAT: it really depends on the recipe. If your recipe calls for a bit of bacon or sausage to flavor vegetables, just leave it out and use a bit of olive oil instead to add the fat that you’d miss without the bacon/sausage. If you really want the smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke, though I won’t vouch for it’s health benefits or lack thereof. For items that are made up almost entirely of meat, you can find non-meat alternative versions of sausage (both breakfast and link), turkey, lunchmeat, meatloaf, chicken breast, chicken strips, hamburger, cube steak, meatballs, and burgers on the market that taste great. Most are highly processed and not as healthy as whole plant foods, but are generally healthier than most meat products and good transition foods or alternatives for those trying to cut down on their meat consumption. The following recommendations are based solely on which taste the best to me rather than which are healthiest.
    • Tofurky makes a very good Thanksgiving turkey (called Holiday Veggie Roast or Holiday Vegetarian Roast). I don’t find their other products to be particularly tasty.
    • Gardein makes the best chicken breast replacement (called Chick’n Scallopini) and decent burgers, cube steak (called Beefless Tips), ground beef (called Beefless Ground), chicken strips and tenders, a good Thanksgiving turkey (called Holiday Roast) and individual serving stuffed turkey breasts (called Stuffed Turk’y). I avoid their items aimed at replicating other processed junk food.
    • Field Roast makes great sausage, Thanksgiving turkey (called Celebration Roasts), lunchmeat (called Deli Slices), and burgers. I find their products to be somewhat less processed than Tofurky or Gardein, and their sausages to be downright delicious! However, for holiday turkey replacements, I like Tofurky best, followed by Gardein and then Field Roast.
    • I have not found fake seafood products to be very tasty and would suggest you avoid them.
  • BUTTER: I use the Earth Balance Original , Olive Oil or Omega-3 (the non-whipped version) for spreading or the Vegan Buttery Sticks for recipes and baking. These have more salt than unsalted butter (the type often used in baking), so you generally have to leave salt out of your recipe if using more than a tablespoon or two of butter replacement.
  • SHORTENING OR LARD: Vegetable shortening is actually vegan but is often full of the most unhealthy thing you can eat—trans fat. I generally substitute either “butter” (as above) or unrefined coconut oil if a solid fat is needed. Unrefined coconut oil does have a distinct coconut flavor, so choose refined coconut oil to avoid this if you don’t like coconut. However, refined coconut oil has been shown to be quite unhealthy (the jury is still out on unrefined). If liquid oil would work it is certainly a healthier choice; I use canola, safflower, or grapeseed oils (all oils with little of their own flavor) when baking and olive oil when cooking savory foods.
  • CHEESE: Most cheese eaters will be disappointed with many of the widely available vegan alternatives. An exception I’ve found for cheese slices is the Field Roast brand Chao Cheese, which comes in three flavors (all good and not as heavily processed as many others). For shredded cheese that you cook in or add on top of a dish (like pizza, lasagna or pasta), I recommend Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Shreds; they also make some good smoked gouda and other slices. Daiya shredded cheeses are also available widely but I find them to be bland and oily; their blocks are much better tasting than their shredded cheese.
  • CREAM CHEESE: There are many on the market of varying quality, but the best-tasting is Tofutti Non-Hydrogenated Better Than Cream Cheese. If you can find the one with the yellow label it is made without hydrogenated oils and is much better for you than the white label one which does contain hydrogenated oils (trans fat). Again, this is quite processed. Other cream cheese replacements I’ve tried tend to be inconsistent in terms of taste and texture from batch to batch. Hopefully, this will change in the future.
  • RICOTTA CHEESE: use crumbled soft or firm tofu (block-style, not silken) in place of the ricotta cheese for items that aren’t blended and firm or extra-firm silken tofu for items that are blended. See this great primer on different types of tofu if you’re not a tofu guru.
  • SOUR CREAM: Tofutti makes a version, but I prefer to use Forager’s Cashewgurt Unsweetened Cashew Yogurt. Apologies if this isn’t available near you. I’ve recently seen it popping up at Whole Foods stores in the Bay Area.
  • YOGURT: Unfortunately, most of the commercially-available options are highly-sweetened and I avoid using them (just as I recommend people avoid the highly-sweetened dairy versions of yogurt); they are available at most larger grocers, however. I’ve also recently seen Forager’s Cashewgurt Unsweetened Cashew Yogurt at Whole Foods stores in the Bay Area and have been impressed. It is both tasty and completely devoid of added sugars. I use this in most recipes requiring yogurt.
  • ICE CREAM: Try my recipe for Vegan Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and dress it up with whatever toppings your heart desires! Otherwise, look for options that are not fat-free as these tend not to taste very good and be made up nearly entirely of sugar. Don’t be fooled by those ice “creams” that claim to have no sugar—they generally mean they have no white sugar, but can still be filled with other types of sugar. Cashew-based (and some coconut milk-based) ice “creams” tend to be less processed and tastier than soy, almond, and rice milk-based varieties. Great options include Larry & Luna’s Coconut Bliss and So Delicious’ Cashewmilk Frozen Desserts (So Delicious makes other frozen desserts that aren’t as good as their cashew-based types). The exception to my comment about the almond milk ice creams is Ben & Jerry’s Non-dairy Pints , which are delicious.
  • EVAPORATED MILK: My Award-winning Vegan Pumpkin Pie uses Mori-Nu Firm or Extra-Firm Silken Tofu (this type is sold on the shelf in an aseptic package, unrefrigerated) in place of both the evaporated milk and eggs generally found in pumpkin pie recipes. This substitution doesn’t work in all recipes using evaporated milk and/or eggs.

 

**I am not paid to endorse products, nor do I received free products, from any of the companies mentioned above. I am simply recommending what works based on my experience and taste preferences.

Filed Under: California/New American, Cooking Techniques, Dairy-free Recipes, Holidays, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tagged With: almond, butter, cashew, cheese, chicken, Christmas, cream, cream cheese, dairy-free, egg-free, evaporated milk, healthy, holiday, ice cream, meat, milk, non-dairy, recipes, sausage, shortening, sour cream, soy milk, substitution, substitutions, Thanksgiving, turkey, vegan, vegetarian, whipped cream, yogurt

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  1. Aformations says

    May 27, 2020 at 8:32 am

    Pea, oat, rice milk One great thing about pea-, oat-, and rice milks is that they are often allergen free. Also great is the fact that they make for ideal dairy substitutes when baking for people who might have allergies. Rice milk tends to be a little thin, so you might want to add an extra teaspoon of oil or applesauce for each cup of rice milk you use.
    Reply

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Chef Michelle Hauser, MD

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Setting up for dinner at our SURG244 (Teaching kit Setting up for dinner at our SURG244 (Teaching kitchen elective for MD & PA students) final-beautiful cello accompaniment by one of our multitalented students. @stanford.med #culinarymedicine
Another fantastic end to a fantastic class! SURG24 Another fantastic end to a fantastic class! SURG244: Teaching Kitchen Elective for MD and PA Students is so inspiring. I am proud of all of my students. They’ve made so much progress over the quarter the food and insights into food and health tonight did not disappoint! Thank you all! #stanfordmedicine #culinarymedicine #foodasmedicine #foodismedicine #stanfordgensurg
Delicious dessert that are healthy, too! Banana Delicious dessert that are healthy, too! 

Banana bread (made egg- and nut-free), and the 3 pleasures—chocolate, fruit & nuts

#CulinaryMedicine #foodismedicine #bananabread #healthycooking #chocolate #fruit #nuts #eggfree #nutfree
Another amazing quarter! The students in the Stanf Another amazing quarter! The students in the Stanford Teaching Kitchen Elective for MD/PA Students never fail to impress. Here is the spread they put on tonight for their final. So humbled and grateful to be part of this journey. #CulinaryMedicine #foodismedicine #stanfordmedicine @stanford.med #teachingkitchen #deliciousandnutritious
It’s been a whirlwind here and I have not been g It’s been a whirlwind here and I have not been good about keeping up with pictures. BUT, Here are some mouthwatering examples of the delicious and healthy breakfast options we created in class this week. Buddha bowl with tofu scramble and lemon tahini dressing, a yogurt parfait, and steel-cut oats piled with toppings. #ChefInMedicine #DoctorIsInTheKitchen #TeachingKitchen #stanfordmedicine #breakfast #eatmoreplants #healthy #nutrition #culinarymedicinecurriculum @aclifemed @stanford.med
Cheesy plant 🌱 based fondue is a total hit with Cheesy plant 🌱 based fondue is a total hit with infants and big kids alike-Served with roasted potatoes, blanched broccoli and green beans, vegan meatballs, artisan bread and mango (which did not get dipped in fondue)

#chefinmedicine #Kidseathealthy #funandhealthy #kidfood #everyonefood #Culinarymedicine #foodismedicine @aclifemed #lifestylemedicine
Figs from the neighborhood-urban foraging #figseas Figs from the neighborhood-urban foraging #figseason #yum #figs #chefinmedicine #urbanforaging #fruit #summerfruit
Veggies and kids: fruit rainbow, polenta sun, bro Veggies and kids: fruit rainbow, polenta sun,  broccoli and cauliflower trees, new colors and textures, kiddo eating the first cherry tomato she grew with me in the garden. Gotta make veggies fun! #cookingwithkids #chefinmedicine #fruitandveg #healthykidsfood #healthykids #playwithyourfood
Stanford Scope covering the culinary med course #c Stanford Scope covering the culinary med course #culinarymedicine #stanford #nutrition https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2022/05/27/nutrition-meets-health-through-culinary-medicine/
Made in a cooking class with my patients today: Ch Made in a cooking class with my patients today: Chana masala and roasted cauliflower with cumin & coriander; fruit chaat #IndianFood #culinarymedicine #chefinmedicine #chanamasala #fruit chaat #foodismedicine
Mise en place for chana masala with my patients to Mise en place for chana masala with my patients today— Clockwise from the top: garam masala, turmeric, asafoetida, ground cumin, salt, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, bay leaf, whole cumin seeds, red chili powder (rashampatti) is in the center. #foodismedicine #culinarymedicine #chefinmedicine #indianfood #chanamasala
Gorgeous Buddha Bowls and Steel Cut Oats from toda Gorgeous Buddha Bowls and Steel Cut Oats from today’s Teaching Kitchen course for MD & PA students-photo by the talented @soulfoodsalon (who frequently joins the course as volunteer faculty-thank you!) @stanford.med @chefinmedicine #culinarymedicine
Stanford MD & PA students graduate from the teachi Stanford MD & PA students graduate from the teaching kitchen with honors-so much delicious food shared at the final potluck tonight. Everything had a story, showcased a lesson from the course and students reflected on what they learned that would most help them counsel patients on dietary changes. #culinarymedicine #stanfordmedicine @stanford.med #meded #teachingkitchen @soulfoodsalon #worldflavors #unapologeticallydelicious #healthycooking
Fruit forward desserts prepared by Stanford MD & P Fruit forward desserts prepared by Stanford MD & PA students-SURG 244 The Doctor is In (the Kitchen)—teaching kitchen elective. So delicious 😋-thanks to Drs. Elizabeth Shepard, Sue Kim, and Christopher Gardner along with Lindsay Kennedy, PA and for volunteering to share the overlap of their work and culinary medicine with the students! #CulinaryMedicine #FoodIsMedicine #Dessert #TeachingKitchen #FruitForward #DessertFlip #Nutrition #MedicalEducation #MedEd #stanfordmedicine
The Dietary Spectrum: When Food Becomes Medicine-- The Dietary Spectrum: When Food Becomes Medicine--Keynote presentation filled with tips on guiding patients to make dietary behavior changes. #LM2021 #nutrition #foodasmedicine #behaviorchange #obesitymedicine #culinarymedicine lmconference.org/2021/LM21/index.asp
Just finished a fantastic session with @spiceboxtr Just finished a fantastic session with @spiceboxtravels on implementing culinary medicine in clinical practice! Check out the rest of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine 2021 Annual Conference for a recording and other lifestyle medicine CME opportunities. #LM2021 @aclifemed #CulinaryMedicine #LifestyleMedicine #ObesityMedicine
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