The Best Vegan Swaps that are Better Than the “Real” Thing

Recently, I convinced Tyler to go plant-based with me for two weeks. For no particular reason really other than we wanted to switch up our diet a little. We generally eat very healthy (aside from maybe the occasional McCraving) but felt like we needed a little boost. Soooo we found some vegan swaps and stopped buying meat.

Honestly, it was SO much easier than we had expected. I turned to pinterest for some amazing recipes and literally, not one disappointed us. If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you would have received a complete breakdown of all the recipes we were using. (If you missed this, email me and I’ll send you the breakdown!)

The ultimate outcome was that we felt great, full of energy, always satisfied without feeling gross. Towards the end, mostly just the last few days, I started feeling more tired and hungry but I’d say this was largely due to the fact that we were busy and didn’t have the same time to cook balanced meals. Since this little experiment, we’ve gone back to eating animal products BUT, much less often, sticking to mostly fish, and are simply just more aware of what we are consuming.

There are some vegan swaps we made though that we will not be changing back! Seriously guys. These are better than the “real” thing (or probably not so real thing) you’re already using.

 

 

Add these to your shopping list! Whether you’re vegan/plant-based or not, you’re going to love these vegan swaps!

Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Ice Cream

Heads up: not all of these are vegan so if that’s a concern, make sure to read the labels! But a couple of them are (Cherry Garcia and Peanut Butter half baked) and all of them are amazing!  I’ve never been an ice cream person because it’s always made me sick… but being able to enjoy dairy-free ice cream is a total game changer. Let’s be real, there’s tons of dairy-free options out there, but half of them are complete shit. Ben & Jerry’s however, never lets a girl down.

 

Vegan Gourmet Cheese by Earth Island

We’ve tried a few dairy-free cheese brands mostly because Lily can’t have dairy and loves cheese. So even before this little experiment diet, we had played around with different cheeses. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by all, but the Earth Island cheese is by far the best. Bonus: It melts perfectly on pizza.

 

Becel Vegan Margarine

We started using this forever ago and honestly, have found no difference in flavour between this and the usual olive oil one we were getting before. It’s a super convenient swap because it’s found at every grocery store and costs the same as it’s non-vegan options.

 

Daiya Cream Cheeze

Not only does this taste the same as regular cream cheese, but it actually spreads well which I found an issue with some of the other options. Also, this one is non-GMO and soy-free!

 

Earth’s Own Almond Nog

Okay, I get’s now March. And this is only available during the holidays. And I don’t mean to tease you, really, I’ve got your back. Next Christmas season, keep your eye out for this and stock the fuck up!  I was a little hesitant to try it at first, but after one sip, I was addicted. This clearly wasn’t part of our plant-based diet. I just haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

 

Califia Farms Better Half Coffee Creamer

I used to be an almond milk in my coffee kind of girl, but this stuff changes everything!  I like their unsweetened coconut cream & almond milk one but they have other flavours too. Seriously, a little of this in my French pressed coffee completely replaced my cravings for a Starbucks latte. I didn’t think that would ever happen!

 

What are your guys’ favourite swaps!? Fave brands? Places to shop?