When most people look for protein, they choose to focus on animals. Eggs, dairy, and meat are all high in protein. But if you’re on a plant-based diet, where are you supposed to get your protein? From vegan eggs?
Well, yes! Vegan eggs are a viable option if you’re looking to eliminate chicken eggs from your diet. And if you’re a breakfast lover, you’ll want to find the right vegan egg replacer. This way, you can hang onto your favorite recipes for French toast or vegan scrambled eggs.
There are other ingredients you can turn to in order to amp up your protein factor. If you’re ready to no longer eat eggs, there are options. The egg industry doesn’t want you to know this, but there are healthy egg replacement options to use for eating, mixing, and baking.
What are Vegan Eggs Made Of?
You might be wondering what vegan eggs are made of. There are a lot of tricks you can use when cooking a vegan breakfast. Vegan cooking can be done using a variety of egg substitutes.
Some traditional vegan egg replacers include bananas, flaxseed meal with water, applesauce, chickpea flour, and nutritional yeast.
Or, you can use chickpea brine – known as aquafaba – to whip up gourmet desserts like meringues and mousses.
Plant-based ingredients like mung beans can mimic the texture of eggs. You can actually scramble algae flour in the same way you scramble regular eggs. A little fake egg flour goes a long way. As it turns out, vegan egg production really only began five years ago. And vegan mayo was produced around the same time.
Which Plant-Based Foods are a Good Source of Protein?
Nutritional yeast is another one of the great protein-rich plant-based foods. Nutritional yeast can be B12 fortified to pack an extra healthy punch. It’s low-fat and rich in zinc and protein.1
Quinoa is another protein-rich food that works well to replace pasta. And it’s an awesome addition to any breakfast. The antioxidants in quinoa contribute significantly to human nutrition. This is one of the plant-based foods that may help support brain function.2
Tahini is a vegan treat. Studies report tahini helps support liver and heart function. It’s high in protein and vitamin B1. It also contains good amounts of phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Tahini contains healthy lignans that may help lower your cholesterol. They can also help prevent high blood pressure.3
Flax Seeds for the Win
Flaxseed meal is full of omega-3 fatty acids. Not only that, but flax seeds are full of fiber. And did you know, you can make a flaxseed egg with just two ingredients?
Flax Eggs
- Flaxseed meal (1 tablespoon)
- Water (2 tablespoons)
Just add your flaxseed meal and water to a bowl. Stir the mixture. This is important: You have to let the mixture rest for about five minutes. This gives the mixture time to thicken.
Once it’s the right consistency, you’ve got an egg replacer. And you can make the amount here to replace a single egg in any recipe. It’s not a go-to for every baked item, but it works well for brownies. It’s also great for muffins, pancakes, and most importantly… cookies.
More About Flax Eggs
Flax seeds contain α-linolenic acid. Plus, the fiber and lignans in flaxseeds can work wonders for your health. Flaxseeds might be beneficial when it comes to:
- Heart health
- Joint issues
- Compromised blood sugar levels4
Vegan Egg Mixtures
Plant-based eggs can be found in many of your favorite grocery stores. Again, these egg mixtures are 100% plant-based. Usually, they come in 4-oz. cartons. That’s about 10-12 egg servings per carton. You can scramble them or use them for baking. They’re most often gluten-free, allergen-free, and cholesterol-free. Plus they’re usually non-GMO.
Basically, you want to use 2 tablespoons of your vegan egg mixture (plus a 1/2 cup of ice-cold water). Whisk them well. You may find they actually start to smell like animals eggs.
When you pour the vegan egg mixture into your olive oiled pan, they’ll scramble and cook very quickly. Make sure you fold them so you get an even scramble. The consistency of vegan egg products vary. But if you let them cool, they tend to thicken and mirror the texture of real eggs.
Which Foods Constitute a Healthy Vegan Breakfast?
Of course, vegan eggs can be added to so many wonderful dishes. But if you’ve got breakfast on the mind, try topping your vegan eggs with fresh avocado slices. You can also pair them with a nice green banana.
Make your breakfast scramble great (especially when you can’t rely on a rich egg yolk). Just sprinkle onion powder in your vegan scramble. You can even dust it with a few nutritional yeast flakes. This will give your breakfast a savory, cheesy flavor. Then, place the scramble on an English muffin.
Most vegan egg products can be stored in your refrigerator. But some can be stored in your cabinet as well.
Nutritional Comparison — Vegan Egg Replacers vs. Eggs of Animals
One large chicken egg provides the following:
- Calories 70
- Total Fat 5g
- Saturated Fat 1.5g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
- Monounsaturated Fat 2g
- Cholesterol 185mg
- Sodium 70mg
- Protein 6g5
Of course, the nutritional value of vegan egg replacements will vary. But generally speaking, nutritional values are in the following range…
Vegan Egg Products may provide:
- Calories 35
- Total fat 1 g
- Saturated fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 150 mg
- Total carbs 5 g
- Fiber 1 g
- Protein 3 g6
One of the differences in the nutritional values is the percentage of cholesterol. And while chicken eggs have a bit more protein, there’s no fiber content. Another perk of using a vegan egg replacer — no threat of salmonella or spoiling. These products tend to have long shelf lives too.
How Vegan Egg Replacers Help Your Plant-Based Diet
Clearly, you take your plant-based diet seriously. But vegan eggs are so versatile, you can even find recipes for vegan egg creme brulee. And if you use coconut milk or soy milk, you can sweeten that non-dairy milk and egg-free dessert.
Also, if you search the internet, you can find some lovely vegan eggs quick breads. Throw some fresh blueberries in with green bananas. You’ll have a delightful brunch bread for the weekend.
You can even make some coconut milk whipped cream. Suddenly, your breakfast bread is dessert. Some vegan egg replacers use chia seeds and garbanzo beans. If you’re looking into the health benefits of beans, and want to add more to your diet, this could be a good option.
Make Vegan Egg Replacers Your New Go-to for Egg Dishes
Shop around. Try these products on their own, scrambled with yummy vegetables, or in fresh baked goods. Just know you can add plant-based eggs to your regular meal rotation.
Just like using real boiled eggs, you can employ a lot of creativity to your vegan egg dishes. A little Dijon mustard and black pepper, and you’ve got the flavor of deviled eggs. Put it on your English muffin, and you’ve got the perfect vegan egg salad sandwich.
Learn More:
Vegan and Vegetarian Staples: Nuts and Seeds
What is Seitan & Is It Good For You? (the surprising truth)
Buckwheat: A Seed? A Grain? And Is It Gluten-Free?
Sources
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5598028/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20814881
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4127822/
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4152533/
5 https://www.eggnutritioncenter.org/egg-nutrition-facts-panels/
6 https://www.myfooddiary.com/foods/7189941/follow-your-heart-veganegg