Vegan food alternatives

There are so many delicious vegan alternatives available.

Dairy alternatives

Ditching dairy and cheese is often thought to be the most challenging, but it’s way easier than it sounds! Especially since there are so many delicious alternatives available. You’ll find most options in your local supermarket – too easy!

Cut the cravings and check out our list of vegan cheese options.  From feta to cheddar and mozzarella, vegan cheese has got you covered!

View vegan cheese options here.

There are so many plant milks, you’re bound to find your fave.  We have gathered an extensive range of options, all available in New Zealand.

Vegan milk and cream options here.

Baking doesn’t have to come to an end.  Every week we discover more vegan spreads and butters, such as Countdown’s new own  brand vegan spread at a great price!

View vegan butter options here.

From magnums to trumpets, creamy, fudgy, chocolaty to fruity sorbet – plant based ice cream is on the rise!

View vegan ice cream options here.

You’ll be amazed at the well-known brands who produce mainstream vegan chocolate and along with the dozens of artisan varieties your chocolate cravings will be satisfied!

View vegan chocolate options here.

Meat alternatives

Throughout Aotearoa there are plenty of faux meat and meat substitutes including burgers, sausages and mince.

Plant based burgers, sausages and bacon products have developed enormously – it’s amazing how much taste and flavour you can enjoy with cruelty free meatless meats.

View meatless meat alternatives here.

These are just the start of what’s coming and they’re already amazing!  The kids will LOVE Gardein’s fishless fish fillets, not to mention Sunfed’s incredible range of animal-free chicken and bacon.

View meatless chicken and seafood alternatives here.

If you’re looking for the best nutrition and wholefood plantbased options that pack a protein and nutrition punch, you’ll want devour beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, tofu and tempeh!

Learn more here.

Vegan Sizzles

Providing vegan sausages at your sizzles event just got way easier!

Everyone loves a sausage sizzle and it’s a great way to promote your cause, get amongst the community and raise funds!
Plant-based sausages appeal to environmentalists, animal-lovers, kids, the health conscious, vegans and vegetarians and well everyone really- who gives them try.

And because of this, they might be a better fit for your charity or group, or you might just want to include them at your sizzle event.

So where can you buy vegan and plant based sausages for your sizzle event?

Here are 4 main companies who make vegan sausages and how to order them:

 

Plan*t

Award-winning plant based bangers complete with clever casings and packed with goodness!
 
Suppliers’ Contact
Suppliers’ Contact

Frys

All Fry’s foods are winners for the barbeque, but this traditional boerewors-seasoned sausage is a firm favourite! Put them on the grill and watch the heads turn towards your sizzle!

Contact Rishav on: hello@vegetariandelights.co.nz

Bean Supreme

Bean Supreme have launched a fundraising sausage box initiative and groups can apply online for sausages at a discounted rate to help raise money for important causes.

There are 96 sausages in 1 fundraiser box 😊
Check out their Fundraising page.

Tonzu

Our certified organic vegan sausages are proudly made in NZ, using only natural ingredients. Our wonderfully mild savoury herb flavour is simply delicious!

Contact info@tonzu.co.nz

Find out about Tonzu sponsorship opportunities for your event:
Plant based sausage sizzle event

Other alternatives

Ditching dairy and cheese is often thought to be the most challenging, but it’s way easier than it sounds! Especially since there are so many delicious alternatives available. You’ll find most options in your local supermarket – too easy!

How to replace eggs in baking as well as options for replacing scrambled and fried eggs.

View egg alternatives here.

Suggestions of what to add to meals to add flavour.  Topping ideas that aren’t so far from what you might be used to, along with healthy hacks to add a nutrition punch to your meal.

A perfect way to add flavour and increase your  intake of healthy nutrients and anti-oxidants.
    • Nuts – adds protein and healthy fats to your meal, try cashews, almonds, walnuts etc on top of anything! Pasta, stir fry, salads, etc
    • Oils – adds healthy oils which are best not heated, try hemp, walnut, flaxseed, or olive oil
    • Seeds – pumpkin or sunflower seeds can be thrown into porridge or added to salads, wraps or just about anything.  You can toast them first for amazing flavour (just a minute or two in a dry non-stick pan).  Other seeds to try are hemp or flax seeds.
    • Flax seeds or flax powder (linseed) – great daily addition to get your healthy omega-3 fats.
    • Tahini – Tahini is an amazing and versatile superfood that is now common and inexpensive.  It is just sesame seeds (good source of calcium), that have been lightly toasted, stone ground, blended and bottled.
      Hulled will be easier to pour, unhulled has not had the shell removed and has higher calcium and fibre.  Great drizzled on top of vegetable stir fry, or thrown into smoothies.
      Also a great dressing incgredient, (blend with olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, ginger, garlic and miso paste, or google for recipe ideas).
    • Hummus – great on top of, well anything!  Soooo good for you, chickpeas are packed with iron, protein, fibre and calcium.  The best and cheapest hummus is homemade and you won’t regret mastering this and always having it on hand (takes 5 minutes to throw together and blend).
      Dollop hummus on top of steamed vegies, rice and beans and you have a practically perfect meal!
      Great on top of nachos, inside wraps, thrown on to your buddha bowl creation, on pita, for lunch on toast with tomatoes – the list goes on…
    • Nutritional yeast – is a vegan’s cheeky cheese hack!  It adds a cheesy flavour on top of pasta or in dips.  If you make your own creamy cheesy sauce this is delicious added in.  Adds a punchy, cheese flavour to anything.
    • Vegan cheese/vegan parmesan – see our cheese alternatives section
    • Sriracha sauce or sweet chilli sauce
    • Soy sauce – or tamari for gluten free.  Great in dressings or stir frys.
    • White pepper
    • Lemon juice – a healthier dressing base.
    • Aioli – vegan aioli is available in supermarkets or make your own. It’s so quick and quite satisfying to rustle this up! 
      1/2 cup soy milk, unsweetened
      1 cup sunflower oil
      1 TBs apple cider vinegar
      1 tsp salt
      1 garlic clove, minced
      1/2 TBs wholegrain mustard
      Put all ingredients except oil into open blender and add the oil slowly (or use a stick blender).
    • Pesto – readily available vegan versions in supermarkets, or easy as to make your own!  If making at home, you can throw in spinach or kale as the base (great for nutrition) and add walnuts as cheaper than pine nuts.   Angel vegan parmesan goes well in home made pesto.