Are you looking for ways to help your family eat more vegetables? While vegetarian meals have become favorites for families trying to add more produce to their diets, vegan dishes are gaining followers, too. You’d don’t have to go vegan all the time, but these dishes will give you a taste of why many people prefer vegan. Start simple with favorite kids’ meals redone with vegan ingredients. Try out the ultimate vegan chili or the creamy vegan mac ‘n cheese. For a quick meal, use tofu as a substitute to create old-fashioned tofu “chicken” salad. Once you start sampling vegan dishes you might just go meatless more often – time to veg out!
Ultimate Vegan Chili
This spin on chili is a great way to introduce your kids to vegan meals. Try out this ultimate vegan chili from Vegetarian Times to entice your kids to dig veggies. This recipe mixes in portabella mushrooms for “meatiness” along with beans, carrots, onions and garlic.
Old-Fashioned Tofu “Chicken” Salad
Extra-firm tofu is a fun stand-in for chicken. Try it in this old-fashioned vegan chicken salad recipe from Fat Free Vegan. In place of regular mayo, try the vegan variety. For extra flavor, tofu-cashew mayo gives a nutty kick to your “chicken” salad.
Creamy Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese
The sauce for this creamy vegan mac ‘n cheese from the Cheeky Kitchen includes a tasty mix of carrots, bell pepper, tahini, Dijon mustard and soy milk. There’s also one secret ingredient you probably won’t have around the house – nutritional yeast flakes. They thicken the sauce and give it an almost cheese-like consistency.
Tortilla Pierogies with Truffled Sour Cream
Forget the sour cream! Use Tofutti cream cheese dribbled with truffle oil for this deceptively easy dish. Vegangela offers this recipe for tortilla pierogies with truffled sour cream. Labor-intensive pierogies become a cinch to make when you use flour tortillas.
Leek and “Ricotta” Stuffed Shells
There’s no cheese in this pasta recipe! Time to load up on tofu. Crumble up extra firm tofu and mix is with nondairy cream cheese, lemon juice and salt before stuffing it into pasta. These leek and “ricotta” stuffed shells from Allyson Kramer are gluten-free, too.
Sun-Dried Tomato, Mushrooms and Spinach Tofu Quiche
The crust for this sun-dried tomato, mushrooms and spinach tofu quiche from Oh She Glows is made up of ground flax, almonds, rolled oats and dried parsley – and oregano for a zing of spice. As for the filling, it’s made up of firm tofu, onion, mushrooms, spinach, and of course, sun-dried tomatoes. If your kiddos turn their noses at the tomatoes, go ahead and leave them off.
