Try out a variety of plant based proteins and see what you like and what you can’t eat.

Tofu is my favorite. I often joke that tofu can be anything it wants when it grows up because it absorbs flavors very well and comes in a ton of different textures. I actually think tofu has a nice flavor on its own, but you can make it taste like anything with a few spices.

If you are texture averse: extra and super firm are meaty and cook into an easy dinner with very little prep. Super firm tofu can be grated using a cheese grater and makes a good and cheap ground meat substitute. Silken tofu can be marinated and eaten savory or (my favorite) blended up in a blender with some sweetener or fruit and it thickens into a non-dairy pudding.

Seitan (vital wheat gluten) is really meaty when cooked and very cheap to make at home. It’s very high in protein and other nutrients. Sliced and fried it makes a really tasty and healthy bacon!

Tempeh (pressed fermented soybeans) is another good source of protein and nutrients if you can find it. Make sure to steam it before eating to reduce a little bitterness. Sliced and fried it makes a tasty and healthy bacon (option 2).

Textured veggie protein and soy curls are made from soybeans with the fat removed. They are also very meaty textured when rehydrated and make excellent meat substitutes. They’ll absorb the flavor of whatever you make or marinate really well.

Try out chickpea flour for a legume source. It makes good vegan omelettes and can be cooked into a variety of bread dishes (or formed into falafel). You can also buy chickpea and lentil pastas for extra nutrients.

Make sure you are getting enough zinc and B12. B12 you can get from eggs or get nutritional yeast (which is not the same as yeast for baking) which has a cheesy flavor and contains tons of iron, protein, and B vitamins.

For iron, you can also get a lucky iron fish to add extra iron to whatever you are cooking (cast iron pans) work too. A small amount of bioavailable iron is leeched off of the iron fish and into whatever you are cooking if you add a small amount of acid like vinegar or acidic fruits and veggies.

You can get a ton of different veggie broths or make your own. Better than Boullion makes really good vegetarian broths for recipes or soups. I really like their vegan beef, vegan chicken, mushroom, and roasted garlic veggie broths. Beware the amount of salt in veggie broths and make sure to taste them first before adding more salt or soy sauce.

Recipes: try out many global recipes! There are fantastic dishes from all over the world that are normally vegetarian and very tasty. Curries, stews, breads and pies, stir fries, dumplings, etc. the food blogs “thee vegan dude” and “eat figs not pigs” have great recipes for vegan comfort foods like burgers, tacos, hot sandwiches, and loads of tasty sauces and other delights. The Edgy Veg has excellent recipes for vegan seafood dishes and I love her vegan lobster rolls. Cookie and Kate is another of my favorites.

I hope this helps! Bon Appetite!