Common ingredient swaps

Here are some common recipe swaps with the ‘good, better, best’ approach:

For frying: Instead of oil or butter, try leaving it out and using splashes of water or vegetable stock to keep things moving in the pan without sticking. A small shift like this really does add up for health!

When yoghurt’s in the recipe: A vegan option could be any plant-based yoghurt, though almond, oat, or soy yoghurt would be better choices than high-saturated-fat coconut yoghurt. Going one step further, you could make your own plant-based yoghurt at home using a simple recipe linked below.

For recipes with cream: The vegan option could be store-bought plant-based cream. A better choice would be homemade cashew or almond cream, which we’ve included a recipe for to keep things creamy but minimally processed.

For feta cheese: To go vegan, you could pick up a vegan feta, though a better alternative would be an easy tofu-based feta made with whole ingredients right at home. Or make your own version from scratch if you have some further time up your sleeve and want to try something new. Both recipes can be found below. This way, you’re controlling exactly what goes into it!

If you’re a baker, you can switch out eggs for commercial vegan egg replacement products at most supermarkets. But for a healthier and often cheaper option, we’ve got you covered with easy egg replacers listed in the Simple Swaps document below.

For baking recipes with butter: In something like brownies, a vegan swap would be to use vegan butter or margarine. For a healthier option, try nut butter, which adds natural fats and boosts nutrients. Or, for the healthiest twist, use roasted sweet potatoes as a creamy, whole-food substitute – you’ll get a rich texture with added fibre. Check out the linked recipe below to make this swap work perfectly in your brownies!

For recipes using mayonnaise: The vegan option would be a store-bought vegan mayo. For a healthier choice, try mashed avocado, which gives a similar creamy texture with added nutrients. Or make a homemade chickpea-brine-based mayo that’s high in fibre and protein. We’ve linked a recipe below to get you started!

For mashed potatoes with cream or butter: The vegan swap would be plant-based butter or a splash of plant-based milk. For a healthier choice, try mashing potatoes with unsweetened almond, soy or oat milk and a bit of nutritional yeast for a ‘buttery’ flavour. For an even better option, use steamed cauliflower or a cauliflower-potato blend, which is lighter but still creamy.

For chocolate in baking, the vegan swap could be dairy-free chocolate. To make it healthier, look for dark chocolate with minimal added sugar or use cacao nibs. For the healthiest choice, when a runny chocolate sauce is needed, make your own chocolate using cacao powder and dates blended to form a chocolate (or caramel) date paste. We’ve included a simple recipe below!

For white sugar in baking, coconut sugar or maple syrup as a sweetener could be a slightly improved option. A healthier option again would be date sugar or puréed dates, which are minimally processed. For an even better choice, try reducing sweeteners overall and let the natural sweetness of fruit shine, as in the linked fruit-sweetened brownie recipe.

Some other practical meal examples are below. You’ll find recipe examples in our Healthier Plate Matrix, which is linked below.

Pizza: A vegan pizza might just use veggie toppings and vegan cheese. To make it healthier, use a wholegrain base and top it with a homemade, potato-based cheesy sauce. Try building your pizza on thick slices of grilled eggplant or rounds of slightly pre-cooked sweet potato for an even lighter option.

Taco night: You could swap out ground meat with vegan mince, or a plant-based improvement would be crumbled tofu, tempeh, or mushrooms. Beans and whole grains are also fantastic choices, adding fibre and nutrition with each bite.

Pasta dishes: The vegan option would be regular dried pasta, as most don’t contain eggs (be sure to check the label), but you could boost the health factor by choosing wholemeal or legume-based pasta. Find textured vegetable protein (TVP) for a mince meat alternative in nearly every supermarket (or online). Topping your pasta with vegan parmesan is a good choice, but homemade parmesan from whole ingredients is an even better option. You might try the homemade version without the salt to take it to an even healthier level. You’ll find the recipes in the Healthier Plate Matrix.

Curries with rice: You could use coconut milk and regular rice for a vegan version. To level up, choose low-fat coconut milk in a carton (such as the Australia’s Own brand) and swap to brown rice for more nutrients. To maximise health, try lower-fat plant milk with a hint of coconut essence and switch any added sugars with a Medjool date or two. You can also buy vegan ‘fysh’ sauce to add an authentic taste to your curry. Just be sure you’re using a curry paste that doesn’t contain shrimp paste or seafood (as many do), and if you can find an oil-free one (Aldi has a few), you’re doing even better!

Roast dinner: A vegan option could be a pre-made vegan roast from the supermarket – quick and convenient. These might be good for a Christmas gathering but probably not healthy for every day. For a healthier, homemade twist, you could make a seitan roast at home, or even better, one created out of pulses or whole grains, which adds fibre and keeps ingredients whole. You can pair it with a store-bought vegan gravy for ease, or, for an even healthier choice, try making your own homemade gravy using the recipes in the Healthier Plate Matrix.

Our linked Healthier Plate Matrix gives examples using the suggestions listed above.