Hi everyone this is Monica Reinagle.

Welcome to this week's episode of the Nutrition Diva

podcast.

We're talking about vegan cuisine this week,

but with a special focus on non-vegans.

Although vegans may be relatively few in number,

everyone, even meatheaters, should have a few good vegan recipes in their repertoire.

You might have a vegan friend or family member coming for dinner.

Or maybe you've decided to join the millions of American families and institutions that

now observe Meatless Monday.

Or maybe you're following Mark Bitman's advice and eating vegan for breakfast and lunch.

Fortunately, vegan cooking is not as daunting as you might think.

First, what do and don't vegans eat?

Unlike vegetarians who may eat eggs and dairy products,

vegans do not eat any animal products whatsoever.

So that means meat, poultry and fish, also eggs, dairy, and even honey.

Now, full-time vegans and vegan restaurants often make extensive use of what I think of as

analogues, vegan versions of non-vegan foods. At most well-stocked grocery stores, for example, you can buy churizo made out of tofu, or canned tuna made from pea protein.

A dozen different kinds of non-dary milks, yogurt, and cheeses, and egg replacers made from potato and tapioca starch.

And there are also a few tricks you can use at home.

You can blend up raw cashews with ice water to make something that looks like whipped cream.

Nutritional yeast can substitute for parmesan cheese,

...