7 Easy Vegan Food Swaps That Do Animals and Your Body Good

Whether you’re trying to eat more kindly or simply can’t figure out what to put in your coffee now that you’re vegan, a few clever switches make it incredibly easy. With these vegan food swaps, your go‑to meals become fresher, healthier, and far more compassionate. It’s amazing how much good you can do simply by choosing vegan versions of the foods you already eat.

Here are our favorite swaps to try:

1. Swap Dairy Milk for Creamy Vegan Milk

Cows form deep bonds with their calves and grieve when workers in the dairy industry tear them apart. Choosing vegan milk, such as oat, soy, or almond milk, is a simple way to keep families together. Plus, vegan milks are cholesterol‑free and generally lower in saturated fat than dairy. Most varieties are made with calcium, vitamin D, and B12, so you get all of the nourishment without any of the cruelty to animals.

2. Swap Bacon for Crispy Tempeh

Pigs are super smart, love belly rubs, and even learn their names. Skipping bacon is kind to them—and to your heart. Tempeh, made from fermented, cooked soybeans, is packed with protein, fiber, and gut-friendly probiotics, without the cholesterol or carcinogenic nitrates found in processed meats. Just marinate thin slices in soy sauce, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and maple syrup, then air-fry until crisp.

3. Swap Dairy Cheese for Velvety Nut Cheese

Goats love to climb and play and become depressed if they’re separated or isolated from their companions, but the dairy industry snatches baby goats and cows from their mothers and turns the milk meant for them into cheese. Cashew- and almond-based cheeses have the creamy texture cheese lovers crave—minus the saturated animal fat. Many are cultured, offering beneficial probiotics, and they melt beautifully on pasta and in vegan grilled cheese sandwiches.

4. Swap Ground Meat for Hearty Lentils or Black Beans

Cows are thoughtful, observant individuals who form lasting friendships. Cows raised for meat are crowded into filthy feedlots, then endure a long, grueling one-way ride to the slaughterhouse. Bean-based meals are kinder to them—and gentler on the planet. Raising animals for food creates more planet‑heating emissions than every car, truck, ship, and plane in the world combined. Lentils and beans are fiber- and iron-rich plant-protein powerhouses that keep you full and energized, plus they don’t contain cholesterol.

5. Swap Ice Cream for Silky Banana ‘Nice Cream’

Blend frozen bananas with a splash of plant milk, then customize with cocoa powder, peanut butter, berries, or a handful of vegan chocolate chips for a deliciously creamy, dairy-free dessert.

6. Swap Scrambled Eggs for Fluffy Tofu Scramble

Hens are attentive, gentle mothers and become visibly upset when their chicks are distressed. The egg industry packs these sensitive animals in squalid sheds where they never feel the sunlight on their faces or feathers. Choosing tofu instead of eggs is an easy way to help them. Crumbled tofu sautéed with turmeric, black salt (for that eggy aroma), garlic, and veggies makes the perfect breakfast. It’s protein-rich and endlessly customizable.

7. Swap Fish for Heart-Healthy Chickpea ‘Tuna’

Fish are curious, sensitive, and can feel pain and fear just like all of our fellow animals. When you mash chickpeas with vegan mayo, lemon juice, celery, and dill, then add nori (aka seaweed) flakes for omega‑3s, you have a fish-friendly, fresh spread perfect for sandwiches or as a dip for crackers.

Ready to Try More Vegan Food Swaps?

Start with one or two swaps this week—animals, your body, and the planet will thank you. For more recipes and tips, explore PETA’s full collection of delicious, compassionate meal ideas.

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