Low Budget Organic & vegan – The Top 5 Organic Basics
Vegan nutrition has long since ceased to be a question of purse strings. A study by Oxford University found that in countries such as the US, Australia, the UK and across Western Europe, a vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian diet can reduce food costs by up to a third . A study on Veganuary concluded that vegans save about 32 percent on dishes with meat substitutes, if meat from conventional sources was used for the omnivorous dish. They save around 10 percent if they use organic vegan products.
Also the food dealers offer meanwhile inexpensive vegan alternatives . Right up front: EDEKA Südwest.
With EDEKA own brands, such as vehappy and EDEKA Bio , EDEKA Southwest has high-quality, vegan and organic products in its range that everyone can afford. In addition, there is a large selection of fruit and vegetables in organic quality from the regional brand “Our homeland – real & good BIO“.
In this article we show you the top 5 vegan organic basics, with which you can cheap vegan diet .
What does organic actually mean?
Organic farming is a comprehensive system of agricultural production (crops and livestock) that favors an on-farm cycle over the use of external production factors.
This means the farmer does not use any external aids, such as synthetic chemical fertilizers, and instead uses manure, compost, slurry and other organic fertilizers. Conventional plant protection products may also not be used in this context. In addition, the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and products produced from or by GMOs is prohibited. In addition, the use of additives is limited during processing; artificially produced colorants and preservatives or flavor enhancers, among other things, are not permitted.
Organically produced food can be recognized by the logo of the European Union for organic production (EU organic logo). This has had to be printed on pre-packaged food from the EU throughout the EU since July 2010. The EU stars in the form of a leaf against a green background stand for nature and Europe.
The simultaneous use of state seals, such as the organic seal introduced in Germany in 2001, and also the use of private logos, e.g. the “Bio-Siegel”. of growers’ associations, remains possible. For example, the German organic seal is often found on loose products, such as fruit and vegetables. on the carton or on the shelf.
Vegan products and food in organic quality make a positive contribution to environmental protection, because less fertilizers and pesticides are used for the organic cultivation of fruit or vegetables. A plus for the environment and for a more sustainable diet.
EDEKA Südwest, for example, offers a particularly large selection of vegan organic foods at affordable prices. With EDEKA own brands, such as EDEKA Bio Vegan and vehappy can be found here on the shelves delicious, vegan products that everyone can afford.
Especially at the beginning you need the necessary basic knowledge, with which you can cover your protein needs in the best possible way and what can be eaten instead of milk or meat. As we all know, a varied and balanced diet is important for good health.
1. tofu - the vegan protein bomb
The vegan protein bomb based on soybeans is called: tofu.
Tofu not only has its own special consistency, which tastes similar to meat depending on processing and seasoning, but also has particularly good nutritional values.
The word “tofu” loosely translated from Chinese means “curdled bean”. In fact, tofu is nothing more than curd made from soy milk. Soybeans are soaked in water, boiled with salt and pressed to produce a beige liquid – for legal reasons it is called “drink” and not “milk”. The soy drink is then heated and coagulants are added. The soft flakes are then skimmed off, sieved and pressed into a firm block, which now only needs to be cut into pieces. The real strength of tofu lies in its neutral taste (so you should not associate the taste of raw natural tofu with the rest of vegan cuisine). This makes the soy curd an all-rounder for vegan and vegetarian cuisine, which, prepared with the right spices, is equally suitable for hearty and sweet dishes.
Whether as sautéed strips over salad, as tofu scrambled eggs with Kala Namak salt or as silken tofu for a strawberry cream – tofu is versatile.
In addition, tofu has a long shelf life and can be stored unrefrigerated in the pantry if it has not yet been opened.
Our recommendation: EDEKA Bio Tofu (naturally & smoked) – from controlled organic farming. Especially tasty and inexpensive. The seasoned alternative is available from vehappy.
2. plant drinks - the vegan alternative to cow's milk
Plant drinks, or also “plant milk” called may be missing in no vegan household. For a long time, they were only considered niche products for vegans and people with intolerances, such as lactose intolerance. Meanwhile, plant-based milk alternatives are gaining more and more importance. The large supermarkets, organic food stores and discounters have long recognized this. EDEKA Südwest, for example, offers a wide range of alternative products to milk. In addition to products from the company’s own brand vehappy, there is also the organic alternative from EDEKA Bio. Naturally vegan, from controlled organic farming and free from added sugar.
Unlike milk, plant-based drinks can be made from a variety of plant-based ingredients. At the same time, variety is provided. The most popular milk alternative here is the oat drink. According to Statista, 74% of Germans who resort to plant-based drinks prefer this alternative as a clear favorite. Due to its neutral taste with a subtle hint of oats, it refines almost any dish, whether fruity, sweet or savory. Other alternatives include drinks based on soy, almond, hazelnut, pistachio, cashew, hemp, rice, spelt, lupine, chia, coconut and, most recently, peas.
3. egg substitute - How to succeed vegan cakes, pies and pancakes.
If you want to bake vegan, in most cases you need egg substitute to bind the dough. Suitable plant-based alternatives to chicken eggs include egg replacement powder, soy flour, applesauce, silken tofu or ground flaxseed.
Fruit purees are equally good vegan egg replacements and are often already available in the home. Thus, half a ripe banana, mashed with a fork and stirred into the dough, is equivalent to about one egg. The same goes for 80 grams of applesauce, which is especially good for muffins and moist, moist dough varieties. While the apple flavor is almost completely neutralized during baking, the banana flavor is only slightly noticeable in the finished pastry.
You can also get pre-made egg substitute powder in stores, which only needs to be mixed with water to be used as a binder for various types of dough. One teaspoon of substitute powder mixed with about 40 milliliters of water replaces one hen’s egg. The powder obtained from vegetable substances such as lupine flour, tapioca, potato or corn starch is particularly suitable for cakes and light pastries.
Particularly easy to use is the egg substitute powder based on chickpea flour of EDEKA’s own brand vehappy in organic quality.
Soy flour or chickpea flour mixed with water is also very starchy and therefore has a similar effect to the pre-made substitute powder. If you want to bake with it vegan, mix one tablespoon of soy flour with three tablespoons of water to replace one egg.
Ground flax seeds can also be used as a binder for vegan cakes, for example. Alternatively, the superfood chia is also suitable. Stirred in water, they swell to a gel within a few minutes. If you lift them under a dough, they give binding. 1 tablespoon of chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water replace about one egg.
Silken tofu is the perfect base for vegan desserts. Whether for muffins, bagels, cheesecakes or quiches. Silken tofu has a soft, creamy consistency and about 60 grams of the soy product is enough to replace one egg.
Those who value the yellow color that egg gives the dough in vegan baking can also substitute it with vegetable ingredients. This can be done with saffron, food coloring, pumpkin puree or even turmeric. However, turmeric has a relatively distinctive flavor of its own and should therefore be used with caution.
For vegan scrambled eggs we recommend tofu in combination with Kala Namak salt. You can find a recipe for it here.
Certain types of dough can also be made without eggs as a binding agent. For example, a quiche or shortbread for vegan cookies can be made with wheat or spelt flour, vegetable oil, sugar and baking powder. A yeast dough can be made from flour, fresh yeast, soy drink, salt, oil and vanilla powder.
PS: Even a Whisky Sour without egg you can conjure up completely vegan in a few minutes thanks to Aquafaba (chickpea juice).
4. nuts - the delicious all-rounders
At EDEKA Bio there are various types of nuts from controlled organic cultivation and in proven quality. Almonds, for example, are true protein bombs – 100 grams of them contain a whole 24 grams of protein. Whether as a topping for a muesli, as a base for a nut cake or as a delicious nut puree, nuts fit many vegan recipes. Speaking of nut purée – did you know that you can also get White almond purée, Peanut purée, Cashew purée and Brown almond purée from EDEKA Bio?
Whether with shell, without shell or as a mush. Nuts are a hearty all-rounder for many vegan recipes and must not be missing from the vegan basics.
5. pulses - the inexpensive nutritional package
Whether cherry peas, lentils, soybeans or beans – legumes are optimal sources of protein. The soybean, for example, scores with 11.9 grams of protein per 100 grams.
Native legumes are also particularly resource-efficient and generally have low to moderately high water requirements.
As a dried variety, legumes are quite inexpensive, but canned beans are also an inexpensive nutritional package. Baked chickpeas with spices and fresh herbs are perfect to take as a snack on the go. If you mix them into a porridge, they make a delicious spread and are even suitable for baking. Beans and chickpeas, for example, can be transformed into protein chocolate cookies, orange muffins or chocolate brownies in no time.
Our recommendation:
Of course, you should also include grains among your vegan basics in your pantry. Rice, pasta, oats, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and the like are excellent sources of nutrients that can be used in a variety of dishes, fill you up and are easy on the wallet. Especially on the basis of oats you have countless possibilities, for example to make a porridge, muesli, burger patties or even an oat drink.
Go for vegan basics that you can store for a long time and have a corresponding best-before date.
Federal Food Code:
100 g of tofu contains 530 kJ, 127kcal, 4.1 g of carbohydrates, 15.5 g of protein, 5.6 g of fat, according to the Federal Food Code 3.02.
100 g of almonds contain according to the Federal Food Code 3.02 2558 kJ, 611 kcal, 17 g of carbohydrates, 24 g of protein, 53 g of fat.
100 g raw soybeans contain according to the federal food code 3.02: 625 kJ, 149 kcal, 13.4 g carbohydrates, 11.9 g protein, 5.9 g fat
The vegan mix plate – balanced eating without animal products
“And what else can you eat?” – vegans have to ask themselves this question again and again. Today we would like to show you that the world of vegan nutrition…
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Yannick
Hi, I'm Yannick. I'm from the Black Forest in Germany and I founded This Is Vegan in 2019.
I've been vegetarian since I was 6 years old and vegan for well over 10 years. It has always been important to me to inspire people to see how easy and delicious vegan nutrition can be without being proselytizing. I’ve created this online magazine and the podcast "Plantbased." to inspire as many people as possible. Thank you for being here!
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