Buon Ferragosto everyone! What is that? It’s an Italian Holiday were we celebrate workers — most workers have the day off and we all go for family lunches. And what do we eat, you ask? Fish and seafood! It’s very typical, especially in Rome, to go to a seaside restaurant on the 15th of August and eat all the fish and seafood you can. Of course, being vegan I don’t do that anymore. So, how do you substitute fish in a vegan diet?
From a strictly nutritional point of view, you might be wondering how to get the OMEGA-3 fatty acids you can find in fish. Well, that’s easy. Apart from there being many vegan omega-3 supplements out there, there are a lot of plant-based foods that provide it! Flaxseeds, walnuts, soya (tofu, tempeh), pumpkin seeds, chia seeds are all great sources of omega-3.
But what about craving fish? If you loved fish before going vegan, or you’re wondering how you can replace it in your diet to be more plant-based, here are some products and tips!
Seaweed
A little bit of seaweed goes a long way. You can add pieces of seaweed to your chickpea salad, sushi, or wrap pieces of tofu around seaweed sheets to add a fishy taste!
Substitutes
If all you want is just a fish fillet or some fried seafood, but vegan, you can always go straight to the substitutes. There are many brands out there that make really good vegan fish products. You can find a list here, but I am sure even your local grocery store will surprise you.
Replacements
This tip is for those who don’t care about tasting fish, rather want to recreate dishes that used to contain fish. For example, you can make an easy chickpea tuna sandwich by mixing chickpeas, mayo and some celery. Add some vinegar, salt and pepper for extra flavour et voila! You can also use jackfruit for fish tacos or different beans and pulses for different fillings!
Happy cooking guys!
Valentina x