Whether you’ve signed up for one of my meal plans (such as the new Shred & Glow, or the Z-Shred Super Food) or enjoy the free recipes I include on the site, you must have noticed that I include a variety of dishes and ingredients for you to choose from. The problem is, as I’m sure some of you must have faced, is that not everyone is going to enjoy them due to their personal dietary preferences. My meat-based meals obviously aren’t going to work for vegans, and those following a Paleo-style diet aren’t going to consume any grains or legumes. I also have many recipes that include dairy, which can be a problem for those of you with intolerances to it. Without a doubt, I’m not going to please everyone. But I can at least try to show you how to make them work for you no matter the way of eating you choose to follow.

So now you may be thinking- how can I make all of these recipes adaptable?

The answer is very simple.

Substitution

That’s all you have to do, really! Replace the ingredients you don’t want to cook with for something else. Now I’m sure this is easier said than done.

Remember how I mentioned both vegan and paleo eaters butting heads over which foods they can and cannot eat? Just do a simple swap!

Here are a few examples:

Vegans:

Let’s say you want to make my Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks (FM). Write down all of the non-vegan ingredients and figure out how you can substitute them for vegan options. In this, you’d have to swap out the egg, parmesan cheese, and mayo. Here are some things you can do:

For eggs:

• Use soaked flax or chia seeds (let them turn into ‘gel’ in a few tablespoons of water)
• Mash a banana, sweet potato/potato, yam, or squash
• In some cases, you can get away with breading your veggie and dipping it in non-dairy milk (like almond milk)
• Find a Vegan-Egg Replacement product (some brands that sell them include Ener-G, Bob’s Red Mill, Orgran, Neat Egg Mix, and Follow Your Heart)

For cheese:

• Purchase a dairy-free brand (try using one from brands like Daiya, Chao, Follow Your Heart, Miyoko’s Kitchen, or Kite Hill); cream cheese, parmesan, mozzarella, you name it- there are many non-dairy alternatives to choose from (just keep in mind that these are still a processed food and should be consumed in moderation)
• Nutritional Yeast, which is said to have a “cheesy” flavor and is a great replacement  for parmesan cheese; it’s also rich in B-vitamins and includes a bit of protein. (If you’ve already signed up for the Shred & Glow Meal Plan, you’ve most likely seen many recipes featuring this ingredient, including my Vegan Parmesan Cheese.)

• Other ways to replace cheese (especially if they’re incorporated into a sauce or cream) is to either grind or puree nuts and seasonings together. Cashews, macadamia nuts and almonds in particular are very useful options.
• Tofu, when prepared accordingly, can also act as a replacement for certain cheeses like feta.

For mayo:

• Look for a vegan brand at the market. (Just Mayo, Vegenaise, and Primal Kitchen all make vegan mayo.)
• Use a bit of non-dairy milk or yogurt in place of mayo
• Depending on the recipe, you might be able to get away with mashing up an avocado in place of mayo
• Make your own at home! There are plenty of recipes online for you to choose from; I’m sad to say that I have yet to post one.

What about my recipes that include animal meat for protein? Once again, substitute! Let’s take a look at another recipe of mine and see how we can modify it for vegans:

Roasted Carrots and Spicy Ground Beef (FM).

After going through the ingredients, the only non-vegan item that needs to be replaced is the ground beef. Here are some substitutes that you can use for this recipe:

• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Beans (chickpea, kidney bean, black bean, white bean, etc)
• Lentils (red, brown, etc)
• Mushrooms (note that these will not provide much protein, but do lend a “meaty” texture)

Choose one of these options for the beef, and continue making it like you normally would. The cooking time may vary a bit since these substitutes don’t cook the same as beef, but generally speaking it should be very similar.

A note for Vegetarians:

If you are fine with eggs and dairy, you have a bit more to play with. There’s no need to worry about replacing dairy or eggs. That being said, if the only animal based product you include is dairy, then for things like mayo you can use yogurt or kefir as a replacement.

Meat Eaters:

Here’s a reversal- say you’re interested in something like my Crunchy Garlic Tofu (FM), but you’d rather not use soy, let alone tofu. The solution is to substitute it with an animal-based protein of your choice:

That’s it! You can still use the rest of the ingredients and have a delicious meal.

Let’s use another recipe as an example for substitution- my Simple Two Bean Chili (WEM). If you’re not a fan of beans and wish to omit them, then replace them once again with something like ground turkey, beef, or pork. Vegetables like cauliflower and zucchini can be shredded and added for extra bulk as well. This can also be applied to other recipes like my Curry Stuffed Acorn Squash (WEM), which includes chickpeas as an ingredient. Instead of using chickpeas, add some chicken, cheese, extra veggies (broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, squash, etc), or just skip the beans entirely. You’re in control of the recipe, so feel free to explore and get creative!

A note on grains:
Are you following a grain-free diet or don’t do well with them? Once again, there are options for you!

For cooked-grain dishes that include grains (rice, quinoa, farro, couscous, amaranth, corn/polenta, buckwheat), swap any of these out for cauliflower. In fact, I’ve got a number of cauliflower rice dishes on my site, such as Ginger Chicken with Cauliflower Rice (FM). Not only will you hardly notice the difference, you’ll be getting in extra fiber and veggies into your diet (without sacrificing flavor).

What about pasta? Try one of these options the next time you get the cravings for spaghetti. First, you can try making the noodles yourself, using a recipe like my grain free, low-carb Egg Noodles (FM). Second, you can also stick to veggies and either peel or “spiralize” (with the use of a spiralizer) them into noodles; my Low Calorie Pasta Dinner (FM) uses zucchini and summer squash. If you’re not too keen on using kitchen equipment, you can also substitute with spaghetti squash, which naturally contains noodle-like threads inside. For directions on how to do this, take a look at my Skinny Spaghetti Recipe for Fat Loss (FM). If you’re making lasagna, substitute the long, flat noodles for sliced eggplant, zucchini, or squash, like I do in my Kale and Butternut Squash Lasagna (FM).

Protein Powders

This last section is probably the easiest to adapt no matter the recipe. If a recipe includes protein powder, simply choose the protein powder that aligns with your eating style. If you’re vegan, use a plant-based protein powder, and if you do well with animal-based blends, then go with whey or egg-based protein powders. For more info on protein powders, read my Quick Guide here.

At the end of the day, all of us are just trying to do our best. We all want to be as healthy as we can be, and shouldn’t let our differing food choices get in the way. If there’s a recipe of mine that you’d love to make but can’t due to your personal diet, remember that there’s no reason why you have to follow it to the letter. Feel free to change things up a bit and substitute as needed. It may take a bit of planning ahead, but it’s better than skipping out on what could be a wonderful recipe!