Vegan Cuisine Guide: Plant-Based Foods Worldwide (2024)

Vegan Cuisine Guide: Plant-Based Foods Worldwide (1)

One of the best ways to explore vegan cooking is to hop from one cuisine to the next. This will expose you to an incredible variety of dishes, relying on all manner of ingredients, cooking techniques, and seasonings.

Vegan Cuisine Possibilities

Vegans don’t gravitate to a single cuisine, since they’ve got so many standout choices. But some parts of the world are far more vegan-friendly than others. If you’re already vegan or you lean in that direction, it’s helpful to know which cuisines offer the most satisfying plant-based meals.

To help you on your way, check out my guides below. They’ll acquaint you with the most exciting and reliably vegan dining options. You’ll also discover some of the most popular international dishes to cook at home.

Vegan Cuisine Guide: Plant-Based Foods Worldwide (2)

Top Cuisines for Cooking Plant-Based Meals at Home

If you want to step up your cooking skills, there’s no better way to do it than to explore new cuisines. They’ll expose you to all sorts of new dishes and cooking techniques. You’ll reap big rewards from stepping outside your culture and your comfort zone.

Consider starting with Mexican food. It offers a vast assortment of delicious and healthy plant-based dishes, and most are remarkably easy to prepare.

When you’re ready to branch out to try other cuisines, you have countless enticing possibilities. See the Cuisines from Around the World section of our cookbooks page for 20 different recommendations. And if you want a “greatest hits” collection of international recipes packed into a single cookbook, pick up Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romano.

Finding Vegan-Friendly Restaurant Food

When dining out, Middle Eastern restaurants offer the most consistently vegan-friendly menus. Nearly everything that isn’t meat is commonly vegan, especially falafel, hummus, tahini dressing, tabbouleh salad, and lavash bread or pita. Many Middle Eastern restaurants also accompany your dish with an assortment of fresh vegetables, plus vegetarian dolmas, Kalamata olives, and pickled turnips.

My How to Go Vegan guide offers detailed coverage of the most vegan-friendly restaurant cuisines. Exploring these menu offerings pays off in all sorts of ways, and enables you to take your vegan diet to the next level.

For further reading please see our introduction to vegan cookingand our guide to the best vegan foods.

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Vegan Cuisine Guide: Plant-Based Foods Worldwide (2024)

FAQs

What is the PBWF diet plan? ›

A PBWF diet involves eating plant foods and is arguably a less rigid version of veganism. Plant based means the majority of your calories come from plants including the main plant based food groups: Whole grains – quinoa, barley, brown rice, oats, whole wheat etc. Legumes – beans, chickpeas, black beans, lentils etc.

Which country is #1 for vegans? ›

India. Three of India's major religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism — teach the practice of ahimsa, or non-violence towards all beings. Because of this religious tradition, India has the highest percentage of vegetarians out of all the countries in the world.

Is Joaquin Phoenix still vegan? ›

Roughly 88 percent of Americans choose to eat turkey on Thanksgiving every year, according to the National Turkey Federation. But Phoenix, who has been vegan since the age of three and is a vocal animal advocate, wants this to change.

Can I eat cheese on a plant-based diet? ›

There are a lot of great plant-based protein sources, including tofu, lentils, beans, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and quinoa. Don't forget: Dairy, eggs, beef, poultry, and fish are allowed on the plant-based diet, they just shouldn't be the center of the meal.

Can you eat eggs on WFPB diet? ›

While one person following a WFPB diet may eat no animal products, another may eat small amounts of eggs, poultry, seafood, meat, or dairy. The whole-foods, plant-based diet emphasizes plant-based foods while minimizing animal products and processed items.

Can you eat bread on WFPB diet? ›

There are plenty of other foods you can also enjoy, including nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, tempeh, whole-grain flours and breads, and plant-based milks. However, we recommend eating these foods in moderation, because they are more calorie-dense and can contribute to weight gain.

What is the vegan capital of the United States? ›

When it comes to veg-friendly cuisine, few cities have as much to offer as Portland, Oregon. It's the best city for vegans and vegetarians in the U.S. for the fifth year in a row, according to new research from the financial website WalletHub.

Which country is 100% vegetarian? ›

India is the unique outlier. Going by percentage of the population, Mexico is the second most vegetarian country, at 19%, then Brazil and Taiwan at 14%. Then Israel 13%, Australia 12%, Argentina, Sweden, and Finland 12%. After that it's mostly European countries, mostly around 10%.

What is the hardest country to be a vegetarian in? ›

For instance, China is one of the most difficult countries for vegetarians because even if a certain Chinese dish doesn't contain meat, it might have animal-based products like lard. Similarly, Argentina is renowned for its meat-based cuisine and is notoriously difficult for vegetarians.

Is Brad Pitt still a vegan? ›

While the star isn't known to comment on his diet publicly, and often remains low-key at unexpected local eateries, various publications, including Glamour and Men's Health, have reported that the celebrity follows a mostly vegan and alcohol-free diet.

Is there a billionaire that is vegan? ›

FTX is the brainchild of Sam Bankman-Fried, a 29-year-old billionaire who sticks to a vegan diet, shares a Hong Kong apartment with roommates and often sleeps on beanbag chairs in the office.

What is the downside of a plant-based diet? ›

Some studies have shown that those on a plant-based diet are found to have lower plasma vitamin B12 levels and higher levels of vitamin B12 deficiency than those who consume animal products. Vitamin B12 is an important cofactor in DNA synthesis, and deficiency can lead to anemia and severe neurological dysfunction.

Can I eat oatmeal on a plant-based diet? ›

Oatmeal is vegan because it comes from an oat plant. Oat grains in old-fashioned oats remain vegan as long as there are no non-vegan ingredients added to them. Quaker old-fashioned oats are the same even if these are considered instant oatmeal.

Is honey vegan? ›

Honey is an animal product and therefore by definition, not vegan. But some people following a plant-based diet have no objection to consuming honey, maybe because they don't consider bees animals.

What is the PFF method of eating? ›

When we include Protein, Fiber and Fat in our meals (PFF for short), we give our body a better chance of controlling our blood sugar, stabilizing our energy and weight AND cutting cravings. Eating this way has significantly impacted my energy level and has helped me cut cravings, too.

What foods do you eat on the plant paradox diet? ›

Foods to eat
  • Proteins: grass-fed or -finished meats, pasture-raised poultry, free-range eggs, wild-caught fish, and hemp products like “hempeh,” hemp tofu, or hemp protein powder.
  • Starches and grain-free products: sweet potatoes, plantains, rutabaga, parsnips, and paleo wraps or breads.
Aug 4, 2020

What is the downfall of Optavia? ›

Cons of the Optavia Diet

Nutrient deficiency: This diet may cause nutrient deficiency if calorie levels are too low for too long. 6 In addition to restricting calories, Optavia plans limit food groups, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—all of which provide essential vitamins and minerals.

How do you eat a whole plant food diet? ›

Use healthier fats like olive oil, nuts, avocados, nut butters, olives, or even plant-based butter.
  1. Use salad as a base. Start with greens like spinach or romaine lettuce. ...
  2. Eat whole grains for breakfast. Start your day with quinoa, oatmeal, buckwheat, or barley. ...
  3. Eat fruit for dessert. ...
  4. Plan it out.
Sep 22, 2023

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