A lot of people think of going vegan as a de facto path to healthy eating but, while there are certainly health advantages to a vegan diet, vegan doesn’t automatically mean healthy.

Bear in mind that a vegan diet is defined less by what you are eating than it is by what you’re not eating. Eschewing meat and dairy is all very well, but that still leaves the door open for plenty of fatty foods and unhealthy snacks.

All this to say that, even after you’ve gone vegan, it’s worth considering things like calorie counts and fat content when planning out your meals.

Now that doesn’t mean you can’t ever enjoy yourself. Another common misconception about food is that healthy eating is always bland and flavorless.

The truth, however, is that, with a little extra effort, it’s perfectly possible to have a healthy, tasty, and 100% vegan diet.

Don’t believe us? Well, check out these three fantastic suggestions for vegan substitutes to your favorite junk foods!

Homemade Veggie Fries

Now we all love the humble potato. It’s a delicious, versatile, and absolutely packed with carbohydrates. We’re saying all this because we want to make it clear that we’re certainly not suggesting you excise the potato from your diet altogether.

That being said, you don’t need them for every meal and, if you want to cut down on your calories and squeeze some extra nutrients in then you might consider making your own vegetable crisps as a tasty snack.

They’re super simple too!

All you have to do is finely slice some carrots, beetroot, and parsnip (in optional proportions), bake them in a nice hot oven and sprinkle them with some salt and other seasons.

Vegan Mac & Cheese

It might not seem obvious, given that it’s got “cheese” in the title, but a quick google will net you dozens of great recipes for vegan-friendly takes on this beloved meal.

You’ve actually got a couple of options when it comes to replacing the cheese in Mac & Cheese. Some recipes will call for a more standard Mac & Cheese but with a vegan cheese in place of a dairy one, while others will suggest combining various ingredients such as yeast flakes and mustard powder to create a cheese-like taste.

As for making it healthy?

Well, the wonderful thing about Mac & Cheese–or any pasta bake for that matter–is that it’s easy to bulk out with vegetables. For our part, we recommend broccoli and cauliflower, but just about any vegetables will do!

Not only will they make your meal healthier, but they’ll help stretch your ingredients to another few portions, saving you money in the process.

Vegan Nachos

We’ve saved the best till last here, because, if you haven’t tried them, then you’ll go mad for vegan nachos.

The standard approach to nachos, for most people, is to bath them in cheese and serve them with a mountain of sour cream and a bucket of salsa–it doesn’t take a team of scientists to establish that that’s a pretty unhealthy snack.

Well, we’re here to tell you that there’s a better way!

You only need three things to make delicious nachos:



  1. Fresh Guacamole

  2. A nice crisp salad

  3. A bag of lightly salted nachos

We’re not joking, it really is that simple! Just lay your dish with nachos, mix in some spring onion, radish, spinach, grated carrot, or any other fresh vegetable you fancy, and serve with a bowl of guacamole on the side. You won’t believe how great it tastes!