Vegan Alternatives To Gelatin
Gelatin serves both nutritional and culinary roles in
nonvegetarian diets; however, a lot of vegetarians and all vegans do not consume gelatin in its many forms because
it is often created out of boiled pig skins and dissolved veal cartilage and bones.
This leaves vegetarians with a gap in cooking functionality when a recipe calls for a
gel or thickening agent. It also leaves vegetarians with fewer options if they need a source of gelatin to increase
bone and cartilage health.
If you are a vegetarian and you are looking for something to replace gelatin,
do
not despair. Here are some alternative options for you:
1. Use a rice starch
alternative. A&B Ingredients recently developed a rice starch
alternative to gelatins that mimics the cooking functionality of gelatins closely.
2. Use a soy-based
alternative. Soyfoods USA developed , a gelatin alternative which
was created entirely out of of soy isoflavones and contains 100% of your vitamin c recommended daily
allowance.
3. Use seaweed-based
alternatives. Agar-agar, for instance, is a seaweed based
alternative to gelatin that can simulate the culinary functions of gelatin.
4. Increase your calcium
intake. One component of gelatin supplements that allegedly
increases joint health is calcium. If you want to increase your calcium intake without eating gelatin, you can
simply consume more calcium-fortified foods and even take supplements.
5. Increase your vitamin c
intake. Another component of gelatin supplements that allegedly
increases joint health is vitamin c. You can increase your vitamin c intake by consuming more citrus
fruit.
6. Increase your glucosamine
intake. No foods contain glucosamine, but you can increase your
intake by purchasing supplements at your local grocery store or pharmacy. This is rumored to improve joint health
if taken regularly.
To reiterate - gelatin has two major functions: it works as a thickening agent for
foods and is rumored to improve joint health; both of these functions can easily be mimicked by structural and
nutritional alternatives.
Cooking with Tofu.
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