Plant-based Substitutes for Commonly Employed Sauces

Cream is often used as a base for sauces, as an additive to soups, salads and drinks. However, since it is a dairy product, it does not meet the criteria for a vegan product. However, there are alternatives available on the market that are based on water and vegetable oil, as well as nuts, grains or legumes. On store shelves, you can find soy, vegetable, almond, kidney nut, or drink creams. They also contain emulsifiers and stabilizers, which give them a consistency similar to traditional cream. It is important to pay attention to the fat content, as cream with a lower fat content (< 30%) is better suited for cooking, while cream with a higher fat content is suitable for desserts and whipped cream. When comparing the nutritional values of traditional cream and vegan cream, it can be seen that the energy content does not differ significantly, but the content of saturated fatty acids is lower in vegan cream. However, in high-fat creams, the content of saturated fatty acids is similar to that in traditional cream. It is also important to note that vegan cream is not enriched with calcium, vitamin D, or B12, as it usually serves as an addition to a meal and not the main component.

Another commonly used ingredient is mayonnaise, which is obtained in the traditional version by mixing (emulsifying) oil and egg yolks with spices (mainly mustard). It is used in sandwiches, salads, and cold food sauces. Nowadays, vegan alternatives for this product are already available on store shelves. They are based on vegetable oil, water, spices and additives that give them properties similar to classic mayonnaise, such as Maltodextrin (which has the ability to form a gel that improves structure and gives a creamy consistency), colors (provide color) and stabilizers. The authors used data on nutritional value in 100 g of product to create their own description based on data from distributors of analyzed products. In the case of mayonnaises, a significant difference can be noticed in the calorific values of individual products. The vegan alternative has a significantly lower energy value than mayonnaise based on eggs, both in the full-fat and reduced-fat versions. This is due to the fact that in vegan mayonnaise there is less fat and a lower share of saturated fatty acids.

Pesto is a traditional product found in Italian cuisine, where it is usually served with pasta. However, it is increasingly used as a flavor enhancer for soups, salad dressing, or bread spread. The most popular are green pesto made from basil and red pesto with added tomatoes. It is prepared on the basis of vegetable oils (olive oil, sunflower oil), nuts (pine nuts or mixtures with nuts or cashews), flavor enhancers, and the lack of a long-lived additive (e.g. grana padano, Pecorino Romano). The latter ingredient, however, means that pesto is no longer a vegan product. There are, however, alternatives in which cheese is omitted or replaced with tofu. The nutritional information for 100 g of product is based on our own analysis of supplier data for the products we examined. As far as nutritional value is concerned, it is similar in both traditional and plant-based pesto, which may be due to the fact that the animal-derived ingredient (cheese) serves only as an additive and is present in small quantities, so its absence does not have a significant impact on the change in the nutritional value of the product.

Previously, only a few products and their plant-based alternatives were discussed. However, it is important to consider which other sauces are vegetarian on the market. In Poland, besides mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and horseradish are the most popular condiments for hot and cold dishes. They traditionally do not contain ingredients of animal origin, so they can be safely consumed by individuals on a vegetarian or vegan diet.

– BBQ sauce (barbecue) is most commonly used as a condiment, especially for grilled foods, but is mainly used for meat, but can also be added to meatless foods as its composition is usually entirely vegan. It is therefore based on tomatoes and spices such as sugar, vinegar, soy smoke flavor, dried sauces or oyster peppers. This sauce is, however, used mainly as a food additive (e.g. meat sauce, hot dogs) or as a salad additive. Its basis is vegetable oil, which is a concentrated additive in the ingredients and ingredients of the products in question. It may therefore not be used as an ingredient in the preparation of other ingredients. However, it is also available as a vegetable ingredients in the sauces, sauces and sauces. – The 1000 islands sauce is used as an addition to various warm dishes, such as zapiekanka or hot dogs, as well as a salad dressing. It is based on vegetable oil, tomato concentrate and spices, but is not a vegan product as it contains egg yolks or dairy products such as cream or milk proteins. – Vinaigrette sauce, also known as winegret, is one of the most popular salad dressings and is prepared on the basis of water, vegetable oil, vinegar, herbs and other spices. It contains no animal additives and is therefore suitable for vegans. – Sweet and sour sauce comes in two versions: a more concentrated one, which serves as a side dish for ready meals such as nuggets, or a more liquid one, which is used as a base for Asian dishes. Both versions are vegan and consist of water, fruit such as pineapple or apricots, and spices. In some versions, vegetables are also added. – Tabasco sauce, which adds spiciness to dishes, is completely vegan and consists of vinegar, paprika and salt. – Soy sauce is a basic ingredient in Asian cuisine and is a vegan product that is produced by fermenting soybeans with the addition of wheat, water and salt.

Numerous popular sauces lack animal ingredients, enabling their consumption within a vegan diet. Plant alternatives are often available for non-vegan sauces, with their composition and nutritional values typically not differing from traditional products; they are also usually not used in large quantities, so the decision to choose them is usually dictated solely by philosophical beliefs. A notable exception is vegan mayonnaise, which boasts a significantly lower energy value than egg-based mayonnaise. Therefore, it is advisable to select it to decrease the calorie content of a meal. It is also a good alternative in case of reduction.