With a growing desire for sustainable and plant-based foods, consumers can now find a variety of vegan meats and eggs in their supermarkets or online.
In Australia, plant-based diets – both vegan and vegetarian – are increasing in popularity. A recent report revealed that 42 per cent of Aussies are eating less meat or none at all. Among them, 10 per cent of the people identified themselves as vegan or vegetarian, 12 per cent as meat reducers, and 20 per cent as flexitarian.
The shift in dietary choices varies from being curious, health reasons, and concerns with animal welfare. Fortunately, ditching meat, dairy, and eggs don’t mean missing out, as there’s an ever-growing list of companies creating vegan alternatives, including eggs. There’s been an eggsplosion of commercial vegan eggs in Australia in different forms, from mixable powders to liquid eggs in a bottle, which we’ll share with you today.
What are vegan eggs?
Vegan/plant-based eggs are a combination of ingredients designed to mimic poultry eggs’ look, taste, and binding abilities.
Commercially available plant-based eggs are most commonly available in liquids, which can easily be prepared into different recipes like scrambled eggs, omelettes, and mixed with baked foods. While ingredients vary across brands, most include “black salt” in their formulation to achieve an “eggy taste and smell”.
The only disadvantage is that real eggs have added nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, choline, and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which cannot be found (yet) in vegan egg replacements.
Vegan egg substitutes you can find in Australia
Macro egg replacer
What’s inside matters Enjoy all your favourite bakes without the eggs – no yolk. This vegan alternative is great for homemade pancakes, cakes and desserts. Simply swap out regular eggs with this egg replacer in your recipes and bake away!
Ingredients: Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Psyllium Husk Powder, Raising Agent (Sodium Bicarbonate)
Earth Bound
Established in 2019, conglomerate Oppenheimer founded the Australian made vegan eggs to offer ethically-sourced, organic vegan products in the country.
Earthbound eggs come in powdered form, packaged in a pouch. Consumers can mix it with water to create something similar to a scrambled egg.
Ingredients: Chickpea flour, maise (corn) starch, soy protein isolate, soy lecithin, salt, calcium carbonate, vegetable gums (466, 407), dehydrated vegetables, yeast extract, spice.
Mckenzies Egg Replacer
Australian food company Mckenzies offer a vegan egg replacement in powdered form. A box is equivalent to 28 eggs.
The company’s product is best used as an egg substitute for baked goods like bread, cupcakes, and brownies. But it can also be used in other recipes.
Nutritional information: Potato starch, tapioca flour [preservative (220)], pea protein, raising agent (500), stabiliser (461).
Organ Vegan Easy Egg
Organ’s vegan easy egg is made by Roma Food Products. Established in Australia in the 1980s, the company specialises in manufacturing products in gluten and allergen-free facilities.
The brand’s plant-based egg comes in a pouch in powdered form.
Nutritional information: Chickpea, Corn, Stabiliser (Methylcellulose), Vegetable Protein, Dextrose Monohydrate, Salt, Turmeric, Raising agent (Calcium Carbonate), Garlic powder.
Yes, You Can Vegan Egg Replacer
Yes You Can Vegan Egg Replacer is a gluten-free egg substitute ideal for baking because it can replicate all the egg’s qualities like binding, rising, structure, moisture, and taste.
The product also obtained a 5-star health rating, is gluten-free and is endorsed by Coeliac Australia.
Ingredients: Gluten-free rice flour, organic chia flour, natural raising agents (glucono-delta lactone, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate), whole algal protein.
The Vegg Vegan Egg Yolk
Most vegan eggs available in the market are made to replace a combination of egg whites and yolk, similar to a scrambled egg. What makes the Vegg Vegan Egg Yolk stand out is that it purely copies the qualities of just the yolk.
According to the company, it uses only natural ingredients to simulate the taste and texture of egg yolk. It’s made for recipes that require the rich flavour of yolks, such as French toast, dips, hollandaise, and more.
In addition, the egg yolk substitute is enriched with vitamin B12 and beta carotene – nutrients not usually found in other vegan egg replacements.
Ingredients: Fortified nutritional yeast (dry yeast, niacin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin hydrochloride, folic acid, b12), sodium alginate, black salt, beta carotene.
Love PB Co Vegan Egg Replacer
Another homegrown plant-based egg is Love PB Co’s Vegan Egg Replacer. Made from rice flour and organic chia, the company, highly recommends its product for baking.
A 180g pouch is equivalent to 20 eggs.
Ingredients: Rice flour, organic chia flour, raising agents (glucono delta-lactone, sodium bicarbonate), rice protein.
Plant-based eggs: the perfect transitional product?
New research suggests that nearly a third of consumers worldwide are open to eating plant-based eggs instead of conventional ones.
Carmen Bryan, a consumer analyst at GlobalData, said animal-free eggs could guide consumers into transitioning to a vegan or flexitarian diet.
“Plant-based eggs are the perfect transitional product to adopt a healthier or vegan diet. The formula and ingredients allow for a more versatile product that everyone can consume, regardless of diet,” said Bryan.
If you already practice a plant-based diet or are simply curious and want to try them, there is no harm in putting these vegan eggs on your plate. But if you eat regular eggs and look for the same nutritional value, vegan eggs probably won’t suffice.
