Moving Mountains Flaky Fish Fillets are just like the real thing, or try traditional breadcrumbed fishless fingers, ideal with chunky chips and mushy peas. Keep vegan meats away from pets (they look, smell and taste like real meat) due to toxic ingredients like garlic, onion, mushrooms etc.
Swedish Seafood (without the catch)
Although mostly we feature homegrown finds, occasionally something from further shores is so inspirational, we just have to feature it! It’s always good to support local companies, but if there is nothing like these creations, it’s also good to support them too.
Hooked (Sweden) is a fantastic food company from our Scandinavian friends (did you know that Newcastle is on the same latitude? Without the Gulf Stream, it would be just as cold and snowy as Stockholm!) Seafood is obviously huge in Sweden, with most people eating fish. But over-fishing is causing harm to both fish stocks and also by-catch (innocent creatures like dolphins, turtles and whales that get caught up in nets and then die).
Do not feed vegan fish products to pets (they look, smell and taste the same) due to toxic ingredients like onion, garlic, mushrooms, seaweed etc).
Tuna are huge fish that can be 6 feet long and can swim at 40 miles an hour. Unlike most fish, they have warm blood so can regulate their own body temperature. However, bluefin tuna numbers have dropped 90% since the start of the last century, due to over-fishing. Known as ‘the chicken of the sea’, you can easily get omega 3 oils from other foods, so if you eat it – eat less and ensure it’s sustainably-sourced (labelled and guaranteed free of by-catch).
One alternative is to try some vegan tuna! You can enjoy this if you don’t eat fish, or if you are trying to eat less of it, to help avoid over-fishing. Unfortunately many store-bought versions leave a lot to be desired, which is why we have listed this Swedish brand, as a good alternative. This was created not to just help people eat more plant-based foods, but also to avoid mercury and microplastics (often found in some fish) and to help reduce the 50 million sharks and 300,000 whales and dolphins killed yearly through by-catch from fishing nets (which make up 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch).
Due to being sold chilled or frozen, the products do have some plastic packaging. But you can recycle these with household waste or at supermarket bag recycling bins. The range includes:
- Toonish is made from sustainable soy beans, sunflower oil and algae (this is where fish get their omega oils from, so you can also get them direct from algae). Ideal for sushi, pasta, wraps, sandwiches, taco or pizza.
- Salmoonish is made from soy, pea and wheat protein, and has the same omega content as fish. Perfect in a pasta, salad or wrap.
- Tubs of Toonish Mixes are ideal on baked potatoes or on toast. The curry version is great in a wrap or baguette, and there’s also a traditional toonish mayo version for pasta and salad. Toonish Tomato is good on pizza!
- Fish-ish Sticks have the same taste and crunchy texture. Serve with mashed potatoes or on tacos.
One whole (big!) tuna fish is saved for each 4kg you eat of Toonish. Get in touch to have these products stocked in local stores and restaurants and hotels. One bite, and they will be Hooked!
Plant-Based Alternatives to Salmon
Vegan salmon is now very popular, as increasing numbers of people are concerned with fish welfare, by-catch, over-fishing and pollution. The most popular alternative surprisingly is carrots, which are often used to make the dish using other flavourings to make it fishy.
Vegan Salmon Bagel (Green Evi) is an easy and affordable starter recipe. Salty and savoury, use this on toast, bagel or crackers, or add to salads, soups, pasta and rice. These are not real fish, so don’t give them to cats! Some contain pet-toxic ingredients like spices. Avoid seaweed for thyroid issues.
Salmon are fascinating creatures. Able to live in all kinds of water, they make the long journey home to where they were born and (if not eaten by a bear) give birth to new salmon. How they do this is a mystery, either through magnetic navigation or their strong sense of smell (they can smell one drop of scent in an area the size of 10 Olympic swimming pools). They are hugely threatened due to over-fishing, loss of habitat and climate change.
Make Your Own Plant-Based Salmon
Carrot ‘Salmon’ & Cream Cheese Bagel (So Vegan) is a simple snack that keeps in the fridge for a couple of days, and can easily be doubled up or made gluten-free using different bread and liquid smoke. Don’t give leftover buttered sandwiches to birds, as the fat can affect waterproofing/insulation of feathers (also don’t give birds crusty, stale, mouldy or white bread – see how to help our garden birds).
Try this Vegan Tofu Salmon Fillet (Carlo Cao).
You can make your own vegan salmon from Vegan Smoked ‘Salmon’ Cheese Rolls (Full of Plants) are filled with vegan cultured cream cheese. Fresh and creamy with a subtly smoky flavour of the sea, your guests would never know this dish is vegan. Also try a recipe for vegan smoked salmon.
Smoked Salmon with Capers & Dill (Avant Garde Vegan) is marinated 24 hours beforehand, in a broth of miso, paprika, sea salt, lemon, maple syrup and nori (avoid for thyroid issues). The ‘salmon’ is served with a vegan cream cheese made from lemon and cashew nuts, with cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast. Garnish with fresh dill and served on toasted rye bread.
Where to Buy Plant-Based Salmon
Zalmon is made from carrots, rapeseed oil and smoked water. Brilliant on bagels or stirred into pasta or salads. Or just eat from the jar.
Revo Smoked Salmon is made from pea proteins, plant oils and algae extract. Enjoy it in wraps, sandwiches, bagels, pasta dishes or even as pizza toppings. High in protein, vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids. Made sustainably in Europe, and free of harmful heavy metals. Recycle plastic packaging with household waste or at supermarket bag recycling bins.
- Odontella Smoked Vegan Salmon are made with micro algae to create the world’s first vegetable marine salmon. Eat fresh, or pan-fry and garnish on pasta, pizza, salads, terrines, tapas or vegan sushi. Another good brand of vegan salmon is made by Zeastar.
- Veganz Salmon-Style Slices (Germany) are made from seaweed (avoid for thyroid issues) and taste authentic, due to the unique beechwood smoking process. Recycle plastic packaging with household waste or at supermarket bag recycling bins.
- Save da Sea Foods (Canada) makes smoked salmon made from plants.
Tuna is a large (can reach over 6 feet) carnivorous fish, there are 8 species. All are nomadic and often change location, and are over-fished in many areas including Japan and Australia (90% have disappeared in the last 100 years). They are actually classified as endangered, yet still one of the most widely-eaten fish. Despite their size, tuna are very fast swimmers and (if not eaten by humans, orcas or sharks) can swim the entire Atlantic in around 30 days.
Vegan Tuna Mayo (The Veg Space) is a nice base recipe that you could use for a sandwich or salad. This is made with chickpeas and nori seaweed, and adds a little beetroot juice, to give the pink colour.
The main purse seine method catches around 66% of all tuna, which creates a massive net that circles the fish hunching together, therefore catches everything else in the area too. The method then ‘closes up like a drawstring purse: here’s an image from Marine Conservation Society. Although it only makes up 1% of global catch, the bluefin tuna is now critically endangered. So if you do eat fish, just look for brands that guarantee using methods that don’t have by-catch.
You can make ‘vegan tuna’ with a simple 4-ingredient recipe by Maribeth Abrams. Just mash up a can of drained chickpeas and add a few dollops of vegan mayo, chopped salty celery, salt and pepper (if you don’t have thyroid issues, you can add a little kelp powder, to make it more authentic in taste).
For a tuna mayo sandwich, know that plant-based mayos taste exactly the same, so you’ll never miss the dairy version. It’s also free from raw eggs (a food safety issue) and can be added plain or with added herbs and spices. Serve on good bread, for a tasty filling lunch or snack. Most tuna mayo sandwiches add other ingredients to taste like onion, celery, pickles and relish.
Good Catch makes vegan tuna melts, developed by the two vegan brother chefs behind Tesco’s Wicked Kitchen range. This is made from six proteins including peas, chickpeas and navy beans, and features a marine algae oil for an authentic sea taste. Recycle any plastic packaging with household waste or in grocery bag recycling bins. Good Catch Food Service offers vegan tuna pasta flakes for restaurants and hotels. The 2lb bags are stored frozen to keep up to 4 days in the fridge, for a freshly cooked tuna flavour. You can use it for a deli-style tuna salad and wraps, a Niçoise salad or serve hot with pasta, tacos, casseroles, soups, stews or for classic tuna melts:
- Naked in Water can be used in place of conventional tuna in sandwiches, tuna melts, sushi rolls and casseroles. Packed in water.
- Mediterranean adds in garlic, herbs, sweet pepper and a kick of spice, for a taste of Southern Europe. Perfect on a party platter, you can also use this to top your salads or crackers, or use inside pita sandwiches.
- Oil & Herbs is ideal as a protein boost for salad. Or mix it into pasta or use for an antipasto platter.
Sophie’s Kitchen Sea Salt Toona is a protein-packed alternative with a pea protein base. Sold in a tin, it’s perfect in a classic toona melt, salad or in vegan sushi. Also available in black pepper, this has the same look, smell and taste as tuna, plus an authentic shreddable texture.
- Loma Linda Tuna is sold in a tin, packed in spring water. Also as vegan tuna mayo, sweet chilli and lemon pepper.
- Marigold Vegan Tunah is another brand that is made from soya, sold in a zero waste tin. Served hot or cold, this is good with sundried tomatoes, green beans and new potatoes for a Niçoise Salad. Or serve with salads or sandwiches, or mix into rice and pasta dishes.
Junka Vegan Tuna Spread is a California brand, sold in original, spicy or lemon dill flavours. Made with wheat protein and flavourings like lemon, mustard, black pepper, paprika and sea-tasting algal oil, it’s perishable, so keep it in the fridge. Started as an educational non-profit.
Bonsan Organic Kofu Fishfree Tofuna is sold in stores, online or with many other vegan tuna alternatives. Made from sustainably sourced kombucha-cultured tofu, use it in salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes.
- Badger’s Tunah Mayo is fresh in a tub. It’s made with sweet onion and vegan mayo. Free from cholesterol and palm oil, this is made with different types of seaweed for that fishy taste.
- Vegan Zeastar Sashi No Tuna is available to order online or from food service. Just defrost and thinly slice, and it’s ready to go. Once defrosted, it keeps in the fridge. Use it up within 3 days. It’s good in a ‘tuna’ poke bowl or lunchtime bento box with edamame beans, sticky rice and a sesame ginger dressing.
- Tunato is a new vegan tuna from Spain, made from tomatoes. Sold for the food service industry, it contains organically produced kombu seaweed, garlic and salt, along with whole cane brown sugar and soy sauce.
- Ocean Hugger Foods (US) offers chef-created tuna from tomatoes. High in protein and omega 3s but with zero cholesterol, the product was launched on news that 43% of tuna is over-fished, making it one of the least sustainable options out there. Developed by professional chefs, this is made of just 5 ingredients (tomatoes, gluten-free soy sauce, sugar, water and sesame oil). Also available to food service, the company also makes Unami (eel made from eggplants!)
Years ago, most people would just enjoy a simple sandwich of bread, butter, a simple filling and perhaps some pickle. Eaten at home on a plate! Or in a cafe, if not. Today, we have a multi-million industry dedicated to charging people a fortune to eat plastic-wrapped sandwiches, often made with factory-farmed animal ingredients, palm-oil-laden margarine and the half-eaten sandwich wraps get tossed on the ground.
Tuna is on the endangered species list, and many brands cause by-catch of marine mammals like dolphins. So choose plant-based tuna instead. Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwich (Crowded Kitchen) uses chickpeas and miso to replicate the taste of the sea. This sandwich is just 15 minutes, and you can use the ‘tuna’ in salads. Or mix Bonsan Fish-Free Tuna with vegan mayo.
Use vegan butters with no palm oil. Keep these recipes away from pets due to toxic ingredients (garlic, onion, leeks, chives, mushrooms, fresh dough, jackfruit etc). Don’t give leftover (stale or crusty) bread to garden birds, as it can choke, and fatty sandwiches can affect waterproofing/insulation of feathers.
Have prepped salad in the fridge, and don’t add soggy ingredients until the end. Grate vegan cheese beforehand, and add a little salt to tomato and cucumber slices, to prevent them sliding out of your baguette. Finally, choose a tasty vegan mayo, mustard or pickle to give your sandwich some buzz! If travelling, store your sandwich in a reusable sandwich wrap. If you run a sandwich shop, VegWare make compostable sandwich bags, which are easy to assemble with clear windows and write-on stickers.
Badger’s Tunah Mayo is fresh in a tub. It’s made with sweet onion and vegan mayo. Free from cholesterol and palm oil, this is made with different types of seaweed for that fishy taste.
Chickpea Tuna Sandwich (So Vegan) uses a good sourdough or gluten-free bread, with sweetcorn, capers, mustard and vegan mayo.
Plant-Based Alternatives to Caviar
Most people don’t eat caviar, but certain areas of society do. But this luxury food from Russia is made from endangered roe (fish eggs). Varying in colour and flavour, most are from the Caspian Sea. Campaigners ask people not to buy it, as sturgeon are almost extinct in some areas, due to the trade.
Vegan Caviar (Cadry’s Kitchen) is made with pearl couscous, and served with crackers. The vinegar in the brine makes this caviar extra-pink. Never let pets eat caviar due to high salt (nor fake caviar due to potential toxic ingredients like salt and spices).
All species of sturgeon are protected under CITES (Conventional on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and international trade in many types of caviar is not allowed, despite most markets being in the US and Europe. Why not try some plant-based versions instead?
Where to Buy Plant-Based Caviar
Vegan Caviar Luxury is made in Europe, from seaweed. The company also makes a vegan salmon roe (with the taste of soy sauce and ikura) and a vegan alternative tobiko (the taste of black truffle). This range was developed by a medical doctor whose family moved to Europe from the far east of Russia.
