Adventures in Polishland

I’m not sure what it is, but when someone finds out I’m vegan, they love asking me a lot of questions about my lifestyle: How do you get your protein? Do you eat fish? Do you eat gluten? How long have you been vegan? What DO you eat? Oftentimes, these questions are followed with a group of statements from the curious non-vegan, who wants to let me know how much they love meat, why they will never give up cheese, and how eating “rabbit food” could never suit them. While this can be annoying, I get it. Being vegan is still considered out of the ordinary, and I’m happy to answer questions so long as they are polite and coming from a place of genuine interest. I thought it would be fun to share with all of you some of the questions I get asked as a vegan in this new blog series called A Vegan Answers. Today we will be tackling a question I actually have been asked in real life: what do vegans put on bagels?

I’ll never forget the first time I got asked this question. A colleague was planning to bring in breakfast the next day at work, and she asked me what was something she could bring that was vegan. I mentioned an easy item would be bagels from Dunkin’ Donuts. I was not prepared, however, for her next question, which came after a moment of hesitation: “What can you put on a bagel?” In the moment, I almost laughed out loud, but then I realized she was serious. As it turns out, this is a question I’ve been asked by interested non-vegans a few times now. Thus, today I will answer this question, and share my favorite vegan bagel toppings!

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First and foremost, vegans can put the same thing on bagels that non-vegans do! If you love to put the classic butter or cream cheese on your bagel, there are many non-dairy and vegan alternatives available today. My personal favorite butters are I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! It’s Vegan! and Country Crock Plant Butter. I haven’t personally tried vegan cream cheese, but I know Daiya Cream Cheeze Style Spread and Miyoko’s Vegan Cream Cheese are available at many grocery stores. There are new brands and varieties springing up all the time!

Moreover, my go-to bagel topping is peanut butter. In fact, I have a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast almost every day. I like to have a filling breakfast, and this definitely keeps me going until lunchtime. Of course, peanut butter has that added protein! You can also put your favorite jam or jelly onto your bagel. Or how about a peanut butter and jelly bagel? Yum! Want more of a sweet treat? Try Peanut Butter & Co Dark Chocolatey Dreams!

Another favorite of mine is the millennial option, avocado. I toast my bagel, mash up an avocado, and add some seasonings like salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Avocado toast is so delicious on an everything bagel! If you enjoy savory snacks, add some hummus to your bagel. Or simply make a bagel sandwich filled with veggies, vegan mayonnaise, mock meats, etc. I personally love eating Chickpea Salad Sandwiches on a bagel. It’s a hearty lunch!

Take your bagel to dinner with a vegan pizza bagel! Simply top your bagel with tomato sauce, some Daiya Cheese Shreds, and some oregano and you’ve got a delicious treat. I bake mine in the oven at 425º for about 10 minutes. You can dress up your pizza with any toppings you like!

Overall, I’m sure you can see that there are a plethora of vegan bagel toppings. Whether you want a traditional breakfast spread, or a more unique option, enjoying a bagel as a vegan is quite delicious and easy. This blog post shares just a few of my favorite ways to eat a bagel, but the options are seemingly endless. Please share your favorite vegan bagel topping in the comments!