In a world full of boring food, transform yours into an aesthetic masterpiece. If you want to convince your kids to eat everything from the plate, or if you are a food blogger trying to create a picture worth a thousand words, or simply you just live for the small moments in life, you’ll find every tip you’ll need here in the How to make your vegan food look prettier guide. Because you deserve to eat pretty food. And I can’t prove this with science, but your mood will definitely shift.
I feel like a lot of people neglects the part of food styling, when they are cooking everyday meals and they definitely shouldn’t. Why not to start your day with a beautiful bowl, instead of throwing some ingredients in a rush? Why not to enjoy a beautiful meal after a busy day, like in those famous restaurants? It’s not even time consuming and not at all expensive.
So here it is, the complete vegan food styling guide:
1. Flowers make everything prettier
… and it’s pretty obvious why. So the main question remains where do you find this flowers? Keep in mind that not all the flowers are edible. You’ll find them in some supermarkets, but they can be quite expensive. If you are struggling finding them or they are quite over your budget here are some tips:
Pick them, if you know for sure that the flowers weren’t sprayed with pesticides
Here is a list with some flowers that grows in the wild or you might have it in your garden:
- Cornflower/ blue wildflower (Centaurea cyanus)
- Berries flowers
- Chamomile
- Daisy
- Dandelion
- Elderflower
- Forget Me Not
- Lavender
- Lilac
- Mallow
- Some roses
Or grow them at home in pots
Here is a list of flowers you might plant in pots at home:
- Begonia
- Pot Marigold (Calendula spp.)
- Camellia (Camellia spp.)
- Pansy
- Primrose
- Violet
2. Cookie cutters
Add some extra love to your meal with a small heart shaped strawberry, or even write a message with the alphabet cookie cutters. Any small stainless steel cookie cutters will work and will easily cut fruits. Best fruits and veggies to cut are bananas, strawberries, pitaya, cucumbers and carrots.
3. Fresh herbs
Some fresh basil might just be the new cherry on top. Greens always look good on your plate so throw some fresh leaves on your meals. The best way to always have herbs in your kitchen it is to buy the pot versions of parsley, thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano, etc. They last a couple of months and they are full of flavor, as they are as fresh as they can possibly be. I am sure you’ll find a sunny place in house for them.
4. Some ingredients look prettier than others
Some ingredients do look better than others, like strawberries or nutritional yeast sprinkles. You just have to find your food aesthetic.
5. The more the better
Obviously leaving your food with no toppings might be a little boring. Don’t be afraid to add more and let your creativity shine.
6. Add nuts and seeds
When you lack ideas about your meal toppings, add nuts and seeds. They fit perfectly either into your sweet or savory dish. They are also easy to store them at home in jars and you can keep them for a long time. Choose from a huge variety of nuts: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, peanuts and seeds: pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sesame, flax seeds and so many others.
7. The plates and the cutlery matters
I can’t explain this with science but the plates that you using matter. It always was the small things that have made the biggest difference. So consider going to the home deco store and buy some new plates and cutlery. You don’t have to buy the whole set, as it can get really pricy. Just but 1-2 pieces that you like.
8. Just add color
When in doubt, add some bright color. Your meal probably lacks some color, so fix this simple by adding some bright colored foods:
- Red: berries like strawberries, raspberries and red currants, red chili pepper
- Green: fresh herbs like parsley, mint, cilantro, rosemary, green chili pepper
- Orange: slices of carrots, kumquat, nut butters
- Yellow: mango slices, sweets corn
- Purple: red onion
If you liked this how to make your vegan food look prettier, also check how to decorate cream soups.