VEGAN MEAT ALTERNATIVES
It’s amazing that in 2025, we have so many options for meat alternatives. Over the years, various companies and food establishments have made efforts to make the plant-based experience even more exciting. Today, we’re going to delve into some of the options available when it comes to replacing meat in your meals.
There are two ways you can look at this. The first way would be to replace meat with another kind of protein. The second would be to use a manufactured meat. Let’s get into the first one!
USE AN ALTERNATE PROTEIN
When you want to replace the chicken, beef, or fish in your plant-based meal, an easy way would be to use a different plant-based protein. For example, for a ragu pasta that requires beef, you could replace that with lentils. Here are 5 protein substitutions:
Lentils
Lentils are amazing as a substitution in stews and pasta dishes. Think of the common dishes that have minced meat, for example, lasagna, shepherd's pie, or chili. Due to their small size and rich taste, lentils are an easy meat or protein replacement.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas can be used in a similar fashion to lentils; however, the flavor profile is very different. It can be used in dishes like stews, sandwiches, or salads. They are a great protein substitution in general, whether to directly replace meat or as an additional element.
Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are a great option when you need some bulk in your meal. These beans are larger than the two listed above, more malleable, and still a great source of protein. If you want to make a plant-based burger, using kidney beans as a base can create a similar texture to meat.
Tofu
We talked about tofu being an egg substitution in our previous blog post. However, this ingredient can be used for almost any meal, especially as a meat replacement. You can use it for beef or chicken replacement in many kinds of dishes.
Cauliflower
This is a well-known plant-based meat substitute for burgers and sandwiches. In particular, for meals where you need to replace chicken. The more plain and subtle flavour of cauliflower, allows seasonings to absorb, creating a completely new base for your meal.
MANUFACTURED MEATS
There are so many brands to choose from with manufactured meats. Depending on what meat you’re trying to replicate in your meal, you’ll have to choose accordingly. Over the past few years, plant-based options for anything from hot dogs to ground meat have become available.
Some of these manufactured meats have also become available in mainstream restaurants, making it even easier to eat according to your diet. So the next time you're in the grocery store, take a look at the health food aisle and see what options you’d like to try!