For those who are entertaining the idea of moving to a plant based diet, the idea of having a plate without a big portion of protein is highly off putting. People are so used to seeing a big steak or a juicy burger as their ‘main’ component of their meal and can’t imagine swiping that aside for dinner that looks like all the stuff that just comes along with it. However, these people aren’t alone since many vegans don’t simply eat bowls full of salad for every single meal. Getting a good source of protein is vital for anyone and in fact that iron that would primarily come from meat is something that vegans may need to supplement. So, what are the options?
Plant based meat alternatives are everywhere now, to the pint where its really like shopping for an omnivore. If you are having a BBQ you can head to the fridges or frozen section to grab sausages of different varieties or burgers with all sorts of different ingredients, from ones that look fairly standard to others that ‘bleed’. If you want meat mixed in with your pasta, rice or any other element of your meal there are several choices for that too with no meat in sight. Check out this easy list of meat components that you don’t have to go to a vegan festival for, all these are available in supermarkets around the country.
The
Meatless Farm Meat Free Mince – Sainsburys – this pack of plant based mince
would probably fool a lot of people if you took off the label. This pack of
spaghetti-like coils are reddish in colour and look juicier than many of the
actual meat versions out there. This stuff is perfect for putting with you Bolognese
or adding to anything you would use the regular stuff for. It also serves are a
great basis for a Vegan pattie if you are into making your own burgers, however
you may want to save yourself some time and buy them ready made.
No Bull Burger – Iceland – why bother taking the time to make your own stuff when these hyper popular pieces are available everywhere. Initially selling out when introduced these things can be found in the ever growing Vegan section of the popular supermarket. These juicy and very red (thanks to the beetroot) burgers do have a bleeding effect which is great for those trying to simulate meat, not so great for ethical eaters. Despite this they are easy to cook, taste great and are at the cheaper end of the meat free scale at just £1 per burger.
Vivera Veggie Steak – Tesco – This piece of ingenious plant wizardry brought delight to many folks moving away from the meat for reasons like health or sustainability. If you loved a good steak, then this is probably the closest you are going to get if you are dedicated to your new diet. Created by Vegan friendly company Vivera who make a selection of great convincingly meat-like foods including Shawarma and chicken bites, this chunk of meaty (but meatless) protein is made from Soy and wheat and will wash away your steak longing in a bite or two.
