Transcript
If you want to eat less meat, popular plant-based meats like the Impossible Burger aren’t your only option. Vegan meat substitutes are just 1 of 8 ways that you can replace meat in your meals. Let’s get into ‘em.
1 / Vegetables
The first way to replace meat is with vegetables.
Stuffed peppers, stuffed squash, or even loaded baked potatoes make great main dishes.
Portobello mushrooms are good on a burger or sandwich. You could also make a veggie burger with vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
Smaller bite-sized vegetables can be a great substitute for meat in pasta.
Chunky vegetables, like potatoes and carrots are great in soups and stews.
2 / Beans
The second way to replace meat is with beans.
Beans are hearty and full of fiber. And that fiber helps keep you full.
Beans are great in burgers and patties, like black bean burgers or falafel.
They’re a perfect substitute for meat in chili.
Beans can make a great main dish too. Think chickpea and lentil curries.
Beans are great on salads and tacos. Take the flavor up a notch by quickly sautéing them in a small amount of oil and seasoning them with a spice blend. My favorites are Emeril’s Essence and Mrs. Dash Chicken Grilling Blend.
1 / Tofu
Tofu is the third way to replace meat.
Firm and extra firm tofu are usually the best textures for main dishes. Save the silken or soft tofu for smoothies and baking.
Tofu is a perfect stand-in for meat as a main dish. It can be marinated or even just coated with a little oil and a dry rub and baked. You can also dry fry it and toss it with a delicious sauce. One of my favorite ways to cook tofu is to braise it. This method really helps the tofu absorb the flavors. I have recipes for all of these methods in my cookbook and a few here on my channel.
Tofu is a perfect addition to salads, tacos, stir-fries, and sandwiches.
One of my favorite sandwiches at a local restaurant is a beer battered fried tofu sandwich.
4 / Tempeh
Tempeh is the 4th way to replace meat. Tempeh is a traditional soy product from Indonesia. It’s made using a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form.
And honestly, it looks gross. BUT if it’s prepared well, it can be really good. Remember the famous Whole Foods TTLA sandwich made popular by Tabitha Brown? That was tempeh.
I love braised tempeh. It can also be marinated and baked. Slice it thinly and the tempeh will really be able to soak up the flavor.
Tempeh is a perfect stand-in for meat as a main dish and it’s great on sandwiches, in pasta, stir-fries, salads, and tacos.
5 / Seitan
Seitan is the fifth way to replace meat.
Seitan is made with vital wheat gluten flour and is sometimes called wheat meat. That doesn’t sound appetizing either. I know.
Seitan is great as a main dish. It’s tricky to make, but you can buy it pre-made in the store. Upton's Naturals, Field Roast, and No Evil Foods are great brands.
Seitan is also perfect on salads, in stir-fries, on tacos, and on sandwiches.
6 / TVP
TVP is the sixth way to replace meat.
TVP stands for textured or texturized vegetable protein. It’s also known as textured soy protein, soy meat, or soya chunks. It comes in different forms, like crumbles and chunks.
TVP crumbles are a good substitute for ground meat in dishes like spaghetti and chili.
TVP also works well in salads and tacos.
TVP crumbles make a great sloppy joe. I have a recipe for that on this channel. They would also make a great chopped cheese sandwich.
7/ Soy Curls
Soy Curls are the seventh way to replace meat.
Soy curls look like they could be another form of TVP, and honestly for awhile I thought they were. But actually they’re dehydrated whole soybeans. So if you wanna focus on whole foods, there you go!
As far as I know, Butler Foods is the only manufacturer of soy curls. I’ve purchased them directly from their website and from Amazon.
Soy curls might be the most versatile of the meat substitutes.
They’re a perfect stand-in for meat as a main dish. They’re a great substitute for chicken in pasta and beef or chicken in stir-fries.
They’re perfect on salads and tacos.
They’re great on sandwiches, like a BBQ sandwich or a gyro.
And soy curls are perfect for giving you a meaty texture in soups and stews. I have a delicious recipe for chicken noodle soup using soy curls in my cookbook.
8 / Plant-Based Meat
Plant-Based Meat is the eighth way to replace meat. This is the category that you probably hear the most about. You can buy almost any meat that you can think of: ground beef, chicken, roasts, meatballs, fish, and sausage.
With all 8 of these options, there’s no way that you can’t find at least 3 meals that you can veganize for meatless Monday and start eating less meat. Check out some of the recipes that I mentioned in this playlist.
