May is the perfect month to feature some of our favorite meat free options. There is currently a shortage of meat in the grocery stores with the pandemic happening. I shared a few of our favorite recipes here and wanted to dive into a couple options to help you turn your favorite recipes into meat free options.
There are two main ways kinds of meat substitutes to look for when trying to replace meat in your diet. We use both options depending on the dish and how much time and energy we want to spend cooking.
Simple Ingredient Swaps
The five foods on this list are great meat substitutes and they cover a range of textures and flavors. There is so many incredible vegan and vegetarian recipes, but I understand the desire to try and create versions of your favorite recipes. These are all great options and provide some great healthy benefits.
Cauliflower
This magical vegetable is a great meat substitute in my opinion. It’s a great source of vitamin C, protein and many great minerals. We always throw it in the oven with olive oil and then throw it in with sauce. It is a great vessel for the flavor without impacting it much. For example, adding buffalo sauce to Cauliflower creates a meat free version of wings. Another great option is slicing the vegetable into “steaks” – this recipe is wonderful.
Tempeh
We fell in love with Tempeh when we were in Bali last year. The vegetarian options there are incredible, but our favorite meal was just tempeh with veggies and rice. The texture is fantastic. We just throw it in the frying pan with some olive oil, peppers and any other veggies laying around. We usually add our own homemade sweet & sour sauce and then jasmine rice. I find it at Trader Joe’s in the refrigerated section in small bricks.
Beans
Even when I was still eating meat, I always preferred beans in my tacos and burritos. Now, I just use them in a lot more recipes. There is a bean for every kind of cuisine. We have been using this chili recipe for years and it is always a crowd pleaser. Black bean burgers are popular and easy to find. Chickpeas are another great option for any recipe with chicken or turkey. I’ve got these Asian Lentil Lettuce Wraps on our meal planning list for next week. There are just so many options to replace meat with beans and gain all the health benefits.
Tofu
This is the substitute we use the least. It’s mostly because we haven’t figured out how to cook it ourselves and love the texture. I wanted to include it on here because it’s another thing that we look for at restaurants. There is a tofu salad at the Loop Restaurant in Minneapolis that I absolutely love. Because there are so many incredible options, I haven’t spent a lot of time trying to perfect my tofu skills at home. Who knows if I’ll reach that level of quarantine?
Jackfruit
It may seem weird to include a fruit on this list, but Jackfruit is no ordinary fruit. If you have been to SE Asia, you may be concerned that this fruit looks like the stinky Durian, but this fruit will be a pleasant surprise. We don’t often prepare this at home, but it’s a favorite whenever we see it on restaurant menus. If you do want to prepare it, it’s usually located in the canned vegetable aisle or found frozen. It’s a great pork substitute, but it is another great vessel for sauce of all kinds. I found this great vegan crab cakes recipe and this “pulled pork” sandwich recipe if you want somewhere to start.
“Meat-free” Meat Substitutes
The other option for meat substitutes is fake meat or meat-free meat. This stuff has come a long way in the last five years. It used to just be one option when you wanted a vegetarian breakfast option for a burger. Since more and more people are exploring a meat free diet, many talented culinary geniuses have stepped forward and provided some amazing options. Of all the different meat substitutes out there, these are the ones that we love most.
Beyond Meat
This LA company started a little over 10 years ago, but has begun to expand their distribution nationwide in the last few years. The Beyond Burgers are found in a lot of restaurants now and they are really good. We also buy the packaged “beef” at the grocery store to make meatball hoagies using this recipe.
Impossible Foods
The other burger that we will always try at restaurants is the Impossible Burger. This company just became a big partner of Burger King with the introduction of the Impossible Whopper. While we aren’t big fans of fast food, it did help us out on our recent road trip through South Dakota when there wasn’t much for options. I prefer their non BK stuff, but it’s an option in those desperate moments. We haven’t tried any of their other products yet, but I can definitely vouch for the Impossible Burger.
Sweet Earth
In the frozen section of the grocery store, you’ll find a few options for easy microwave meals. We always keep a couple for those days when everything seems too hard. Sweet Earth has some great burritos, protein bowls and some amazing green chile breakfast sausage options. I haven’t tried their pizzas yet, but I’m changing that after perusing their website today.
Trader Joe’s
I love Trader Joe’s and do the majority of our grocery shopping there. I’ve already mentioned the Tempeh we buy there in the previous section, but there are tons of amazing meat free options there. The freezer section has some incredible options for breakfast sandwiches and meals made with seitan protein instead of meat.
The Herbivorous Butcher
In the middle of northeast Minneapolis, you will find our absolute favorite producer of meat substitutes. The good news is that you don’t need to live in Minneapolis to try it. They deliver their products to all 50 states. We just treated ourselves to an order and it arrived in a small box with cooler packs and all the packaging was recyclable. They offer a variety of meat free meats and cheese free cheeses. All vegan, all the time.
Our favorites are their deli turkey, the mango habanero ribs and their chicken which can be used for a ton of different dishes. If you are local, make sure to follow them on Facebook and see what hot & ready meals they are serving each week. Here is their website for more information.
What Meat Substitutes are your favorites?
Have you tried any of these? Let me know what your favorites are and I will give them a try.
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