Meat substitutes | Do you know the best ones?

Vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming more and more popular. As follows, we can find more and more meat substitutes. If this tendency persists, it’s likely that next generations will completely give up meat.

We definitely know what the consequences of eating too much meat are (e.g. increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and atherosclerosis). Apart from this, there’s also the economic aspect. Producing and processing meat consumes large quantities of water, electricity, and soil. Luckily, the public awareness about this topic has increased significantly which has contributed to people being more willing to change their dietary behavior. What can help with this is alternative protein sources such as:

Tofu

It’s one of the first and most popular substitutes. It is made in the coagulation of soy drink. It is also available as a finished product but we encourage you to prepare it yourself. Tofu recipe is quite simple:

1. If you haven’t bought soy drink, you can prepare it yourself:
   soak soybeans in water, grind and then drain them: this will make soy milk and soy pulp, professionally called okara.
2. Drained soy milk combine with lemon juice – as a result you’ll get tofu lumps that need to be drained

TVP– Textured vegetable protein

This is also a product based on soy. It’s made from defatted soy flour. It’s available to buy as a granulated product, flakes, or small bits. TVP is considered to be a meat substitute. Among other things, soy chops are made from it.

Tempeh

Also a soy product but fermented. It is mainly used as fish substitute as tempeh resembles fish meat. Tempeh has a specific nut-mushroom taste. You can make it yourself:

1. Soak soybeans in water
2. Put them in a pot and cook with vinegar
3. Strain them and cool them down
4. Add fungal spores of Rhizopus oligosporus.
5. Keep the product in the temperature 30-40 C for 24 or 48 hours.

Yuba

Looks and tastes like chicken. It’s made from soy in the process of soy drink pasteurization. In the process, protein resembling milk skin forms on the surface of the liquid. Then it is gathered, cut into strips, and dried. Before using the  ready product, you should soak it. Yuba is sold in shops with Asian food.

Seitan

This product is exceptional because it’s made from wheat flour. It consists almost entirely of gluten so it’s not recommended for people who suffer from celiac syndrome. It has a neutral flavor but easily absorbs the flavor of the brew that is cooked in. You can buy it or make it yourself.

These substitutes provide the right amount of protein without meat consumption.

Still, remember to be rational – eating meat is beneficial because it is the only source of assimilable iron and vitamin B12.