Beans, legumes are not the only type of meat substitutes, in fact, the top 3 are Tofu, Tempeh and Seitan. Read more to find out why.
Top 3 Vegan Meat Substitutes
- Seitan is a high protein food made from cooking down wheat flour until all of the starch has been removed.
- Tempeh has a nutty flavour and works brilliantly for burgers, soups, and chillis
- Tofu doesn’t have much taste, but extremely versatile and can be turned into almost anything, meat, chicken, scramble eggs? You name it.
They Contain More Protein than Meat
Seitan, also known as the plant-protein rich meat substitute contain approx. 20 grams of Protein per 100 grams, which is similar, although more than to chicken or meat, which contains around 16 grams of Protein in Chicken, or 19 grams of Protein in Meat. Obviously, Seitan, Tempeh and Tofu are all plant-based which means that the protein is easier absorbed by the body, as the satuated fats and the state of the meat can have a huge impact on whether the body can digest the meat.
They are Versatile
While you can cut them and marinade them like chicken or meat, they can even be turned into scrambled eggs (tofu), or croutons for your salads. They are very versatile, which can come in hand as they not only have a longer expiration date, they can become a chicken or meat substitute in any form you like. Feel like Chicken nuggets? what about beef-soup? It’s all possible with the same three plant based wonders.
They are Cheaper
Now, I’d be a fool to mention the price as that depends on where you live, and what you can get. However, they are usually cheaper in terms of what you get for the price. If you buy organic grass-fed meat, or chicken you’ll likely be paying three if not 4 times the price of the plant based substitutes.
They are Healthier
Now, I saved this point for last, as it’s probably the most obvious, but also most important. They are healthier, for you and for the environment. CO2 is not heavily overproduced to make either three plant based options, and they don’t contain chemicals or minerals injected in them that are ‘trade secrets’ of a company. Well.. maybe… but still, you ought to consider before passing on these three plant based wonders.