Soya & Meat Alternative

With many traditional meals often including meat, as a vegan, you may be looking for some meat alternatives that you can have in your recipes as a substitute. 

In the UK, the choice of plant-based, vegan meat alternatives has boomed in the last few years. With so many products aiming to resemble the taste and texture of meat and traditional meat alternatives, you'll easily find a great vegan meat substitute to use in your cooking. 

What are vegan meat alternatives?

There are now many vegan meat and fish alternatives available. The number of products is ever-increasing as we see more and more people choose to go plant-based for health, moral or sustainability reasons.

You may be thinking, what actually are meat alternatives? Well, there are so many options out there, but the most popular include:

• Tofu
• Soya protein
• Tempeh
• Seitan/wheat protein
• Black beans
• Chickpeas
• Pea protein

Perfect for replacing meat in many recipes and packed full of nutrients and protein, these substitutes make it hard to notice a difference from regular meat products.

The best meat substitutes for your recipes

If your recipe calls for a meat product, why not swap it out for a meat substitute? 

Mock duck is a product made from seitan, a form of wheat gluten, making it an excellent protein source. Perfect for including in meals which call for traditional duck meat, you can eat this meat alternative in a stir-fry, casserole or even on its own. 

Jackfruit has grown in popularity over the years due to its uncanny likeness to pulled pork or chicken. Jackfruit is, in fact, a fruit that is native to southern India and Malaysia. With its soft, chewy consistency, jackfruit is great to add to your tacos, stir-fries or even pizza. 

The best soya meat alternatives

Soy protein contains all nine essential amino acids and vitamin B, which makes soy protein products a popular meat substitute. 

Including soy products, like soy mince or soy chunks, into your favourite meals makes an excellent replacement for traditional meat products.

Soya mince is an excellent alternative to beef, pork or turkey mince and is a great addition to all your favourite comfort foods like chilli, spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne, and shepherd's pie. A great go-to substitute as it is easy to cook, meat-free, and protein-packed, try the Holland and Barrett Savoury Soya Mince Protein today. 

Best fish substitutes

For an alternative to fish, the Loma Linda Tuno Mayo is an excellent substitute for tuna. With the same flaky texture and high in protein, use this tuna meat alternative in salads, sandwiches, and pasta salads. If spice is your thing, try the Loma Linda Tuno in Sweet Chilli for a hint of heat. 

Vegan meat replacement recipes

Check out our vegan recipes on the Health Hub if you feel stuck in a rut with your vegan meals. You will find everything from vegan chilli to tofu tacos and vegan Caesar salads here.