Veganism: Meatless Substitutes

Best meat replacements former meat-lovers that don't have to miss for choosing to be a vegan.

Tofu.

Tofu is a great substitute for a variety of types of meat. Tofu is a food prepared from condensed soy milk. It's made to form solid white blocks of softness. There are a variety of different ways it can be made. It can be silken, soft, firm, or extra firm. Tofu isn't supposed to taste like meat, but for a cheap and simple meat substitute, it's worth the try. Tofu with ramen? Delicious. Tofu with soy sauce and rice? Yum. Plus, tofu is a good source to get protein.

MorningStar Farms veggie chicken nuggets.

These veggie nuggets are a dream come true for me. Literally. For years after becoming vegetarian the only meat I missed and craved was chicken nuggets. Everything I dream about eating meat was always McDonalds' chicken nuggets. Chicken nuggets were my favorite food growing up and now it's my favorite food again as a vegan adult. The brand also has a variety of other meat-free and dairy-free products, including MorningStar Farms' Buffalo Chik Patties, Buffalo Wings, and Chik’n Nuggets, and BBQ Chik’n Nuggets. The Buffalo Chik Patties is the perfect patty for those who loved eating spicy chicken sandwiches.

Beyond Meat.

According to Beyond Meat's website, ingredients for its plant-based patties include water, pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, rice protein and other natural flavors, including apple extract and beet juice extract to add color. Black-bean and garden veggie patties are nothing compared to the beyond meat patties. It does not look exactly like the real animal meat but it sure does taste like it. It’s so good the first time I tried it I was tempted to re-check the ingredients. It's just that good. There is also a vegan alternative to pork sausage called "Beyond Sausage."

Vegan pizza.

Make it or buy it, it's easy to get when craving pizza if know where. There are a few dairy-free frozen pizzas at target or simply ask for the vegan cheese when ordering at Blaze Pizza. Bakersfield Pizza Co also has vegan options, like vegan sliders, cheese fries, cauliflower wings, pizza, and ice cream.

Tofurky.

The holiday season is coming up and vegans who celebrate Thanksgiving with family or friends can sometimes feel left out. A traditional Thanksgiving meal consists of a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, some kind of dessert and more. Don't worry, there’s plenty of exciting Thanksgiving food alternatives.

Soy chorizo. Soy chorizo is a great way to eat breakfast burritos with potatoes.

Gardein Classic’s meatless meatballs.

Obviously, spaghetti can easily be made vegan, but what is spaghetti without meatballs? It’s not the same without it. Thankfully, Gardein Classic’s meatless meatballs solves that problem. Trader Joe’s also have meatless meatballs.

Some store-bought meat substitutes are not always 100 percent vegan. It’s a rookie mistake to not check the ingredients label to ensure the item does not include eggs or milk.