Want to eat less meat? Welcome to 2020, where there’s an entirely new alternative- meat landscape exploding in our food culture. For the uninitiated, a first trip down alt-meat lane might feel like a series of blind dates. Before you swipe left on something you’re unsure of, it pays to do some homework. That’s why we created a lineup of eight of the most popular meat substitutes, and a flowchart to help guide you to the one that is right for you — consider it a first date, but one that may lead to a lifetime of plant-based love.
New Year, Time for a New Meat Substitute
While vegetarians and vegans have long enjoyed plant-based diets, a growing sense of both the health benefits of adding more vegetables to one’s diet, plus increasing awareness of climate change and the effect meat production has on the environment, are inspiring both meat-avoiders and omnivores alike to experiment more with meatless meals.
And there are more options than ever, including new-wave vegan foods and meatless meats intended to mimic the real thing. Restaurants, from tiny burger joints to national chains, are getting in on the trend, sparking people’s curiosity and willingness to try a plant-based burger. Some of these, like the Impossible Burger, have the buzz and energy of a new tech startup and a rush on their IPO. Others have millennia of history. In fact, it’s important if you’re new to the alt-meat space to recognize that jackfruit, seitan, tofu, and tempeh are not novel or exotic new proteins for an age freshly interested in meatless eating. They’re staples of culinary cultures that have long histories and connections to these ingredients, and listening to the cooking of those cultures is a great place to start.
So, with all the alternative meat choices now available, you might find yourself having a minor panic attack in what used to be called “the tofu section” of your local grocery store: You want to bravely forge ahead and put yourself out there with a new vegetable protein… but which one?