The Best Plant Alternatives to Meat

Moving Mountains Foods (sold in shops and wholesale to hotels and restaurants) is one of the better brands, made with pea protein and sold in easy-to-recycle packaging.

This brand sells burgers and other faux meats like sausages and hot dogs, along with faux fish fillets and fish fingers (as good as the captain’s!)

Avoid sausages for young children and choking hazards. Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (keep these items away from animal friends, as some ingredients may not be safe).

Most councils now offer soft plastic packaging. If not, use supermarket plastic recycling bins.

The brand was founded by a vegetarian entrepreneur, who was told by his GP to give up dairy for his health. He did, and now this brand sells millions of plant-based alternatives to the masses.

Their burgers hold up well for a barbecue or in a pan, always staying tender and moist. You’ll also find faux versions of chicken, beef and pork.

There are also plant-based versions of:

• Beef (including bolognese mince and ‘meatballs’)
• Pork (including hot dog sausages)
• Chicken (including nuggets)

Heura (sustainable plant foods from Barcelona)

Heura is a fresh brand of sustainable plant foods, created by young team in the beautiful coastal Spanish city of Barcelona. Their range is sold widely throughout grocery stores in Europe, making a real in-road as alternatives to meat, made from natural tasty ingredients, in sustainable packaging. Try making this simple vegan Heura cheeseburger.

The main ingredient in all their products are legumes (beans, pulses, lentils etc) which are natural and high in protein. They are ground to a kind of vegetable flour, which forms the base. Then pressed in a special way for texture (similar to how pasta and cereal is made), and marinated in olive oil and herbs.

The protein is from soya (chicken-like products) or pea protein (beef-like products). The soya does not come from the rainforest (and it should be noted that 77% of soya used worldwide is to feed animals killed for meat, most is not eaten by humans).

As well as being kind to animals and having no cholesterol (but higher in fibre and iron than meat), Heura products have 83% lower carbon footprint than meat. The brand is promoted by the female Barcelona football team!

The range includes:

• Frankfurters & Sausages
• Herby Burgers and F*sh Fillets
• Tex Mex or Mediterranean Chunks
• Chick’n Fillet Burgers & Nuggets
• Vegan Ham & Chorizo
• Vegan Mince & Meatballs

Plant-Based Alternatives to KFC (fried chicken)

Most meat fast food joints use factory-farmed meat. Yet buckets of fried chicken are one of the most popular meals in England. Meat that is not free-range (just recognised by Red Tractor) is not ranked well by animal welfare organisations.

KFC has recently said it will be going back on its pledge to use slower-growing chickens (with better welfare) as it can’t find enough chickens? And it fries its chips in chicken fat.

Chickens (related to dinosaurs) are now the most over-bred (25 billion and counting) and abused creatures on earth.

VFC was founded by the co-founder of Veganuary with a chef (who he took to visit a chicken farm). This ‘chicken’ is high in protein and tastes as good, you’ll find it in most supermarkets including budget ones (Lidl and Aldi).

Based on the target slaughter weight of a chicken in the UK (and percentage being edible), they estimate one chicken’s life is saved for each 1.5kg they sell.

Made from wheat protein in corn coating, you can bake it in the oven or air-fry, or pan-fry. Full instructions on the packets.

Look in stores for Heura Plant-Based Nuggets (made in Barcelona by a young fresh sustainable team). Serve with home-baked fries and ketchup.

MATR (natural plant foods from Denmark)

MATR is a climate-friendly plant food from Denmark, made from just five organic ingredients. Unlike some meat alternatives that are based on fake ingredients and palm oil, this is made from oats, split peas, potatoes, beetroot and lupins from Nordic farms, along with natural fungi spores.

Lupin is a common allergen. Avoid fermented foods for pregnancy/nursing, children and weak immunity. Keep away from pets, due to fungi.

Fermented fungi may not sound very appetising, but it creates umami flavour (something that only a few foods have – Parmesan cheese which is not even vegetarian, is one example).

The brand was founded by a team of experts in various fields: chefs, microbiologists and food entrepreneurs, who wished to create a food that goes beyond the usual ‘beetroot patties’ or ‘meat made from soy or peas’.

Mycelium (fungi) transforms the five base ingredients into a nutritious food that releases tasty amino acids and starches, that also brown beautifully (like meat) when cooked.