If you’re trying to cut meat out from your diet, good on you. It’s better for you to not eat meat, and it’s better for the planet. Not to mention it’s more ethical to not eat animals! But what can you even eat if you can’t have burgers and hot dogs? Here are fifteen plant-based substitutes that don’t suck.
Impossible Foods Chicken Nuggets
Impossible Foods makes some stellar meat substitutes. One of their best items is their imitation chicken nuggets. Given that “real” chicken nuggets are already made from a foul meat slurry, this item is essentially the same thing—breaded protein materials you can dip into delicious sauces.
Gardein Plant-Based F’sh Filets
In a similar vein, Gardein’s Plant-Based F’sh Filets take a breaded food item that already uses heavily blended ingredients and makes an impressive plant-based facsimile. These filets are perfect for sandwiches and all but the most discerning of palettes won’t be able to tell a difference.
MorningStar Farms Veggie Chik’n Strips
If you’ve got a picky eater in the house who really just wants chicken strips all the time but you’re trying to go meatless, try MorningStar Farms’ Veggie Chik’n Strips. They taste just as good as the real thing and they’re not made from birds!
Beyond Meat Burgers
This one opens a lot of peoples’ eyes when they first taste it. Beyond Meat Burgers somehow get the flavor and texture of a beef patty just right without using any products from a cow. It’s the gold standard for vegetarian substitutes.
Beyond Meat Steak Seared Tips
If you’re looking for something a bit fancier than a hamburger, how about some steak? Beyond Meat has you covered there, too, with their Beyond Steak Seared Tips. They taste just like steak and are the perfect receptacle for your favorite steak sauce.
MorningStar Farms Corndogs
There’s nothing quite like a tasty corndog on a summer day after swimming or visiting a carnival. If you want a corndog with no meat, your best bet is the delicious option from MorningStar Farms, a meatless corndog that is very easy to mistake for the “real” thing.
Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices
One drawback to being a vegetarian is that the easiest lunch in the world—the deli-style sandwich with turkey and mayo—goes out the window. Or does it? Tofurky’s Hickory Smoked Deli Slices are perfect for sandwiches and will make your lunchbox happy!
MorningStar Farms Breakfast Sausage
You don’t even need to skip breakfast meat when you go vegetarian. You can pick up MorningStar Farms Breakfast Sausage and get a genuinely convincing imitation of the breakfast classic. It’s all in the smokey, sage-forward flavor with these sausages!
Impossible Foods Burgers
Beyond Meat’s burger is phenomenal, and the same goes for Impossible Foods take on the tried-and-true meatless patty, too. You can’t go wrong with either, so try them both out and see which overall texture and cooking performance you prefer!
Lightlife Smart Dogs Plant-Based Hot Dogs
Are you interested in having folks over for a cookout, but you’re worried about eating hot dogs made from meat? Lightlife makes plant-based hot dogs that cook up beautifully on the grill and taste just as good as the real thing.
Beyond Meat Sausages Hot Italian Style
If you’re looking for a non-breakfast sausage, Beyond Meat’s got you covered with their spicy Italian-style offering. These zesty, yummy sausages amply imitate the overall flavor and texture of pork-based versions with all plant-based ingredients!
Upton Naturals Vegan Bar-B-Que Jackfruit
Jackfruit is an unusual fruit that can do an unbelievable pulled pork impersonation. The texture is spot-on, and with the right seasoning it tastes the part, too. Upton Naturals taps into this biological coincidence with its Vegan Bar-B-Que Jackfruit product.
Beyond Meatballs
This one seems like it’d be the easiest to get right, but it’s still worth noting that Beyond Meat hit it out of the park. A home run is a home run, even if the pitch was slow and over the plate! Beyond Meatballs are perfect for spaghetti dinner night.
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Noble Plate Plant-Based Meatless Crumbles
If you’re looking for something plant-based to go into sloppy joes or to top your veggie dogs, Noble Plate’s Plant-Based Meatless Crumbles are just what you need. These crumbles imitate the texture of ground beef incredibly well and are very versatile in the kitchen!
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Dr. Praeger’s Heirloom Beans Veggie Burgers
Finally, if you’re looking for a more old-school bean burger instead of the more modern meat imitators, then you should try out Dr. Praeger’s Heirloom Beans Veggie Burgers. They’re healthy, tasty, and don’t try to mimic the texture of meat.
