Easy Meat Substitutes

The first year of my vegetarian diet was tough, I'll admit that right up front. I had no idea how to properly prepare meals that contained enough protein, iron, and other nutrients. I ate a lot of salads and carbs. Though I eventually figured out that you can balance your diet to include non-meat products and still get all the protein your body requires, I depended heavily on meat substitute products in those first twelve months of my new diet.


This article in the Guardian from 2010 sums up most people's opinion of meat substitutes. When offered fake bacon, my grandkids made their yucky faces and refused to eat it. The fact is, some meat substitutes are better than others, and you have to use trial and error to find out what sorts of substitute protein products your family likes. It also helps if you get creative in the kitchen.

Here's an example of a great way to incorporate a meat substitute into an existing dish - these fake-meat Italian-style meatballs can be used in place of actual meatballs for spaghetti, sub sandwiches, or any other recipe that calls for meatballs. The great thing about recipes like this is that 90% of people won't be able to tell that they're not eating meat. It's not about being sneaky, it's about feeding people healthier food that still satisfies their appetite and tastes just as good as the real thing.

The easiest meat substitute, in my opinion, is the fake ground beef sold under a wide variety of labels in the frozen foods aisle. With this product, you get just as much protein and just as many nutrients as you'd get with real ground beef, except you're not actually eating beef. That means any recipe you already make that calls for ground beef can be altered by simply buying the fake ground beef product and using it instead of the real deal.