The 5 Best “Meat” Substitutes on the Market

Being a foodie, you’d think I would have grown up with a a foodie family or put myself in a relationship with someone who was equally as passionate about food.

Wrong.

My Dad is a vegan and my boyfriend is a vegetarian. I figured since life gave me lemons (and I mean that in the nicest way possible), I would have to try and make lemon “chicken” out of it.

Whether you’re a vegetarian yourself, or know someone who is, navigating the grocery store to find the best meat alternatives can be challenging! Well, since I’ve tried them all, I am taking the guess work out of it for you.

Here is my list of the best meat alternative products on the market:

1)  Morning Star Farms: Original Sausage Patties: I literally can’t start my day without one of these delicious “sausage” patties.  I would even go as far as saying that these may taste better than some real frozen sausage patties on the market.

When I discovered these, it made breakfast time so much easier for me and my boyfriend! Now I don’t have to make 2 different types of breakfasts for us. We both now enjoy a “sausage”, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich or a delicious frittata with “sausage”, tomato and spinach.

They  come in two other delicious varieties: maple and hot and spicy. I’ve tried both and will proudly say you can’t go wrong with any of them!

2) Phoenix Bean Brand Tofu: Up until about four months ago, I absolutely refused to eat tofu. The mere thought of it actually made me quiver a little bit. This all changed when I went over to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park and saw this little tofu stand with samples. My boyfriend, Dan, bee-lined to this tiny tofu shop and I followed hesitantly.

After trying a couple of samples, I was officially hooked on this Chicago based tofu company. This brand comes in a million varieties and there are so many different ways to serve them. Check out their website to learn some cool recipes.

Sad news for all my friends not in the Midwest…they are currently only out here for now, but hopefully coming to a city near you soon!

3) Gardien: This product line is fantastic for vegetarians and vegans alike! They have an overwhelming variety of meat substitutes to choose from and some are better than others.

My favorites include:

a) The crispy tenders: Serve these in place of chicken tenders. Use them in a buffalo “chicken” wrap or with your favorite wing sauce

b) Mandarin orange crispy chick’n: This is by far my favorite flavor of the chick’n’s. It’s sweet, a little spicy and tangy. Make sure you cook these in a skillet or they can become a little soggy

c) Beefless sliders: These are perfect for whenever you’re having a BBQ and have a meatless friends coming. I promise, you can hardly taste the difference.

Check out their product page for more!

4) Eggplant: Typically whenever I make any sort of italian dish, I know I can substitute eggplant and everyone will be happy. Preparing eggplant properly can be tricky, so take a look at my Crispy Eggplant Recipe to see how to prep it before you cook it.

If you don’t follow my steps carefully, it could turn out bitter!

5) Boca Brand Ground Crumbles: If it’s one dish I love most in life, it’s tacos! Being in a relationship with a vegetarian forced me to find some alternative for the ground beef. After trying tons of different brands, I found Boca. 

Do me a favor, next time you want to make tacos, but have a vegetarian to cook for, substitute the ground beef for these ground “beef” crumbles and let me know if you can taste the difference (because I surely can’t)!

They also work well in pasta sauce, lasagna or even in a taco salad. The possibilities are truly endless with this delicious and nutritious product.

Well, thats my short list of best meat substitutes/alternatives on the market! So the next time you find yourself having to cook for a vegan or vegetarian, don’t worry! There are plenty of great products on the market to help turn your next meat-less dinner into a successful meal.

Love always,
Erica