5 foods of plant origin to replace meat

A healthy diet must include food quality protein with a good nutritional value. Whether you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet or if you want to include more vegetable protein and minimize meat consumption in your menus, These five vegetable proteins are the perfect alternative to replace meat in your recipes.

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Seitan

Be careful if you are celiac or gluten intolerant because seitan is a preparation based on wheat gluten. This ‘meat’ vegetable is rich in proteins and minerals such as calcium or potassium so if you have problems with high blood pressure you should not abuse its consumption. It is a food that facilitates digestion, has few calories and is highly satiating, besides being heart healthy.

You can cut it raw to add to salads or sandwiches, stew, batter or fry it, make seitan burgers, stewed meatballs … in short, you can treat the product as if it were an animal meat because it admits the same elaborations and even more.

Tempeh

The tempeh It is a derivative of soy that comes from the controlled natural fermentation of it. It has its origin in Indonesia where it is consumed regularly thanks to its large contribution of protein to the diet.

Thanks to its fermentation process, Tempeh becomes a probiotic food that favors the creation of digestive enzymes and helps regulate the microbiota and the intestinal flora, being almost a food-medicine. It provides vitamin B12 and is a source of calcium, phosphorus and iron.

You can prepare tempeh marinated, garlic, grilled, with vegetables, tomato sauce, fried, make Russian meatballs or steaks, to add in soups and stews … a very interesting product at a nutritional level that is most versatile.

Tofu

It may be the best known vegetable protein so far, Tofu is a food that has been used for many years in Asia because it is an extraordinary source of protein. It is a derivative of soy that is obtained from curdling soy milk with a coagulant, it has essential amino acids that help reduce cholesterol.

Although tofu is quite tasteless, Having a spongy texture, it quickly absorbs the rest of the flavors you add on the plate. Prepare it in soup, stews, stew, fried, sauteed … it fits well with almost any accompaniment and is a very satiating and nutritious food.

Quorn

One of the less known ‘meats’ in our country but enjoying a lot of fame outside our borders. The Quorn is made from a fungus which is fermented in barrels. TIt has a meat-like taste and is widely used in the United Kingdom, France or the US to replace chicken. If you are vegan or have an allergy to eggs or milk, look carefully at the ingredients because these products are originally found in their elaboration although now you can find vegan versions in many establishments.

You can cook it exactly the same as you would with the chicken, in a curry, breaded, fried, in salad, croquettes … a protein food of plant origin to take into account and not lose track.

Textured soybeans

It has more and more followers and is that textured soy is very easy to prepare and gives a lot of play in the kitchen. It is obtained by degreasing soybeans to make soybean oil, the remaining solid residue is subjected to a series of processes that give rise to textured soybeans, that kind of crumbs or ‘meat’ vegetable minced and dehydrated that we are already used to seeing in supermarkets.

Textured soy It is a natural food and a great source of fiber and protein, it is free of additives, preservatives and dyes. It is an antioxidant and helps fight the damage caused by free radicals that cause premature aging of the body.

Being dehydrated textured soybeans has a long expiration date and is also very easy to prepare. You can make with it Bolognese sauce, hamburgers, make morunos skewers, add it to stews … This prepared with vegetables would be another of the great alternatives to the meat in our days.