The worst part of being vegan is not being able to eat meat like everyone else. Although many people don’t miss the actual meat they do miss the taste. The best way to do that is with a plant based meat substitute. Through my experience I have tried different plant based options that I have loved and hated. Here are my top 5 favorite plant based meat replacers!
- Light Life Plant Based Deli Turkey
When I ate meat one of my favorite items to gave for lunch was a turkey sub something simple and easy to make when being in college. Since going to a plant based diet I have missed the convenience that comes a long with a good sandwich. When I first saw this product in my local Price Chopper I was interested because I didn’t know what the taste and texture would be but after trying it i was pleasantly surprised. Other than turkey they also had available Bologna and Ham but i’m not the biggest fan of either of those so I decided not to try them but im sure they would taste just as similar to the real things as the turkey was.
2. Beyond Meat Plant Based Burgers
Over the summers my family cooks a lot on the grill and since becoming a vegetarain almost 10 years ago finding the best veggie burger was always tough. Although there are many options out in the world there was never an option that actually looked, tasted and felt like a real burger when you bit into it. After trying the beyond burger my outlook on plant based burgers has completely changed. It looks and tastes just like the real thing. By far one of my favorite meals to have during the summer!
3. Beyond Meat Beef Crumbles
One of my favorite dinners to make is tacos, burritos and quesadillas. On a school night the Beyond Meat Beef crumbles are one of the easiest and quickest options for me. Takes under 5 minutes to make and is absolutely amazing. I used to get the Morning Star Farms Veggie Crumbles but after trying the Beyond Meat option it became my new favorite plant based ground beef. The meat is already seasoned but i usually had a little seasonings of my own to add a little extra kick. My favorite way to eat them is in a small tortilla with some lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream (the brand I use is WayFare Dairy Free Sour Cream. Tastes the most like the real thing), and some fresh limes.
4. Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
One of my favorite vegan food bloggers on youtube is Julien Solomita. He uploads vegan and gluten free meals that he has never eaten or tried to make for himself before. One video that he made was titled Making wings but instead of the chicken bone its a cauliflower and that concept made me laugh but was also made me very curious to how it tasted. I’ve seen other Plant based buffalo wing recipes in the past but never one quite like this. After watching the video it made me want to try it for myself. After trying it was pleasantly surprised in now good it actually was. If you’d like to check that video out heres the link to the video.
5. Upton’s Jackfruit Pulled Pork
I know sounds kinda weird. A pulled pork sandwich made out of jackfruit?? what?? Sounds so strange but once you try it you’ll be surprised how similar and delicious it actually is. The texture is extremely similar to the texture of pork would be. The way that Upton’s does it makes it almost unrecognizable to the real thing. Throw this is the crock pot for an hour and you’re good to go with some easy vegan pulled pork sandwiches.
The College Vegan 