Anyone who follows any type of diet will feel hungry from time to time. At this point, when your stomach growls and you reach for food, most people are at their weakest. This is especially true when it comes time for a big meal like lunch or dinner. These meals generally consist of a sizeable portion of meat for most people. For vegetarians, there is a wide range of delicious foods for you to eat when you experience these hunger pangs. These include grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, and meat substitutes.
Now, before we get started and talk about meat substitutes, it would be helpful for us to define the term in a simple way. Meat substitutes are grains and vegetables that are shaped to look and taste like different types of meat. There are meat substitutes for everything from turkey to breakfast sausage, but soy burgers and tofu are the most recognized meat substitutes.
With soy and tofu you can get the same nutritional value as a similar sized serving of real meat (this includes protein). They are by far the easiest to find and cook. Most grocery stores and supermarkets have at least one of these products available. But the best thing about vegetarian diets is that they are very flexible and easy to manipulate. If you’re looking for a meat substitute, it’s possible to form your own empanadas using many different types of vegetables.
The easiest homemade empanadas can be made with lentils and chickpeas. These are moistened, combined with any other desired vegetables, and then shaped however you like. There are also meat substitutes that you can buy to add to your homemade empanadas. One of these products is surimi. This is a mixture of flavorings that you can add to your empanadas that will give it an interesting fishy flavor. It’s a great flavor substitute for crab meat!
While soy and tofu are undoubtedly the most popular store-bought meat substitutes, and lentils and chickpeas make great homemade patties, it’s important to remember that in order for your “meat” to taste good, you’ll need to prepare it with different ingredients. marinades and spices This is a very important step in discovering how tasty these products can be. It’s a big jump from real beef or chicken to soy and tofu, so make that jump one step smaller with the right seasonings. The best method here is to season your meat substitute the same way you would your real meat. If you like garlic, salt, and pepper on your meat, try it in its substitute. If you prefer a certain marinade, use that!
Meat cravings are absolutely the most common feelings for both new vegetarians and longtime vegetarians. It’s true that meat provides us with high levels of protein, but a whole food, plant-based diet can help us get all the protein we need. Next you have a craving for meat, consider some of the many meat substitutes available on the market or try making your own. It’s not the same as real meat, but if you do it the right way, it can get pretty close!