Best vegan meat substitutes: Tasty plant-based alternatives to try for Veganuary and beyond

Beyond simply Veganuary, we are all making strides to reduce the amount of meat that we eat - if not for the environment than at least for health reasons. According to a study published in the journal, The Lancet Planetary Health, daily meat consumption fell by almost a fifth between 2008-09 and 2018-19.

You don’t have to be following a vegetarian or following an entirely plant-based lifestyle to make simple changes to your diet. Opting for just two days a week without meat can have a huge impact on the planet - by reducing methane emissions from cattle and sheep and freeing up land for carbon-absorbing trees and natural landscapes. On a health level, excessive meat diets can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer and coronary heart disease.

It’s never been easier to switch to meat-free munch. Innovation and quality in carnivore-worthy no-meat meat substitutes has come on leaps and bounds in the last couple of years to coincide with the ever-increasing demand. Mintel reveals that almost a quarter of all new food products launched in the UK in 2021 were vegan.

There’s an appetite for change and food producers and restaurants everywhere are following suit. You only need to look at the popularity of the sell-out Greggs’ vegan sausage roll, the McPlant burger becoming a permanent fixture on the fast food chain’s menu as well as new offerings from the likes of Shake Shack and Subway who have both launched plant-based meal alternatives that are indistinguishable from the real thing.

These plant-powered replacements are often composed of pea, soya or mushroom that make for a far more sustainable option than meat. Soya, in particular, is packed with protein and fibre and requires no deforestation, while having a very fast growth rate.

Below we’ve gathered the best to help inspire your next supermarket shop.

Moving Mountains

Whether you are trying a plant-based diet for the first time, a flexitarian or have yet to experience the joy of Moving Mountains, you’re in for a treat. The brand offers some of the most true to life substitutes to elevate your meat-free Mondays and beyond.

Moving Mountains is an independent British food tech company that has made great strides in the vegan market. Driven by a desire to live a more sustainable life, while being kind to the planet and our health, founder Simeon Van der Molen put his 20 years of experience to work. He created not only the plant-based label that we are discussing here but also Ecozone (see our edit of natural cleaning products to find out more). Each to market launch is designed to replicate its meat or fish-based predecessor in taste, texture and satisfaction in the most authentic way.

While the brand may be best known for its burgers and meatballs, pay attention too to the fish offering. It has the same succulent and realistic flaky consistency as well as the crunch you’d hope for from golden breadcrumbs. Serve up with vinegar-doused chips and mushy peas for the ultimate signature British grub. Both the Fish Filet (£3.99) and Fish Fingers (£3.50) are free from microplastics and mercury with the former packing 10g of protein and 4.5g of fibre within each 100g serving.

Used by top vegan (and non-vegan) amateur chefs across the country, Moving Mountains’ burger is one of the best on the market. It is crafted entirely from plant protein but retains the juicy element that you’d come to expect from a traditional burger. Similarly, the meatballs are oozing with succulent flavour and is full of herbaceous flavour.

Buy now £3.50, Ocado

THIS

So confident is pioneering plant-based label THIS that you’ll savour every bit of its meat-free meals that the brand is running a campaign for the month of January 202. They’re offering a money back guarantee to those staunchly carnivorous Brits who don’t think its products aren’t “meaty enough”.

Securing your successful meat reduction or vegan resolutions, THIS lives up in the taste and texture department. Bestsellers include the THIS™ Isn’t Bacon, THIS™ Isn’t Pork Sausages and THIS™ Isn’t Chicken, all of which are stocked at any major retailer.

Co-founded by Pete Sharman and Andy Shovel, the brand has conviction in its products. Shovel reveals, “We recently fooled a fourth-generation pig farmer into thinking our sausages were real pork.”

They opt for an innovative combination of pea protein, soya and vegetable fibres that give a true-to-life feel, while packing in tons of flavour. The label has been fooling customers, chefs and celebrities alike as to the meat likeness of the product. You won’t be disappointed.

Buy now £2.95, Tesco

Beyond Meat

You will have no doubt heard of Beyond Meat even if you aren’t well-versed in the vegan sphere. The label is behind the meat substitutes at some of the biggest chains across the country, including McDonald’s all-vegan McPlant, mentioned earlier. The label’s pea protein patty is combined with vegan cheese, a vegan sesame bun, and all the classic condiments and vegetables with seriously tasty results.

You’ll also find the meat-free substitute in Starbucks and as part of Pizza Hut’s new permanent menu, helpfully named the Beyond Meat pizzas (Beyond Italian Style Sausage, Beyond Beef Crumbles and Beyond Pork Crumbles).

Using zero GM, the Beyond Meat range is composed of peas, beans, potatoes and brown rice that yield impressive sources of proteins, fats, minerals, carbs and more to ensure you are getting a balanced diet. Through a method of heating, cooling and pressure, it results in a fibrous texture for that meaty experience.

The range consists of the Beyond Burger, Beyond Mince and Beyond Sausages that have a tender and succulent quality and can form the basis of your favourite recipes - be it beef wellington, spaghetti bolognese or sausage and mash - by switching up the protein source.

Buy now £3.00, Sainsbury’s

Quorn

Quorn is probably one of the most widely-known and immediately recognisable of all the vegan alternatives. The bright orange branding has been gracing TV ads for years and the word has almost become synonymous with vegetarian mince.

Not content on resting on its laurels, the Yorkshire-based brand is constantly adding new products to its already expansive range - most recently of which are the Southern Fried Wings, Creamy Korma and Garlic and Herb bites as well as the Jerk and Sweet Chilli mini fillets.

As with the entire line-up, they are formulated with Quorn’s nutritious super-protein Mycoprotein that is unique to the brand.

Buy now £2.59, Tesco

Future Farm

Born out of Latin American, Future Farm may just be some of the most exciting-tasting vegan food we’ve tried. The food tech company has a trademarked True Texture Technology that has been engineered to closely replicate real fish and meat fibres.

The latest product launch in the climate conscious 2030 range - Future Tvna - follows a hugely successful line-up of Future Chick’n 2030 (£3.90), Future Burger 2030 (£3.50), Future Meatball 2030 (£3.50) and Future Mince 2030 (£3.50). It was developed in line with the United Nations Sustainable 2030 Development Goals to be kinder to the planet and the people (i.e your health) without feeling like you are compromising.

Buy now £3.60, The Vegan Kind

Linda McCartney Foods

In the vegetarian space, Linda McCartney Food is a household name. One of the pioneers of the animal and planet-conscious diet, her line of meat-free food has become a staple and godsend. The label started over 30 years ago when vegetarianism was still on the periphery of social dining habits.

Not only is the range 78 per cent vegan friendly but it is also a member of the RSPO to solely use palm oil from certified plantations.

The selection has come a long way since its inception with one of the most extensive offerings on the market. There’s chicken pieces, burgers, pulled pork bao bun meal kits, sausages, meatballs, hoisin duck meal kits, chicken roasts, southern style chicken fillet burger, fishcakes (a fan favourite), fish goujons, country pies, sausage rolls, vegemince, oat, rice and soya milk - to name but a few of the free-from-animal-derivatives line-up.

New to market is the Family Value Range with bigger, family-sized products that makes for an even more purse-friendly purchase to get each and every member of your brood enjoying delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Buy now £1.00, Morrisons

Torfurky

Christmas isn’t usually an exciting prospect for vegans in the food department. But that’s all changed with the launch of Torfurky. Since its creation in 1995, the brand has transformed both the festive season and everyday meat-free meal needs.

The family-run and owned business began with just tempeh and has since evolved to include Italian Style Sausages that are calling out for BBQ season, Deli Oven Turkey Style Slices destined to sit between the artisanal bread of your choice alongside all the classic accoutrements, Slow Roasted Lightly Seasoned Chik’n that can be seared, steamed or enjoyed cold in salads or sandwiches and plant-based burgers best served up with a delicious brioche bun.

Come holiday time or for a classic Sunday meal, switch up your traditional menu for the brand’s roasts; ham, turkey and with or without gravy.

Buy now £3.15, The Vegan Kind

Vivera

Nights out ending with a kebab swimming in sauce is a rituals all vegans have to sacrifice when following a plant-based diet - until now. Vivera is on hand with a tasty, guilt-free solution.

The Netherlands-born brand has created pre-cooked vegan kebabs made from rehydrated sustainable soya protein and seasoned with shawarma herbs. So good is the dish that it has already been voted favourite at the Food Awards in 2020. It’s high in protein and offers a good source of iron and vitamin B12 that may be missing from your no-meat diet. The range also includes vegetable bratwursts and crispy chicken schnitzels that are also hugely popular and barely distinguishable from the real thing.

The packaging is also made from recycled PET bottles and only plastic when it’s crucial for food safety and shelf life.

Buy now £2.50, Sainsbury’s

Zeastar

Another Netherlands-based company worth having on your radar, Zeastar should be on hand when hosting vegans and non-vegans alike. The brand focuses on fish replacements with plant-based products that are designed to resemble the real thing.

Just look at the Lemon Shrimpz that are shaped exactly like a king prawn and even have a subtle fish taste. Add to any prawn dishes like stir-fry or linguine or serve straight up as a canapé. Try also the Chili Shrimpz, the Codd and the crispy Kalamariz. There’s also sashimi created from tapioca starch and really looks and feels like raw fish.

Buy now £4.95, Ocado

Heura

The Mediterranean food label, Heura, is helping us all make healthy choices. Hailing from Barcelona, the label opts for only the finest quality and nutritional ingredients to give you vegetable-based dishes like the burgers that contain 85 per cent less saturated fat than beef and 11.3 per cent more protein per calorie. They stress it’s not an alternative to meat, but the successor.

The range also includes chicken in various forms including strips and nuggets, pork sausages and meatballs.

Buy now £3.99, Planet Organic