First came fake beef. Now there’s a plant-based alternative to every form of protein – and they’re all vying for a place on your plate this winter. From the ‘kebab’ to grab after a work party to the protein for your Boxing Day pie, here are the ones worth knowing about
A long, long time ago – 11 years and many, many prime ministers – Britain won 65 medals at the London Olympics, TheAvengerswas the highest-grossing film of the year and a little company called Beyond Meat launched its first plant-based protein product. (Not a burger, but chicken strips – who knew?) With the arrival of the Impossible Foods ‘meat’ patty in 2016, the battle to produce the best plant-based burger was on. Turning up at a barbecue with a veggie burger became not just socially acceptable, but was actively encouraged.
Today, the plant-based menu is expanding, delivering us a whole new food group. Dubbed faux-tein, it’s food that’s been formulated to replicate the flavour, texture and nutrition of the protein you know and love. And early signs suggest we’re hungry for it: some forecasts predict that the global demand for plant-based beef, chicken, fish and pork will increase by 15% by 2027. But here’s the (peri-peri) rub: just because it’s plant-based doesn’t mean it’s healthy. ‘A veggie patty [used to be] lentils, grains and vegetables smashed together, with maybe some seeds to bind it all,’ says Ryan DAndrews, an assistant professor in the School of Health Sciences at Regis College in the US. In other words, it was an amalgamation of healthy whole foods. But today, many plant-based proteins are heavily processed, notes Professor Andrews.
If your wellness sensor lit up at the ‘p’ word, you’re not wrong; research links the regular consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) to high blood pressure, along with an elevated risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes and angina. But while eating them often isn’t recommended, if there’s a time and a place for food you can take from packet to plate in 15 minutes, it’s a Monday evening in December. With that in mind, we embarked on a culinary quest to bring you the best faux-tein products money can buy. Season’s eatings.
‘Beef’
THE ISN’T BEEF MINCE
This plantbased beef mince, made from soya protein, so closely imitates real beef, that it’ll fool even the most religious of carnivores. High in fibre, high in protein and with 55% less saturated fat in comparison with a standard portion of 15% fat beef mince of the same weight. Truly ahead of the herd.
SQUEAKY BEAN CHARGRILLED STEAK-STYLE STRIPS
Squeaky Bean’s steak-style strips are here to sate your post-Christmas party cravings – after all, few things in life are more satisfying than a steak sandwich, pac
