The Best of the Best: My Favorite Meat Substitutes

As a vegetarian, I love my fruits and veggies. I have developed a knack of making filling, tasty, wholesome meals out of grains, beans, and vegetables. Sometimes, however, I can’t help craving the meaty meals I was raised on. Thankfully there are a lot of options for us vegetarians and vegans, with more authentic faux meats hitting the market all the time. While I have experimented with making my own meat-like creations with jackfruit and tempeh, it is hard to beat the convenience of the prepackaged meat substitutes I can find easily at the grocery store.

Here are a few of my favorite ones:

Simple Truth Vegan Meatless Burger Patties

These burgers are so easy to make, it takes about 8 minutes to pan fry them, but they are also great on the grill. These are my go to for barbecues and as far as veggie burgers go, these ones have an unbeatable burger taste.

Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders

On days when I don’t feel like cooking, all I have to do is preheat my oven and pop these in. These are a lifesaver for busy evenings, and of all the facsimiles of chicken tenders I have tried, these are the absolute best.

Lightlife Smart Ground Meatless Original Crumbles

These beef-like grounds are so convincing, non-vegetarians are startled when they bite into a dish I’ve used these in and think I’ve accidentally used real meat. I love to add these to chili beans and lasagna, but the possibilities are endless with these crumbles. This brand, Lightlife, also makes amazing veggie dogs that taste exactly how I remember hot dogs tasting.

Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs and Sausage Patties

While I can’t speak much to their other products, Morningstar’s breakfast patties are almost like the real thing, as well as their corn dogs, which have the added bonus of being incredibly easy to prepare.

Quorn Chik’n Tenders

If you are a vegetarian who misses chicken with your pasta dishes, these bite-sized chick’n tenders are the perfect addition to your fettuccini alfredo. They are also great in salads, on risotto, fajitas, or in pretty much any dish that would call for chicken.