With it being Veganuary, it feels like a suitable time to chat to you guys about some of my favourite vegetarian and vegan alternatives. I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian in any way, shape, or form, but I have tried various different meat substitutes and think it's worth letting you know what I think is good, and what I think is not so good, so that you can sample them for yourselves - should you want to!
Vegetarian alternatives are often lower in calories and generally a little better for you than products made from meat, which is one reason as to why you might consider consuming them! They're also obviously more humane. It's nice to try new things and to be adventurous with your eating habits. As much as veganism might be a bit of a fad at the moment that is viewed as some sort of statement that upper-middle class young adults are making upon arriving home from their gap year, it can actually be quite affordable and is well worth looking into and considering. Ultimately though, your body, your consequences and results, your choice. So, with that out of the way, let's begin!
QUORN CRISPY NUGGETS
5/5
I bloody LOVE these. Chicken nuggets are a classic aren't they, coming home from school and finding out that you were having a plate of these for your tea with chips, peas and a bit of ketchup was THE DREAM. Quorn have created their own nuggets that are suitable for vegetarians but honestly, you wouldn't think that they were at all. These look, smell and taste exactly like chicken nuggets. I cannot explain to you how authentic they are, or how yummy they are! I truly believe that you could eat these alongside some Birdseye nuggets and you wouldn't be able to identify which was made from meat and which wasn't. I think that these are fantastic for people that want to cut down on meat but really love the taste and texture of it. They're also great for children and are much healthier than a regular nugget - and particularly those from McDonalds or takeaway shops. If you haven't yet, you should try these. All of the big supermarket chains (Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Tesco etc.) offer a range of Quorn produce and even some of the smaller chains like Lidl and Aldi do too!
QUORN MINCE
3/5
I first tried Quorn mince when I was in Secondary School and I had to modify a spaghetti bolognese dish as past of my Food & Nutrition GCSE, I thought it tasted okay. I didn't revisit it until I went to university and found it in the freezers at Heron Foods. It's a little more bland than mince meat, that's a fact, and that's why I haven't given it such a high rating. It works well in dishes like lasagne where you have a couple of tasty sauces to combat that sort of simple flavour, but for a spaghetti bolognese, it's just okay. I imagine that it would work well if you cooked with spices and different flavourings, so if you're going to try i, maybe use some in your cooking! You can get Quorn ready meals that use this mince, for example the lasagne or the shepherds pie, and they're both really good and pretty affordable!
QUORN SWEDISH STYLE MEATBALLS
5/5
Now unlike the mince, these work really wel in a simple tomato sauce with pasta! These meatballs are so low in calories and so much healthier for you than actual meatballs are, and amazingly, they taste even better! They're so flavoursome and the texture is so realistic, you have to try these if you haven't already. I often have these for my tea, they're filling without leaving you feeling bloated or uncomfortable, and they just taste really good. My mum also really likes these and we have now completely swapped them out for actual meatballs, there's just no competition.
QUORN SAUSAGES
4/5
I'm all about a vegetarian sausage. I do like pork sausages, but I often find that they're a bit greasy so aren't something that I can eat regularly. That's not the case with Quorn's sausages. They're a lot lighter on your stomach and yet still look and taste authentic. I wouldn't say that they're quite as close to the real deal as the nuggets are, but they're not as far from it as the mince is. They work really well in a casserole, as part of a full English style breakfast, in a pasta dish... you name it! They're a little on the small side so you might want to have more of these than you would a meat-filled sausage, but because they're better for you, you can get away with that. I would recommend.
QUORN SOUTHERN FRIED BURGERS
5/5
Another 5/5 product from Quorn. I love a good vegetable filled burger, as you'll soon see, but they're not the same as a burger made from meat and for that reason, I can't eat them as if they are. They wouldn't do as a substitute item for a BBQ and I wouldn't be putting them in a bread bun, I just have them as stand alone products. This is because I'm a bit funny with textures, if I'm having something in a soft bread bun, I need it to be chewy like meat, not mushy like veg! These chicken-style burgers, however, I can eat in a bread bun because they are so close to the real deal! They taste great, just like any southern fried burger, they're a decent size and I honestly don't think you'd know that these weren't meat if you tasted them unaware. If you're craving a McChicken or something along those lines, have one of these with some lettuce and mayo in a nice seeded bun - the taste is just as nice and the product isn't nearly as bad for you.
LINDA MCCARTNEY VEGETARIAN COUNTRY PIES
4/5
Onto a new brand now! I first tried these pies very recently and I have to say, I was super impressed. I had mine with a few microwave chips, half a tin of mushy peas, and some gravy, and it was a very tasty and filling evening meal. The meat substitute within the pies has a spot on texture but the taste isn't quite the same as beef - however, it's a good alternative. The pastry is super yummy and the size of the pie is great, it's a super filling meal option. This isn't something I could eat regularly though, as I've said they're very filling and I'm not suggesting that's a bad thing, but they do leave you avoiding your reflection for a couple of hours after because you feel so full! They also take 50 minutes to cook and though they're worth the wait, it's a long time and you could make something from scratch in that sort of time. So overall, I would recommend and I will be eating again, but not regularly!
LINDA MCCARTNEY VEGETARIAN RED ONION & ROSEMARY SAUSAGES
2/5
Okay so I know I said I love a veggie sausage but, well, I don't love these ones. They just don't smell, look or taste anything like a pork sausage. I recognise that they're probably not trying to, but that's what I'm after in any sort of meat substitute. The taste is very unusual, it's not bad, but it's a little too floral for me - I think that comes from the rosemary. I like herbs in my food but this just takes it a little too far. I'm confident that some of you would like them, particularly anyone that isn't thrilled by meat! I'm just not a fan, so they definitely won't be replacing the pork sausages in my casserole or full English any time soon.
LINDA MCCARTNEY VEGETARIAN SAUSAGES
4/5
Now these ones are way more to my taste! Though they're not as authentic looking as the Quorn sausages, they're just as tasty. These are a lot more reminiscent of your typical pork sausage - more so on the inside than the outside though, the outside almost looks and tastes as if it's coated in breadcrumbs or something! Nonetheless, these are just a lot meatier (ironic I know) and work really well on a BBQ, in a hot dog bun, with chips and peas, or even in a pasta dish.
LINDA MCCARTNEY VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE ROLLS
3/5
Thanks to Greggs, vegetarian and vegan sausage rolls are all the rage right now. These sausage rolls by the Linda McCartney brand have a lovely pastry case and a middle with a texture similar to that of a meat sausage roll. The taste isn't quite right, but it's not at all bad. For me, these could do with a little more flavour actually. They're nice served warm and dipped in a dollop of ketchup, but I wouldn't have one on its own. I imagine that they'd also be nice with baked beans or any other sort of side, so if you're going to try one, definitely prepare something to go with it!
LINDA MCCARTNEY MOZZARELLA BURGERS
1/5
I'm sorry to anyone that likes these but... how!? I've tried so many vegetarian 'beef' burgers and these were one of the worst. Honestly, I haven't found one yet that I actually like, and you wouldn't think it would be that tricky for me because I don't really love beef burgers! I'd hoped that finding a vegetarian alternative would be easy, but all of the vegetarian beef-style burgers I've tried have been so mushy. My friend described them as squeaky and she's got a good point, they have the most unusual and off-putting texture. The taste also isn't fab, this one, to me, just tasted sort of smoky? The mozzarella definitely didn't add to it and I honestly wouldn't recommend these. I know that some people do enjoy them but, once again, if you're looking for a good meat alternative, I don't think this is it.
WHAT'S COOKING? BEAN BURGERS
4/5
My boyfriend actually recommended bean burgers to me after he had the Morrisons brand while at university, because I wasn't a fan of the burgers above, I was a little reluctant and put off trying them until I moved back home and saw them in the fridges at Lidl. I'm not great with heat and I didn't know what to expect from these with them being labelled 'spicy', but because they were so cheap, I thought why not! I'm so glad I put them in the trolley that day because I then lived off them for many weeks that followed. They're not trying to impersonate meat, which I really like. The taste is sort of like an onion bahji, very flavorsome and a little spicy, but not too hot. The breadcrumbs make the outside really crunchy, while the inside is soft - again, much like a bahji! I think that these are great and I would eat them alone just with ketchup! You could definitely have them in place of a burger, so with chips or a little side salad, and you could even have them if you were doing Indian style snacks I think.
WHAT'S COOKING? CAULIFLOWER BURGERS
4/5
I couldn't find any image for the cauliflower burgers but the packaging is very similar to the bean burgers above, so be on the look out! I was reluctant to try the cauliflower burgers because I just didn't get how that would work... cauliflower... in a burger? With the bean burgers being so good, I decided to give them a go, and that was definitely the right decision! From the outside they look like a chicken burger, on the inside, they're filled with cheesy goodness. Melted cheese binds together the mushed up cauliflower and the combination really works - which I guess isn't such a surprise, what with cauliflower-cheese being such a good dish. These are really tasty and work as a quick lunch option. Head down to Lidl and try them!
So, that concludes my post for today. I hope that this offers some guidance to any meat-lovers that want to try and cut down on their consumption - it's really easy to do nowadays and there are a lot of good reasons to have a go. Thank you for reading, I'll be back on Wednesday with a new post so keep your eyes peeled!