Part of the vegan transition is realizing there are alternative products for anything you crave. With that said, there has been a rise in companies creating meat alternatives as veganism is becoming more popular. Below are some of my favorite meat substitutes:

Jackfruit:

For those who say they can't give up a pulled pork sandwich, just check out the picture above. Look familiar? That's actually a fruit that mimics the taste and texture of pulled pork when cooked properly. Although finding the whole fruit is hard in the US, you can buy it canned from stores like Trader Joe's.

Nutrition: "The pulp of jackfruit is composed of 74% water, 23% carbohydrates, 2% protein and 1% fat (table). In a 100-gram portion, raw jackfruit provides 400 kJ (95 kcal) and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin B6 (25% DV). It contains moderate levels (10-19% DV) of vitamin C and potassium, with no other nutrients in significant content (table)."

Click here to see a video of Blake and I making BBQ Jackfruit.

Gardein:

Gardein (garden + protein) is one of my favorite companies producing alternative meat products. Founded in 2003, they're also all about the bigger picture. "Global food demand will grow 50% by 2030 and there will be significant need for more protein. We think gardein™ is part of the solution."

I love their products not only for the taste but also the variety. Check out our video below where we try several of their products and give you our honest opinions.

Beyond Meat:

Founded in 2009, Tyson Foods became an investor of the company back in 2016. Even more interesting, Bill Gates became an investor in 2013. He has been quoted saying that he can't tell the "difference between Beyond Meat and real chicken". This could be where we see a shift coming to the meat industry. Beyond Meat products are high in protein, so much so that they say their plant burgers contain more protein than your average meat burger. Definitely check out their website. They provide a lot of great information and recipes.

Field Roast:

Now this is a company I'm not too familiar with. Described as 'a blend of European and Asian heritage', Field Roast produces a growing variety of vegan products since starting the company in 1996. Just the other day I came across one of their products at Walmart. FYI, Walmart has all of the products above, besides jackfruit, at the cheapest prices I've seen. More to come on where we shop. The product I tried was their mini corn dogs which were superb!

So give faux meat a try. You may be pleasantly surprised. If you have any favorites that were not mentioned above, please leave them in a comment below.

Peace & Love,

Piper

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