Vegetarian meat substitutes such as greens and fruits are widely believed to outperform their processed counterparts such as seitan or wheat gluten and soy meat. This is largely due to a growing awareness of the irreplaceable natural goodness of whole foods, no matter what your tastes dictate.
Also, the way the mushrooms are structured with their caps and stems, seems to indicate that they are destined for the pot. Although not all mushrooms.
You don’t get over the fact, however, that Portobello, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms are perfect vegetarian meat substitutes. The meaty texture of the mushrooms is more palatable than the stringy meat; they never get stuck in the throat all the time.
Portobello Mushroom Meat Substitutes
For example, portobello mushrooms are hailed as the “vegetarian world’s steak” as they are low in fat and calories, but rich in minerals, vitamins, and fiber. Also, nothing beats a portobello sandwich or a burger for a good dose of health. A beautifully simmered miso-portobello sauce is delicious; in fact, with portobello, good eating never ends.
Shiitake Mushroom Meat Substitutes
As for the versatile shiitake mushroom, it makes a substitute for ‘real’ bacon in almost any recipe. It tastes just as good on sandwiches and salads. Rich in iron, B vitamins, and fiber, this woody-scented mushroom can bolster your body’s defenses against cancer and heart disease.
oyster mushroom meat substitutes
Also, oyster mushrooms double as vegan pulled pork in sandwiches. High in protein and abundant in B vitamins, they are cholesterol-free, due to their cholesterol-lowering lovastatin. Therefore, meaty mushrooms can replace meat, since they are hearty and healthy.
jackfruit meat substitutes
One example where a fruit doubles as a meat substitute is green jackfruit, which is pulled pork for vegetarians. It is low in fat and calories, and high in the B complex group of vitamins and fiber. For BBQ pulled pork, the jackfruit is first marinated in spices and then simmered in barbecue sauce until tender and falls apart easily. Meanwhile, boiled jackfruit seeds, when peeled, taste like nut meat.
Eggplant meat substitutes
When it comes to nutrition, brinjal is like jackfruit. However, it boasts purple skin packed with phytonutrients; therefore, eggplants should never be peeled when cooking. The cooked aubergines have a meaty and fluffy texture like in a recipe for ‘steamed aubergines with garlic and sesame soybean oil’.
lentil meat substitutes
Then there are the red, green, and brown lentils that make such hearty, meaty meals. Rich in stroke-preventing folic acid, lentils must first be soaked for a few hours and then cooked with onion and garlic before being added to the rice cooker to cook with rice.
On the other hand, there is a much wider range of beans to choose from. Black, red, and pinto beans make a hearty soup; chickpeas, cannellini and white beans, for stews; while red, blackeye and mung beans, for delicious sweet dessert soups.
Vegetarian sources of protein
In fact, mushrooms, when combined with broccoli and corn, make a complete protein. As for jackfruit, it shows that fruits can also be another good source. To a lesser extent, you can look in the eggplant for some proteins; while lentils and beans stand out as good protein champions.
However, whole foods like these provide multiple benefits as they also contain vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Hooray for vegetarian meals!
