To ask for your best vegan/vegetarian alternatives?

[JammyRedRooo]

I've been trying to reduce my meat consumption for a while for eco reasons but seeing clips of the Panorama last night about the dairy industry has made me want to reduce my dairy intake as well.

So please share your favourite finds for veggie/vegan alternatives to meat and dairy!

I'll go first - I really like Quorn nuggets as a substitute for chicken nuggets/goujons. I have them in a baguette sometimes with some salad and sweet chilli sauce for a guilt free sandwich.

We don't use meat substitutes, but eat a variety of veg, nuts and pulses instead. Get yourself a copy of the book Bosh!

Another vote for Bosh. We use the 'Speedy Bosh' book every night.
We've done nearly every single recipe. Some were more successful than others but we've got an arsenal of about 10 recipes from there that we use in regular rotation.

We also use this book regularly too.

I wouldn't necessarily try to do meat replacements. They never taste the same and you're more likely to fall of the wagon. Plus, they're not very healthy. You can replace meat with beans, pulses, tofu etc. in most recipes.

Having said that, I would strongly recommend Vivera vegan kebab meat. We slow fry some onions and red peppers in fajita mix, then add the Vivera and toss around for about 10 minutes. It's beautiful in a wrap with crispy lettuce, and chips on the side.

I'm also a big fan on Veolife smoked cheese slices in a white baguette with some vegan crisps.

I'm also a big fan of basically everything that Strong Roots make. Their sweet potato fries are the best you can buy in supermarkets. And I'm addicted to their spinach bites. I get their stuff from Morrison's.

For dairy replacement - oat milk is the only milk substitute which I find half-way decent. Everything else tastes like brown paper bags. But not all oat milk is the same. Oatly whole oat milk is, I've found, the best.

Cheese is more challenging - vegan cheese isn't great yet. I was an absolute cheese addict before I went vegan. I just stopped eating it altogether. I now sometimes have vegan cheese on a baguette for lunch. But I find the slices much, much nicer than the blocks of cheese. Violife smoked is lovely, and their original flavour cheese is nice too.

I went 100% vegan about four years ago (not 100% vegan now but mostly vegan). I can't describe how positive it was - for my mood, my energy, my sleep, my skin, my periods. Oh my god, seriously life-changing

I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years and I'm happy to admit that I'm a big fan of meat replacement products. For years and years I used to make a lentil lasagne, and it was tasty, but to be honest, I prefer it made with quorn mince. Same with a veggie moussaka. All in all, I think quorn mince is great because it's so versatile. On the other hand, I do like a bean chilli and would never use fake meat in a curry.

I have tried lots of vegan milks, but I don't like any of them in tea. I do like oatly in coffee and I also like Alpro soy yoghurt, so I've switched to those, but still drink cow's milk in tea.

I started by looking for vegan versions of the recipes I liked. Now, I follow different accounts on social media for inspiration and vegan food is so much nicer and adventurous than the meat/dairy meals. I never expected it to be like that. Don't miss meat and dairy at all.

Fry's chicken style strips are a great replacement for chicken in fajitas etc. My non-Vegan ex was seriously impressed.

Interested in this too as DP is veggie but substitutes all seem to be highly processed shite! Are there any that aren't or is it best to stick to chickpeas?

I've been on a search for a decent cream substitute for a while, and am happy to have just discovered Oatly Whippable. It doesn't seem to whip as stiff as dairy cream, but it's got a nice flavour, and it comes in little cartons, which means you can keep some in and just open one when you need it.

Alpro vanilla flavoured soya yogurt is delicious- very custardish.

Milk - any oat milk
Cheese - sheese or any supermarkets own brand. Applewood is good for melting.
Pouring cream - alpro or Elmlea
Ice cream - there are so many but Aldi and Lidl own brands are surprisingly nice.
Yoghurt - alpro
Butter - Pure
Mayo - Heinz or Hellman’s

Sausages - Richmond
Bacon - Richmond
Burgers - Beyond
Chicken style pieces/strips - Either Fry’s, Iceland or What The Cluck
Chicken nuggets - Fry’s
Chicken burgers - Fry’s
Deli meat subs - squeaky bean
Sausage rolls - Linda McCartney
Mince - Richmond
Chicken style dippers - Birds Eye
Fishless fingers - Quorn

If you are interested in reducing your meat content without relying on meat substitutes, I’d recommend Meera Sodha’s books Fresh India and East. The recipes are delicious, work really well and don’t rely on very niche ingredients. She also has a column in the Guardian (though she’s taking a break from it at the moment)

Some of these are veggie not vegan:

We love the fry’s chicken nuggets and the quorn crispy nuggets here. Also quorn/birds eye fake fish fingers. I like the quorn escalops with cheese and broccoli/garlic topping instead of a chicken burger.

Plant pioneers do good frozen meatballs and I prefer their soya mince to quorn. The texture is better.

Squeaky bean pastrami is a favourite in sandwiches.

Richmond sausages. Shroom dogs.

Coop ultimate burgers are the winners of the fake beef burger competition.

Nush almond cheese spread (especially the chive one).

Being vegetarian/vegan doesn't mean you have to buy weird fake meat products. They are often highly processed (very salty) and expensive.

Just eat more veg. Bean chillis don't need artificial mince. Crunchy veg stir fries don't need pretend chicken strips. Hearty root veg stews don't need anything else.

The River Cottage Veg Everyday is a good start.

@Beowulfa

Being vegetarian/vegan doesn't mean you have to buy weird fake meat products. They are often highly processed (very salty) and expensive.

Just eat more veg. Bean chillis don't need artificial mince. Crunchy veg stir fries don't need pretend chicken strips. Hearty root veg stews don't need anything else.

The River Cottage Veg Everyday is a good start.

Just because you’re trying to reduce your meat intake doesn’t mean every meal needs to be healthy. The op hasn’t even said she’s doing it for health reasons.

Sometimes you just want an easy meal of (fake) fishfingers, chips and beans.

I'm not a fan of meat substitutes as I don't really like meat that much. I prefer using beans, lentils or veg. Most recipes are quite easy to swap meat for these. Although my husband makes a lovely tofu chocolate cheesecake!

Have a look at www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-sources-protein-vegans
I try to steer away from the processed substitutes and go for ingredients that are high in protein in their own right. For quickness I like quorn, but generally find many meat look and taste alikes off putting and prefer to use pulses, nuts and seeds. Its quicker, cheaper and healthier.

@JammyRedRooo unfortunately quorn often has egg in it :(

Birdseye (if you dont mind a company that also makes money from meat and fish) and frys (although I think some stuff they sell may have plastic inside)

Booja chocolates are amazing and Vego chocolate is like eating a bar of nutella.

And just be aware a lot of products which "contain egg" in the ingredients will be from caged hens x

I really like squeaky bean's chicken alternatives. The cajun and peri peri fillets are delicious. They're made of pea protein and flavoured really well.

The tikka pieces are also delicious. I don't rate the other flavours. I find mine in sainsburys.

I'm trying to eat less of the fake meat type products now but I am a big fan of Plant Pioneers fake meatballs from Sainsburys and another shout for Vivera kebab type products.

Also have a look at fitgreenmind on instagram. She is a young German woman who makes amazing quick and simple vegan recipes. She has been a big help to me in steering away from processed fake meat products which I relied on when I was 1st transitioning into being vegan.

@Hillarious

We don't use meat substitutes, but eat a variety of veg, nuts and pulses instead. Get yourself a copy of the book Bosh!

this ^

many fake meat products just don't taste nice and are highly processed? not sure on the processing part

bosh is a great cookery show on youtube

but even just try looking through olive and delishous online recipes magazines for vegetarian and vegan recipes and lots of tasty dishes without fake meat will appear

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/dietary_requirements/vegetarian/

www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/collection/easy-vegetarian-recipes/

www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-one-pot-creamy-garlic-brussels-sprouts-pasta/ if you like Brussel sprouts this recipe is fab

Highly recommend Gaz Oakley on YouTube and his books. His vegan mayo is excellent and really easy. He has lots of good stuff like Portuguese tarts, salted caramel bars but also a range of healthy options.

Not sure if anyone's eaten at a Pureza pizza restaurant (Brighton or Camden) but they've now started selling pizza and cheese online. The cheese isn't as melty as in their restaurants but still good. Their cookbook is also excellent and have some home made cheese recipes. The gorgonzola isn't quite like the real thing but still very easy/tasty.

my eldest is not great with dairy so eats a majority of vegan alternatives

I sent her pureheavenly.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=Cj0KCQiAu62QBhC7ARIsALXijXR_3buwefN_zr3mdLl5fI0akJ1TzGGPIsEcVZJ0kLydxJ_JwLRsNj4aAlkZEALw_wcB

she said it was the best chocolate she ever had

Cauldron sausages are the best veggie sausages, Barista Oatly Milk for milk in coffee (am yet to find a good vegan milk for tea), quorn mince or lentils for chilli/bolognese. Quorn Swedish Meatballs are great. I had a delish Mushroom donor kebab recipe once, think its on BBC. Lots of vegan yogs are nice.

I’m vegetarian not vegan but I only eat dairy if I can make sure it’s as ethical as possible.

I have a local independent milkman whose dairy comes from his dads farm which is a small scale, local place. He has a milkbarn where you can buy milkshakes and you can have a tour if you book. I feel as reassured as I can that the milk comes from a source where the cows are treated well. It costs more, but we use a lot less.

Cheese I buy from the farm shop where I can select a cheese with no rennet and again, I can buy a cheese selecting it’s origins and preferably local. It is expensive but again, we eat a lot less.

I buy my eggs from a lady on the local FB page. She doesn’t live far and her hens are very happy and totally free range.

Butter I tend to use oil based spreads instead.

Lentils in a bolognese are lovely. Cauliflower in a curry is excellent. Beans for chilli as others have said.

The one ‘fake’ thing I do really like is the ‘wicked’ garlic kebabs from Tesco. Only sell them in the summer and they are SO garlicky and yummy. Great on a BBQ. A lot of Wicked make is vegan. I do like their things!
Oh and veggie hot dogs. Fry’s are the best make if you can find them. They are junk but indiscernible from the meat ones.

Coconut milk is great in coffee.
Soya/tvp is tasty when flavoured well and I think good for you. Well flavoured tofu is delicious but it has to be marinated. And fried, in my opinion.
A good dahl is a thing of joy.
Veggie bacon is good these days, again I fry it.
Tartex spread is good for sandwiches.
I've been veggie over 40 years and there's just so much choice now, it's much easier for veggies and vegans. Vegan cheese however has not improved and makes me gip.

Veggie bacon is good these days, again I fry it.

Which ones do you rate? I find them quite variable (to put it nicely!). The Richmond one was fine. Im not sure any I’ve tried have reached “good”!