Best vegetarian mince

[Gudinne]

Please tell me what vegetarian mince your family prefers and any that you would avoid. Asking as my family want to reduce the amount of meat we eat. Thanks

Red meat is classed as a probable cause of cancer and eating too much can raise cholesterol levels, resulting in poor heart health. A “UPF” hydrated soy protein product with added vitamins, stabilisers and colourings is going to be better for your health in comparison.

OP I use the Vivera one and really like it. It doesn’t have a mushy texture like some of the other ones. The price is comparable to beef mince.

Lentil spag bol is really nice tho, as is a bean or tempeh chilli.

Firstly OP, I would encourage you to disregard all the fearmongering about "UPF Meat alternatives" as these sentiments often come from people that eat bacon and black pudding for their breakfast, ham sandwiches for lunch and pepperoni pizzas for tea 😂

Well done for trying to reduce your meat consumption, whether it's for health reasons or otherwise 💗

The good news is that plant based food has come so bloody far so you're never stuck for options.
I personally love Beyond Mince but Linda's is a great alternative too, plus the Tesco Plant Chef Mince is good in a pinch. My advice would be to try a couple and just find out which works best for you :)

Sure, red meat is not particularly good for you but fake meat also tends to be very high in sodium. There is a bit of swings and roundabouts going on there. Fake meat is definitely better than processed meat but I still wouldn't class them as particularly good for you. You're much better with lentils, tofu etc. That said if it's a choice between fake meat or processed meat then yes, fake meat is better.

I've used that dried soya mince a lot, too. Rehydrate it with stock and it works really well for pasta sauces, chilli and so on. When it's freshly rehydrated the smell weirdly reminds me of pet shops but once it's been cooking for 20min it's fine and tastes great. I'll usually add some lentils as well.

My veggie DH prefers Quorn mince.

I'm not a lover of Quorn mince, even though I like a lot of other Quorn products. I find it a bit soggy and tasteless.

Linda McCartney vegemince is my preferred one at the moment. Not too high in salt, not expensive, good taste and texture. I usually use half mince, half red lentils in a Bolognese. Cottage pie I just use green lentils and it works great.

I like Beyond Meat and similar brands for a special dish but not regularly. Too expensive and too salty for kids (although you can make a great Lorne sausage from it!).

I don’t like the frozen quorn, but I do like the This! range and use quite a lot of that.

I’ve never really loved lentils but may give the puy a try since so many have recommended it. Do you literally just use it in place of mince in things like spag Bol?

Well, yes and no….as the Puy Lentils I get are the merchant gourmet ready cooked ones so if, for instance you are using in a pasta sauce you add them in shortly before the end as they are pre cooked so don’t need cooking off at the start as you would do with raw meat. They just need heating through and absorb some flavour and a bit of liquid.

Generally Quorn. The others all taste weird and stick to the pan. Often I prefer lentils instead - works for chilli and lasagne

I use veg chopped small (carrots, celery, celeriac) with green lentils.

I found Quorn mince too sweet.
I used to like the Realeat one but I think it's discounted.
Linda McCartney one is my go to though I might try the This Isn't one.

Not impressed at Beyond Meat , I found the texture and taste really unpleasant.

VivEra is the only one that is edible. it can be hard to find though.

Mushrooms, carrots and walnuts blitzed in a blender to a mince consistency make a great base for chilli. Would probably work for bolognese or cottage pie too but haven't tried it yet.

We have tried several and like Linda McCartney Quorn mince the best

Sunflower mince - I buy it online. It’s slightly nutty in flavour but I use it in chilli and my meat eating family enjoy it too - and it’s just blitzed sunflower seeds.

I find quorn mince too mushy in texture.

Crilkey I bet that gets things moving !!!

😂 not noticed any adverse effects! Much prefer it to the others!

I love this idea! Definitely gonna try it! But I am thinking of a Ragu style sauce. I think the walnut and mushrooms together with the red wine & rich tomato sauce should go down a treat 😋.

Who needs processed dehydrated stuff called something rather mince when there are so many natural ingredients that don't need to be called anything fake meat.

Another vote for green/brown lentils. They don't need soaking for 12 hours and they don't taste as strong as puy lentils.
They make a satiating meal.
Mung beans boil quickly and don't have a strong taste.

I use tinned beans or lentils too. If I am cooking something that is quite vegetable heavy and needs a bit of protein like hot wraps, I might add black beans.

Lentils I think need a spoon of marmite and celery as well as carrots and onions in the base or they can feel heavy

for chilli sin carne - kidney beans and a tin of baked beans as well as tomatoes

foe lasagna- no mince subs - I use spinach and walnuts in the tomato sauce layer ( I don’t blend them down as I don’t have a processor )

I put carrots, celery, spring greens and leeks into my lentils.

Vivera Plant Mince. Love it.