Mumsnet users share their thoughts on meat free options

[JustineBMumsnet]

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Whether you’re thinking of reducing your meat consumption for environmental or health reasons, or if you or a member of your family is vegetarian or vegan, the use of meat free options is on the rise. With this in mind, The Meatless Farm would like to hear your thoughts on reducing meat intake and meat-free options.

Here’s what The Meatless Farm has to say: “With an estimated 22m flexitarians in the UK seeking to reduce their meat consumption, there is an increased appetite for healthy, protein-rich alternatives. After years of research, the team behind Meatless Farm have created a range of products that not only deliver on nutrition, they also taste delicious.”

Are you considering reducing your family’s meat intake? What do you think about meat-free products? Perhaps you’re already including meat free products in your family meals? What influences your choice when it comes to meat free options?

All who post on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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Vegan here. Haven't tried these yet but find meat replacement type food useful to make a quicker meal sometimes.

My husband and two younger children are vegetarian. Me and my eldest aren't but obviously eat quite a lot of vegetarian food so we can all eat the same meal together. I am always on the lookout for tasty new options for us all to try. I think even if we didn't have vegetarians in the family it's good to go meat free a few times a week. Good for your health, your pocket and the planet.

Vegetarian household- we make most meals from scratch. A firm favourite is our leek & TVP pie. Made with wholemeal short crust pastry. Leeks fried & made into a white sauce, add the tvp (which has been soaked in stock for 15 mins). Use as a filling for a pie. Hmmmm

I probably ought to reduce our meat intake, but when we have meat free meals I’d must rather have vegetable pasta bakes/ curries/ stews etc rather than ‘fake’ meat substitutes

Not vegetarian household and have no intention of becoming so. However try to only buy free range / organic meat, egg and milk products. I buy quorn nuggets and mini sausages for the kids as although they are more processed than I would like, I can't buy free range versions or they are too expensive.

I do love vegetarian food, but in general prefer vegetables to meat alternatives. I also sneak in hidden veg or pulses where possible in meat dishes.

I love that I am now able to get more convenience food as it has traditionally been mostly non free range chicken.

I'd love to reduce my husbands meat consumption: the four kids and I are veggie/vegan but he isn't . He has a separate fridge and freezer now as we don't like the 'dead animal' thing. As we've got older we've found it harder to cope with fish with eyes, chicken shaped chicken etc at the table. If I'm honest I'd love to have married a vegetarian.

I don't mind meat free subs - it's easy to make a meal really - veggie burgers and chips, bolognese etc. If anyone could make bacon chunks for carbonara I'd be happy.

We make pasta and pesto, egg and cheese jackets, curry - lots of ideas that are quick and easy.

We’re definitely vlexitarians in our house. We eat mainly vegetables (lasagne, chilli, curry, etc) but sometime sybarite chicken for halloumi and mince for quorn. I’m always keen to try a new meat free option.

I like the idea of reducing meat, but would choose meals that were naturally free of meat, rather than a product designed to replicate meat. I would be particularly wary of those involving soya, because it gives me stomach cramps and I worry about long-term effects of hormones etc that might be involved

I am veggie anyway so meat free always for me. I am keen to reduce meat consumption in the children though.

I’m a vegan but my husband is a meat eater who is not a fan of vegetables. So for me when I’m looking at meat free options I look at two things. 1) how close it tastes to real meat so that both my husband and I can eat it 2) making sure it is actually healthy and not full of huge amounts of artificial ingredients and crap!

Haven’t eaten meat in 30 years...

I use meat substitutes, I quite like some burgers and sausages especially, so it’s not that I have an issue with them.

But why is there suddenly a rush of companies producing them? They already exist, there isn’t really a gap in the market - why not make things that are vegan or meat free that isn’t another mince or burger?.....

I've been vegetarian since I was 5 and vegan for the last two years. My daughters have both been vegetarian their whole lives and eldest is now also vegan. Youngest wants to go vegan when she leaves primary school this year as she would find school dinners difficult as a vegan. We all eat the same vegan meals at home though.

We use meat substitutes with a lot of meals but not always. Eldest used to be very picky about what vegetables she would eat but is much more adventurous with them as a vegan. We have used your mince and found it far superior to any of the veggie/vegan mince we have tried in the past, both in taste, texture and digest ability. Have not tried the burgers yet though.

I went veggie as I grew up on a farm and played with the lambs that we had, then they got sent to slaughter and the idea that I might be eating one of my 'friends' traumatised me. I raised both my children veggie but told them if they chose to eat meat once they were old enough to understand where it comes from then that was their choice. Both never ever wanted to eat meat.

I went vegan as the dairy and egg industry is as damaging as the meat industry and I want to help protect the planet for the future. I don't miss any of the things I thought I would as there are so many vegan options now and I feel healthier as well.

I’m veggie but trying to move away from dairy products too. I used a lot of quorn products when I first went veggie but found that I got to not enjoy them. I now make good substitute dishes such as chilli and bolognaise using lentils with a bisto gravy. I prefer home cooked food generally, where I know exactly what went into it. I occasionally eat fake meat sausages, and would gladly have a look at the website and give them a try.

I'm vegetRian but I don't like meat substitutes. I'd rather just work out othe foods than tot ray and substitute meat

We've been working on reducing our meat intake (especially red meat) for environmental and health reasons -

However, we aren't big fans of any meat replacement products, and would rather just eat alternative vegetarian or vegan meals on meat free days.

Vegan with vegan husband. I quite like vegan meat subs but mince and burgers are thes one I’m least keen on- I like a lot of the sausages and fake chicken nuggets.

No I won't be going meat free since I'm a sheep farmer. I don't know why people want to eat even more processed food.

Vegetarian living with a non-vegetarian. We do eat quorn products, mince mostly, but also lentils and chickpeas. I also eat tofu, he doesn’t. I’m pleased to see more meat alternatives coming onto the market and do try new ones occasionally. The criticism I hear most about meat alternatives is why eat them if you don’t want to eat meat but it’s nice to continue to eat the foods you’re used to without completely changing your cooking and eating habits. Would like to know the real environmental benefit of substitutes against traditional meat.

Our family have been eating less and less meat over the last few years.

We use meat substitute products occasionally, with varying degrees of enjoyment but prefer natural foods.

I think the future will bring vast improvements in the meat substitute industry and as quality improves the uptake will increase. Quality to me would mean great taste/ variety/ little environmental impact/as natural as possible ingredients.

I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years and have found that is has become easier and easier to be vegetarian in that time. If I am
cooking then my husband and children also eat vegetarian food.

I do buy a lot of meat substitutes but I also sometimes find them a bit too 'meaty' in taste and texture which was part of the reason I became vegetarian in the first place.
It would be nice to have some more vegetable based alternatives.

All fairly long term vegans here. Two of us detest meat in flavour, smell and texture so don't eat any 'meat' replacements at all. Two love meat replacements and care not one jot how 'healthy' those replacements are just want them to taste as close to real meat as possible sans suffering.

We don't eat much meat, even when I use meat in a meal it's usually only a small amount and then I add beans or lentils or extra veg. I don't use meat free products really although we have tried soya mince but we didn't like it. I'd be open to trying it but I find lentils and beans do the job just as well.

Family member said they were vegan, I stocked up with surprisingly good Tesco products. Then another said they were vegan so we started having home cooked meat free family meals. No complaints!

I do still eat fish and have not yet given up dairy. I’m on my way and really enjoying exploring vegan recipes.

we are reducing our meat consumption - mainly to try to force up veg in take in fussy children - but I can't stand meat replacements. The only vegetarian and vegan meals I like are ones that are just naturally meat free, not with fake meat in them.

If meatless farm foods are better quality than the average fake meat, then it might help us reduce more, but as we do still eat meat and fish in other meals, I don't feel the need for protein subsitutes.

@daniel1996 - have you tried Cauldron sausages? They're the sausages I use.