Plant-based mince Vs Beef mince
ipiddock
Posts: 97 Member
Hi,
Haven't posted for a long while. I watched the Game Changers on Netflix recently and I must admit it did get me thinking. I know all these programs have an agenda, but the science presented in this program made sense to me.
So, my wife and I have decided that we are going to reduce red meat in our diets. We do however use minced beef to make things like Bolognese, Cottage Pie, Chilli and Burgers. We tried Quorn in a Cottage Pie recently, and while the taste was OK, the texture was slimy.
We've now begun investigating the alternative 'fake beef' mince, like what you see used in the Impossible range, etc. The first thing I did was compare the nutrients of 100g of 'fake beef mince' and 100g normal lean beef mince. To my surprise the 'fake beef' is higher in calories, higher in fat, higher in saturated fat, higher in sugar and higher in salt/sodium. In my opinion, not looking like a healthier alternative.
Does anyone have any recommendations of a good plant-based mince?
Thanks
Ian
Haven't posted for a long while. I watched the Game Changers on Netflix recently and I must admit it did get me thinking. I know all these programs have an agenda, but the science presented in this program made sense to me.
So, my wife and I have decided that we are going to reduce red meat in our diets. We do however use minced beef to make things like Bolognese, Cottage Pie, Chilli and Burgers. We tried Quorn in a Cottage Pie recently, and while the taste was OK, the texture was slimy.
We've now begun investigating the alternative 'fake beef' mince, like what you see used in the Impossible range, etc. The first thing I did was compare the nutrients of 100g of 'fake beef mince' and 100g normal lean beef mince. To my surprise the 'fake beef' is higher in calories, higher in fat, higher in saturated fat, higher in sugar and higher in salt/sodium. In my opinion, not looking like a healthier alternative.
Does anyone have any recommendations of a good plant-based mince?
Thanks
Ian
1
Replies
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Gardein is our go to, we like the flavor and texture best for most situations. Keep in mind when using plant based "beef" a lot of times you do not want to cook it in liquid as this can cause sliminess or break it down into a paste. Beyond and Impossible may work better in this sense but for most of the others it works best to cook and season it separately and then add right at the end.3
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Now go listen to Chris Kresser on Joe Rogan. I'm not saying change your mind, just suggesting you arm yourself with more information.8
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I have used it in things like chili and sloppy joe's. Being in the US, the main brands available are Boca and Morningstar Farms. I prefer Morningstar because it is less salty.
I have to be careful about eating anything soy based. If I eat too much of it, the phytoestrogen causes me to develop benign cysts so I limit my use of any plant based meat alternative.2 -
Whilst I enjoy some of the Quorn products I’m not keen on the mince either, although it is more successful if you make sure not to overcook it. Add it just for the last 10–15 mins of your sauce - for example, for bolognese I’d make a base Italian Tomato Sauce and put the Quorn Mince in once the sauce has cooked down and developed full flavour. It’s not so bad then!
I find a similar thing with Pea Protein Mince, the texture isn’t great, especially if overcooked.
I generally choose to cook things like bolognese style sauces with red or brown lentils. Meals like Chilli I’ll more often use Beans and veg etc.
If you want a direct minced beef substitute though I’d say you’ll do better using dried TVP mince. Rehydrate it in stock and brown and use exactly like minced beef. Texture is good and it easily takes up your spices, herbs and other flavours.
I’ve also recently (last week) made the following recipe. I’ve only used it for tacos so far but it was really very very good!
https://www.powerhungry.com/2019/06/vegan-ground-beef/
Here it is, before I portioned and froze the rest in 100g portions
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I'm assuming the OP is in the UK so might not be able to get those brands.
Not quite what you're asking for but couple thoughts as a vegetarian:
If you are actually still eating meat what I would suggest is bulking out your cottage pie with brown/green lentils, so it's still meaty but you're still cutting down your intake. I eat pure green lentil cottage pies happily as a veg, but I got the idea from penny-pinching threads by meat-eaters who suggested using it as a bulk filler.
I think if you like the taste of meat you're not going to be impressed by too many of the fake meats, because they just aren't meat. I'll happily eat Quorn because I've been veggy for decades and don't really know what it's meant to taste like!
I'd suggest working on your non meat based repertoire and trying more naturally meat-free bean based dishes.
5 bean chilli, big pots of black bean soup, pinto beans, bean burritos. Look for authentic recipes online done well it's so tasty.
I also like black bean burgers that I make myself. This recipe is pretty good and drying the beans out first really does give it a very good texture. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-black-bean-burgers/7 -
I'm an omnivore but thought I'd chime in anyway. One of the serious issues I have with our senior community kitchen is they seem to think vegetarian cuisine is created simply by leaving out the meat.FutureFit2020 wrote: »I'd suggest working on your non meat based repertoire and trying more naturally meat-free bean based dishes.
I agree with what @FutureFit2020 suggests. Vegetarian dishes are not simply meat-based dishes made with fake meat but instead are glorious vegetable-based dishes including beans, lentils and the like to provide protein and substance. Happily, there are many, many vegetarian recipes available on the web.
Instead of buying soy-based, highly-processed mince substitutes make you own falafels using chick peas and spices. Make vegetarian chili with lots of beans. Whir a bit with a blender (immersion or counter top) to add thickness. Include vegetable-based fats like olive oil and avocados to add richness.
Consider, as well, making your own seitan mixture for a meat substitute in things like stews. You can make it from a box of vital wheat gluten or even from a bag of flour. Just add flavorings like soy and worcestershire sauce to give it a meaty flavor. Portobello mushrooms can stand in as burger patties.
I'll stop now but you get the idea. Don't simply look for a one-to-one substitute for a beef product but instead investigate the infinite varieties of vegetarian dishes.
5 -
I make my own. I take around a cup of cooked and cooled brown rice, a few dates (I like around 6 or so), some rinsed Dark Red Kidney beans (one can), a few TBS of Tomato paste (around half a can) and some lightly roasted walnuts (also around a cup). I make taco meat, stuffed peppers and many other things with it. If I'm making tacos, I use some taco seasoning.
It looks a bit mushy at first, but pulse it, use a bit of EVOO and fry it after you make it. As it fries up, it will eventually dry up and taste resemble hamburger meat in both texture and appearance. Plus, I know exactly what's in it, which I like.4 -
FutureFit2020 wrote: »If you are actually still eating meat what I would suggest is bulking out your cottage pie with brown/green lentils, so it's still meaty but you're still cutting down your intake. I eat pure green lentil cottage pies happily as a veg, but I got the idea from penny-pinching threads by meat-eaters who suggested using it as a bulk filler.
I think if you like the taste of meat you're not going to be impressed by too many of the fake meats, because they just aren't meat.
Not what you asked but this ^^ is what I do. I tried quorn a few times and really couldn't see the point of it. Having said that, I've noticed a few UK supermarkets giving over separate aisles to vegan produce now, so perhaps better options will come to the market. I won't be the one testing them out though.
I bulk out quite a few of my meals with lentils or split peas or by adding more veg. What might have been a 6-portion bolognese or Shepherd's Pie gets bagged or boxed in to 8 portions as it's been padded out. My Red Lentil Chicken Stew gets more lentils and less chicken. Per meal, my meat consumption is reduced but the taste isn't compromised.
I make vegetarian dishes that don't call for meat substitutes. The bbcgoodfood website has a lovely lentil ragu recipe or try making vegetarian chilli, pasta bakes or mushroom / veg risotto. I always have a variety of veg curries in my freezer, bagged in portion sizes. I found a great aubergine and chickpea curry recipe on the cupfulofkale website and also have good recipes for spinach, chickpea and potato curry and blackeye bean curry. If I fancy having some meat, I won't bother with any rice but can grill a chicken breast or salmon fillet and have it on top of a portion of veg curry. There are good burger recipes around that use mushrooms, too, I've just never tried any.2 -
Probably not what you are thinking of if going veggie is your aim, but I don't buy beef - we use turkey mince if we want a meat dish for this sort of thing. We also eat quite a bit of veggie stuff, 5 bean veggie chilli is a family favourite. However we quite like oumph burgers and green cusine ones, both 'fake meat', both pea protein I think, so could you consider something like this to chop up and put in, rather than a minced meat version? Also high in calories so we don't have them very often.
Like you we try to reduce our meat consumption, beef is the worst by far - although if you saw the David Attenborough Extinction bbc documentary (still on iplayer!) then you'll know, as I have now learned, that soybean, used for animal feed -including poultry- is massive contributor to amazon deforestation so you literally can't win and my turkey solution isn't much of an improvement.0 -
There are many interesting and new ideas coming out all the time. Pecans and nuts or seeds could work possibly, tofu crumbles, tempeh, edamame, black soybeans and Beyond Meat is good for alternative to meat.. I agree with posts about switching to plant based dishes that are loaded with veggies, avocado, seeds, etc.
Check out Tabitha Brown on YouTube. She is awesome! Look for pecan tacos, jackfruit recipes and other cool stuff she does.
I went from carnivore to omnivore then pescatarian and now plant based but also vegan. I have never felt better.1 -
I honestly think eating those alternatives to meat are more of a "once in a blue moon" treat vs something you should be having on a regular basis.
Eating plant based foods is more than just no longer eating meat and cheese, its about changing your view on what you are eating in general. Avoiding processed foods altogether, and really thinking about what nutritional benefits you can gain from what you are considering eating is most important.
Those fake meats end up being terrible nutrition wise, and I would much rather focus on "eating the rainbow" along with beans or lentils.1 -
Thanks for the replies, yes I am based in the UK. All interesting perspectives and points of view in this thread. Wasn't looking to go veggie or vegan. The idea of being able to replicate the meat experience using only plants just sounded appealing, but not at the expense of healthy nutrition. As someone pointed out, this fake beef is highly processed, that's the issue with it. It will be interesting to see how this market develops, however it will always be considered processed. The turkey mince is a good shout, I may just go that route for now. Appreciate all the input though. :-)1
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I honestly think eating those alternatives to meat are more of a "once in a blue moon" treat vs something you should be having on a regular basis.
Eating plant based foods is more than just no longer eating meat and cheese, its about changing your view on what you are eating in general. Avoiding processed foods altogether, and really thinking about what nutritional benefits you can gain from what you are considering eating is most important.
Those fake meats end up being terrible nutrition wise, and I would much rather focus on "eating the rainbow" along with beans or lentils.
I don't know if they're TERRIBLE nutritionwise as much as you just have to consider how they fit into your overall diet, like you do with all foods. If the majority of your diet is fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans, is it going to be terrible to have some Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger along with that? It can be a part of meeting my overall needs for fat and protein.5 -
Conversation with a friend who is an omnivore but limits red meat:
Him, 12:52 PM
Just cooked and ate my first beyond burger.
It feels disgusting. Not a great smell while cooking. Tastes good.
Me, 2:36 PM
Huh, weird that it would smell and feel disgusting but taste good. Did you try it in chili too?
Him, 2:37 PM
No, I thought I would see what it tastes like by itself first.
I may use the rest in chili just so I don't have to touch it very much.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Conversation with a friend who is an omnivore but limits red meat:
Him, 12:52 PM
Just cooked and ate my first beyond burger.
It feels disgusting. Not a great smell while cooking. Tastes good.
Me, 2:36 PM
Huh, weird that it would smell and feel disgusting but taste good. Did you try it in chili too?
Him, 2:37 PM
No, I thought I would see what it tastes like by itself first.
I may use the rest in chili just so I don't have to touch it very much.
I also find the smell while cooking unappealing (too rich?), but the finished taste and smell are fine to me. My husband (who eats beef) says he finds the smell kind of "odd," but not necessarily unappealing.0 -
FutureFit2020 wrote: »If you are actually still eating meat what I would suggest is bulking out your cottage pie with brown/green lentils, so it's still meaty but you're still cutting down your intake. I eat pure green lentil cottage pies happily as a veg, but I got the idea from penny-pinching threads by meat-eaters who suggested using it as a bulk filler.
I think if you like the taste of meat you're not going to be impressed by too many of the fake meats, because they just aren't meat.Strudders67 wrote: »Not what you asked but this ^^ is what I do. I tried quorn a few times and really couldn't see the point of it. Having said that, I've noticed a few UK supermarkets giving over separate aisles to vegan produce now, so perhaps better options will come to the market. I won't be the one testing them out though.
I bulk out quite a few of my meals with lentils or split peas or by adding more veg. What might have been a 6-portion bolognese or Shepherd's Pie gets bagged or boxed in to 8 portions as it's been padded out. My Red Lentil Chicken Stew gets more lentils and less chicken. Per meal, my meat consumption is reduced but the taste isn't compromised.
I make vegetarian dishes that don't call for meat substitutes. The bbcgoodfood website has a lovely lentil ragu recipe or try making vegetarian chilli, pasta bakes or mushroom / veg risotto. I always have a variety of veg curries in my freezer, bagged in portion sizes. I found a great aubergine and chickpea curry recipe on the cupfulofkale website and also have good recipes for spinach, chickpea and potato curry and blackeye bean curry. If I fancy having some meat, I won't bother with any rice but can grill a chicken breast or salmon fillet and have it on top of a portion of veg curry. There are good burger recipes around that use mushrooms, too, I've just never tried any.
I made this sausage and lentil soup last night:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/sausage-kale-and-lentil-soup-recipe-2200991
It calls for a pound of sausage and a cup of lentils. (It says 1.75 C in the recipe but 1 C in the video.)
I could easily reduce the sausage by half and increase the lentils and my OH would not complain about lack of meat.
For other recipes I have replaced half the sausage with ground turkey or chicken. While this might work with ground beef as well, it perhaps would work better with new recipes. I'm not messing with my tried-and-true meatloaf recipe
As said above, another option is to make the red meat dishes less often and have vegetarian dishes that don't call for meat substitutes more often.1 -
I replace 25%-30% of meat mince with quorn and don't notice any difference in taste or texture. This is for recipes such as bolognaise, chilli con carne, sloppy joe's.0
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I try to make vegan dishes once or twice a week, and I never opt for fake meat substitutes. I make my own burger patties with chickpeas and lentils. I've made vegan bolognese with finely chopped mushrooms (include porcinis, they're so rich). My favorite chili uses three kinds of beans (plus pumpkin for texture). Plants can shine on their own without trying to imitate meat.2
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MikePfirrman wrote: »I make my own. I take around a cup of cooked and cooled brown rice, a few dates (I like around 6 or so), some rinsed Dark Red Kidney beans (one can), a few TBS of Tomato paste (around half a can) and some lightly roasted walnuts (also around a cup). I make taco meat, stuffed peppers and many other things with it. If I'm making tacos, I use some taco seasoning....
Sounds great. Do you pulse it all together in a food processor or just mash it all up or what?
Though I'm by no means a vegan (I eat small wild fish and occasionally eat yogurt) I have just lost my taste for red meat. And I'm not a big fan of commercially-made faux meat analogues. I have nothing against people eating Beyond Meat burgers but to me homemade just tastes better. And like you said, you know what goes in it.
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The Beyond Meat is high on calories. Lightlife and Yves are lower.0
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I like roasted cauliflower with mushrooms, chickpeas, and nutritional yeast. Change up the seasonings depending on the dish. I like it with chipotle chile adobo, but it is also good with taco seasoning and would probably work with italian herbs for pastas and sauce.1
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