Plant-based diets might sound unappetising to those who love the juicy, hearty taste of their meats, but veggie-based meat alternatives that taste and feel similar to regular meats are getting the attention of even meat-lovers in Singapore today.
What are meatless “meats”?
Made from plants like jackfruit, peas, or lentils, meatless “meats” are made to look, taste, and feel like regular meats. It’s no wonder that popular veggie-based food substitutes brand, Impossible Foods, has created patties that ‘bleed’. Yes, cut into the patty and red juice will spill from it – like how it would from a juicy beef patty.
Plant-based meat alternatives, in the forms of patties, meatballs, and chicken cutlets, are simply making it easier for those who are hesitant to give up or cut down on meats to do so.
Why eat meatless “meats”?
Besides the fact that they’re tasty – any foodie would want to give these veggie-based “meats” a taste, meat alternatives are worth sinking your teeth into also because they’re better for the environment.
Compared to conventional meats, plant-based meat alternatives produce less greenhouse gas emissions, save water, and use less land. In fact, a report by Good Food Institute revealed that Impossible Burger reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 89 per cent compared to conventional beef.
And while it’s ideal to swap our meats for regular fresh fruits and vegetables, veggie-based “meats” are an easier and much more mouthwatering option for many. Meat alternatives encourage us to ease into a flexitarian diet, in other words, one that cuts down on our consumption of conventional meats. If more of us adopted these plant-based alternatives, it would certainly make a significant difference for our suffering planet.
Meat these 7 meat alternatives in Singapore
Whether you’re ditching meats completely or dipping your toes into a flexitarian diet, there’s a meatless “meat” that’ll tickle your tastebuds. Here, we’ve rounded up the seven most delicious meat alternatives in Singapore!
1. Impossible Foods
Even the uninitiated might be familiar with Impossible Foods – its savoury plant-based “meats” have popped up on the menu of many restaurants in Singapore, including places like P.S. Cafe, Cook & Brew, and The Marmalade Pantry.
It’s a brand that has perfected the savoury taste and texture of beef using plant ingredients, and is on a mission to completely replace meats with veggie-based meats, fish and dairy products.
Many have described Impossible Burger as juicy, stringy, and well-seasoned, a lip-smacking alternative to conventional beef patties. Besides being served in restaurants, you can now also find Impossible Foods meat alternatives in supermarkets in Singapore and at online stores.
Yes, you’ll be able to whip up your own delicious plant-based “meats” at home!
Must-try “meats” from Impossible Foods
Burgers, sausages, and meatballs are Impossible Foods’ beef alternatives; they also have “chicken” nuggets, as well as plant-based pork. Of all their foods, the ground “beef” and burger patties are the most popular, rendering them must-haves in your freezer at home.
You can cook up tasty dishes of lasagna, chilli cheese fries, and gyro using the veggie-based ground beef, or toss the plant-based burger patties on the stove for a glorious sizzle – a preempt to a hearty burger meal.
Shop Impossible Meat Plant-Based Ground Beef online for S$8.90 at Redmart, NTUC Fairprice, and Cold Storage.
2. Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat is another name that’s been in the meat section in supermarkets in Singapore for some time now. It offers burger patties, ground beef, and sausages, to name a few – all of which are plant-based, of course.
Made mostly with pea proteins, Beyond Meat’s veggie-based patties also have bits of refined coconut oil sprinkled into the “meat” to imitate the fat that’s typically found in conventional beef patties. Many describe Beyond Meat to have a robust, meaty taste and texture – some meat-lovers even say that they could give up their beef hamburgers for these delectable meat alternatives.
Skeptical? First, take a bite out of Beyond Meat’s burgers at restaurants in Singapore like Wolf Burgers and Porta. If the juicy patties are tantalising to your tastebuds – and we’re almost certain they will be, then you can even take these meatless “meats” home to your kitchen!
Shop Beyond Meat Beyond Burger Plant-Based Patties for S$9.90 on Redmart. You can also find other Beyond Meat products from most supermarkets in Singapore.
3. The Vegetarian Butcher
The newest meatless “meat” provider around the block is The Vegetarian Butcher. Having just launched retail in Singapore in December 2021, this Unilever-owned brand is bringing delicious meat alternatives like plant-based chicken, sausages, and nuggets to our tables.
Its signature selection includes the Chickened Out Chunks, Mince Charming, Big Winners (which are plant-based sausages), and Little Peckers (veggie-based nuggets). Close in taste and texture, The Vegetarian Butcher’s chicken chunks are even praised by some reviewers to be even yummier than regular meat!
Fitting for our Singaporean tastebuds, the plant-based chicken chunks let us whip up a myriad of Asian recipes like stir-fried chicken, chicken noodle soup, or even curry chicken stews.
So, if you’re tired of turning to Impossible ground beef and patties as your only source of meatless “meats”, then go to The Vegetarian Butcher for many more exciting options.
Shop The Vegetarian Butcher products for S$7.59 on RedMart and Amazon, or in supermarkets like FairPrice and Cold Storage in Singapore.
4. Quorn
Meat alternatives are nothing new, and Quorn has been around long enough to know that. Since 1983, this UK brand has used mycoprotein to imitate the texture of meat in their plant-based substitutes, creating an appetising spread of nuggets, sausages, and fish fingers, to name a few.
If finger foods are right up your alley, then you’ll absolutely love Quorn’s Crispy Nuggets, Southern Fried Bites, and Fishless Fingers that are delicious and feel almost like meat in your mouth.
Swap out nuggets from fast-food restaurants like McDonald, and welcome these meat alternatives that are great for the little ones too!
Shop Quorn on RedMart, or in supermarkets like FairPrice and Cold Storage.
5. OmniMeat
For plant-based meat that’ll go nicely with Asian recipes, turn to OmniMeat! It uses a blend of plant-based protein from pea, non-GMO soy, shiitake mushroom, and rice to create meat alternatives including everything from luncheon meat, siu mais, to dumplings.
Slurp up a flavourful plate of OmniPork Strips Stir-fry Sweet Potato Noodles, dig into an Omni Luncheon Mac n Cheese, or toss a couple of OmniTuna Wonton Cups into your mouth as a light tea-time snack. It’s up to you how you want to enjoy your meatless “meats” with your loved ones at home.
Shop OmniMeat products on RedMart and at most supermarkets in Singapore.
6. Edward & Sons
Jackfruit as a substitute for meat? Yes, that’s what vegetarian food brand Edward & Sons uses for a meat alternative, including their Unseasoned Shredded Organic Young Jackfruit that can be shaped into meatballs for a delicious spaghetti bolognese dish.
The brand also offers the Organic Young Jackfruit in Unseasoned Pieces, which acts as an excellent substitute for pulled pork. They can be used to make everything from burgers, tacos, to carnitas, and it’s no wonder too.
Because of its full and chewy texture, jackfruit is a common meat alternative that’s used around the world – though you should take note that it is lower in protein and thus can’t be used as a protein substitute.
Besides “meats”, you can also find tasty vegan and gluten-free soups from Edward & Sons, like their Not Chick’n Bouillon Cubes and Not Beef Bouillon Cubes. Keep the brand’s plant-based foods in your kitchen and you’ll be able to whip up a gastronomic spread for yourself anytime!
Shop Edward & Sons from iHerb and Amazon.
7. Deliciou
You might not even miss meats from your diet with Deliciou’s stellar range of seasonings, including their Original Bacon Seasoning that “makes everything taste like bacon” and Chicken Seasoning that “makes anything taste like chicken”.
It’s a sidetrack from plant-based meats, but these 100% veggie-based seasonings that add heavenly bursts of flavour to any dish are just too tantalising to be overlooked. Despite adding rich bacon and chicken flavours to your recipes, the seasonings are vegan-, gluten-free, and kosher certified too.
Coming back to meat alternatives, Deliciou also offers a plant-based chicken that’s made from wheat, pea, and mung bean proteins. It tastes almost like chicken, and can be used to cook up tasty meals of lasagna, kebab, chicken salads, and more!
Shop Deliciou veggie-based meats and seasonings from RedMart, or most supermarkets like Fair Price in Singapore.
You don’t have to completely cut meats from your diet to make a sustainable difference for the earth. Instead, switching your meats for plant-based alternatives for just one or two meals in a week is a good start – not to mention, a treat for your tastebuds too.
Related read: 20 vegetarian and vegan pasta recipes that are fool-proof and delicious
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