I don’t know about the rest of the world, but there’s been a huge rise in vegetarianism and veganism in Australia lately—in fact, it’s reported that there’s between 2012 and 2016, the number of Australian vegetarian adults has risen from 9.7% of the population to 11.2% of the population. I’ve been a vegetarian for most of my life, so I’ve had plenty of time to figure out the best and the worst meat substitutes. I won’t lie to you and give you the whole “trust me, it tastes exactly like the real thing!” shtick—I know that most of these don’t taste like real meat. But I can tell you with total honesty that they taste pretty damn good anyway.
The Fry Family Food Co.
Fry’s products are available all over the world and there are tons to choose from. All the products are vegan and super easy to cook. My favourite product is the stir fry strips—here’s an awesome recipe for vegan chow mein, courtesy of Fry’s Family Recipes.
Morning Star
These products are a little hard to find in Australia since Morning Star is an American company (tip—USA Foods usually has a small variety in stock), but they’re well worth the hunt! They stock tons vegetarian versions of your faves: breakfast sandwiches, “bacon”, corndogs, veggie burgers, pulled “pork”—the list goes on and on. My personal favourites from Morning Star are their breakfast sausage patties and their “chick’n” nuggets.
Vegie Delights
I literally grew up on Vegie Delights products. Not only are they super delicious and versatile, they’re also so good for you! They’re all packed with protein and iron and B12—all things that are often sorely lacking in vegetarian diets and are sometimes tough to find in meat substitutes. While I acknowledge that certain products may be an acquired taste (I’m looking at you, nutmeat), I can vouch for almost every single product Vegie Delights offers. It’s tough to choose a favourite, but I’d have to say it’s a toss up between casserole mince (try it instead of beef in a lasagne), nutmeat (an awesome substitute for meat in bolognese sauce), and smokey BBQ burgers.
Quorn
Quorn products are protein-packed and delicious. Most products are vegan and some are even gluten free. Personally, I’d have to say that their yummiest products are their Quorn pieces—perfect for stir fries, curries, salads, and on top of pizzas.
Syndian Natural Foods
Syndian has so many amazing vegetarian and vegan options. Their best include falafel, ready-made curries, and dips (their chipotle black bean salsa will literally rock your world). If you ever find yourself in Sydney, do yourself a favour and make the trip to Dogma Cronulla—they serve Syndian products (and they make them look so much prettier than you and I ever could).
From the outside, vegetarianism may look like a boring slew of veggies and tofu, but it definitely doesn’t have to be. Being vegetarian saves animals, saves the environment, and can even save you money—it doesn’t mean you have to skimp on deliciousness.