While there's no denying that meat is a primary source of protein for many people, it's not the only option out there for home cooks. Whether you're cutting back on red meat for health reasons or have opted to follow a vegetarian diet in order to reduce your carbon footprint, today there is a great variety of alternative protein sources that you can even rely on when preparing typically meat-centric dishes, from burgers to chilis.
Don't know what to use in place of meat in your favorite recipes? There are now widely available alternatives to just about every type of meat, including chicken-, pork-, fish-, and beef-style products. Plant-based meat substitutes have come a long way in both taste and texture since the days of the first veggie burger, thanks to the growing popularity of vegetarian diets.
Lean meat and meat substitutes Cheese, 3 grams or less of fat per ounce 1 ounce Cottage cheese, fat-free, low-fat or regular 1/4 cup Egg substitutes, plain 1/4 cup Fish, fresh or frozen: catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, orange roughy, salmon, tilapia, trout, tuna 1 ounce Hot dog, 3 grams
Eating a vegetarian diet can be very healthful and rewarding. However, most vegetarians-including soon-to-be vegetarians and their meat-eating loved ones-are concerned about getting adequate protein. Most people are accustomed to getting protein from meat, but what else contains protein? Aren't plant-based proteins "incomplete" or lower quality?
