Vegetarian Meat and Its Benefits

By: Tanvi Rustagi

Trying to turn into a vegetarian but finding it hard to leave the juicy chicken leg? Don?t fret because now you can become a vegetarian and at the same time enjoy your meaty meals. Only, the meat will be vegetarian. And how is that you might ask?

Welcome to the world of vegetarian meat! Yes, it?s true!

Vegetarian meat is basically a meat substitute made out of vegetarian ingredients but the texture and taste is extremely close to that of meat. There are many types of vegetarian meats in the market, just like the options you have when you eat animal meat.

Wheat gluten / Seitan ? it is formed after the wheat dough is washed out of all the starch and bran from it. You can make vegetarian sausages, burgers, nuggets and even minced meat with wheat gluten.

Tofu ? it is made out of soya and is a result of adding a curdling agent to the soya milk. It is rich in all the essential amino acids but unfortunately does not have the exact meat-like texture. But it can be seasoned and smoked.

Soya Meat or Textured Vegetable Protein ? it is produced with the help of soya beans and has a very fibrous texture similar to that of meat. The protein content in soya meat is above 50%. It can help you forget the animal meat that you had been trying so hard to quit!

Tempeh ? this is another great product which is produced with the help of soya beans. It is traditionally a fermented food from Indonesia and has a Rhizopus mould which helps bind the soya in place. It has a chewy consistency and hence a great substitute for animal meat.

And if you still aren?t convinced to leave animal meat, here are a few health benefits that you gain when you do leave it and start a healthy vegetarian diet:


1.It is low on cholesterol.
2.There are fewer chances of you getting a disease due to ingestion of meat.
3.Recent studies conducted have found out that vegetarians live longer!
4.A low fat diet which can be achieved thanks to vegetarianism can help fight impotence.
5.Thanks to a high fibre intake, your digestion system remains fit!

Do you really need more reasons?