by Briar Miller

Created on: July 18, 2010   Last Updated: February 10, 2011

A good vegetarian diet is not hard to achieve, but for the new vegetarian, or if your kids suddenly decide to go vegetarian, it can be a daunting prospect. It would definitely be a good idea to do some research and to invest in some recipe books to help you along.

The easiest alternative to meat is the most familiar. What you are looking for essentially is a replacement for the protein, amino acids and B vitamins found in meat. Dairy products, eggs and cheese, are high in all of these things, and you probably already have a few recipes up your sleeve. As long as you are not contending with veganism, where no animal products are allowed, a proportion of your meals can be dairy-based. However, dairy products do not contain all of the kinds of protein and amino acids that you need, and a purely dairy-based diet would cause other health issues, as well as getting quite boring.

The next easiest substitutes for meat in meals are the proprietary products, such as Quorn, Linda McCartney, and supermarket brand soya-based products. These include vegetarian sausages, burgers, mince, hotdogs, chicken pieces and sandwich slices. These can be very good, you can even fool meat eaters with them, but they are also quite expensive.

Dried soya has come a long way. You can now get it in most supermarkets. Where it used to be somewhere between cardboard and dog food, it is now a perfectly acceptable substitute for meat in your favourite mince-based recipes.  Simply pour boiling water to cover your dried mince and leave to soak for a couple of minutes.  This will rehydrate it.  Dried soya mince doesn't need to be sealed like meat mince but a quick scald in a hot dry frying pan adds colour and flavour.

Tofu, which is soya bean curd, is another longstanding substitute which has become more widely available and better quality. It can be used in a huge range of recipes because it is essentially flavourless. It is very good at soaking up flavours and is extremely nutritious so it is definitely worth experimenting with.  Tofu is made in a similar way to cheese.  It comes in blocks in plastic packaging which will contain liquid, the equivalent of whey.  Snip a corner off the package to drain.  The tofu can then be cut into slices or chunks and can be fried until it is crispy and golden.  This is particularly good in savoury dishes.  Silken tofu is looser and smoother and is particularly good in sauces and puddings. 

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