Not as good in terms of protein content or indeed textured (if you are seeking something resembling real meat mince), but many vegans simply add lentils in place of minced meat in recipes, such as cottage pie, chilli con carne, spaghetti Bolognese and others. In the UK, the choice of plant-based meat alternatives has boomed in recent years. You'll now find products that aim to recreate the taste and texture of meat, as well as more traditional alternatives.

There are a growing number of high-quality vegan mince options that are healthier for consumers and better for the environment than their meat counterparts. Not only that, many of them are very good replicas of meat in terms of texture and – in some cases – flavour.Soya has, from time to time, hit the headlines with scare stories that have linked its consumption to an increased risk of breast cancer or hormonal issues in men. Cancer Research UK states that there is no good evidence that eating soya products increases or decreases cancer risk. And while soya products such as tofu contain isoflavones, which are like a mild version of the human hormone oestrogen, there's no valid evidence that they have any unwanted effects on men. Blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes, then drain and refresh in ice-cold water. Drain well and lay flat on a clean tea towel to get rid of all the last drops of water. Plant-based foods aren't made equal, so you can't assume they are healthy just because they include plant-based ingredients. While this report quotes a global average, and the UK fares much better in terms of the environmental impact of the meat it produces, most experts agree that consuming less meat and more plants is beneficial for the environment at various levels. Vegan mince tends to contain significantly less fat (and especially saturated fat) than standard beef mince

It perhaps could be considered a little on the bland side in terms of flavour compared to some, but it works very well in dishes to which plenty of spices and more robust flavours are added. Some will find it expensive and there is no denying that it does cost more than most alternatives, be they vegan or meat. Vivera Veggie Mince – Nutritional Values Typical Values (Per 100g) Lean beef mince contains similar amounts of fat as some vegan mince options, but still contain more than many vegan mince products Tesco Meat Free Vegetarian Mince– A very good value option that soaks up flavours readily, this 97% soya-based mince has a nice level of seasoning that adds to the flavour. Obviously, it’s only available at Tesco. Wheat Gluten/Wheat Protein– Rarely the primary ingredient in vegan mince but often a secondary inclusion that beefs (for want of a better word!) things up a little. Vital Wheat Gluten is most commonly used to make seitan. To make the duxelles, place the chopped mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until they are about the size of grains of rice.In the UK, the WWF highlights Tesco and Waitrose as the two supermarkets showing the most commitment to sustainably sourcing soya. Iceland and Morrisons are at the bottom of this list. Many plant-based brands, including Cauldron, Taifun and The Tofoo Co state that they source their soya beans in Europe or Canada. Mycoproteins, wheat, beans and peas When it comes to comparing the environmental impact of beef mince to that of vegan mince, there really is no contest. We’ve covered a lot of the relevant information in our article on the environmental reasons for veganism. But – based on the BBC’s Climate Change Food Calculator – consuming 75g of beef once or twice a week would contribute 604kg to your annual greenhouse gas emissions; if you consumed tofu (soy) instead, it would contribute just 12kg to your annual greenhouse gas emissions. Research indicates that, in most cases, plant-based diets have less environmental impact than those based on meat. When we asked Which? readers about their diets, more than half said they’d cut down on meat compared with 10 years ago. Nearly a quarter said their main motivation for this was environmental, sustainable or ethical.*