{"id":14335,"date":"2023-05-29T07:00:55","date_gmt":"2023-05-29T12:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-arts\/understanding-plant-based-meat-substitutes\/"},"modified":"2024-10-23T06:31:42","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T11:31:42","slug":"understanding-plant-based-meat-substitutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-arts\/understanding-plant-based-meat-substitutes\/","title":{"rendered":"How Plant-Based Meat Substitutes Are Changing the Way We Eat"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re in a food-related career, you\u2019ll want to stay in front of consumer trends and interests. And one trend that can\u2019t be ignored is the explosion of interest in plant-based meat substitutes.<\/p>\n

According to a report from the Plant Based Foods Association<\/a>, 70% of the total U.S. population is consuming plant-based foods as of 2022. Of the 11,000 commercial operators who purchased plant-based meat burgers, the National Restaurant Association<\/a> reports that 93.5% kept them on the menu. This means plant-based meat is more than a trend\u2013it\u2019s here to stay! Restaurants have taken notice, and as a future or current culinary professional, so should you.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a closer look at plant-based meat substitutes and how you can be part of the progress.<\/p>\n

What Is Plant-Based Meat?<\/h2>\n

A plant-based meat substitute<\/a> generally includes a mix of protein\u2013like tofu, tempeh, seitan, soy, lentils, or pea protein\u2013 plus plant oils, like sunflower or canola. A plant-based binding agent, like gluten or aquafaba, then holds this meat substitute together firmly.<\/p>\n

Depending on the ingredients used, plant-based meat substitutes may look, feel, and taste very different. Textures, colors, and flavors often vary depending on what\u2019s in the mix. This is good news for plant-based meat substitute manufacturers, however, as these products can mimic a variety of different meats\u2013from pulled pork to beef patties to chicken breasts. With different ingredients and various tools, like extruders, slicers, and spiralizers, consumers can expect to find a wide variety of plant-based meat substitutes on the market today.<\/p>\n

\"Breaded

Encrusted tofu can make an excellent plant-based substitute for breaded chicken.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the culinary world, many restaurants are offering plant-based options<\/a>, even if they don\u2019t specifically tailor their dining experience to a plant-based palate. Others have turned their entire menus into smorgasbords of plant-based options. Business owners know that with so many people enjoying plant-based foods today, opportunities to grow and retain a loyal customer base may come from offering these types of options in their establishments.<\/p>\n

Six Innovative Companies Making Plant-Based Meat Substitutes<\/h2>\n

With permission to be creative and innovative rather than conventional, food business startups over the past several years are thinking outside the box. These companies are using a variety of different ingredients and proprietary techniques to develop products that replicate the taste, texture, flavor, and nutritional value of traditional meats.<\/p>\n

Impossible Foods: Classic American Burger and More<\/h3>\n

By making the classic American burger its main competitor and selling in traditional fast-food restaurants, Impossible Foods<\/a> has grown dramatically and helped fuel the trend in \u201cplant-based\u201d everything. Modeling the success of the impossible burger, Impossible Foods now sells \u201cimpossible sausage,\u201d \u201cimpossible meatballs,\u201d \u201cimpossible pork,\u201d and more. They also offer a Food Service Guide<\/a> on its website to help restaurants and professional chefs incorporate plant-based meats into their menus, and in-store marketing assistance to promote its products.<\/p>\n

Hungry Planet Foods: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Crab, and More<\/h3>\n

Hungry Planet Foods\u2019<\/a> \u201cchef-crafted plant-based meats\u201d were specifically designed to appeal to chefs and discerning home cooks used to cooking with the highest-quality ingredients. The company also focuses on health, boasting 78% less fat and 41% fewer calories in their plant-based ground beef than in traditional ground beef. Hungry Planet offers a range of different plant-based meats to fit whatever recipe you\u2019re cooking up.<\/p>\n

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\"Shane\u201cPeople are starting to play with the idea that there might be a better way of doing things than just the traditional meat and dairy way of cooking. They\u2019re finding that more and more chefs around the world are playing with plant-based ingredients with more vegetables, and society is accepting it. And that\u2019s the driver for the change.\u201d*
\nChef Shane Witters Hicks, Escoffier Boulder Graduate, Founder of The Soulful Spread<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Good Catch Foods: Seafood<\/h3>\n

Good Catch\u2019s motto is, \u201cSeafood Without Sacrifice.\u201d Its mission is to protect the world\u2019s oceans by providing plant-based options that mimic the rich flavors and flaky textures of fine seafoods. Products include substitutes for tuna, crab cakes, fish sticks, fillets, and more. With the mission of making seafood more ethical, Good Catch has received the Company of the Year Award from PETA. (You can listen to Good Catch\u2019s Founding Chef, Chad Sarno<\/a>, on Escoffier\u2019s podcast, The Ultimate Dish!)<\/p>\n

\"Plant

Escoffier\u2019s Plant-Based Culinary Arts students explore making different meatless recipes, like plant-based sushi.<\/p><\/div>\n

Nova Meat: Chicken, Beef, and Pork<\/h3>\n

Nova Meat<\/a> is a startup that is 3D printing plant-based meat and pork. Its flagship product literally looks, cooks, and tastes like a ribeye or New York strip steak. The company\u2019s strategy is to sell its 3D printers to restaurants, which would then \u201cprint\u201d their own plant-based meats. With protein-packed, plant-based alternatives to chicken, beef, and pork, Nova Meat emphasizes bringing quality and authenticity to the plant-based meat substitute world.<\/p>\n

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Hear from Plant-Based Pioneers on The Ultimate Dish Podcast<\/h3>\n

These leaders in the world of plant-based foods share their knowledge and insights on the Escoffier podcast:<\/p>\n