The best substitutes for meat depend on what you’re after: protein, texture, or both. Legumes, soy foods, and seitan are the most practical whole-food options, each delivering meaningful protein at a fraction of the cost of beef or chicken. Whether you’re cutting back on meat for health, budget, or environmental reasons, you have more high-quality choices than ever.
Legumes: The Everyday Workhorse
Dried beans, lentils, and chickpeas are the most affordable and versatile meat substitutes available. A pound of dried beans costs about $1.65 at U.S. grocery stores, compared to roughly $5.50 for a pound of ground beef or $4.00 for boneless chicken breast. That price gap gets even wider when you consider that dried beans roughly triple in volume once cooked.
Lentils deliver about 18 grams of protein per cooked cup and require no soaking, making them the fastest legume to prepare. They work in bolognese sauces, soups, and grain bowls. Chickpeas offer about 15 grams per cup and hold up well in curries, stews, and salads. Black beans and kidney beans fall in a similar range and are staples for tacos, chili, and burritos.
The main limitation of legumes is that they’re lower in certain amino acids compared to animal protein. But eating them alongside grains, nuts, or seeds throughout the day easily fills those gaps. You don’t need to combine them in every single meal.
Soy Foods: Tofu, Tempeh, and Edamame
Soy protein is the closest plant protein to meat in terms of quality. On standardized protein quality scores, soy ranks between 0.93 and 1.00 out of 1.00, essentially matching animal protein in how well your body can use it. Pea protein scores lower (around 0.78 to 0.91), and wheat protein lower still (0.45 to 0.54).
Tofu is mild and adaptable. It contains about 8 grams of protein per 100 grams, which sounds modest, but a typical serving is a larger block. Firm and extra-firm varieties absorb marinades well and can be pan-fried, baked, or crumbled into scrambles. Tempeh packs more protein at 19 grams per 100 grams and has a nuttier, chewier texture that works in stir-fries and sandwiches. Because tempeh is fermented, it’s rich in prebiotics that support gut bacteria, and some people find it easier to digest than other soy products. Edamame, or whole young soybeans, delivers about 14 grams of protein per cup and works as a snack or salad topper.
If you’ve heard concerns about soy and hormones, the current scientific consensus is reassuring. The European Food Safety Authority, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee all consider soy safe for the general population. Large reviews of human studies have found no evidence that soy disrupts thyroid function, triggers early puberty, or causes hormonal problems in adults or children. The plant compounds in soy that raised early concerns in rodent studies simply don’t produce the same effects in humans.
Seitan: The High-Protein Option
Seitan is made from vital wheat gluten and delivers more protein per bite than any other plant food. A small 28-gram serving (about a quarter cup of the dry flour) contains 21 grams of protein and 104 calories. Once hydrated and cooked, seitan has a chewy, dense texture that mimics chicken or beef strips remarkably well in stir-fries, fajitas, and sandwiches.
The trade-off is that wheat protein is low in the amino acid lysine, so pairing seitan with soy sauce, beans, or lentils in the same meal rounds out the profile. Seitan is obviously off the table if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Texture Substitutes for Specific Dishes
Sometimes you’re not looking for protein so much as the right mouthfeel. Young jackfruit, sold canned in brine or water, pulls apart into shreds that closely resemble pulled pork or shredded chicken. It absorbs barbecue sauce, curry spices, or taco seasoning and works in sandwiches, tacos, and stews. Jackfruit is low in protein (about 2 to 3 grams per cup), so think of it as a texture stand-in rather than a nutritional one.
Mushrooms fill a different niche. Portobello caps can replace burger patties, finely diced cremini mushrooms blend into ground meat sauces to stretch them, and king oyster mushrooms can be sliced and seared to mimic scallops. Mushrooms bring a savory depth that makes dishes taste more satisfying without adding many calories.
Mycoprotein: A Less Familiar Option
Mycoprotein is a protein grown from a type of fungus, most commonly sold under the brand name Quorn. Per 100 grams, it provides 11 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber while containing only 85 calories and very little fat. By dry weight, it’s roughly 45% protein and 25% fiber.
What makes mycoprotein interesting is its fiber composition. It contains a mix of chitin and beta-glucans that may help lower cholesterol, slow glucose absorption, and increase feelings of fullness after eating. Research suggests that meals containing mycoprotein lead to lower calorie intake at the next meal compared to other protein sources. It’s sold as nuggets, patties, and ground “mince” in many grocery stores.
Commercial Plant-Based Burgers and Meats
Products like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger are designed to replicate the taste and texture of ground beef as closely as possible. They succeed at that goal, but their nutritional profile is mixed. A large analysis of plant-based meat alternatives found that most products contain more than 1 gram of salt per 100 grams, putting them in the upper-moderate to high sodium range. “Beyond Meat-type” burger patties had a median of 1.35 grams of salt per 100 grams, with some products reaching 2.5 grams.
Saturated fat levels vary widely, from essentially zero to 9 grams per 100 grams depending on the brand and formulation. These products can be a helpful bridge if you’re transitioning away from meat and want something familiar, but they’re best treated as an occasional convenience rather than a daily staple. Whole-food options like beans, tofu, and tempeh give you more nutrition with less processing.
Nutrients to Watch
Swapping meat for plant foods works well for protein, but a few micronutrients need attention. A 12-week clinical trial comparing plant-based and animal-based diets found three consistent gaps.
Vitamin B12 is the biggest concern. Participants eating mostly plant protein saw their B12 marker drop by 23% over just 12 weeks, while those eating animal protein maintained their levels. Plants simply don’t provide reliable B12. A supplement or fortified foods (like nutritional yeast, fortified plant milks, or fortified cereals) solves this completely.
Iron intake actually tends to go up on a plant-heavy diet. In the same trial, the plant group consumed about 17.9 mg of iron daily compared to 14.3 mg in the meat group. The catch is absorption: non-heme iron from plants is absorbed up to 70% less efficiently than heme iron from meat. Eating iron-rich foods like lentils and spinach with a source of vitamin C (citrus, bell peppers, tomatoes) significantly improves absorption.
Zinc runs slightly lower on plant-based diets. The trial found plant-based eaters consumed about 12.3 mg daily versus 14.1 mg for meat eaters. Pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, cashews, and fortified cereals can help close this gap. Soaking and sprouting grains and legumes also reduces compounds that block zinc absorption.
Practical Combinations That Cover Your Bases
You don’t need to replicate meat gram-for-gram at every meal. A few reliable combinations deliver complete protein and cover most micronutrient gaps:
- Rice and black beans with salsa provides complete protein plus iron and vitamin C for absorption.
- Tofu stir-fry with peanuts and broccoli combines high-quality soy protein with zinc from nuts and vitamin C from the vegetable.
- Lentil soup with whole grain bread pairs complementary amino acid profiles and delivers iron and fiber.
- Tempeh tacos with avocado and lime gives you fermented soy protein, healthy fats, and citrus to boost iron uptake.
The most sustainable approach for most people is building meals around two or three of these protein sources rather than relying on a single substitute. That variety naturally covers amino acid gaps, keeps meals interesting, and costs significantly less than buying meat for every dinner.