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What are alternative proteins?
Alternative proteins are proteins that don’t come from animals, or use technology to recreate animal proteins, like cultivated meat. They're designed to mimic traditional products like meat, fish, egg or dairy.
Common alternative proteins are plant-based, derived from soybeans, peas, lentils, grains or nuts, such as tofu, tempeh, or products like veggie sausages, mince, ‘chicken’ pieces and burgers. Others, like Quorn, use fungi or other micro-organisms. As well as avoiding using animals, these usually have a much lower carbon footprint and use much less land and water to cultivate the same amount of protein.
Cultivated or lab-grown meat grows meat from animal cells. This is a new technology and, while available in some countries like Singapore and USA for human consumption, it is currently only allowed for pet food in the UK.
Alternative meat and proteins don’t need to be ultra-processed
Some people are worried about ultra-processed alternatives like burgers or fake ‘chicken’ pieces, but studies suggest that they have more nutritional value than processed meat. However, there are plenty of healthy whole food protein sources, like beans, peas, pulses, nuts, grains and seeds, or minimally processed alternatives like tofu and tempeh, which are high in protein and low in salt and saturated fat.
Whole foods are powerful protein sources
Protein is found in lots of non-animal sources, from seeds and nuts, grains, beans and pulses, as well as in some vegetables. These sources are also often cheap and nutritious, low in salt and higher in fibre than meat. For example:
- Legumes and pulses, such as lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans and edamame beans.
- Soy is a complete protein, meaning it has all nine amino acids found in animal sources. It includes products like tofu and tempeh, which has 19g of protein per 100g.
- Seeds and nuts, including hemp seeds, which are very high in protein with 32g per 100g, and peanut butter.
- Grains like quinoa or oats, which has 8-9g of protein in a 50g serving.
Choosing accessible options
There are lots of cheap and available sources of protein in supermarkets. You may already be eating many of these proteins without realising that they're a great alternative to animal products. Studies suggest we're all eating much more protein than we need – the British Heart Foundation said we need around 45g a day for a 60kg woman and 55g a day for a 75g man, but many of us are eating much more than this.
Here are some accessible sources of protein:
- Lentils and beans are a wallet-friendly option and there’s lots of ways to incorporate them easily into family-favourite meals.
- Choosing wholewheat pasta or brown rice, instead of white, provides you with more protein (and fibre).
- Cupboard staples, like peanut butter, baked beans or oats, are cheap and long-lasting sources of protein.
Tips for cooking tasty meals with alternative meats and proteins
It can feel difficult to know where to start when trying to swap some of the animal products you consume for plant-based alternatives. Here are some tips to help you.
Give it some crunch
Giving your plant proteins some texture can make them tasty and satisfying. Airfrying or roasting chickpeas or lentils with spices gives them a great crunch, or pressing and frying tofu or tempeh gives it a lovely, crisp texture which is great in a stir fry. Or try mashing beans with spices and vegetables to make bean burgers.
Keep your family favourites
Many family favourites lend themselves to a plant-based makeover, like using lentils or plant-based mince for spaghetti bolognese or shepherd’s pie, turning a meat chilli into a spicy three-bean chilli or swapping meat for tofu, chickpeas or chicken-style alternatives in a curry.
Half and half
There’s no need to swap out animal products completely. Why not replace some of your meat with lentils or beans to bulk up stews, soups and other dishes. This cuts down on meat while building up the fibre too!
Turn up the taste
There are lots of tricks that can be used to boost the flavour. Plant proteins like tofu, tempeh and seitan soak up flavour like sponges, so try marinading them before cooking. Add flavours like soy, miso or tomato paste, or liquid smoke or smoked paprika for a rich ‘meaty’ flavour.
Smart steps
There are lots of little steps you can use to add protein to your dishes. Try sprinking seeds over a salad for crunch, adding nutritional yeast, which is 50% protein and adds a cheesy flavour, to sauces and dishes, or swapping white rice and pasta for more protein-rich wholemeal varieties.
Get saucy
Using favourite sauces like curries or pasta sauces is a great way to boost flavour, and adding nut butters to sauces boosts protein. Or try blending up your sauce with silken tofu, instead of cream or yoghurt, for a protein-packed, creamy alternative.
Cooking on a budget and saving money with alternative proteins
People often think that choosing alternatives to meat, fish, eggs and dairy is expensive, but there are lots of ways to make a difference on a budget.
Use cheap everyday staples
You might not realise that many of the everyday items you already have in your kitchen cupboard are good plant protein sources. There are plenty of options which don’t break the bank, but make sure that you mix up grains, nuts, seeds and beans to get all the nutrition you need.
- Everything from peanut butter, baked beans, breakfast oats, wholewheat pasta and rice are good, cheap sources of protein.
- Beans like kidney beans, black beans and butter beans are full of protein and fibre, and buying dried versions is even cheaper.
- Tofu is a similar price per gram as chicken and is also a complete protein source, meaning it has all the amino acids that keep you healthy.
- Alternative proteins like veggie sausages, burgers and mince can often be cheaper than you think. We would like to see retailers making these choices more pocket-friendly for shoppers.
Reduce waste and maximise value
Food waste charity WRAP estimates that 10% of all meat purchases go to waste, the equivalent of 250,000 tonnes of beef, pork and poultry every year, meaning millions of animals’ lives go to waste to produce unused food. It costs families too – an estimated 86 million chickens are wasted by households every year in the UK, costing an estimated £660million, or £23 a household wasted on chicken alone each year.
Here are some tips to reduce waste, better for both animals and families:
- Plan meals to make sure you only buy the animal products you need and nothing goes to waste, and make sure you use up leftovers.
- Store food properly – WRAP estimates that not doing so costs households £12.5-19 billion pounds annually across all food items.
- Cook in bulk – this reduces food waste as well as saving time.
- Eat fewer animal products but buy higher welfare when you do. Choosing higher welfare like RSPCA Assured cuts down on food waste in the system, because higher-welfare conditions mean fewer animals lost to disease and death, as well as better quality products.
Minimise ingredients for quick and nutritious meals
Cooking meals with fewer, cheaper ingredients can reduce cost, compared to cooking elaborate meals with lots of ingredients. Here are some examples of quick, cheap and easy meals, which only require a handful of ingredients:
- Bean soup – throw in beans, a can of chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, garlic and whatever vegetables you have available, along with store cupboard herbs.
- Lentil curry – all you need is red lentils, canned coconut milk, canned tomatoes, onion and curry powder.
- Black bean chilli – combine canned black beans, a can of baked beans, canned tomatoes, garlic, paprika and cumin.
Frequently asked questions
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Some alternative proteins, like burgers, sausages and ‘chicken’ pieces are considered ultra-processed and can be high in salt or additives. However, recent studies suggest they have more nutritional value than processed meat versions. In any healthy diet, nutritionists recommend that both the meat and non-meat versions of these foods are eaten sparingly. There are also plenty of alternatives, like tofu, tempeh and seitan, which are not considered ultra-processed and are healthy sources of complete protein.
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It depends on the product and the range, so it’s worth shopping around. They are becoming more competitive and we would like retailers to take steps to make alternative proteins more accessible and affordable for everyone. There are also lots of plant sources of protein, like beans, nuts and seeds, that are cheap and accessible in most shops.
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Products like tofu and tempeh are complete proteins, meaning that they contain all nine amino acids we need for health, similar to many animal products. But beans, pulses like lentils, grains nuts and seeds are also great protein sources. People who don’t eat animal products should get a good mix of different sources to ensure they are getting all the nutrients they need. Plant-based meat alternatives can be great for those missing meat, but these are higher in salt and additives so, just like processed meat products, should be eaten less often to protect health.
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We are an animal welfare charity so our first concern is always improving animals’ lives. But the farming industry does have a big impact on climate and the environment. Our new research suggests that reducing consumption of animal products by 3% of current levels each and every year to 2050 would not only reduce the number of animals farmed, most on lower welfare farms, by 1 billion, but it would free up land three times the size of Wales and reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 40%
Recent studies suggest that producing the same amount of plant protein uses 6 to 100 times less water than animal protein, depending on the product. It takes 50-100 times less land and produces 10 to 100 times less greenhouse gas than the equivalent amount of plant proteins.
