Vegan meat substitutes

SEITAN

Made from wheat gluten, this has a meaty texture. Can substitute for chicken or beef. A mild flavour and chewy texture on its own but adapts when mixed with other ingredients.

TOFU

Originating from China, it was traditionally made by mixing soya milk with nigari, the by-product of extracting salt from seawater. Today, it comes in lots of different forms, from pudding-like to block form and takes on the flavour of whatever you cook with it.

TEMPEH

A popular substitute for ground beef in dishes such as chillies, it is a soya-based product typically firmer than tofu. Tempeh is made by fermenting cooked soya beans. Known for its nutty flavour, it absorbs the flavours of foods and sauces added to it.

JACKFRUIT

From the tropics, the flesh of this large, oval-shaped fruit is eaten raw or cooked. When cooked its flesh has a meaty texture, similar to pulled chicken. It soaks up the flavours of whatever it is cooked with it. Its seeds, encased in bulbs, can be eaten too.

LENTILS

The hearty and protein-rich grain legume — known as a pulse — is rich in protein and comes in different colours and varieties including green, red, brown and black.

MUSHROOMS

Known for their savoury flavour and a dense texture, cremini and portobello mushrooms have particularly meat-like textures when cooked, although they are not as rich in protein as some of the other meat alternatives.