3 Ways to Incorporate Plant-Based Ingredients into Meat Dishes

Going meatless full time isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But eating a little less meat each week can be beneficial to both your health and your budget. We particularly enjoy adding plant-based ingredients to meat dishes, so here are a few tips (and recipes!) on how you can do it, too.

1. Replace half your ground meat with tofu

The cost is practically cut in half when you use a half pound of ground meat and substitute the other half with budget-friendly tofu. Simply crumble or grate the tofu and brown it at the same time as your meat. The tofu practically disappears into the dish, going virtually unnoticed, and this neutral ingredient absorbs all the flavour from the spices and seasonings. The possibilities are endless!

BATCH COOKING

Tofu and Veal Meatloaves with Barbecue Sauce

WEEKDAY RECIPES

Tofu and Turkey Patties with Coconut Milk

2. Supplement your taco fixings

Hearty, meaty tacos are irresistible, but increase their nutritional value by using less meat and including something different. Adding cooked lentils to beef tacos, for example, ensures a more nutritious lunch, adds protein and fibre, and enhances both texture and flavour. Sweet potatoes are also a tasty option. They may not be super rich in protein, but they are high in fibre (among many other nutrients), so they will be a filling addition to a meat-based taco.

MEXICAN-INSPIRED CUISINE

Lentil and Beef Tacos

GLUTEN-FREE

Chorizo and Sweet Potato Tacos with Avocado Cream

3. Try grains and legumes, too

There are so many other ingredients that you can include in a meat dish, such as grains like barley or even legumes, that’ll take the nutrient level up a notch. Quinoa, for example, is a healthy ingredient that can make soups (like our quinoa and pork meatball soup) more savoury and satisfying. And adding beans to a chicken chili burger by no means takes away from the poultry; they not only provide added protein and their own list of nutrients, but the cooked beans add a nice creaminess to each bite, as well.