Choosing a plant-based diet doesn’t mean giving up the meat-based dishes you love. On the contrary, there are lots of plant foods that make very tasty substitutes for meat, including—and especially—beans. Here’s how the hearty legumes can replace beef, chicken, pork, and even bacon in your favorite recipes.
Substitute Lentils for Ground Meat
With their tiny size and toothsome texture, green, brown, and black lentils are one of the easiest plant food swaps to make. The switch works for everything from sloppy joes to pasta sauce. Replace 1 pound of ground meat with 2 cups of cooked, drained lentils. Keep cooking time to around 30 minutes (reduce it if necessary) so the lentils stay whole and firm. Pre-cooked boxed or canned lentils also do the trick when time is short.
Use Chickpeas Instead of Chicken or Turkey
The color and chewiness of chickpeas can mimic that of chicken and turkey meat. Coarsely mashed, chickpeas can stand in for poultry in your favorite sandwich salads. Blended with breadcrumbs, they can be turned into mouthwateringburgers and kid-friendlynuggets. You can also just add them whole to recipes for soups and pot pies.
Use equal amounts of cooked chickpeas (by volume or weight) for cooked or raw chicken or turkey.
Mix and Match Beans for Meaty Textures
When a meat-based recipe such as chili or soup already calls for beans, try adding a different type to replace the meat. This gives the dish added color and flavor plus a satisfying play of textures. (Three Bean Chili for a Crowd is a great example.) Pair smaller bean varieties with larger ones and vice versa, and use equal amounts of cooked beans (by volume or weight) to replace the meat. Reduce cooking time to under an hour: Beans don’t require as much simmering as meats do. And don’t forget about the tasty beans you can find in the freezer aisle, such as edamame, lima beans, and favas!
Turn to Bean Burgers for Bigger Cuts
Take away the bun and give bean burger patties different shapes to turn them into steaks, cutlets, and chunky pieces that can be added at the last minute to hearty stews. Most bean burgers, such as theBasic Veggie Burger, can be cooked and frozen for make-ahead ease.
Oven-Roast Beans for Bacon-Like Bits
Get a crunchy, smoky, bacon-like fix from crispy roasted beans. Use our recipe for Jordanian Roasted Chickpeas or toss 1½ cups cooked beans (any type except lentils) with 1 tablespoon chili powder, smoked paprika, or your favorite spice blend, then roast them at 400˚F on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 35 to 40 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely, then use anywhere you’d use bacon or bacon bits. Store roasted beans in an airtight container to keep them crisp for up to 3 days.
Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.
FAQs
Beans and legumes are two of the best sources of protein for vegetarians because you can use them in place of almost any meat in curries, salads, soups, tacos, and similar dishes. They come in many varieties, including: Lentils. Black beans.
Do beans have enough protein to replace meat? ›
Beans and legumes are two of the best sources of protein for vegetarians because you can use them in place of almost any meat in curries, salads, soups, tacos, and similar dishes. They come in many varieties, including: Lentils. Black beans.
Is it better to eat beans instead of meat? ›
Besides being lower in calories, beans have the benefit over animal meat of being much higher in fiber. Fiber helps digestion, regulates sugar absorption and eliminates fat. It is also not absorbed into the bloodstream, meaning some of the weight of beans does not directly translate into calories absorbed.
How do you flavor beans without meat? ›
Toss drained/rinsed/dried beans with a bit of olive oil (or avocado oil) and your favorite seasonings. You can add crushed whole seeds (coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard, etc.), woodsy herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage), red pepper flakes, crushed garlic cloves, and of course salt and pepper.
How much beans to eat for enough protein? ›
If you eat a cup of beans, that averages at around 15 grams of protein, or 30 percent of the recommended daily amount. Soybeans are at the top of the protein leaderboard for legumes, getting you to 63 percent of your daily value of protein (31.3 grams) if you eat a cup.
How to substitute beans for meat? ›
How to Use Beans as a Meat Substitute in Any Recipe
- Substitute Lentils for Ground Meat. ...
- Use Chickpeas Instead of Chicken or Turkey. ...
- Mix and Match Beans for Meaty Textures. ...
- Turn to Bean Burgers for Bigger Cuts. ...
- Oven-Roast Beans for Bacon-Like Bits.
Some legumes with the highest protein content per 100 g serving include :
- field peas (26 g)
- cowpeas (24 g)
- common beans (24 g)
- mung beans (23 g)
- pigeon peas (22 g)
- chickpeas (21 g)
- soybeans (13 g)
Beans and legumes
“Beans and legumes are fiber-rich nutrient powerhouses and an excellent source of protein,” says Hopsecger. “One serving (1/2 cup cooked) of beans provides about 7 grams of protein, the same as 1 ounce of meat.” Beans and legumes also keep you fuller longer because they're so rich in fiber.
Why should you not only eat beans for your source of protein? ›
For the most part, beans are considered an incomplete protein (not containing all the essential amino acids) and are recommended to be combined with another complimentary protein. For instance, to make a complete protein they can be combined with brown rice, corn, nuts, seeds or wheat.
Are baked beans a meat alternative? ›
Beans and peas may be credited either as a vegetable or meat alternate, but not both in the same meal.
Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
They're also extremely versatile and are often used as a substitute for meat. Recently many companies began using chickpeas to replace white flour in pasta and pizza crusts. They can be ground into hummus, sprinkled over your salad, or seasoned and roasted into a crunchy snack.
What do you put in beans to make them taste better? ›
Those aromatics in the pot will revolutionize the beans' final flavor. The aromatics I tend to use are onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and then heartier, woodsy herbs, like rosemary, sage, and thyme, which marry beautifully with the earthy-sweet flavor of beans.
Does soaking beans remove flavor? ›
Soaking cuts out the flavor
In the course of his testing, Yonan found that soaking only cut down cooking time by 25 to 30%, and it also had real drawbacks. "You lose a lot of flavors when you soak them," Yonan says.
What is the healthiest bean to eat? ›
Some of the healthiest beans to consume include:
- Black beans: Often known as turtle beans, black beans are inexpensive and widely available in supermarkets. ...
- Kidney beans: ...
- Lima beans: ...
- Soybeans: ...
- Chickpeas: ...
- Pinto beans: ...
- Navy beans:
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends eating about 3 cups of legumes—like pinto, kidney, or black beans—per week. If you eat about ½ cup of beans every day, you'll meet the weekly Dietary Guidelines for beans.
Are 2 eggs a day enough protein? ›
Is 2 eggs a day enough protein? Two eggs give you 12 grams of hunger-satisfying protein. Although 2 eggs does not complete your daily protein needs, it's a great start. Eating two eggs in the morning ensures you are on the right track to hit your protein consumption goal by the end of the day.
Can you just eat beans for protein? ›
For those who follow a plant-based diet, it is important to incorporate other sources of protein into your meals beyond just beans, says Coghill: “Beans are an incomplete protein, meaning they lack the full spectrum of amino acids we need to build cells.” Coghill recommends pairing beans with some rice since, since ...
Can you get complete protein from beans? ›
For the most part, beans are considered an incomplete protein (not containing all the essential amino acids) and are recommended to be combined with another complimentary protein. For instance, to make a complete protein they can be combined with brown rice, corn, nuts, seeds or wheat.
What is a good protein substitute for meat? ›
5 Protein-Packed Foods for Healthy, Meatless Meals
- Eggs. Eggs are a great source of protein. ...
- Tree Nuts. Tree nuts include walnuts, almonds and pecans — don't confuse them with peanuts, which are legumes. ...
- Legumes. Legumes include a range of beans and peas such as black beans, chickpeas and lentils. ...
- Soy. ...
- Yogurt.
For vegetarians, 100 grams of protein might look like:
- Four eggs (24 grams of protein)
- ½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
- Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
- One tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
- ¼ cup of protein granola (10 grams)
- One scoop of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
- Two snack cheeses (10 grams)
