In the UK, the choice of plant-based meat alternatives has boomed in recent years. You'll now find products that aim to recreate the taste and texture of meat, as well as more traditional alternatives.

How to buy sustainable fish - our guide to planet-friendly swaps and which fish are the least sustainable Cultivated meat is made using tissue culture techniques: a few cells from an animal, such as a cow, are nurtured in a liquid growth medium. Here, fed by nutrients, hormones and growth factors, they differentiate and mature into muscle fibres and fat cells, while being supported within an edible structure that holds them in place. The resulting tissues can be processed into burgers, sausages, mince and so on.

As with many vegan-friendly meat alternatives, with vegan mince there tends to be some kind of base protein that makes up a large chunk of the product. Naturally, this makes all of these vegan minces excellent sources of vegan protein. In most cases, this protein-rich ingredient tends to be soya, often which has been rehydrated or textured in an attempt to replicate the mouthfeel and consistency of real meat mince. Other ingredients have been used too, though some are more successful than others. While this report quotes a global average, and the UK fares much better in terms of the environmental impact of the meat it produces, most experts agree that consuming less meat and more plants is beneficial for the environment at various levels. Waitrose Root en croute www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-vegan-root-en-croute/593492-697774-697775

Processed or fast food has its place in busy lives when convenience is high priority. But there’s no denying that the healthiest diets are those that are based on unprocessed wholefoods. Preparing vegetables from scratch, adding in wholegrains, beans, seeds and nuts and keeping ingredients such as salt and sugar to a minimum all comes highly recommended by nutritionists. Many of these processed products are made of soya beans or a mix of plant-based proteins, but don't come under the banner of tofu or tempeh. Plant proteins (74%) [rehydrated textured SOYA protein (water, SOYA protein, cornflour), vegetable protein powder (SOYA, potato)], water, WHEAT gluten, rapeseed oil, malted BARLEY extract, natural flavouring, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper.There are plenty of potential benefits of this technology over traditional animal raising. Less land and water are needed, and greenhouse gas emissions should be lower. Animal welfare issues and antibiotic use would be virtually nil. Processed plant proteins - Most processed plant or mycoprotein-based foods, such as burgers and sausages, are sold chilled or frozen. As with any foodstuff, follow the storage, handling and cooking instructions, and consume by the use-by date. Asda raspberry torte groceries.asda.com/product/view-all-coming-soon/asda-extra-special-vegan-raspberry-torte/1000169929143 Eating plants removes the extra step of feeding plants to animals, and the land, water and other resources used in raising animals, such as antibiotics, are not required.

Looking at the nutritional data for typical examples of beef steak mince and lean beef mince compared to some of our plant-based options above, the following is apparent: Coarsely blend the olives, capers and the olive oil in a food processor. Add to the mushroom mix and remove from the heat. Season to taste. Chill until ready to use. Not as good in terms of protein content or indeed textured (if you are seeking something resembling real meat mince), but many vegans simply add lentils in place of minced meat in recipes, such as cottage pie, chilli con carne, spaghetti Bolognese and others. Gosh! Mixed Seed, Quinoa, Carrot & Coriander Baked with a Minted Pea Centre, chilled (125g each) - 4 syns eachTesco Meat Free Vegetarian Mince– A very good value option that soaks up flavours readily, this 97% soya-based mince has a nice level of seasoning that adds to the flavour. Obviously, it’s only available at Tesco. Add the chopped garlic and the mushrooms to the pan and cook uncovered on a medium heat for about 30 minutes. The mushrooms will release all of their moisture, which will be cooked off, intensifying the flavour. Once the mushrooms have cooked and darkened in colour, add the vinegar and cook for a further 10 minutes. Trifle made with whipped coconut milk realfood.tesco.com/recipes/vegan-whipped-cream.html, Alpro custard, Just Wholefoods jelly crystals etc...