With the warm weather finally beginning to make an appearance, barbecue season is practically upon us. But with many of us trying to eat healthier or lower our impact on the environment, factory farming and the meat it produces isn’t always ideal. Fortunately, there are a number of meat alternatives available that closely simulate the taste and texture of the real thing. Check out our guide to five meat alternatives to throw on your grill. 

Impossible Burger

By now, you’re probably well aware of this meat alternative. Before it graced the shelves of your local grocery, it was making a name for itself in fast-food chains across the country, including Burger King. This ground beef alternative is available as both performed beef patties and freeform ground beef. Thanks to the magic of science, it has a red color that changes as it cooks, with rare patties remaining pink in their center, just like the real thing. 

Beyond Beef

Like Impossible Burger, Beyond Beef comes in ground beef and premade burger patty forms. Its flavor more closely mimics real beef taste than traditional meat alternatives, like Garden Burger or Boca Burger. Like Impossible Burger, this soy pea protein-based meal alternative also bleeds, but in this case, that eerie magic is achieved using beet juice. Beyond Burger is also served at a variety of fast food locations, including A&W and Carl’s Jr.

Beyond Sausage

Beyond Meat, the makers of Beyond Beef, also make this healthier sausage alternative. This delicious option mimics real sausage, right down to the casing (in this case, it’s made from alginate, derived from seaweed). Throw them right on the grill, and they’ll be ready in minutes. Best of all – no trichinosis! Undercooking these bad boys won’t hurt you one bit. 

Lightlife

Lightlife has been around since 1979 and makes a variety of meat alternatives in addition to ground beef and patties, including hot dogs, ground “meat,” breakfast links, sausages, deli meat, and something that they call chicken, but that would be more at home in the uncanny valley. 

Make Your Own!

This recipe from Power Hungry uses beets, mushrooms, lentils, and more to create a beef-like substance that works great in burgers and more! We can pretty much guarantee it’s not even close to the beefiness of Beyond or Impossible, but it’s probably still delicious. And it’s good for grilling, which is just what you’re looking for. 

For more tips on eating healthy this spring, visit the Olympus at the District blog.