Back in 2017, I started noticing a change in my digestion and eventually narrowed it down to beef being the likely culprit. It wasn’t easy because I loved sinking my teeth into a good cheeseburger or fillet mignon fresh off the grill, but I made the decision to cut beef out of my diet completely for a while to see if it made a difference in how I felt. I noticed an almost immediate difference and chose to stick with it; however, I didn’t necessarily want to forgo burgers and steaks forever, so I explored plant-based options. Thankfully, there was a boom in this part of the meat industry around that time, and there were several brands that showed promise. Here we are almost six years later, and I honestly don’t miss beef all that much. The taste and texture of these products have gotten impressively close to the real thing. Plus, lines have become extremely accessible as more and more grocery stores have started carrying more of these brands, our co-op included.

Whatever your reasons for choosing meatless alternatives, look for these new products on our shelves next time you shop:

BEYOND MEAT: We’ve carried their plant-based ground meat and burger patties for a while now but have added their plant-based sausage links and patties, too. They deliver the taste and texture of traditional pork sausages without the use of animal products and come in various flavors.

DARING FOODS: This brand is new to us! They offer a wide range of plant-based meat and seafood alternatives, but we currently stock their flagship chicken substitutes. They’re made from a blend of high-quality, natural ingredients and are great in stir-fries, curries, salads, and more.

FIELD ROAST: This is another popular brand we’ve stocked for a while, but we’ve expanded our selection to add their plant-based deli slices, mini corn dogs, and buffalo chicken wings. The corn dogs have already become a staff favorite!

GOOD CATCH FOODS: Another new-ish brand, we now carry both the crab cakes and fish sticks from Good Catch Foods. They’re made with plant-based ingredients such as lentils, chickpeas, and artichokes, which create a flaky and flavorful texture similar to real fish.

JACK & ANNIE’S: This female-founded company makes all of its plant-based products using jackfruit as the first ingredient. This gives them a texture similar to meat while being high in fiber and low in calories. Look for their frozen chicken nuggets and sausages.

IMPOSSIBLE FOODS: Of the plant-based brands, this one’s my go-to! We now carry their plant-based ground, chicken nuggets, and meatballs in our frozen section. Yummy!

This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of our bi-monthly newsletter, The Morsel. If you’d like to read more stories like this one and stay up to date on the latest co-op news and events, pick up a print copy in-store on your next grocery run or find more news on our website here.