Well, meat alternatives, IMO, are the processed foods that are trying to simulate the texture and taste of meat products, so yeah, Beyond or Impossible burgers are perfect examples. Tofu, beans, tempeh not so much. Seitan however is perfect!
I agree "meat alternatives" does describe what the OP is looking for much better. If they're trying to convince a meat eater, Beyond and Impossible meats are great options in my humble opinion. Some Gardein products are pretty good too.
It's a very good time for people wanting "meat alternatives" that's for sure. The plant-based market is booming bigger than ever. I suspect we're going to see many more meat alternatives that are just as convincing in the near future. There's such a huge demand for it.
By the way, no offense Lou, but the last thing I would give a meat eater is tempeh, tofu or seitan. Even as a vegan, I'm not really super fond of those alternatives (taste wise), with the exception of tofu and some seitan. I have developed a love for tofu, but the truth is you have to make tofu taste good. Please don't get me wrong, I've had tempeh and seitan that I've enjoyed as well, but it just isn't my idea of what would impress a meat eater.
If I had one chance to convince a meat eater, it would definitely be the Impossible burger. I honestly believe you could fool a lot of meat eaters into thinking they're eating the real deal with Impossible meat. Many vegans even find it too convincing and dislike it for that reason.
This is entirely my personal opinion on seitan, based on my own tastes and experience from making it and consuming both homemade and commercially made. I feel that it can be made to be a very convincing meat substitute, but it really has to be spot on. Seitan recipes are definitely not all created equal. I think as vegans we also develop a taste for it. I sure didn't find it that impressive the first time I tried it.
Most of the better seitan recipes I've tasted incorporate some other meat substitute in with it, which gives it needed texture, imo. Jackfruit is one ingredient that comes to mind. Personally, I find most commercially made seitan absolutely disgusting, with the exception of a locally made brand that I actually quite enjoy, but brands like Field Roast, Tofurkey, etc, not so much.
That's just my two cents, for what it's worth.
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