We're living in a golden age of kebabs. The humble kebab has gone from being a dish you only ate late into the night in some dingy corner shop to a trendy foodstuff popping up on menus worldwide. But what if I were to tell you there's a new type of kebab emerging, a meatless kebab!
The meatless kebab—is causing quite the stir among vegans and non-vegans alike!
But why is everyone going crazy for meatless kebabs all of a sudden? Here are seven reasons why:
Vegan food has come a long way since the days of just plain veggies and brown rice. Today, a whole world of vegan recipes out there will make even the most die-hard carnivore happy to chow down on some plant-based goodness. Vegan kebabs are one such example; they're a great way to introduce yourself to the joys of vegan cuisine.
Vegan foods have been gaining popularity over recent years, and with good reason: many non-vegans are discovering that these foods taste better than their meaty counterparts, while also being healthier and kinder on their bodies (and the environment). It's no wonder why more people are making more conscious choices about what they eat these days—it just makes sense!
The plant-based trend isn't going anywhere, and the UK should be prepared for it. According to the Vegan Society, over half a million vegans are in the UK. That's about 1% of the population! This figure has been rapidly climbing over recent years – in 2014, there were 150k vegans, and now it’s almost double that number! And it’s not just those who have made an official declaration; many others follow suit without knowing about it. The BBC reported that 3% of 16-to-34-year-olds in Great Britain now identify as “reducetarians” (i.e., those who choose to eat less meat), while 1/3 of all young adults believe that eating meat causes unnecessary harm to animals and nature
Meatless kebabs are so good you'll forget that they're not meat.
At this point, most of us are familiar with the vegan diet and have heard about how it's possible to eat satisfying meals without animal products. But the idea of a vegan kebab still sounds like an oxymoron to a lot of people. How can such a traditionally meat-heavy dish be satisfying without any meat?
The answer is simple: the flavours you're really after—smoky barbeque, tangy lemon and garlic marinade, spicy harissa—come from herbs, spices and sauces, not from animals. And when it comes to texture, most mock meats are incredibly similar in feel and appearance to real meat (think chicken-style chunks and juicy pieces of mock beef, not just falafel patties and veggies).
Meatless kebabs are healthier than meat because they are high in fibre and low in fat, making them a great option for anyone trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. They also contain no cholesterol, unlike most meats--which means you can eat as many vegan kebabs as you want without worrying about your heart.
The meat industry is one of the biggest causes of environmental pollution today, and it’s not just because of the methane emissions from cattle. Almost all animal products are produced in such a way that they require a lot more resources than plant-based foods. This includes feed crops that need to be grown and transported, land needed to raise livestock, water used in farming processes and fossil fuel energy used during processing.
It's hard to know how much impact meatless kebabs have on CO2 emissions compared with other types of food production since there isn't enough data yet about exactly how much greenhouse gas is emitted by the entire process from start to finish (processing through delivery).
But one thing is absolutely clear, consuming less animal products is a definite win for the planet we all share.
We hope this has inspired you to give meatless kebabs a try! There are many delicious options, whether you’re looking for a healthier alternative to the regular meat kebab or just want to expand your culinary horizons. I know it can be intimidating at first, but trust me when I say that it’s worth it: these kebabs taste great and they’re good for you too!
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