Plant-based meat is made to look and taste like meat from animals, but it is made from plants.

Some choose vegan meat because they don’t want to hurt animals, while others do so to help the environment. The animals raised for meat release greenhouse gases as they digest food, and growing the food they eat also creates emissions. This all contributes to climate change.

Although people now are trying plant-based diets for the environment, this food is not a new invention. Historians believe tofu was invented from soy milk in China almost 2,000 years ago. Over time, it was brought to Japan and other parts of the world. Buddhist monks, who do not eat meat, began using tofu to create dishes that imitated the taste and texture of meat.

People in other places also made their own mock meat. Hundreds of years ago, Indonesians fermented soybeans to make tempeh, which is a great source of protein and other nutrients. In the late 1800s, John Harvey Kellogg made the first meat replacement in the West using peanuts and wheat gluten.

Now, companies have innovative ways to create vegetarian meat using plant-based sources of protein. Some make vegetarian beef as juicy as meat from cows. Other companies use 3D printers to create a flaky texture for vegan fish.

From traditional tofu to modern veggie burgers, there are many ways to try plant-based meat.

Find the words in the puzzle below to test your understanding of the vocabulary in this story.

Sample answers

• Before you read: A plant-based diet usually consists of plants and vegetables but does not have food made from animals.

• Stop and think: Some people choose to eat plant-based meat because they don’t want to hurt animals. Another reason is that some religious beliefs may have different dietary restrictions. Nowadays, many people also choose to eat plant-based food because of the environment.

• Consider: Adopting a plant-based diet doesn’t involve killing or hurting animals. It can also reduce the negative effects on the environment.