For those of you who aren't already aware, Quorn is a meat free product and approved by the Vegetarian society. In the words of the Quorn company, Quorn is a Mycoprotein, which is a naturally occurring, high quality, healthy form of protein.

Personally I choose to purchase Quorn as I am a vegetarian but many meat eaters also choose Quorn over the less healthy red meat. Quorn is high in protein and fibre but low in fat (less than 3% fat) so a brilliant healthy option.

I have been a vegetarian since the age of 6 (now 27) and have been eating Quorn products for quite a few years and purchase them every week with my grocery shopping.

I usually shop at Sainsburys, where a packet of Quorn mince will set you back £2.19 for 300g frozen, £3.35 for 500g frozen or £3 for 350g chilled. They do sometimes run offers such as buy 2 for £5 etc. You will also find Quorn products in most other supermarkets and I haven't noticed the standard price differ by much, although Asda have run offers of £1 a pack on Quorn products in the past.

Quorn products stand out quite well with their simple but eye catching packaging, which usually contains a picture of the product alongside a bold orange strip containing their logo. Quorn mince is no different and is packaged in a thick plastic bag. The quality of the plastic is good and tough and usually requires scissors to cut. The only downside to the packaging of Quorn mince is that it's not recyclable.

Quorn mince is easy and quick to cook, 12 minutes on the hob, stirred into a sauce or around 9 minutes in the microwave. The instructions on the packaging, which are clear and easy to follow, recommend cooking on the hob, and that is the way I have always cooked the mince.

I find the texture of the Quorn mince to be nice and quite chewy and I do enjoy the taste but this is obviously affected by the type of sauce used. As previously mentioned I have been a vegetarian since the age of 6 (stubborn child, and adult for that matter!) so I can't personally compare Quorn mince to the usual mince meat. However, my husband is a meat eater and he actually prefers Quorn mince to standard mince, he says he finds normal mince to gristly and he also likes that Quorn is a healthier option. I have several friends who have said the same and have also seen family members eating a meal made from Quorn take a while to realise it's not meat! On the other hand, one family member has commented that he doesn't like Quorn mince as it doesn't soak up sauce as well as meat does.

You can use Quorn as a substitute to standard mince in any meals requiring mince. I really enjoy Quorn mince in a spaghetti bolognese or lasagne but it can also be used in chilli or cottage pie etc. You can visit www.quorn.co.uk for recipe ideas and further nutritional information.

I would and do recommend Quorn mince and all other Quorn products to anyone. They are great for vegetarians but just as good for meat eaters! A brilliant much healthier alternative to red meat!