noun
meat substitute; meat analogue
Refers to plant-based or alternative protein products designed to replace animal meat in cooking or diet.
最近、大豆から作った代用肉が人気だ。
Recently, meat substitutes made from soybeans have become popular.
このハンバーグは代用肉を使っているので、カロリーが低い。
This hamburger steak uses a meat substitute, so it's low in calories.
noun
cheaper meat used in place of beef or pork
Refers to actual animal meat that is less expensive and used as a substitute for more costly cuts, such as using chicken or offal instead of beef or pork.
戦後は牛肉の代わりに代用肉として鯨肉がよく食べられた。
After the war, whale meat was often eaten as a substitute for beef.
この店のカレーは代用肉を使っているので安い。
The curry at this shop is cheap because they use cheaper substitute meat.
植物肉 specifically means plant-based meat, a subset of 代用肉. 代用肉 can also include non-plant substitutes like cheaper animal meats.
Compound of 代用 (substitute) + 肉 (meat). The term has been used since at least the mid-20th century, originally for cheaper animal meats used in place of more expensive cuts, and more recently extended to plant-based alternatives.