Post by hellonurse on Dec 31, 2012 21:58:06 GMT -5
I need some suggestions, please and thank you. I'm planning on cutting out meat totally from my diet. I almost think I would rather go with no meat substitutions at all. However, I am willing and wanting to try a few. When I ran into the grocery store earlier, I caught a glimpse of "bacon" that honestly looked like strips of leather. Haha.
Can someone point me in the right direction as far as brands and such? I'm open to anything!
I was a pescatarian before I was diagnosed with anemia.
I never liked meat substitutes but I admit I did not give my search much effort. I was happy with just subbing more veggies and beans into the dishes I regularly ate.
I was a pescatarian before I was diagnosed with anemia.
I never liked meat substitutes but I admit I did not give my search much effort. I was happy with just subbing more veggies and beans into the dishes I regularly ate.
Post by SusanBAnthony on Dec 31, 2012 22:08:32 GMT -5
We eat very little fake meat. However, it is awesome to have on hand in the freezer for emergency meals. We strongly prefer the quorn brand. It does have egg. I try to be mostly vegan, but a little egg far down the ingredient lists does not bother me. I like it best bc it tastes better IMO, and it also is soy free, and I try to avoid processed soy.
When I am more n the ball, I try to make homemade veggie burgers and freeze them individually for quick meals.
I mostly buy the naked cutlets, and the kids like the chick'n nuggets. The fake bacon is nasty, don't buy it. The hotdogs I can't comment bc I have never eaten real hotdogs, even as a former meat eater they have always grossed me out. The fake corn dogs are good, but not at all healthy. I usually use beans in recipes that call for ground beef, but the fake ground beef crumbles are yummy and work well for meat eaters that are resistant to beans. I use portobello mushrooms for stuff like fajitas, but the fake chicken strips are yummy.
I like boca burgers and morning star strips (fake bacon - doesn't look like bacon but its not a bad flavor). Veet sucks. I've had a couple kinds of pepperoni that were good but can't remember the brands.
Awesome. As far as the bacon goes, I mostly want it to add to things, not as a main item. So that may work. Thank you!
Post by SusanBAnthony on Dec 31, 2012 22:29:24 GMT -5
We got a field roast at thanksgiving, I think.
Honestly, I like the fake meat. It tastes like real meat to me. But, it has been over 10 years since I have had real meat, so obviously I don't remember exactly what the real stuff tastes like. And it is faster, easier, and mo fool proof than tofu or tempeh, etc. So don't feel bad keeping it on hand and easing in to things. We eat it rarely at this point, and it is more of a special treat, but like I said, it has been ten years, it is a journey, not a race.
Honestly, I like the fake meat. It tastes like real meat to me. But, it has been over 10 years since I have had real meat, so obviously I don't remember exactly what the real stuff tastes like. And it is faster, easier, and mo fool proof than tofu or tempeh, etc. So don't feel bad keeping it on hand and easing in to things. We eat it rarely at this point, and it is more of a special treat, but like I said, it has been ten years, it is a journey, not a race.
Thank you! I've been moving towards going totally meat free for a while. I'm excited about making this change, and appreciate everyone's advice!
Honestly, I like the fake meat. It tastes like real meat to me. But, it has been over 10 years since I have had real meat, so obviously I don't remember exactly what the real stuff tastes like. And it is faster, easier, and mo fool proof than tofu or tempeh, etc. So don't feel bad keeping it on hand and easing in to things. We eat it rarely at this point, and it is more of a special treat, but like I said, it has been ten years, it is a journey, not a race.
I"m not sure, but I think the stuff I tried might have been their deli meat. I can't really remember.
Post by mariavontrapp on Dec 31, 2012 22:54:25 GMT -5
I'm a vegan and avoid most processed fake meats. BUT seitan is great in chilis and stews and easy to work with. I think its the field roast brand that does these 'italian sausages' that are pretty amazing. Usually I just end up having more beans, lentils, grains and veggies. Good luck with your journey!
I'm a vegan and avoid most processed fake meats. BUT seitan is great in chilis and stews and easy to work with. I think its the field roast brand that does these 'italian sausages' that are pretty amazing. Usually I just end up having more beans, lentils, grains and veggies. Good luck with your journey!
Those field roast brand sausages are exactly what I was eying. Thank you for the encouragment!
Quorn is also really good for chicken substitutes (we will often cut it up and put it on salads).
We do Tofu Pups for cook-outs, and Tofurky deli slices for sandwiches too.
The nearest WF is like an hour away, but I'm thinking of heading there tomorrow to check out these and the Field Roast products. They look really good!
I do like the field roast... I don't do a lot of fake meat, but always have some veggie burgers and chick'n nuggets in the freezer for quick meals. My H also uses the boca crumbles to make chili or tacos... But honestly I need more meals ideas... I might make a separate post...
I love Bocca burgers. I also really like the morningstar veggie sausage. Mostly though, I eat lentils and tofu. I was recently in the Asian supermarket to buy some curry paste and I found a whole aisle and frozen section of an amazing variety of fake meats. I didn't buy any (bought fried tofu instead...yum!), but I'll try some next time for sure. If you get the chance to visit a buddhist/veg restaurant, I highly recommend trying some of the fake meats.
I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but have a soft spot in my heart for Morningstar Spicy Chick'n Patties. They're pretty yummy, especially with a little bbq sauce on them.
Morningstar farms Maple Flavored Sausage is yummy for breakfast. I also really like the chik'n patties and veggies burgers. Field Roast is amazing. Another great brand is Gardein. Their chik'n tenders are pretty convincing.
We don't eat a ton of the fake stuff, but we always have veggie burgers in the freezer for a quick meal. If you have never had these foods before, just remember that they will never taste quite like the real thing, so just appreciate them for what they are.
Morningstar Farms is my favorite brand; try the chik patties, soysauge patties, bratwurst (sometimes only available in the summer?). The ground beef crumble is an excellent base for tacos, spaghetti sauce, etc.
Gardein is also worth trying. Boca has a cult following but has not been my favorite.
Tofurkey at Thanksgiving is worth trying as well.
Obviously, fresh vegetables and fruit is a major portion of my diet. I use the blocks of extra firm tofu, cut them into cubes and broil them in the oven. I add sauces, either commercially packaged or that I've made.
I've been doing this for more than 19 years. This is totally sustainable. Enjoy!
I always liked Boca burgers. I also like Morningstar fake brats and at one point I bought some fake ribs and thought they were good, but that was back in college so I don't know if my taste was quite that discriminating, lol.
I am not a vegetarian but I thought the Boca burgers/Morningstar brats were a good sub and made it easier to eat healthy when grilling out with my husband who eats tons of meat. Thanks for the reminder that I should probably go that route again.
You can ake some really great feggie burgers using beans and pulses. And seitan is incredibly easy to make, although still not cheap. Google "seitan o greatness" for a good starting point.
Hello nurse - let me know if you want to talk veggie recipes! I'm always looking for new ones.
That would be lovely! I need to go grocery shopping badly, so today I just pulled some meal ideas out of thin air. Haha. This meal has always been really popular with the family, so I made it with some substitutions tonight-
I used two cans 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, brown rice, and mixed in sliced portobella mushrooms instead of chicken. It was so, so yummy! If you like casseroles at all, it's worth a try. If I find any others worth trying, I'll pm you!
You can ake some really great feggie burgers using beans and pulses. And seitan is incredibly easy to make, although still not cheap. Google "seitan o greatness" for a good starting point.
I was checking out some vegetarian restaurant menus online, and seitan was everywhere! I'll have to try it, I'm not familiar with it at all.
I'm vegetarian, and I'm Asian, so I grew up eating tofu and fake meat (even non-vegs eat tofu fake meat regularly in many Asian countries). If you have an Asian grocery store near by, you can check out the tofu asile and canned food asile. I really like pressed marinated tofu (vacuum-packed and refrigerated) and mock duck (in a can).