"Fake" meat products for vegetarians, your opinion please

dlkingsbury

i eat the morningstar spicy black bean and quinoa burgers often for lunch. they're so easy, pretty cheap and portable so it makes sense to keep a package at work along with a package of sandwich thins to have in a jam. i didn't quit eating meat because i didn't like it, but more for ethical reasons. I do think it would be best if I could make homemade veggie burgers all the time instead, but I don't have the time and these are healthier than many other alternatives.

there is a great local company that makes/sells lentil burgers called "No Bull Burgers." I can find them in the Whole Foods here and Relay Foods sell them but I know they aren't national (yet). They are amazing, very tasty and the ingredient list is short and simple.

stiobhard

Wheat gluten, also called seitan. You can get gluten flour and make seitan yourself, no need to buy it precooked (way more expensive).

its pretty reasonable if you get it from an asian market.

kudos to the people who mentioned field roast and tempeh... i do not know if these are low calorie or low fat, but I do love them.

Jewlz280

I've seen a couple of comments about the 'haters' and people who disagree, but either I'm not seeing it or a mod has removed it. But seems to me lots of people have been nice, supportive, and offered options. I want to do the same! I'm not a veg, but one of my friends is. She does eat seafood, so isn't that pescatarian? Anyways, she introduced me to her fave veggie burgers. I would like to second them -- Dr. Praeger's as mentioned by another poster! They were delicious, filling, and the ingredients list wasn't crazy. I don't remember the sodium as that isn't something I follow. But they were so so so good that even non-veggers gobbled them up. I wouldn't eat them for every meal, but for lunch or dinner, they sure would hit the spot! Lately, I've been having quinoa for lunch with two fried eggs. But you could do that for breakfast if you wanted. Just get creative and be willing to try new things.

angel7472

I just made homemade seitan. It was super easy and can cut down on the salt big time from buying it from the store. For a tiny serving of seitan it was 500 mg sodium. By tiny I mean about a quarter cup. With this recipe you get a good satisfying portion without the sodium.

1 cup Bobs red mill vital wheat gluten flour
3 tablespoons Braggs Nutritional yeast flakes
any seasoning you want
1/2 cup water
1/4 soy sauce (I omitted this and used all water)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Gradually add in water (soy sauce) and continue to kneed for a couple minutes. Form into a roll and proceed to cut into strips. Place on baking sheet sprayed with Pam or whatever oil you want. Cook for 10 min then flip and cook for 3-5 minutes. I put bbq on mine and personally I thought they were pretty good.
You can vary this recipe with tons of flavors the sky is the limit.
Nutritional value without soy sauce:
Makes 2 good size servings.
Calories per serving: 270 carbs:11 fat: 1 protein: 51 g no sodium

scoobydoodoo22

Morningstar Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets, those were good!

soulshine23

http://gardein.com/products/chickn-strips-cubes/

high protein, low calorie, lowish sodium. may take some time to find a place that sells this, you may have to ask a store to order it for you.

also, an easy recipe for making your own sandwich slices-
http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/06/veggie-lunch-meat.html

not sure why some people have such issues with "fake meat"? if you are vegetarian or vegan, this is a major food category...
its not fake, its just food-

just like with animal meats, there are junky choices and options, better suited for only consuming seldomly.
fake bacon is like crack, should be more like an occasional treat.

vital wheat gluten, soy protein, etc. have very high protein. some people have concerns about how processed they are, so, if you have this as a concern, stick with less processed whole-food vegetarian foods- soy beans, tempeh, tofu, lentils, etc. nutritional yeast has high protein and great as a condiment.

I have no problem getting at least 100g protein/day as a vegan.

mortuseon

Quorn is a really tasty vegetarian protein source (not vegan, it has egg to bind it) and it's basically just protein for a very reasonable caloric load. I'm not veggie but I love Quorn.

drhelibhatt

I have been vegetarian all my life (not vegan).. so I have really never tasted any meat/fish products.. However, I still find Tofurky and Trader Joes Chicken-less strips pretty tasty and good for proteins... I am wondering if it has any hidden disadvantages. Is it healthy or not? I don't care so much about sodium, as I am always hypotensive and extra sodium helps... any thoughts? ? Healthy or not??

swift13b

Frankly if you're not a vegetarian, your opinion on "fake meat" doesn't really matter. It's not the same as eating actual meat. I've been a vegetarian for 6 years now, last night I ate Quorn nuggets for dinner. Why? Because a. they're quick and easy to make after work and b. they're a good source of protein. Personally I don't find beans or nuts give me the protein I need, and beans in particular also come with carbs which I limit for health reasons. I don't crave the taste or feel of meat, but I do enjoy Quorn products (also Sanitarium Veggie Delights here in Australia are really good) so I eat them. Simple as that.

Francl27

joecmoore1 wrote: »

I find it ironic that "vegetarians" go out of their way to try and duplicate meat with fake meat products in order to satiate a craving and a desire that is inherently engrained in us as a species....and YET, I have never as an omnivorous being gone out of my way to find "substitutes" for any food groups whatsoever. Kind of interesting.

My thoughts exactly. Although I understand why people who decide to be vegetarians for ethical reasons would be interested in those products.

To be fair though, I'm not a vegetarian but I like veggie patties, they're just too expensive and too much sodium so I haven't bought them in a while.

Fuzzipeg

If you "have" to have all the meat substitutes why go through the pretense.

yash505

been vegetarian over 20 years i dont use many fake products,but i wonder what they use for giving meat flavouring to meat free foods

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AnnPT77

BrownEyedBetty wrote: »

....are there any healthy low fat fake meat products?. I was going over my past meals on MFP and was a little shocked how it adds up. I love morning star and Boca but I am a little skeptical if they are healthy alternatives. That morning star bacon is like crack.... lol. I use the products to get protein mostly ( I also eat beans, nuts, leafy greens, chickpeas, almond milk, seeds). I just feel like I am not getting enough protein in my diet. I am always short when it comes to protein and too high when it comes to fat. HELP!

I've been ovo-lacto vegetarian for 41 years. (Yes, since 1974: a hippie-girl adolescent whim gone seemingly permanent.)

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that I think it may be harder to stay in calorie deficit without being short on protein and high on fat when one is using more of the fake meat products. They may be (usually are) "healthier" in some general way than some mainstream pre-packaged processed foods, but they're still in the same neighborhood.

I find it easier to stay within my calories & close to my macros with more minimally processed foods (NB: for me, this is an eating preference - because I find these tastier - not some kind of weird religion). However, this does require (play scary, dramatic music here! ) actual cooking. Not very much of it, and not very complicated, but cooking rather than re-heating.

Some pre-packaged simple foods I do like include the tempeh and soybeans (black soybeans or edamame among other types) mentioned above. Many other foods may taste more appealing if you pay attention to "umami" flavors (one of the basic tastes along with sweet, salty, etc.). Some umami things are miso, soy sauce, nuts (especially toasted ones), mushrooms, ripe tomatoes (especially if cooked down or browned), etc. You can use these as flavorings.

To get enough protein, I'm more successful if I think less about eating some single big protein thing at each meal (as meat-eaters mostly do), and think more about weaving protein through the different parts of the meal - nuts or seeds on the salad, edamame in the mixed veggie stir-fry, greek yogurt on berries for dessert, for example. I also try to get some protein in most snacks (dry-roasted edamame, peanut butter, hummus, etc.). I'd have had a hard time getting protein to 1gm/pound of bodyweight, but even when I was eating 1200 net, I didn't have much trouble getting the basic MFP protein recommendation.

I know this doesn't answer your explicit question ("healthy low fat fake meat products"), but it may shed some light on one way to get your macros with a lower calorie expenditure.

TinyTexn59

I suggest you go to the vegetarian resource group site and check out their post "protein in the vegan diet" it shows easy ways to get the required daily protein amounts. Also, black beans, pinto beans, seitan, tofu, tempeh, soybeans and lentils are high in protein. Even spinach has protein.

TorontoDiane

whole foods has a deli section with a lot of fake meat.. and although I normally hate anything that is tasting like burgers etc.. cause I do not eat red meat or pork, or eggs.. I do occasionally eat chicken breast and seafood... but whole foods has a kung pao chicken non meat that is really yummy.. and their veggie burgers are quite good.. I do not like egg based food because of the taste and the best veggie burgers around are hard rock café.. which has nuts and veggies in it.. really good with onions lettuce tomato and bbq sauce .. you can actually taste the walnuts in them when I have been in the States you can sometimes buy them in grocery stores there but not in Canada

lucreatiared

Quorn! The chicken fillets are 45 cals each, and the mince is 75 for 79g. It's a filling, easy and low calorie source of protein. I'm not sure how available it is in other countries, but here in the UK it's easily the most popular vegetarian alternative and takes up 60-70% of the vegetarian sections in supermarkets.

And for all the meat eaters scoffing at meat alternatives... Meat is a big part of (most of) our cultures, the majority of vegetarians grew up eating it, and a lot of recipes and traditions call for it. Just because you can recognise something doesn't fit into how you ethically choose to live your life, doesn't mean you lose the taste for it physically, or can detach yourself from the fact that meat is incorporated into most aspects of our society.

I love quorn products (the bacon! yum!) and I don't even remember what meat products taste like since I stopped eating them 17 years ago. It's not about replacing meats for me, it's a food I enjoy in its own right.

dragthewaters91

I'm not a fan of the fake meats. I find them to be gross...vegetarian "bacon" is one of the nastiest foods I have ever eaten. But, to each their own. However on a more objective note, it can be harmful to eat too much soy due to estrogen mimicking chemicals that occur naturally in soybeans, which can cause hormonal issues. I have definitely noticed issues when consuming a lot of soy.

I'm vegetarian and often eat over 100g of protein a day even with low soy consumption. On a typical weekday, at breakfast I get protein from Greek yogurt, oatmeal, and a smoothie involving PB2 and pea protein powder. At lunch I get protein from nuts and string cheese. For a snack I might have a Kind bar or Snapea crisps/lentil snaps, which both have some protein. At dinner it varies but protein sources include eggs, lentils, beans, tofu or veggie burgers occasionally. But even carb sources like bread, pasta and rice have some protein. I also agree that Amy's products are very good and many are low soy. Basically just small things here and there add up over the course of the day. I wouldn't worry about it too much, most people eat more protein than what their body requires.

Anyway there are some foods that can reduce meat cravings. Vegetable tempura can stand in for chicken nuggets, fried shrimp, and that kind of stuff. Basically anything with a sauce, you can just put that sauce onto a non-meat product...for example last week I made BBQ tofu. Shake Shack mushroom burgers are different from a hamburger, but they're so good that they're actually better than a hamburger so you'll forget that you were craving one. But nothing can replace steak

catbhn21

shano25 wrote: »

A lot of the brands that are being named, I haven't seen where I live (it's possible I have to go to a proper health food to find them rather than just using my local grocery store.)

Target carries a lot now.

BrownEyedBetty wrote: »

I am a little skeptical if they are healthy alternatives. That morning star bacon is like crack.... lol.

I like fake meat, hate the sodium. Quorn is my favorite. I agree with you, I'm not convinced they're healthier, but I keep some around for quick meals (I'm not a vegetarian btws)

Personally, I love tofu! Freeze it and squish it like a sponge and it makes a lovely stir fry. Also, protein powder isn't awful if you put it in a milkshake

Tempeh, Seitan and TV intimidate me, although I've had tasty stuff at restaurants and co-ops.

Almond milk might not be the best choice: soy and dairy have more protein. And remember, the macros are general guidelines, not commandments.

MGarcia0504

Not sure if they have it in the states but in the UK there's Quorn products like ground beef, sausage and other meat substitutes to still make your recipes that call for meat but without eating meat. They're tasty. I only eat chicken and fish to help me fit my needs for lifting but don't eat red meat. I found it too difficult to meet my protein needs without some meat.

melimomTARDIS

I think the boca original vegan burgers are low fat, and they are definitely low calorie/high protien.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

I'm not vegetarian but I do like Linda Mccartneys soya mince, low calorie and high protein, tastes great and no-one in my house ever notices it isn't meat.

I also like the Frys Meatless crispy prawns.

airbent

thinking about trying to make some tofu jerky--high in protein, low in almost everything else, and WAY cheaper than buying or making meat jerky.

scyian

I'm not a vegetarian but I eat a lot of Quorn products mainly because it's a lot less faff for cooking. I buy it, shove it in the freezer and can cook it from frozen. Got a Quorn shepherds pie for dinner tonight.

Kalikel

I like most of the Morning Star stuff, but Boca was terrible, IMO.

Not a huge fan of Quorn. Part of it is thinking "fungus" while eating it, which is silliness on my part, and it has a unique smell that I don't love. It doesn't taste too bad, though.

The ones I've had are not what I'd call "the most healthy" kind of foods. They were all highly-processed frozen stuff.