How do you replace Meat

iKapuniai

Mmmm... meat.

diana776

Thanks for posting this question.. so interested in replacing meat.. i started this week and im consuming soy based products.

tabulator32

I am looking for replacements for the following:

Chicken Breast
Sausage
Turkey Grounded
Beef Grounded

I know you can't completely replace these things but am looking for alternatives so I can make the same meals but with something that isn't meat. Trying to switch over to vegetarianism but I will not eat salads and rice all the time. (Of course, I'm new to this.)

Check out Field Roast brand sausages.

Their Celebration Roast is a pretty good turkey substitute as well.

gypsybree

Morningstar Farms crumbles for ground beef. Their "sausage" patties are really good too.

That's what I was gonna say!

yourenotmine

does anybody know of any meat replacements that do not involve soy (as I can't eat it)

Quorn, for sure, is not made with soy. As for the others... Um... Sophie's Kitchen makes some passable fish substitutes with konjac. Kinda just have to read ingredients on the rest. Soy is sometimes listed as an allergen, now, so that makes it easier to find in the list.

yourenotmine

My point about not trying to "relace meat" is thatt I think some people eat those substitutes and say "i could never be vegetarian because fake meat isn't good"..... which is missing the point really, there are so many fantastic meals that taste great but don't happen to have meat in them.

Yes, good point.

Ocarina

Thanks guys for the info!!

I recognize that vegetarians/vegans don't just eat salads and rice but that is my personal knowledge base. I was vegetarian at one point for a year but did it very badly.

I would love to jump back into the same lifestyle but want to integrate meat substitutes into meals I already eat.

I use a meal planning tool to come up with good ideas for meals and want to just simply take the meat out and put the subsitute in.

I shop at a grocery store that is local here. I sadly do not have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's here. Which is weird as its a very green city. I do have a local CoOp here but it's rather expensive.

Thanks for the input everyone!! Excellent ideas. I'll probably go peruse the grocery store I shop at for fun and see what they've got.

Rocbola

Any meat substitutes on the shelf are processed food-like products, and probably no better for you than the meat. But there is no need to just eat rice and salads. Beans make a good meat substitute, and some dishes are good just made with no meat, and no substitute. And everybody loves fruit!!! Fruit can even be a meat substitute in some dishes. Try fajitas with mangoes cut into strips instead of meat for some awesome deliciousness.

redcat17

does anybody know of any meat replacements that do not involve soy (as I can't eat it)

That depends on whether you are able and willing to cook. Lentils are always good, as are most beans. If you aren't allergic or opposed to wheat gluten, there is seitan, which is expensive to buy but oh-so-easy to make. For instance, these recipes:

http://www.theppk.com/2012/01/vegan_sausage/

http://www.theppk.com/2010/11/doublebatch-chickpea-cutlets/

You'll of course want to sub something for the soy sauce, but that is easily done.

mamagooskie

I am looking for replacements for the following:

Chicken Breast
Sausage
Turkey Grounded
Beef Grounded

I know you can't completely replace these things but am looking for alternatives so I can make the same meals but with something that isn't meat. Trying to switch over to vegetarianism but I will not eat salads and rice all the time. (Of course, I'm new to this.)

For chicken breast I eat gardein scallopini, sausage I use tofurky sausage, ground meats I use yves ground or TVP (textured vegetable protein)

There are plenty of substitutes out there, crumbled chopped or sliced tofu can "mimic" many different meats.

Jennaissance

Chicken breast: seitan cooked with Bragg's or soy sauce and your seasonings.
Turkey breast: tempeh cooked with oil and vinegar ( Use oil/vinegar that best suits the recipe )
Beef: diced mushrooms (portabellos are the best) cooked with lemon juice, white wine vinegar, thyme and lots of freshly ground black pepper - add some balsamic vinegar for more color/flavor.
Like meatloaf? Make nutloaf! Look up a recipe online but be sure it contains lots of nuts, celery, carrots, herbs, eggs and breadbrumb/rice if you are gluten free.

Substitute textured vegetable protein (TVP) soaked in vinegar/seasoning for fish in most recipes with diced fish (tofu seasoned the same way for recipes with chunky fish).
Burgers? Try black bean patties from scratch.
Soups? Always include lentils. If you want to make a creamy soup without dairy add blended/food processed cashews or almonds to make it milkly. If you want smokey, add some liquid smoke. Salty, add some hijiki or wakame.

ALWAYS USE MUSHROOMS as much as possible.

Jacwhite22

There are some great ideas in here. I can't wait to try them all.

Skinny_Beans

beans, beans, BEANS. Also in this day and age there are many vegan and vegetarian fake meat products which have the texture and taste(sort of) of meat.

NoAdditives

Morningstar Farms crumbles for ground beef. Their "sausage" patties are really good too.

Hooray for GMOs!

Cherp18

bump

shorty35565

I am looking for replacements for the following:

Chicken Breast
Sausage
Turkey Grounded
Beef Grounded

I know you can't completely replace these things but am looking for alternatives so I can make the same meals but with something that isn't meat. Trying to switch over to vegetarianism but I will not eat salads and rice all the time. (Of course, I'm new to this.)

Tofu

kgeldreich

I think when I first became vegetarian I relied more on meat replacements like chick nuggets and such. Now I often eat kidney or white beans with pasta instead of meatballs, or have stir fried veggies on top of quinoa, lentil or split pea soup, etc.

I actually don't care for salads at all! But I do love cooked greens

You might want to peruse some resources for recipes and meal ideas:

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_vegetarian_recipes

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/03/polenta-with-lemony-asparagus-and.html

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/10/lemony-quinoa-with-butternut-squash.html

myraknits

Quorn scares me. It seems to be completely processed and man-made. Nothing natural bout it from what I can tell. Even though it is yummy, I think we're better off eating more naturally sourced food and saving Quorn for special occasions (if ever)

I've been hearing about a product called "Quorn". Apparently its a soy based product. Read about it here http://www.quorn.com.au/Home/

Quorn is actually made from mushroom/fungi protein! It is delicious but expensive.

Just look in your grocer's frozen section-- there are many brands of frozen meat substitutes in crumbles or balls or patties. I love artichoke burgers!

mrspurrnandez

I use to eat meat a lot!! I don't anymore and I do not miss it at all. Like mentioned by others there are some really tasty great products out there. I love morning star, boca burgers. I eat lots of tofu that I mix up in a stir fry with udon noodles. There are alot of creative ways to make great meals. My hubby and I made tacos with Soy ground. It was so good. I am of Mexican descent and our culture eats lots of food that have meats. So for me to really like those tacos says a lot! Good luck to you! One more thing since I have stayed off the meat I have lost so much weight but the added plus is my lab results on my chem panel. To see the number so healthy is really cool.

giggitygoo

Black Beans
Lentils
Quinoa
Nuts
Eggs


All great alternatives to meat. Truthfully, if you're going to rely on processed meat replacements you would be better off sticking to lean organic meat. Less processed, more nutritious. Of course, I don't know your motives for going veggie. If you're switching for health reasons, it's something to consider.

secretgirl4611

Well this is a GREAT site that is for vegetarians.. Tho I'm not a vegetarian cuz I like meat, I do like some of the recipes on here that use no meats at all tho I have an OPEN mind when it comes to food and if it looks good I will try it or make it.. and everything is healthy even the deserts are awesome!

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/

boggsmeister

I have absolutely no idea why anyone would want to be a vegetarian and then spend their time trying to find something that is like meat. If you are going to be a vegetarian, eat vegetables. Learn to love them for what they are. If not, stop wishing you were eating meat, and just eat the meat already.

Just my little ever so humble opinion.

Also, if you are looking for a fantastic cookbook that follows the above philosophy check out the Fields of Greens cookbook. Amazing recipes in there.

veganpoler

I'm vegan and I don't eat rice and salad all the time. I do eat hearty meals and I try to center them around whole foods. Like tonight, I made a tamale pie for the family - black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, chopped onion, garlic, bell peppers, and corn simmered together with spices, and topped with a cornmeal topping. It was healthy, hearty, packed with protein and iron, and super filling.

If you want meat substitutes, there are a bunch of them out there - I say just try a bunch and see which you like best. I live in Seattle so if I'm going for a veggie sausage I buy Field Roast, which is made of wheat gluten. I also like Tofurky hickory smoked deli slices on sandwiches, with some sliced avocado to go with.

Good luck with your transition! Feel free to add me as a friend or extra encouragement on the veg lifestyle.

DesireeLovesOrganic

I am a vegan also but I don't eat soy either, well....very very rarely, liquid a tsp of Bragg Liquid Aminos fermented non-GMO soy as flavor for some dishes.) I think a lot of vegans way overdo the soy. Especially if it is not 100% organic soy (GMO!)

Some staples at my house (all organic so no GMO)

ezekiel sprouted corn tortillas
black beans
white cannelini beans
pinto beans
village harvest brown organic rice (great price on Amazon)
organic raw almonds
walnuts
cashews
oatmeal (rolled oats or steel cut)
quinoa
produce (LOTS!! If you join a CSA you can have organic local farm veggies delivered right to/near you in bulk)
daiya "cheese" (no soy or dairy and melts well for homemade pizza or things like stuffed mushrooms)
Bob's Red Mill Nutritional Yeast - Large flake (1/4 cup of this is 113% of daily b12 requirement)
almond milk
Navita's Natural raw cacao powder (lots of fiber, protein, iron, antioxidants, best price amazon in double pack)
Bob's Red Mill Ground Flax Seed (great egg replacer for recipes like pancakes, etc.)


My favorite breakfast:
1 organic apple cut up (80 cal)
1/2 oats (160 cal)
1/8 cup chopped walnuts (100 cal)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (60 cal)
1/2 tablespoon 100% organic real maple syrup grade b (25 cal)

Lots of protein and fiber and keeps you full for hours!

Fave lunch:
1/2 cup white cannelini beans
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (kind of makes it seem 'cheesy')
veggies galore (2 zucchini, onion, garlic, jalepeno or red hot chili pepper, mushrooms, tomato, etc)
(22 protein!)

or
2 ezekiel sprouted corn tortillas
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 avocado
topped high with homemade salsa (roma tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, serrano pepper)
(homemade sriracha is really good too, I love spicy stuff though!)

or

1/2 avocado (diced up)
1 organic small navel orange (peeled and up up into chunks)
1/4 cup quinoa cooked in 1/2 cup organic low sodium veggie broth
red pepper (flakes are ok)
(add avocado and orange after cooking quinoa and putting on a place, good to eat totally cooled too, like packing for work lunch. Sounds weird but it's really good, kind of sweet and savory but the avo and orange totally makes the dish!)

Fave dinners:
black bean and sweet potato enchiladas in either whole wheat or ezekiel corn tortilla (black bean, sweet potato, onion on the inside) cooked with some green chili sauce (homemade or store bought) + avocado cilantro "sauce" on top. SO good. Original ecipe here, I modify for calories and I try not to eat a lot of gluten: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/04/vegan-enchiladas-with-cilantro-avocado-cream-sauce-2/

That sauce is to die for yummy though!

Another fave is to do the same as above but to stuff the corn tortillas with black beans, spinach, and mushrooms. YUM!

Tonight I made homemade pizza, whole wheat dough crust + layer of shredded zucchini, nutritional yeast (for b12), tomato sauce, garlic, onion, mushroom, grape tomatoes, olives, and some daiya "cheese."

For FAST dinners I do whole wheat pasta with a vegan tomato or red pepper sauce (trader joes or Fresh and Easy has some organic ones for $2.99) with a side of steamed green beans or asparagus.

Another fast one is Udon noodles (hakubaku organic are my fave, wheat) cook in FOUR minutes. I steam a bunch of veggies (zucchini, carrots, spinach, whatever you like) + cashews on the side with a bit of coconut oil and some Braggs liquid amino (it is soy though, fermented though and non-GMO but you could also use a homemade sriracha if you like spicy)

A good snack:
2.5 tablespoons organic raw cacao powder
8 oz almond milk
1 medjool date (to sweeten, cut the pit out first)
5 almonds
chuck all in blender with handful of ice....yum! Only 210 cal too and lots of protein and fiber and 13%+ daily iron.

Hummus is another great snack....or guacamole....with some organic corn chips (I like the Fiesta Mix ones from Fresh and Easy, still has 140 cal per serving though.)

This week I am going to try to make a "mole" sauce with my raw cacao powder and some ancho chiles. There are TONS of awesome websites with ideas. If you put in vegan + whatever you are looking for.....tons of options. HTH!

Ocarina

I have absolutely no idea why anyone would want to be a vegetarian and then spend their time trying to find something that is like meat. If you are going to be a vegetarian, eat vegetables. Learn to love them for what they are. If not, stop wishing you were eating meat, and just eat the meat already.

Just my little ever so humble opinion.

Also, if you are looking for a fantastic cookbook that follows the above philosophy check out the Fields of Greens cookbook. Amazing recipes in there.

It's because I meal plan. I love my veggies. My husband doesn't. To be fair and balanced we are going to find things that are filling and have a meat type texture but aren't meat. But yeah I follow a very specific meal plan and instead of scrapping the whole thing I'm going to have some fun substituting.

This is for health reasons. I'm not just cutting out meat. Nor completely. I'm just trying to eat cleaner and be more natural. Meat is natural of course... but I want to have some fun and try out new things... Aaaaaaaand save money if possible.

I'm also sick and tired of eating Tyson brand cheap meat because I want to save a buck or two. Blech!

Looks like I can check out Morningstar brands, Boca burgers, Tofu, BEANS!, and soy stuffs.

ninerbuff

Just use BACON.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

tsh0ck

good luck. we'll miss you ... and welcome you back if you ever change your mind.

Elle408

I'm currently 'transitioning' as it were, and this thread has been brilliantly informative! Thank you for the great website links and Desiree, the great meal suggestions! I am adding new ingredients to my big 'vegetarian' shopping list every day and feel confident that I can make this work for me.

I'm not against eating meat, but I am against eating what this country passes off as meat. If I could find some TRULY organic meat then that would be fine, but often, even what is labelled as organic and sold at a premium, is filled with just as much crap as the non-organic. I'm going to be a lazy researcher and not post any evidence to back this up, but it's enough for me to stop wanting to eat it. The chickens on my Granddad's farm however...