"Fake" meat products for vegetarians, your opinion please

I know the feel. My obsession is Gardein Chicken Tenders. I just realized when logging it into MFP how much sodium it takes! If I find something I'll be sure to tell you!

i am a vegetarian too. I love Quorn products (when I can find them on sale). i haven't had any of their products that I haven't liked, but my favorite would be the chik'n tenders. They are only 90 calories per serving with 10 grams of protein. The sodium can get a bit high if you are eating a ton, but I love throwing them into whatever I am making.

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.

I like the gardenburger black bean chipolte burgers and I use large portabello mushroom caps like meat, yummy

I eat these products.

http://dragonflyfoods.com/

i personally love boca vegan burgers... mainly because they are so quick to make, low in calories, and i can dress them up with veggies and lower fat condiments and they are magically delicious and filling... the bad thing though is that anything processed is going to have its drawbacks.. added sodium and a host of nasty preservatives and other chemical sounding ingredients... if you are really concerned, try eating very clean.. meaning minimally processed... whole foods has a great recipe for a plant based southwest blackbean burger, that is awesome... check it out on youtube

I'm not a fan of the fake meats, but when i was still doing the vegetarian thing, i liked the Morningstar buffalo chik'n patties. I don't for one second think that they are good for you! The ingredient list is insane! But they are tasty covered in pickled jalapenos and mustard.
Morningstar's hot dogs are pretty accurate to what a hot dog tastes like, too.

Fake meat is just wrong in every way. If you can't cope with eating a proper vegetarian diet just eat some meat.

I was a vegetarian for 8 years. I ate Morning Star too (never liked Boca) but you are right, it's very unhealthy. It has so many processed ingredients - I would eat it sparingly and not part of your weekly/daily intake.

I also loved "Field Roast" and "Quorn" brand - they are really tasty and more natural than Morning Star. I'm not sure if you have a local health food store you can go to - or a Whole Foods - but they have lots of different vegetarian brands you can try.

But I recommend sticking with whole food proteins like tofu, beans, legumes, quinoa, eggs and dairy if you eat those things. And look up recipes to make your own burgers and such.

Good luck

*eek* There seems to be a bit of strong conviction from some members here. Entertaining.

But to your question about "fake meat". If you like the mouth feel, flavour and nutrients which you receive from real meat, you can find many options of "fake meat" but usually have to mix & match to receive the same nutrients.

Tempeh is a commonly found item which, when seasoned, can have a lovely flavour. There is a variety of tofu and tapioca starch which, when seasoned, can remind one of a favourite protein breakfast. I prefer mine spicy in lunches or a small meal at tea.

There are many products made from soy and nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews, etc.) which, when seasoned, can remind one of a meat loaf. Honestly, the words "meat" and "loaf" have always been a put off, but everyone has their opinion.

Then there are plain veg which could remind you of meat but don't have the same mouth feel such as avocado. Again, mix & match may be a requirement to provide the same nutrients. All of the above paragraphs have loads of recipes found on internet so search away.

If you're looking for pre-made products, then you'll most likely have to deal with loads of additional sodium. Mind you, they taste lovely. Dr Praegers, Morningstar Farms, Quorn, and Boca (not my preference) are all readily found at your local grocer. If you're going for "I'm lazy and don't care about sodium intake", then these are a perfect fit. Some days, I eat them too -- don't be a hayta'!

Best part about food is that you can try different things to find what you prefer. Buy pre-made or make your own. Each week (or day if you're adventurous, try a new take on an old favourite. You'll get your groove.

I relied a lot on the "fake meats" when I was a newer veg, but I barely eat them at all anymore. I don't like that they are still a heavily processed food and have a lot of salt, chemicals, etc. that I want to attempt to limit. That said, they are handy in terms of convenience and quick protein. Especially when you are out or visiting, it just makes life easier! When I eat them now I prefer the Boca Vegan Burgers or the Morningstar Garden Veggie ones - those are just my personal preference. Oh and Field Roast stuff - mmmmm. I used to limit myself to one fake meat a day & no more than that, now I have them once a week if that. But it can be tricky to get more protein. I tend to fall back onto eggs, tofu and beans mostly. I think as long as you mix up your protein sources and provide a good balance you should be OK. And a lot of it is planning too. If i prep the other meals, I'm like not to be stuck, hungry, wanting to just pop in a burger real quick.

Oh, also I like Amy's products a lot. The ingredients are pretty basic, not too much salt, and they're convenient!

And if you haven't already, try your hand at making some veggie burgers.. now that I've made my own, I far prefer the taste of those to the frozen box variety! Of course, it takes more prep, but it is so worth it.

I was straight vegetarian for 3 years, then turned into a polo vegetarian. I understand where you're coming from with wanting to have meat substitues, but just don't. When I couldn't understand the ingredients of what I was putting into my body, I cut them out. I would suggest cottage chese or milk or greek yogurt if you want to stay vegetarian. But eating chicken is the best thing that I've ever done to my body.

I would just stick to tofu or egg plant for a meat consistency, you can also make your own burgers out of quinoa and black beans and other ingredients, you can look up recipes online there are tons! I do enjoy Boca chic' patties though and they don't have a lot of calories while giving you a lot of protein. At least I only eat one and have it with salad instead of bread. Try to have portions of oats and chia seeds or and flax seeds with almond butter for mornings that gives you lots of protein if you're worrying about that. Millet, quinoa, black beans, chic peas, have a lot of protein as well as leafy greens, bet you must know that. I follow a mostly vegan diet and haven't had any issues with protein or b6 vitamin deficiency in the past 5 years, so you don't need that much protein. I try to stay above 30 grams normally I go higher. Good luck! Yes lots of anti-veg criticism, so that means lots of support for cruelty.

I like Butler soy curls, they're like TVP in that you have to rehydrate and flavor them but they have a better, more chicken-y texture IMO. Not sure how widely they're available.

I have no issue with fake meats, I didn't stop eating meat because I didn't like it. I suppose it depends on why you're a vegetarian.

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