Quorn - Overprocessed rubbish or does it have a place?

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Replies

  • quietattheback
    quietattheback Posts: 84 Member
    I love the fake meats but try really hard to stay away from all of the soy based ones. We do still eat them, but only a few times a month. I try to stick to tofu, tempeh, beans and seitan as my main "meat" substitutes.
    i thought tofu was soya? am i wrong?
  • DeTaart
    DeTaart Posts: 93 Member
    It's not exactly the most delicious foodstuff ever but it does have a place - at a BBQ when the alternative is cheap nasty processed burgers I suddenly become a vegetarian.

    Quorn sausage smothered in onions and mustard. YUM.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    Its not 'mushroom protein' or 'mycoprotien' or any of the other things it claims- its actually soil mould and as such contains levels of mycotoxins. When it first came out so many people got intense stomach cramps from it- they have changed the forumla to 'dilute' it by mixing with a lot of carby fillers. I still know lots of people who can't eat it. When I was veggie I ate loads of it and had no symptoms so i guess its a personal thing. I'm not a fan though- I'd take cheap processed meat over this stuff. I consider Quorn ' proessed junk food'
  • gym_king_carlie
    gym_king_carlie Posts: 528 Member
    The protein in Quorn is superb, but I do have stomach issues with it if I have it regularly, I have to have it once in a while, Quorn tomato and basil fillets are mmm mmm ummmmmmm
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    mmmm, fungus
  • AnneM69
    AnneM69 Posts: 30
    I like it, it doesn't upset my stomach like a lot of things, and even as an omnivore I think it tastes like meat.
    It is expensive here though, $7 for a 300g packet, so we can't have it all the time.
  • queenhiphop
    queenhiphop Posts: 286 Member
    I don't eat it often but once I made it in a lasagne and I had slightly burnt it the quorn while frying it before mixing it with the red sauce (this was before my healthy days) - it was absolutely disgusting burnt, so don't do that. :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I'm vegetarian, so I use the Quorn crumbles in my vegetarian chili. I like that it's mushroom-based (but not tasting!) instead of soy, since I try to avoid the over-processed soy products. I would just use ground beef if I ate meat, though.

    As for it being high in sodium, well, I eat it on a very regular basis and most days my total sodium is below 1,000 mg and I don't even try to be low on my sodium.
  • Damiilla
    Damiilla Posts: 66
    I like quorn, the only problem is that it uses palm oil, which I try to avoid. I get a dried soya mince in bulk that tastes just like it.

    I don't think it's any more processed than any of the other junk on the shelves though.
  • BSummers321
    BSummers321 Posts: 94 Member
    I like it. I usually buy it when it's on sale. Got a pack of the peppered steaks in the fridge, and I love the frozen burgers. Don't know about the mince, I think I prefer the real stuff. Asda's soya mince isn't bad though, made a nice chilli out of that.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I used to have quorn a few times a week, usually the sausages or the escalopes, and stopped when I heard some negative feedback about it from my brother. I am wondering, is it really THAT bad to eat ? Or is it okay once or twice a week?

    There was some *VERY* old scaremongering on the internet that has never entirely died the death. But if you do some proper searching, you'll find it was groundless.

    There's nothing wrong with Quorn.


    ETA - apologies I added this, not realising that this was an ancient thread I'd already posted this info to! :-)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I don't think it's any more processed than any of the other junk on the shelves though.

    At least the other stuff sets out as recognisable food :-)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorn - synthesised by clever biochemical engineering.
  • barmum
    barmum Posts: 73
    Thanks for the replies, peoples.
    I think I shall stick to having it occasionally, and also experiment making my own burgers and sausages from other things (though I must admit, I am not much of a cook really, and only do well with simple recipes)

    Also, I am not a meat eater. I am a pescetarian, but I like to have variety. Sometimes, I fancy sausages with potatoes and vegetables, and the like. Not often, but just sometimes, after a run of fish, beans and cottage cheese. Beans/lentils tend to disagree with me anyway, and bloat me up horribly.

    For some variety , why not try looking at some of the north indian food as there is a strong history of veggie cooking which need not be complicated and can be adapted to be fairly healthy (I particularly like Sag Aloo which is boiled potatos cooked with spinach and onions with some spices tempered in oil; I find if you just use a little bit of oil as carrier then it's pretty good :) )
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I don't think it's any more processed than any of the other junk on the shelves though.

    At least the other stuff sets out as recognisable food :-)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorn - synthesised by clever biochemical engineering.

    Funnily enough I'm quite comfortable with this. In a health, primary foods based diet, I've never really experience any ill effects from eating quorn. there's no real research based evidence of it being harmful. Unlike, say, this: http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1134845
  • markedevlin
    markedevlin Posts: 3 Member
    I think if you consider any opinion that there are fewer people with problems that have Quorn as opposed to meat is flawed given that the set of all vegetarians using Qourn vs the set of all omnivores like myself is so disproportionate renders it useless. A study containing all three of equal size would be needed over a period of years would be required to determine whether Quorn is beneficial or not. I've heard it contains a lot of salt, but it contains only 110%- that's only 10% more sodium of extra lean mince.

    BTY, Love your hair!:smile:
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,364 Member
    I have yet to try Quorn. They really need some vegan options.
  • Compared to chicken nuggets or meat products I'd say ist most certainly is much better. Sure if you want to go holistic and not eat processed food at all, go for beans and lentils, but as a lover of meat substitutes I think quorn chicken pieces are life savers.
  • It does not contain mycotoxins and each batch is checked for them before being put forward to food production. Mycotoxins are lethal. blue cheeses have mold in them, yet we eat them. What's wrong with growing that mold in tanks and shape it into bite size?
  • TashTag
    TashTag Posts: 109
    MY BF is vegetarian and says he wouldn't have lasted this long if it wasn't for Quorn. It was first used as part of the transition process but now he pretty much eats it on a daily basis. His brother and sister in law also do the same. Sarah, the sister-in-law is quite new to Quorn and finds that she suffers from occasional digestive complaints but they have been eating it for years now and are perfectly fine.
    It does say that some people may have a bad reaction to it.
    Now for my two cents, I was the biggest sceptic/nay sayer around but once I tried it, I realised it really isn't that bad. Have had no reactions and really enjoy the flavour as well as the texture. As me and MFB are moving in together soon, looks like its a good thing that I enjoy it. #tashtag
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Overprocessed rubbish.

    Even if you are vegetarian.... I just dont understand it. It baffles me that if you are against eating sausages, that you would choose to eat something that has purposefully been shaped to represent the sausage that you didnt want to eat in the first place. Same goes for veggie burgers.

    I dont like fish, so why would I want a cut of meat that has been processed to look like a prawn?
  • allotmentgardener
    allotmentgardener Posts: 248 Member
    I love quorn. Being a vegetarian it is always in the house, very versatile and can be used for all sorts of recipes. That being said, I don't have it every day - that would be too much.
    My family (who aren't veggie) also love eating it so its not just for non-meat eaters.
  • moya_rargh
    moya_rargh Posts: 1,473 Member
    I'm not veggie, but I regularly eat quorn sausages for the high protein/low fat ratio in comparison to meat-based sausages.

    And they keep longer, too :)
  • KayJaMikel
    KayJaMikel Posts: 341 Member
    I, most boring eater ever, have never heard of Quorn. I eat very little of anything but regular food. No seafood, no tofu, nothing too out there. If it tastes anything like the burgers my hubby buys by mistake at the grocery store sometimes for beef patties that have a consistency of like a mushy I don’t know what, I probably won't like it. What does it taste, feel like?
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Overprocessed rubbish.

    Even if you are vegetarian.... I just dont understand it. It baffles me that if you are against eating sausages, that you would choose to eat something that has purposefully been shaped to represent the sausage that you didnt want to eat in the first place. Same goes for veggie burgers.

    I dont like fish, so why would I want a cut of meat that has been processed to look like a prawn?

    Maybe you are taking this a little too seriously.
    It is ridiculous to say someone should not eat a round shaped item made of vegetable matter, simply because the same can be found made of meat. People become vegetarians for many different reasons. Also of note, I made this topic over two years ago.
  • fairygirlpie9
    fairygirlpie9 Posts: 288 Member
    I eat quorn but I also eat lots of different types of meat too. I think it does require some getting used to at first - I mainly have the burgers. It does have a good protein/calorie ratio which is part of why I have it on days when I don't want to eat chicken/salmon it makes a great alternative.
  • skyfall91
    skyfall91 Posts: 74
    I eat it most day as I dont like meat (all tastes too heavy and not nice to me) I dont find any side effects of bad stomach problems from it
  • 3c273
    3c273 Posts: 1 Member
    Overprocessed rubbish.

    Even if you are vegetarian.... I just dont understand it. It baffles me that if you are against eating sausages, that you would choose to eat something that has purposefully been shaped to represent the sausage that you didnt want to eat in the first place. Same goes for veggie burgers.

    I dont like fish, so why would I want a cut of meat that has been processed to look like a prawn?

    And how many wild sausages have you seen?

    Its just a shape that people are familiar with, so why change it? What shape should they be? Amphibious landing craft shape?
  • slk_5555
    slk_5555 Posts: 177 Member
    I once made a spag bol with 1/2 quorn mince & 1/2 beef mince to reduce calories - I thought the texture was awful (very mushy/slimy), so never cooked with it again. I guess I like my meat too much.
  • bibitodaro
    bibitodaro Posts: 1 Member
    Actually Quorn is not made of soy but of mycroprotein. On the other hand all tempeh, tofu etc are made of soy, which in case it is not 100% organic non-gmo is quite bad for you.

    Of all the meat substitute, Quorn is the "healthiest" one as it contains very few allergens, no soy, very low salt, high protein content and very low fat / saturated fat.