Vegetarian swap for chicken breast

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Ash_danielle
Ash_danielle Posts: 62 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm considering doing scoobys meal plan. Seems pretty simple. But it includes chicken. Anyone know of a good swap for chicken breast? Tofu?
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Replies

  • Weightwatcher72
    Weightwatcher72 Posts: 95 Member
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    Quorn
  • Tilran
    Tilran Posts: 626 Member
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    So my girlfriend is a vegetarian so I'm only an expert by Proxy....but you want to try a product called "Beyond Meat". She made me try it, and I honestly had a very hard time telling the difference between it, and chicken when cooked in the oven. In a microwave, it tastes awful and I'd avoid that cooking method. The best part....it has the same amount of protein as chicken breast! I was shocked! The bad news is...it is still pretty new and hard to find....Whole Foods around me carries it, and I know the further west towards California you get, the more plentiful it becomes as I believe it is a California company that makes it.
  • Ash_danielle
    Ash_danielle Posts: 62 Member
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    Tilran wrote: »
    So my girlfriend is a vegetarian so I'm only an expert by Proxy....but you want to try a product called "Beyond Meat". She made me try it, and I honestly had a very hard time telling the difference between it, and chicken when cooked in the oven. In a microwave, it tastes awful and I'd avoid that cooking method. The best part....it has the same amount of protein as chicken breast! I was shocked! The bad news is...it is still pretty new and hard to find....Whole Foods around me carries it, and I know the further west towards California you get, the more plentiful it becomes as I believe it is a California company that makes it.

    Thanks! I'll try the whole foods near me.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    beyond meat is awesome, and you can find coupons online. Gardein is also another great product....most of their products are breaded, but...still decent for you.

    You could also make seitan, which is a wheat meat, very high in protein.
  • hiphop10
    hiphop10 Posts: 135 Member
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    I love seitan do you know how to make it? I'm vegetarian.
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Weightwatcher72 wrote: »
    Quorn

    This. Quorn chicken cutlets. I eat them like crazy.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    this one is my favorite...

    http://www.theppk.com/2011/11/seitan-roast-stuffed-with-shiitakes-and-leeks/

    I've done it with out the filling too. Super easy and it comes out awesome. I've also done the boiling method, which is good, but comes out pretty chewy.

    Something like this...

    http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/homemade-seitan/

    you can always change the seasonings and get different flavors...

    I've been wanting to figure out a way to make a more realistic chicken type, like you get from the store, like the gardein or quorn ones, but I don't really know how to get that, maybe with a pea protein....

    Last night a made chickpea nuggets for my toddler's preschool class, that was fun and delicious, just mash up chickpeas, add some gluten and then other flavors shape into nuggets, bread and bake! Yum.

    c92jn8hnti6u.jpg
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
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    hiphop10 wrote: »
    I love seitan do you know how to make it? I'm vegetarian.


    http://www.vegetariantimes.com/video/how-to-make-seitan/
  • becky10rp
    becky10rp Posts: 573 Member
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    Morningstar Farms Chik patties - I live on them!
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    From looking at the meal plan site, it looks like it is laid out based on macros and calories, so it's not so much a substitute for chicken as a substitute for the protein within the same range of calories. Greek yogurt might be a good option for that particular meal.

    I'll be honest, the meal planner looks like it is overly restrictive. There was no target body fat option higher than 10% for women? The calorie count and plan it gave me was extremely aggressive - a 25% calorie reduction is not appropriate for everyone. I would hurt someone on 1400 calories per day.

    You might be better off using the TDEE calculator, using a realistic calorie deficit, and planning your own meals instead of using the meal planner. The meal planner just looks like sadness.
  • Ash_danielle
    Ash_danielle Posts: 62 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    From looking at the meal plan site, it looks like it is laid out based on macros and calories, so it's not so much a substitute for chicken as a substitute for the protein within the same range of calories. Greek yogurt might be a good option for that particular meal.

    I'll be honest, the meal planner looks like it is overly restrictive. There was no target body fat option higher than 10% for women? The calorie count and plan it gave me was extremely aggressive - a 25% calorie reduction is not appropriate for everyone. I would hurt someone on 1400 calories per day.

    You might be better off using the TDEE calculator, using a realistic calorie deficit, and planning your own meals instead of using the meal planner. The meal planner just looks like sadness.

    I saw that about the body fat % my goal is 18% but I have about 20-25 lbs to lose. And it set my calories per day close to 1600 which is even more than MFP Set.
  • Ash_danielle
    Ash_danielle Posts: 62 Member
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    becky10rp wrote: »
    Morningstar Farms Chik patties - I live on them!

    I love their spicy black bean burgers and their buffalo chik patties. Wonder how equal of a swap that is
  • Kellierahne
    Kellierahne Posts: 14 Member
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    Beyond Meat is great, but I have only been able to find it at the Whole Foods deli area, in pre-prepared dishes.
    Quorn is decent, but does have dairy in it iirc.
    Gardein makes pretty good chicken substitutes.
    Or you can try to make your own with vital wheat gluten.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    From looking at the meal plan site, it looks like it is laid out based on macros and calories, so it's not so much a substitute for chicken as a substitute for the protein within the same range of calories. Greek yogurt might be a good option for that particular meal.
    This. Don't fall into the trap of thinking just because something acts like meat in a meal, that it has similar macro values to meat. Depending on the brand, some of the meat substitutes are really poor sources of protein.

  • Ash_danielle
    Ash_danielle Posts: 62 Member
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    AliceDark wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    From looking at the meal plan site, it looks like it is laid out based on macros and calories, so it's not so much a substitute for chicken as a substitute for the protein within the same range of calories. Greek yogurt might be a good option for that particular meal.
    This. Don't fall into the trap of thinking just because something acts like meat in a meal, that it has similar macro values to meat. Depending on the brand, some of the meat substitutes are really poor sources of protein.
    Exactly that's why I'm wondering what would be equally nutritious
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    they are starting to sell beyond meat in all the stores around here, but I'm in southern California, which is a pretty popular vegetarian/vegan area...
  • RosieWest8
    RosieWest8 Posts: 185 Member
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    I had a boyfriend at one point who was vegan and we used to make General Tso's 'Chicken' with Seitan and it was awesome. Best thing is, if you make your own seitan then you can put how ever much flavoring (spices..etc.) you want -- make it spicy or not, etc.
    http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/homemade-seitan/

    That's just one recipe but you can find all kinds. I was not vegan while with him but when we were hanging out we often cooked together so all of those meals were vegan and if we went out to eat we went to a vegan place.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    I highly recommend Quorn Chicken cutlets or filets.

    363_main.jpg

    It is a protein made from mushroom and has a consistency very close to chicken. It is soy free which is fantastic as high levels of soy protein (although delicious) can wreak havoc on your hormones.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I want to try Quorn, but I cannot get past the whole fungus thing.

    The Morning Star burgers have a good protein count in them - especially the grillers, which taste better. I haven't tried their chicken-like stuff, but will after reading this.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    I want to try Quorn, but I cannot get past the whole fungus thing.

    The Morning Star burgers have a good protein count in them - especially the grillers, which taste better. I haven't tried their chicken-like stuff, but will after reading this.

    I have a love/hate relationship with Morningstar farms. Also Gardein. Don't get me wrong they taste way better than the Quorn products (whuch taste like nothing so you have to cook them in something) but they have way too much soy in them.

    As a lifelong vegetarian who decided to get more protein in her diet through faux-meat sources I was consuming 80+g of protein from mstar/Gardein and it caused hypothyroidism. Once I cut them out all levels went back to normal.

    If you want to eat them occasionally I'd say go for it. They taste great. But man...

    Morningstar farms has corn dogs (150 cals a peice) which are amazing, Chik-n nuggets which are great, Chik-n patties, Grillers Crumbles (like ground beef, amazing texture!), Burgers (American Grillers?), etc.

    Gardein has awesome naked style chick-n breasts.

    But Quorn makes practically all the same products soy-free with better macros. :(

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