"Fake" meat products for vegetarians, your opinion please

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.