Meat substitutes (quorn, Linda McCartney)

Quorn is revolting and gives so many people an upset stomach.

My eldest went through a stage of really hating meat and occasionally had a Sainsburys veggie sausage or burger and I occasionally had one with him. I couldn't base my diet around them, though I'd choose them in preference to cheap meaty burgers and sausages of dubious provenance, any day.

After a few days of red meat, I had an M&S "Edgy Veggie" burger, yesterday - based around brown rice, green lentils and veg. I found that a lot more satisfying, though my husband wasn't so keen on the texture, so I guess the fake meat style products appeal to people with a less adventurous palate.

I don't eat quorn, as most of them aren't vegan, and I've never heard of Linda McCartney(the food, I know who she is)
But I do use things like TVP, seitan, soy curls, boca burgers, and Gardein in my diet. Not all the time as they tend to be pricey.

I don't necessarily agree that people that use meat substitutes have a 'less adventurous' palate.
I also love to cook from scratch and do so on an almost daily basis.

They are. I make my own seitan using vital wheat gluten. (It's also called wheat meat)
I usually bake it in a loaf and use it as a 'roast' It also slices up well for sandwiches.

Boca is a brand of vegetarian/vegan burgers here in the states. So we have those on a burger night with fries (chips) and the usual toppings.

Gardein, IMO makes some of the tastiest chick'n tenders on the market. They also have things like porkless pork bites (good in stir fry) meatless meatballs, fish less fish sticks.... You get the picture.

Those are a rare treat, as they are expensive and I'm feeding five hungry vegans in this house.

Most of my meals involve beans, lentils, chickpeas. All the veggies. Rice and beans, soups, curries.... Pasta and beans, things like that. Also things like shepherds pie, pot pies, casseroles...

We have a pretty varied diet and I pull recipes from a lot of different cultures. My kids will eat practically anything.

I've enjoyed Morningstar Farms in the past - especially the sausage, which I preferred to pork when I could eat it. They have bacon and hamburger patties as well as some others. I prefer not to think of it as "fake food" since it's actually made of "real" foods. If it had it's own shape and was sold as "seasoned vegetarian [catchy name of a unique food product] we'd probably look at it differently.

georgyporcupine wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm curious to know people's opinions on the meat substitutes such as quorn and Linda McCartney. Personally I am a bit freaked out by how processed they are and I'm not sure I like the concept of a fake food. Does anyone have the lowdown on these kinds of foods? Are they as gross as they sound? Are they worth trying? To add context I am what you would call a pescetarian, however, my fish eating has been reduced to about once a fortnight (for no reason other than I don't often fancy it) so my diet is largely vegetarian. I'm interested to know people's experiences and knowledge of these products.

As someone who became vegetarian (42 years ago) in part because I didn't like meat all that much, I rarely eat meat substitutes (or protein powder/bars for that matter) because I don't find them tasty or satisfying.

I have no difficulty getting 100+ grams of protein daily from things that are single-ingredient or few-ingredient foods. Besides eggs & dairy, some higher-protein candidates are: Soyfoods like edamame, tempeh, dry roasted soybeans; seitan; some of the "ancient grains" like quinoa, teff, etc.; beans. In the dairy realm, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are helpful.

I found the spreadsheet linked in this forum thread very helpful (the spreadsheet has lots of meat/fish near the top, but more plant foods as you scroll down):

Carbs and Fats are cheap. Here's a Guide to getting your PROTEIN's worth. Fiber also...

As a vegetarian, it can be helpful to think in terms of getting some amount of protein from most of the things you eat, especially the calorie-dense ones, rather than thinking "one big protein food per meal" as meat-eaters often do. Small amounts add up.

Quorn is quite repulsive. I don't eat a lot of meat substitutes any more, as I found them to be a more transitional type food. But I will, occasionally, eat a veggie burger patty or the little Gardein non-crab crab cakes. I find that I don't really have too much trouble getting in my protein. I eat quinoa, tofu, tempeh, TVP, nuts and seeds, oats, beans/legumes, and use a plant-based protein powder.

I like different items from different brands. i like Linda McCartney sausages and burgers, and quorn meatless chicken pieces (but not their breaded chicken range, personally I don't like it), quorn mince is pretty good, though it turns a bit rubbery if you plan to bulk make meals and reheat it. Tofu is pretty good if you're using strong flavours in your dish. I love using a variety of fish as well, tuna, white fish, salmon etc. If you want to up your fish intake, try healthier flavoured fish, for example I currently love Birds Eye fish inspirations (chargrilled with tomato and herb flavour)

Gardein is great for just about everything they do. Nate's Zesty Italian meatballs are good when we do a pasta bake. Boca burgers are fine in the original vegan version, but we don't do anything beyond that. I like Morning Star bc when I lived with my grandparents, my grandma made me the sausage patties every morning with eggs. I've heard people don't like them too much.