Meat substitutes (quorn, Linda McCartney)

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.

Replies

ouryve

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.

ghudson92

ouryve wrote: »

I guess the fake meat style products appeal to people with a less adventurous palate.

Thanks for your insight. I'm really just curious. I love cooking from scratch and I mainly get my protein from beans, legumes, eggs and cheese. Sometimes, there are times I just can't be bothered and I wondered if it was worth buying some of the meat substitutes... I think I will just stick to boiled eggs as my lazy source of protein!

AlabamaMama224

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.

ghudson92

AlabamaMama224 wrote: »

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.

And are these items tasty? Can you do much with them? I've not heard of Gardein or seitan or boca. My post is merely exploratory. I've not tried these items and I have heard a lot of different stories about them. I do enjoy new foods but I am weary of over processed items, hence I am looking for other people's opinions and experiences

AlabamaMama224

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.

stealthq

As with anything, whether they're tasty or not depends largely on how they are prepared. I'm a meat eater, but I also enjoy meat substitutes for their own qualities. I never replace meat with them if that's what I want - I'd always be disappointed in that case. None of the substitutes are all that similar to what they're replacing, IMO.

mph323

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.

mph323

stealthq wrote: »

As with anything, whether they're tasty or not depends largely on how they are prepared. I'm a meat eater, but I also enjoy meat substitutes for their own qualities. I never replace meat with them if that's what I want - I'd always be disappointed in that case. None of the substitutes are all that similar to what they're replacing, IMO.

Beat me to it!

ghudson92

Some interesting perspectives here. Thank you everyone.

extra_medium

Mornginstar stuff is good, so is Boca as far as the basic brands. Aside from the chicken or sausage patties though I usually prefer the veggie products that embrace their true vegetable heritage don't try to imitate meat.. they tend to creep me out.

AnnPT77

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.

Colorscheme

I don't care about them being processed, what I don't like is the texture. I gave up real meat because of the texture and taste, why would I like soy meat any more? yuck.

JaxxieKat

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.

AliceDark

Meat replacements vary wildly by brand and by flavor, so you can't really lump them together into one big category. For example, some brands of veggie burgers are mostly soy and are very dense and chewy, whereas if you choose something that is more like a black bean burger, the taste and texture are night-and-day different. I don't rely on meat replacements, but they're convenient on occasion (events like family BBQs, for instance). You really just need to try different ones to see if you like them.

JustAnotherOneOfThoseGirls

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)

becky10rp

I eat a lot of the Morningstar 'stuff' - especially the Chik'n - it's quite addicting. I also like their 'fake bacon' - just realize that it has it's own taste, and tastes nothing like real bacon (this is what my Hubby says - I haven't eaten any form of meat in 22 years).

JustinAnimal

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.

deadliftsandnoodles

I want to like quorn but it doesn't agree with me most of the time, i'm left bloated and the toilet often looks like a rally car's mud flap when i'm done with it. What's worse is i stocked up on quorn mince when it was on offer in tesco, i have 6 bags to go through!

enterdanger

Linda McCartney is PEOPLE!

sorry, couldn't help myself.

Every time I tried quorn products they were way too salty for me.

ghudson92

Oh wow. Quite the variation of experiences here regarding meat substitutes! Having reflected on everyone's replies, I think I am satisfied to leave well alone. I'm hitting my protein goals and I enjoy my diet so... this is one area of food I won't be exploring

thank you for helping me make up my mind everyone! This is why I love MFP

deadliftsandnoodles

enterdanger wrote: »

Linda McCartney is PEOPLE!

sorry, couldn't help myself.

Every time I tried quorn products they were way too salty for me.

I found i was always thirsty after eating it, maybe it was salty af

littlechiaseed

They are food not fake food. They are good in a pinch or whatever but I'd rather eat them than a dead animal. I like tofu or tempeh over meat substitutes though in general. I do eat them occasionally though or make my own veggie burgers so I know exactly what's in them.

cee134

I love Quorn but I also love mushrooms.

I try not to eat alot of meat substitutes but I like them every now and again (I eat mostly plant based). Also seitan is awesome. It's also very easy to make now as the main ingredient (which is hard to make) can be bought easily in most stores.

mlee981

I'm vegan myself , and I have some of Linda mccartney's foods sometimes, but they are very processed. Plus since finding out about the cruelty in palm oil, I'm trying to cut right back on my foods with palm oil.

I'd personally rather have whole foods like beans and lentils , but these foods are good especially for those transitioning over or just starting a vegan /vegetarian lifestyle.

chunky_pinup

Colorscheme wrote: »

I don't care about them being processed, what I don't like is the texture. I gave up real meat because of the texture and taste, why would I like soy meat any more? yuck.

Exactly why I don't eat them either. I became "vegetarian" around 10 years old, simply because my parents got tired of trying to force me to eat meat, which I just couldn't bear the texture of. Meat substitutes that I've tried have too "meaty" a texture. I prefer to make my own veggie burgers and will have Seitan on occasion, but even that sometimes is too meat-like for me. I really thing these things boil down to preference and lifestyle. I don't give a rats turd about the processing - as an Oreo addict that would be very hypocritical of me...but if you like them, and they work into you daily calorie/macros goals, then go for it. If you don't like them...don't worry about it. You don't need to eat them.

smotheredincheese

Some meat substitutes are just plain gross, but Quorn nuggets and Quorn Scotch Eggs are amazing. I'd take them over the meat versions any day.

babychris1

Go vegan for victory !!

rugbyishy

Im not veggie but we do have Quorn/Linda Mccartney. Mostly because its cheaper than meat. Quorn has egg in it (it says free range if people are conscious with that sort of thing) and is made from mushrooms so I prefer that to soya based equivalents. However do like Mccartney sausages.
They are handy if you not in mood for cooking or what something quick.

janejellyroll

rugbyishy wrote: »

Im not veggie but we do have Quorn/Linda Mccartney. Mostly because its cheaper than meat. Quorn has egg in it (it says free range if people are conscious with that sort of thing) and is made from mushrooms so I prefer that to soya based equivalents. However do like Mccartney sausages.
They are handy if you not in mood for cooking or what something quick.

It's fungal-based, but it isn't made from mushrooms.

http://www.mycoprotein.org/what_is_mycoprotein/index.html

sunnybeaches105

How does Linda McCartney taste and is she clean?