What is the best vegetarian or nitrite/nitrate free bacon?

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kshatriyo
kshatriyo Posts: 134 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am trying lighthouse smart bacon and it is pretty good considering it is basically salt. But I would love to find something fatty and chewy and just so slightly crunchy on the outer edges, that melts in my mouth and then crunches on the edges.
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Replies

  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    I like the morningstar farms best, by far. Hate the one made of tempeh.

    I actually like the morningstar farms veggie bacon a lot better than actual bacon but it isn't fatty or melty, more crunchy at edges and slightly chewier toward the middle when cooked, my kids like it raw or bendy, I like it baked on a grid and crispy.

    You sound like you want actual bacon, maybe you should just eat some? It's not like fake bacon is health food, it's all junky.

  • mari5466
    mari5466 Posts: 137 Member
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    Trader joes has the best nitrate free bacon. Antibiotic free. I eat as natural and organic and minimally processed as possible.
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
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    I like sweet earth veggie bacon. It's still chewy and crunchy.
  • kshatriyo
    kshatriyo Posts: 134 Member
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    mmmm. Bacon.
  • withoutasaddle
    withoutasaddle Posts: 191 Member
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    I'm not a fan of morningstars bacon but haven't tried anything else. I just wouldn't reccomend it at all.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I'll buy Hormel's natural bacon w/out nitrates.
  • roamingtiger
    roamingtiger Posts: 747 Member
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    None of it. It's just processed food with a bunch of sodium.
  • kshatriyo
    kshatriyo Posts: 134 Member
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    Bacon rules. Listen, if you don't like bacon, you ain't right. OK, my husband doesn't like bacon. He is just wrong for that. I told him. Now I'm telling you. :-)
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Just look for uncured bacon. I could never tell the difference.
  • mullaneywt
    mullaneywt Posts: 28 Member
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    Actual bacon
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited October 2016
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    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    I'll buy Hormel's natural bacon w/out nitrates.

    It still has added nitrates. If you check the packaging you'll see they add celery and or cherry juice which naturally contains nitrates. They can claim nitrate free because it's a secondary ingredient.

    Probably not a big deal if your not nitrate sensitive. Gives me a migraine.

  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    extra_medium wrote: »
    Just look for uncured bacon. I could never tell the difference.

    Same here. Still has nitrates.

    The difference is that the solution used in “uncured” bacon doesn't include artificial nitrates. Instead, the nitrates come from natural sources — usually celery juice or celery extract, which is naturally rich in nitrates, but sometimes sea salt with high levels of nitrates.Feb 5, 2015
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    Noel_57 wrote: »
    Vegetarian bacon is like fat free mayonnaise. barf.

    Nah. Bacon is unhealthy, veggie bacon is unhealthy, but both are made of food and both usually pretty darn processed. Veggie bacon is made from egg whites and vegetable proteins and salt and oil, pig bacon is made of fat and salt mostly, with some meat in there.

    Fat free mayonnaise is not made of food. It's made of cellulose and high fructose corn syrup and starch and flavorings whipped together with nightmares...
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    robininfl wrote: »
    Noel_57 wrote: »
    Vegetarian bacon is like fat free mayonnaise. barf.

    Nah. Bacon is unhealthy, veggie bacon is unhealthy, but both are made of food and both usually pretty darn processed. Veggie bacon is made from egg whites and vegetable proteins and salt and oil, pig bacon is made of fat and salt mostly, with some meat in there.

    Fat free mayonnaise is not made of food. It's made of cellulose and high fructose corn syrup and starch and flavorings whipped together with nightmares...

    Unless you make your own bacon. :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,906 Member
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    I like all the nitrite/nitrate-free pork bacon I've tried. I've occasionally reacted adversely to artificial nitrite/nitrates, but not those from celery powder.

    Additionally, brands that don't use artificial nitrite/nitrates also tend to be those brands that have more humane practices during the pigs' lives, which is important to me. No gestation crates, more space, an atmosphere that allows animals to express normal, natural behaviors. http://help.applegate.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2578631-applegate-humanely-raised
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I use hickory smoked faken bacon, its same brand as this only Hickory smoked.

    https://lightlife.com/products/organic-fakin-bacon-tempeh-strips

    I ate so much bacon when I was on Atkins I prob will have colon cancer AND I hate bacon now so I will tell you I only use this in chili and other soups so I can't verify the taste on its own.

    ETA - don't eat meat at all now for a host of reasons.
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
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    You could try something like this:
    http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-eggplant-bacon-232874

    (I have not tried this but it sounds interesting!)
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    These are my favorites, in order and not counting things I make myself:

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  • Duane2013
    Duane2013 Posts: 35 Member
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    Y'all should try turkey bacon. Sprouts has a good brand. TJ's too. Just don't over cook, or over season it.

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