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

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
    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
    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
    I like sweet earth veggie bacon. It's still chewy and crunchy.
  • kshatriyo
    kshatriyo Posts: 134 Member
    mmmm. Bacon.
  • withoutasaddle
    withoutasaddle Posts: 191 Member
    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
    I'll buy Hormel's natural bacon w/out nitrates.
  • roamingtiger
    roamingtiger Posts: 747 Member
    None of it. It's just processed food with a bunch of sodium.
  • kshatriyo
    kshatriyo Posts: 134 Member
    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
    Just look for uncured bacon. I could never tell the difference.
  • mullaneywt
    mullaneywt Posts: 28 Member
    Actual bacon
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited October 2016
    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
    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
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  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    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
    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: 28,052 Member
    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
    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
    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: 3,643 Member
    These are my favorites, in order and not counting things I make myself:

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  • Duane2013
    Duane2013 Posts: 35 Member
    Y'all should try turkey bacon. Sprouts has a good brand. TJ's too. Just don't over cook, or over season it.
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
    I buy sliced pork side meat from a local farm and salt/season it in the pan when I'm cooking it. That way, there's no nitrates, and it's not so salty that I feel the need to chug a gallon of water after eating it.

    When that's not avaliable, I buy Applegate's bacon, or the one from Aldi's uncured/no antibiotics line.
  • kshatriyo
    kshatriyo Posts: 134 Member
    This thread is one for my permanents, all so many great ideas. I just want to point out that I am not sure, but I believe naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites in uncured bacon is just as carcinogenic, no? They are essentially the same thing to your body, are they not? I am confused about it, but I don't give my kids much of anything with nitrates/nitrites and only indulge when I can't stand it anymore.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Applegate Farms.
    Also, I think Aldi carries a brand with no nitrates.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    kshatriyo wrote: »
    This thread is one for my permanents, all so many great ideas. I just want to point out that I am not sure, but I believe naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites in uncured bacon is just as carcinogenic, no? They are essentially the same thing to your body, are they not? I am confused about it, but I don't give my kids much of anything with nitrates/nitrites and only indulge when I can't stand it anymore.

    The carcinogenic effect of bacon has been very much overstated by the media. Eating bacon every day will raise your risk from about 5% to 6%.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    kshatriyo wrote: »
    This thread is one for my permanents, all so many great ideas. I just want to point out that I am not sure, but I believe naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites in uncured bacon is just as carcinogenic, no? They are essentially the same thing to your body, are they not? I am confused about it, but I don't give my kids much of anything with nitrates/nitrites and only indulge when I can't stand it anymore.

    The carcinogenic effect of bacon has been very much overstated by the media. Eating bacon every day will raise your risk from about 5% to 6%.

    I know it's a real risk in childhood leukemia. I wonder if pork belly is uncured? That'd be a good choice for those that eat animals.id live to do an alternate product, but soy is a real issue for me.
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    kshatriyo wrote: »
    This thread is one for my permanents, all so many great ideas. I just want to point out that I am not sure, but I believe naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites in uncured bacon is just as carcinogenic, no? They are essentially the same thing to your body, are they not? I am confused about it, but I don't give my kids much of anything with nitrates/nitrites and only indulge when I can't stand it anymore.

    The carcinogenic effect of bacon has been very much overstated by the media. Eating bacon every day will raise your risk from about 5% to 6%.

    I know it's a real risk in childhood leukemia. I wonder if pork belly is uncured? That'd be a good choice for those that eat animals.id live to do an alternate product, but soy is a real issue for me.

    Are you allergic to soy?

  • kshatriyo
    kshatriyo Posts: 134 Member
    Singingflutelady, if you have a link that would be great.
    Elise, I don't know if pork belly is usually cured, but I know Arby's has this pork belly sandwich that tastes like something the devil invented. I have yet to find out if it's keto friendly so I'm avoiding for now:-)
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    My dream is to find a vegetarian bacon that's gluten free. I live in hope.
  • guinevere96
    guinevere96 Posts: 1,445 Member
    robininfl wrote: »
    I like the morningstar farms best, by far.

    I second this, out of all vegetarian meats I find that I like Morningstar far more than others in general.