Fake vegetarian meat vs protein shakes.

2

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Ironically it perplexes me that people that want to just be vegan/vegetarians always seem to want some fake "meat". And isn't that what they are trying not to promote eating? Doesn't just the name "meat" conflict?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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    I didn't go vegetarian because I don't like the taste or texture of meat. I went vegetarian because I made an ethical decision not to eat dead animals. Eating meat substitutes doesn't promote eating animals.
    Ah, but it could. Let a meat eater eat it. Bet they stick to promoting real meat.
    BTW what about lab grown meat?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    skymningen wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    They are called phytoestrogens. So far there is no conclusive proof that ingesting them changes a humans estrogen levels enough to have any effect.
    Avoiding it would mean that you also have to avoid a large number of other common foods like rice and oats, your morning coffee, carrots or apples.

    Never heard of men growing boobs from eating too much rice though. And many many populations rely on rice as primary foods.
  • cfredz
    cfredz Posts: 292 Member
    There is nothing wrong with fake meat. I eat veggie sausages for breakfast all the time, along with the beyond meat burger for dinner or whatever fake meat I feel like. I aint scared.
    and I do also drink protein shakes.
    I'll take whatever protein I can get.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
    Not all soy is the same... Also, many foods have soy in it, even non-vegetarian products! Soy protein isolate, is in many processed foods, for example. Organic Tofu or Edamame is not the same as Soy Dogs or other meat substitutes. Not all soy is bad!!

    http://www.alloy.com/well-being/soy-products-good-and-bad/
  • LaReinaDeCorazones
    LaReinaDeCorazones Posts: 274 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Ironically it perplexes me that people that want to just be vegan/vegetarians always seem to want some fake "meat". And isn't that what they are trying not to promote eating? Doesn't just the name "meat" conflict?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    I myself don't eat meat because it's dead animal flesh. But I cook meat for my family and serve it, I think it can smell delicious, and sometimes miss it. But knowing it's a dead animal I cannot eat it.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    I'm a lousy speller - you forgot rice. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants -soy , flax seed, lentils, various grains & red clover and others . The case against soy is that it is so prevalent - it has been sold to us as a superb , nutritious, protein source, and it seems to be in everything. Soy farming is a huge business - Soy is one of the most heavily sprayed crops - as of 2015 over 90 % was genetically modified, if that concerns you.
    - and of course we have the isoflavones that mimic estrogen in the body the phytoestrogens which can cause health problems.
    Soy has been sold to us as a Superfood and it is not - at best it is a poor protein source
    at worst it can cause us health problems. I do my best to avoid it. Eastcoast Jim
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    NinjaT4202 wrote: »
    The meats are soy based and contain quite a bit of sodium and fat.

    I don't think there's anything wrong with soy, and if you wanted to have less sodum and fat (or fat you did not add yourself) you could add in black soy beans, tofu, and tempeh.

    Also other beans and lentils, of course, and eggs.

    I don't think there's anything wrong with protein shakes, but I think I'd get bored quickly with two a day.
  • cfredz
    cfredz Posts: 292 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    I'm a lousy speller - you forgot rice. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants -soy , flax seed, lentils, various grains & red clover and others . The case against soy is that it is so prevalent - it has been sold to us as a superb , nutritious, protein source, and it seems to be in everything. Soy farming is a huge business - Soy is one of the most heavily sprayed crops - as of 2015 over 90 % was genetically modified, if that concerns you.
    - and of course we have the isoflavones that mimic estrogen in the body the phytoestrogens which can cause health problems.
    Soy has been sold to us as a Superfood and it is not - at best it is a poor protein source
    at worst it can cause us health problems. I do my best to avoid it. Eastcoast Jim

    What health problems has soy actually been proven to cause?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    I'm a lousy speller - you forgot rice. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants -soy , flax seed, lentils, various grains & red clover and others . The case against soy is that it is so prevalent - it has been sold to us as a superb , nutritious, protein source, and it seems to be in everything. Soy farming is a huge business - Soy is one of the most heavily sprayed crops - as of 2015 over 90 % was genetically modified, if that concerns you.
    - and of course we have the isoflavones that mimic estrogen in the body the phytoestrogens which can cause health problems.
    Soy has been sold to us as a Superfood and it is not - at best it is a poor protein source
    at worst it can cause us health problems. I do my best to avoid it. Eastcoast Jim

    My list wasn't meant to be exhaustive, but to point out how common they are in the diet of many people, including those who avoid soy. I'm unclear why they must be avoided when they occur in soy, but they're fine when they're in a cup of coffee or a bowl of lentil soup.

    Genetic modification doesn't concern me and if one has concerns, one can choose organic sources (the rules exclude GMO).

    I'm not sure what you mean by it being a poor protein source. Do you mean the protein found is soy is different than the protein found in other plants despite it being more abundant in soy than in many other plants? Or do you mean that you consider getting protein from plants to be a bad idea?
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
    I eat veggie chicken patties. Less fat and calories than fried chicken cutlets. I prefer veggie burgers to beef or turkey burgers for flavor and convenience. I eat real meat and faux meat. Protein shakes? Meh. I'd rather eat solid food.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    I'm a lousy speller - you forgot rice. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants -soy , flax seed, lentils, various grains & red clover and others . The case against soy is that it is so prevalent - it has been sold to us as a superb , nutritious, protein source, and it seems to be in everything. Soy farming is a huge business - Soy is one of the most heavily sprayed crops - as of 2015 over 90 % was genetically modified, if that concerns you.
    - and of course we have the isoflavones that mimic estrogen in the body the phytoestrogens which can cause health problems.
    Soy has been sold to us as a Superfood and it is not - at best it is a poor protein source
    at worst it can cause us health problems. I do my best to avoid it. Eastcoast Jim



    Genetic modification doesn't concern me and if one has concerns, one can choose organic sources (the rules exclude GMO).
    OK your choice

    I'm not sure what you mean by it being a poor protein source. Do you mean the protein found is soy is different than the protein found in other plants despite it being more abundant in soy than in many other plants? Or do you mean that you consider getting protein from plants to be a bad idea?

    Although Soy contains all the essential amino acids and is technically a complete protein, lysine, methionine are in very small quantities - Lysine is important for protein synthesis.

    My list wasn't meant to be exhaustive, but to point out how common they are in the diet of many people, including those who avoid soy. I'm unclear why they must be avoided when they occur in soy, but they're fine when they're in a cup of coffee or a bowl of lentil soup.

    Good question - I'm going to guess on this one. It may have to do the amount present, of how much get into my coffee cup or lentils - I've never heard a concern on that. We do get a lot of hidden soy in the prepared packaged food. Eastcoast Jim
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Too much wheat makes me bloated, fatigued, with throbbing joints; so I personally tend to avoid fake meat (a lot of times much of the protein in them comes from wheat gluten) - and I'm also not a vegetarian, so no reason for me to avoid actual meat. Most of my protein comes from lowfat dairy though rather than meat (lower fat content than most affordable meat cuts means it's easier to fit into calorie allowance) - so getting adequate protein as a vegetarian (but not a vegan) shouldn't be too hard.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    cfredz wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    I'm a lousy speller - you forgot rice. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants -soy , flax seed, lentils, various grains & red clover and others . The case against soy is that it is so prevalent - it has been sold to us as a superb , nutritious, protein source, and it seems to be in everything. Soy farming is a huge business - Soy is one of the most heavily sprayed crops - as of 2015 over 90 % was genetically modified, if that concerns you.
    - and of course we have the isoflavones that mimic estrogen in the body the phytoestrogens which can cause health problems.
    Soy has been sold to us as a Superfood and it is not - at best it is a poor protein source
    at worst it can cause us health problems. I do my best to avoid it. Eastcoast Jim

    What health problems has soy actually been proven to cause?

    I have not been able to find any peer reviewed studies to support either side of the argument with out paying for it at a medical publication site - Here are a couple articles that support my argument. In the interest of fairness there are also articles that say soy is great & harmless.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/soy-health_b_1822466.html
    https://paleoleap.com/dangers-soy/

    Keep in mind that there is a massive food/ farming industry that relies on soy production, there is enough argument for the down side of eating soy that I will pass on eating any. Eastcoast Jim
  • Skipjack66
    Skipjack66 Posts: 102 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Ironically it perplexes me that people that want to just be vegan/vegetarians always seem to want some fake "meat". And isn't that what they are trying not to promote eating? Doesn't just the name "meat" conflict?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    I went vegan for ethical reasons, not because I didn't like the taste of meat. Would it be easier for you to understand if we just came up with an entirely new name for it?

    It's like plant milk, the name is just a way to conveniently signify the item that it is replacing.

    Haha! Like vegan cheese is also called "Gary!"
  • kellyjellybellyjelly
    kellyjellybellyjelly Posts: 9,480 Member
    I am someone that can't process red meats (without a lot of gas/bloating/overall discomfort)

    Which fake beef products does everyone like? I am not a huge fan of turkey burger.
  • missh1967
    missh1967 Posts: 661 Member
    MorningStar Spicy Black Bean veggie burgers are de-licious!!!
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    cfredz wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    I'm a lousy speller - you forgot rice. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants -soy , flax seed, lentils, various grains & red clover and others . The case against soy is that it is so prevalent - it has been sold to us as a superb , nutritious, protein source, and it seems to be in everything. Soy farming is a huge business - Soy is one of the most heavily sprayed crops - as of 2015 over 90 % was genetically modified, if that concerns you.
    - and of course we have the isoflavones that mimic estrogen in the body the phytoestrogens which can cause health problems.
    Soy has been sold to us as a Superfood and it is not - at best it is a poor protein source
    at worst it can cause us health problems. I do my best to avoid it. Eastcoast Jim

    What health problems has soy actually been proven to cause?

    https://jasbsci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2049-1891-3-31

    "In conclusion, our study showed that dietary supplementation with lower amounts of soy isoflavones (250 ppm) markedly increased the testis index, as well as fructose, α-glycosidase, viable germ cells and Bcl-2 protein levels in testicular tissue. However, higher amounts of isoflavones (500 ppm) significantly reduced testis and epididymis indexes, lactate dehydrogenase, serum LH and testosterone levels, and increased malondialdehyde contents, testicular Bax protein content as well as the numbers of early and late apoptotic germ cells in the testis in male Chinese mini-pig boars. Overall, our results suggest that consumption of lower amounts of soy isoflavones (up to 250 ppm) have no adverse effects on reproductive parameters, whereas higher amounts (500 ppm) of soy isoflavones may negatively affect male reproductive function."
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    edited August 2017
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    isoflavones are a class of phytoestrogens which are mainly found in soy and red clover. hence, also called soy isoflavones. the compounds found in grains are called lignans, which is a different class of phytoestrogens.

    https://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/99-02/pdf/nr_ch5.pdf
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    I avoid fake meats because most contain MSG, which stimulates appetite. There are various ingredients in fake meats that contain MSG, but these individual ingredients don't have a high enough percentage to require that the label actually list MSG. When 5 or 6 of these ingredients are used, the product ends up having quite a bit of MSG. If this is a concern for you, google "Code names for MSG." Look for anything hydrolyzed or autolyzed, glutamic or glutamate, yeast extract, anything textured or isolate, or even "seasonings."
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited August 2017
    MSG and like derivatives such as autolyzed yeast give me severe headaches. Just about any "fake meat" has this effect due to it's need for high flavor.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    ecjim wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    I'm a lousy speller - you forgot rice. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants -soy , flax seed, lentils, various grains & red clover and others . The case against soy is that it is so prevalent - it has been sold to us as a superb , nutritious, protein source, and it seems to be in everything. Soy farming is a huge business - Soy is one of the most heavily sprayed crops - as of 2015 over 90 % was genetically modified, if that concerns you.
    - and of course we have the isoflavones that mimic estrogen in the body the phytoestrogens which can cause health problems.
    Soy has been sold to us as a Superfood and it is not - at best it is a poor protein source
    at worst it can cause us health problems. I do my best to avoid it. Eastcoast Jim



    Genetic modification doesn't concern me and if one has concerns, one can choose organic sources (the rules exclude GMO).
    OK your choice

    I'm not sure what you mean by it being a poor protein source. Do you mean the protein found is soy is different than the protein found in other plants despite it being more abundant in soy than in many other plants? Or do you mean that you consider getting protein from plants to be a bad idea?

    Although Soy contains all the essential amino acids and is technically a complete protein, lysine, methionine are in very small quantities - Lysine is important for protein synthesis.

    My list wasn't meant to be exhaustive, but to point out how common they are in the diet of many people, including those who avoid soy. I'm unclear why they must be avoided when they occur in soy, but they're fine when they're in a cup of coffee or a bowl of lentil soup.

    Good question - I'm going to guess on this one. It may have to do the amount present, of how much get into my coffee cup or lentils - I've never heard a concern on that. We do get a lot of hidden soy in the prepared packaged food. Eastcoast Jim

    Yes, but there are multiple plant sources of lysine than those eating soy can eat as well. Eating foods that are complete protein sources aren't necessary to meet one's protein needs, it's the overall context of the diet that matters.

    If someone recommended that I avoid soy totally due to the presence of phytoestrogens, but that it was okay to consume them in other contexts, I question that. If they're fine to consume in coffee, rice, mint, and beans, that means you are assuming there is a safe level to consume. So why avoid soy completely?

    When you say "hidden" soy, I'm not sure what you mean. I'm in the US, where food has ingredients listed and I can see what is in it.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    isoflavones are a class of phytoestrogens which are mainly found in soy and red clover. hence, also called soy isoflavones. the compounds found in grains are called lignans, which is a different class of phytoestrogens.

    https://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/99-02/pdf/nr_ch5.pdf

    So your argument is that lignans are non-harmful and isoflavones are harmful? What is this based on?
  • cfredz
    cfredz Posts: 292 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    cfredz wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    ecjim wrote: »
    Soy does contain photo estrogens , and can affect your hormones - I personally avoid it - it is in many of the processed foods we buy and eat.
    The fact that Asians have eaten it for years is a poor argment - soy is still a poor protein - It is however, a plentiful , widely grown, inexpensive source of protein.
    If I were a vegetarian I would rely onother sources of protein. - Eastcoast Jim

    The term is actually "phytoestrogens," not "photo."

    In addition to soy, they're also found in wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, oats, bourbon, beer, fennel, coffee, and mint.

    I'm a lousy speller - you forgot rice. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants -soy , flax seed, lentils, various grains & red clover and others . The case against soy is that it is so prevalent - it has been sold to us as a superb , nutritious, protein source, and it seems to be in everything. Soy farming is a huge business - Soy is one of the most heavily sprayed crops - as of 2015 over 90 % was genetically modified, if that concerns you.
    - and of course we have the isoflavones that mimic estrogen in the body the phytoestrogens which can cause health problems.
    Soy has been sold to us as a Superfood and it is not - at best it is a poor protein source
    at worst it can cause us health problems. I do my best to avoid it. Eastcoast Jim

    What health problems has soy actually been proven to cause?

    https://jasbsci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2049-1891-3-31

    "In conclusion, our study showed that dietary supplementation with lower amounts of soy isoflavones (250 ppm) markedly increased the testis index, as well as fructose, α-glycosidase, viable germ cells and Bcl-2 protein levels in testicular tissue. However, higher amounts of isoflavones (500 ppm) significantly reduced testis and epididymis indexes, lactate dehydrogenase, serum LH and testosterone levels, and increased malondialdehyde contents, testicular Bax protein content as well as the numbers of early and late apoptotic germ cells in the testis in male Chinese mini-pig boars. Overall, our results suggest that consumption of lower amounts of soy isoflavones (up to 250 ppm) have no adverse effects on reproductive parameters, whereas higher amounts (500 ppm) of soy isoflavones may negatively affect male reproductive function."

    TL DR
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Personally, I think a more diverse diet is usually a better diet. Have a shake in the AM and a black bean burger at noon or something like that.
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