Quorn - Overprocessed rubbish or does it have a place?

graelwyn
graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
edited December 17 in Food and Nutrition
I used to have quorn a few times a week, usually the sausages or the escalopes, and stopped when I heard some negative feedback about it from my brother. I am wondering, is it really THAT bad to eat ? Or is it okay once or twice a week?
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Replies

  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    If you aren't vegetarian, there's really no reason. All fake meat products are made of a compilation of other ingredients that are then processed and have salt and other flavors added to make them taste meatier. They are typically pretty high in sodium because of this.

    So, if you eat meat, you could likely make a turkey, extra lean beef or extra lean pork sausage that is the same weight/size for around the same calories, be able to season it to your own tastes, and not have all the extra processed stuff. I make my own casing-less sausages all the time for the hubby and I. It's just like making a hamburger patty, except you make a roll instead of a patty.

    And if you are vegetarian, you could probably still find some good recipes for things like black bean burgers, veggie burgers, even grain based substitutes, that you could just roll rather than flatten and make your own vegetarian sausages. Just make up a big batch of 'em and throw them in the freezer in portions.

    And an escalope is pretty much just pounded meat, so a piece of lean meat and a tenderizer will take care of that. :D (or a vegetarian mix smushed out super thin)
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I used to have quorn a few times a week, usually the sausages or the escalopes, and stopped when I heard some negative feedback about it from my brother. I am wondering, is it really THAT bad to eat ? Or is it okay once or twice a week?

    There was a rumour, a while ago, that frequent consumption was linked to various stomach complaints. If you do a bit of research, you'll discover these rumours were entirely unfounded.

    If you like it eat it.
  • mischa_12
    mischa_12 Posts: 126 Member
    aw i love quorn! i was so excited to find this being a vegetarian. its probably not that great for you, maybe even the same calories as real processed meat but it's good when youre craving that kind of food sometimes.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Oh, and quorn is pretty low in salt.
  • dreanance
    dreanance Posts: 246
    I love the fake meats but try really hard to stay away from all of the soy based ones. We do still eat them, but only a few times a month. I try to stick to tofu, tempeh, beans and seitan as my main "meat" substitutes.
  • Uisgich
    Uisgich Posts: 7 Member
    I love Quorn! It's low fat, not bad on the calories, and very versatile. As a vegetarian for over 25 years, it helps me keep a decent proportion of protein in my diet. I like tofu too, but using them both helps me maintain a nicely varied diet :)
  • InnerFatGirl
    InnerFatGirl Posts: 2,687 Member
    Me and my boyfriend (both veggies) eat it when we want a meat-like substance with our meals. But I survive without it most of the time :)
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I love Quorn! It's low fat, not bad on the calories, and very versatile. As a vegetarian for over 25 years, it helps me keep a decent proportion of protein in my diet. I like tofu too, but using them both helps me maintain a nicely varied diet :)

    Me too.
    I think if you use this, beans and lentils, nuts, quinoa, etc it's hard to go wrong in having a healhty, protein rich vegetarian diet.
  • sweetlola13
    sweetlola13 Posts: 18
    I'm sure once or twice a week is fine! I think it gets a bad rap because some people use it in place of whole, non processed foods ALL of the time. Keep a mix, and you'll be fine.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Hope this helps.

    "Q. I eat lots of Quorn. Is this a healthy food?

    A. There have been a number of newspaper articles about the risk of developing allergies as a result of eating Quorn. The Food Standards Agency, however, after looking at all the available evidence, believes Quorn is safe. The truth is, many foods can cause allergic reactions, particularly cow’s milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and peanuts. Compared to the numbers who suffer allergies from these foods, Quorn would seem to be very low risk.

    No one food should dominate your diet so if you do eat a lot of Quorn, try to include other sources of plant protein such as grains, nuts, seeds, pulses and beans."

    http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/nutrition/faqs.html
  • plantgrrl
    plantgrrl Posts: 436 Member
    I don't believe Quorn is necessarily that bad. It can be pretty tasty. Quorn is made with Mycoproteins--a/k/a proteins extracted from mushrooms and fungus. Quorn got bad press for a little while because well...not everyone's bodies process mushrooms well and in a small portion of the population it can cause diarrhea. That being said, if you've had it before and it works for you. I don't see why that would be a problem, as this allergy only comes into play for about 1:140000.

    Enjoy!
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    Thanks for the replies, peoples.
    I think I shall stick to having it occasionally, and also experiment making my own burgers and sausages from other things (though I must admit, I am not much of a cook really, and only do well with simple recipes)

    Also, I am not a meat eater. I am a pescetarian, but I like to have variety. Sometimes, I fancy sausages with potatoes and vegetables, and the like. Not often, but just sometimes, after a run of fish, beans and cottage cheese. Beans/lentils tend to disagree with me anyway, and bloat me up horribly.
  • lipglossjunky73
    lipglossjunky73 Posts: 497 Member
    Quorn is actually made from a fungus. They are soy free. I am not a fan but hubby loves them!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    Quorn is actually made from a fungus. They are soy free. I am not a fan but hubby loves them!

    That's funny! I love them and hubby hates them!
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Quorn is actually made from a fungus. They are soy free. I am not a fan but hubby loves them!

    why do people always say that like it's horrifying? i presume you don't eat mushrooms either?

    fungus = good.
  • bunnygirl1978
    bunnygirl1978 Posts: 32 Member
    I am not a veggie but I do eat quorn, for one its cheaper and 2ndly the protein content is huge, calories are low, iots quick and simple to cook with. It has always had a place in my fridge along side normal meat and always will do.
  • 1a1a
    1a1a Posts: 761 Member
    QUORN IS AMAZING (on again off again vegetarian who hasn't tasted a good meat substitute since Sanitarium stopped making BBQ links).

    Taste the chicken-esque quorn, that's where it's greatest strength is. Also, I think sometime in the future when no one can afford to kill animals to live anymore, we'll all be subsisting on some kind of mycoprotein so good or bad, one day it'll be all we have.
  • LottieLou13
    LottieLou13 Posts: 574 Member
    I eat Quorn just about every day and have done for the last....12 years? I've been vege for the last 20 (since I was 10 years old) I was so so happy when Quorn came out here in the UK because it gave and still gives a variety to my food.

    Its low in fat, and salt (I have to have a low salt diet) and high in protein. Go for it and nom away :smile:
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
    Well it makes a change from soya based fake meats.
    I like it, I like a lot of their fake stuff, the fishless fingers are amazing, and I love having their escalopes with a salad. I don't consciously just have quorn as there are so many different vegetarian products these days. I became a vegetarian 12 years ago and not only have the products improved but their are so many different options. I wouldn't say using their products is unhealthy, it's better than the meat versions and it's good for the protein.
  • nichi123
    nichi123 Posts: 244
    I love quorn!! I still eat meat but because it has fewer calories than normal sausages and burgers etc. I still feel like I can have sausages!! It tastes pretty good too. I can't really see how it can be that bad for you :)
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I love quorn!! I still eat meat but because it has fewer calories than normal sausages and burgers etc. I still feel like I can have sausages!! It tastes pretty good too. I can't really see how it can be that bad for you :)

    It isn't. The scare stories were starting in the late nineties, and were found to be entirely baseless. There's never been any actual evidence offered to support the view that it's anything other than harmless. The 'scary quorn' stuff you still find out there on the web are all based on anecdotes of people who had pretty standard food intolerances.

    It irritates me when these kinds of stories emerge. Such stories put people off using a perfectly healthy vegetarian option. (I think they actually have their origins in the meat industry, truth be told. Quorn was just a bit *too* successful in the wake of the mad cow scandal.)
  • Still_Madcat
    Still_Madcat Posts: 6
    http://cspinet.org/new/201112011.html

    This is the reason I stopped, just putting it out there but man did I love it!:frown:
  • fuzzyslipperz
    fuzzyslipperz Posts: 49 Member
    I love quorn. Have had it several times a week for years now and have never had any sort of problem. To me, it's SO much better tasting and more realistic than the soy 'chicken'.
  • schwim
    schwim Posts: 65
    i'm pescatarian and i eat quorn just to get some variety in my diet. i love the sausages and chicken fillets. i haven't had meat in 20 years so to me i can't really tell the difference. its low in salt and calories and gives me the ease of making conventional meals instead of having to adapt recipes to be too vegetarian.
  • minnielovesmickey
    minnielovesmickey Posts: 84 Member
    Hi there,
    I never knew that Quorn had a bad rep.
    As long as you're not gluten intolerant then Quorn is a good source of protein. Nobody is veggie in my family but everyones favourite meal is Quorn chicken pesto Linguine, Mmmmm!
  • jj3120
    jj3120 Posts: 358
    I like quorn, I'd stopped using as i've been trying to use as few processed foods as i can, so use more beans & lentils - but have gone back to using it again now to help with my protein. I try to stick with the mince or chunks to use in homemade recipes.
  • reach53
    reach53 Posts: 46 Member
    Personally, I think all overly processed food should be consumed in moderation. But you should always listen to your body, and if it feels right for you, go ahead and eat it.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    About 10 yrs ago I used to eat Quorn all the time as it can be cooked from frozen and was a handy alternative to chicken or mince. My Ex back then was a very fussy eater who only ate chicken or turkey meat. It was very limiting.

    I don't use it now because my current husband is an omnivore and we enjoy all kinds of meat, fish & veg in our diet.

    I've certainly never heard anything bad about Quorn and truly believe that most of the scary stories about certain foods are just that - stories!
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    http://cspinet.org/new/201112011.html

    This is the reason I stopped, just putting it out there but man did I love it!:frown:

    did you read all the things id already said about this nonsense, though?
  • Stuartm1
    Stuartm1 Posts: 101 Member
    Nothing wrong with it I'm an omnivore but I still eat Quorn with Spag Bol or lasagne and I think it tastes good.
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