I am a meat eater, but I have gradually shifted to vegetarian food. However, the craving for meat is still there. I don't mind eating meat once in a while, but I want to limit it to that. I include fish and poultry in my diet once a week. No red meats at all. I use the soy chunks sometimes. Have you found any other substitutes for meat? Could you share your secrets here?
I've always found pizza or pasta to be the only thing that can take my mind off meat, and make me feel full. As far as the veggie patties and other meat substitutes go, I think the Boca brand "Chik'n" patties are the closest to the real thing that I've come across. The other brands, such as Morningstar are good in their own right, but they don't taste like meat to me. I like to try and dress them up a bit to make them a little more substantial, like put sauteed mushrooms on them and melt cheese over them, or cut them up and put then in a wrap with cheese, veggies, lettuce and dressing. I try to avoid soy because I get nervous about it affecting my hormone levels. On the go, I love Jimmy John's veggie sandwich, especially on their thick sliced multigrain bread. I'll eat that even when I'm not trying to cut back on meat.
I like using eggplant in lasagna and "chicken" parmesan. For direct substitutes, I have found a couple brands of fake "pepperoni" that's pretty good. Usually I don't like meat substitutes, though.
I quite like Quorn. There's a roasting joint that is just like chicken, and I've made a chilli with the mince that is every bit as tasty as a chilli made with ground beef. The Quorn fillets are pretty tasty as well, although I'm not keen on the sausages. It's not too expensive either. I could quite happily live on Quorn, actually.
I'm vegetarian and the fake meats I like are Boca burgers, bean burgers, portobello mushroom burgers and other types, though I'm not sure what they're called. Maybe Morning Star? Or maybe Boca burgers that are other flavors...anyway, there's parmesan cheese, fake chicken, mushroom and tomato basil. I love all fake meats, they're really good. I like tofu too. I've heard of quorn a lot, from people I know that live in the UK, but I have never had any. I'm not sure if it's sold here in the US?
Some of the Soya products out there are really nice, Tofu is lovely. I appreciate meat in moderation, beef being my personal favourite. If I had to choose between real meat and the substitute's out there, it would be the real thing. Quorn is a good alternative and some of the vegetarian cheese is really tasty. Holland and Barrett have wide range of good alternatives, including beans and pulses that have protein in them. We know that protein is an important building block when you are a vegetarian. Without the iron and other properties we would have trouble with iron in our blood. I'm afraid taking iron tablets is not a way of replacing the nutrients found in protein, and other substances. Stick to what suits you best.
Why do you want to limit meat and especially red meat? We are designed to eat meat and red meat is extremely nutrient dense. Meat replacements like soy are VERY bad for you. There are serious health problems associated with soy and 99% of it is GMO.
Are you giving up just meat or also animal products? If you grind up some mushrooms and cook them in beef fat or broth, they taste just like beef and have an undetectable texture. I usually mix my ground beef with mushrooms to cut down on my red meat intake, and I can't taste the difference.
I agree that too much soy is bad for you, although, like most things, it's probably fine in moderation. Too much meat is bad for you too. In moderation, and sourced from an ethical farm instead of grocery store meat that comes from factory farms, where they fill it with growth hormones and who knows what else, meat is probably fine. The problem is, most people don't eat meat in moderation, or source it. Many people eat meat with every meal when it probably should only be eaten a few times a month. And most people eat lots of bacon, sausages and other greasy meat that probably isn't even healthy. We're omnivores, not carnivores. We don't need meat at all, and certainly not so much of it. There's plenty of other sources of protein and iron; many veggies, nuts, beans and legumes are filled with protein and iron and are healthier than meat.
My fiancee and I have started to become vegetarians (we only eat meat on special occasions now). My lady has done extensive research on how to remain healthy when becoming a vegetarian and not become a Lindsay Lohan or a Calista Flockheart. Here are a couple of meat substitutes that have helped us still maintain the level of protein and iron we need: - Beans - Potatoes - Multigrain bread - Soy (for me it's chocolate soy) - Nuts Good luck!
Thank you for this little gem of a tip! Does this work with regular button mushrooms or portobello mushrooms only?
I don't know what area you are in, but at Publix they have a lot of meat substitutes. Depending on how long it has been since you have eaten meat will determine how "meat like" they taste.I recommend the tofurki though. It really tastes like turkey.
It´s always interesting to learn new ways in our daily diet. Many of our regular dishes can easily become vegan ingredient replacing meat in the recipe with vegetables, cereals, textured soy (thick or thin) or by tofu, seitan or several products already made from soybeans like burgers vegetables, meatballs, sausage, etc.. Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans etc. well as providing a good protein intake can be used in many dishes as meat substitutes. The most common cereals are rice, oats, wheat, rye, barley, quinoa, millet and maize and are infinite ways of cooking. Cereals are foods rich in nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and fats) and form the basis of vegan food. You can see that there are lots of variants and all are very tasty. You have to choose the one that best suits your personal taste. Experimenting in the kitchen is always a good option.
I like some kinds of tofu. I prefer the soft kind in things like smoothies, but you wouldn't normally have meat in a smoothie, so I can't count that as a substitute, hehe. I do like firm tofu in stirfry, but again, I'm likely to have it in there at the same time as meat, too....not in place of it.
This discussion is fasinating, but I need meat. I quickly become ill when my intake of meat drops below a specific threshold. My ideal diet is 1/3 protein, 1/3 carbs, 1/3 "fats" - so breakfast is bacon, toast with grits, and a cheesy omelet. Lunch might be a lamb with roast potatoes and a delightful pudding. So on and so forth - I just need to keep it balanced and make sure I have my meat.
Mushrooms As Meat Replacement Hi Maddie. I used to love eating meat when I was a kid. However, as I get older I got sick and tired of meat and I started to eat more vegetables. I am aware though that meat is one of the best sources of iron and protein. I have learned that mushroom are great alternative for meat on our diet. I love specifically the big flat field mushrooms. I grill them like meat. I even marinate them in barbecue sauce in the same way I do with meat before I grill them. I also bake them with chopped tomatoes, garlic, oregano, feta cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
Hi Sandra. I have never heard of quorn before. Now that I am curious, I will try to find it here in Sydney. I wonder if I can find it here. Thanks for the idea.
Meat contains a high amount of protein, so go for other foods that do the same. Foods such as nuts, beans, cheese, yoghurt, chickpeas, tofu, and legumes all carry a decent amount of protein. If you're going for a snack, try nuts and some good quality cheese. Cheese will keep you feeling fuller for longer, and some types of nuts (such as walnuts) contain trytophone, which converts serotonin to the brain (a feel good" hormone). It's both healthy and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Hope that helps
Take a look at>Log In<for some options. Personally, I useLog In andLog In as both brands have got great meat options that are quite close to the original in taste and texture.
