Meat-Free Fridays: A Medley of Meatless "Meats"
By: Stepfanie Romine,
SparkPeople Blogger
4/10/2009 6:20 PM
: 122 comments
Each Friday during Lent, the dailySpark will feature a different meat-free main dish. Whether you observe Lent or not, we can all benefit from learning about alternate, affordable proteins. This is the final blog in the Meat-Free Friday series. View the rest of the series here.
They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the adage applies to food. When you know you can't or shouldn't have a food, do you crave it all that much more? Since Lent started, have you had any Friday cravings for meat?
Sure, I've offered plenty of meat-free alternatives, but what are you to do when a craving for a hot dog, chicken nuggets or a turkey sandwich hits? Must you hold off until Saturday?
Nope. You can indulge your cravings for all your favorites--pepperoni pizza, BLTs and even sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches--even when you're on a meatless diet.
Welcome to the wonderful world of… meat analogs.
Take a stroll through the frozen food section of any grocery store these days, and you'll find the meatless meats. Chicken nuggets, chicken patties, ribs, burgers, sausage, bacon, ground meat, hot dogs, even turkey have been made meatless.
These meatless meats are not just limited to vegetarians and those who give up meat for Lent. If you keep kosher and crave a cheeseburger or are on a low-cholesterol diet but want an Italian sausage, they could also fill a niche in your meal plan.
I like to think of meat substitutes as "gateway" foods for new vegetarians and those who want to enjoy a meat-free meal. They help you adapt foods you know and love for a meat-free meal, day, or lifestyle.
How are these meat substitutes made?
Meat substitutes can be made from a variety of foods, the most common being soy/TVP and seitan, which is wheat gluten.
Veggie burgers: These are usually made from various processed soy products, mushrooms, vegetables, beans and seitan. There are plenty of different brands to choose from, including Morningstar Farms, Boca, Amy's and Gardenburger. Beyond just a beef substitute, check out interesting flavors like spicy black bean (great in Mexican and southwest dishes), Asian vegetable (try them in stir-fries), veggie-medley (get a serving of vegetables on a bun) or tomato and cheese (fabulous on top of pasta).
Quorn: Quorn is the most popular brand of mycoprotein foods. Marketed as being made from mushrooms, Quorn is made from an edible, processed fungus that is bound with egg whites. Quorn is especially popular in the UK, and its products are convincingly meatlike. I've had their chicken cutlets in the UK, and I was thoroughly surprised by how much it looked and tasted like meat! Quorn also makes chicken nuggets and patties, turkey roasts, meatballs and mince (ground meat, as we call it in the States).
Yuba: This is one you can't knock until you try. Yuba is… wait for it… the skin that forms on the top of soymilk. It's also called dried beancurd. It's actually quite tasty. Yuba can be used to recreate chicken and other poultry. It's not bad!
Do they taste like meat?
Well… no… yes…maybe…
"It depends" is the best answer I can give you.
Is a veggie burger going to taste like beef? Nope. But after you pile on the low-fat cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard and low-fat mayo, will you really miss the beef? I sure don't.
Funny meatless meat story No. 1: After college, I moved in with my dad and stepmom for a couple of months. My stepmom bought me a box of Boca burgers. One night my dad worked late and opened the freezer in search of a quick dinner. He saw "burger" on the box, popped one in the microwave, and plopped it on a bun with onions and mustard. The next night at dinner, he remarked to my stepmother, "Those burgers were a little dry. Were they on sale or something? I'd much rather have a regular burger."
She laughed. "I didn't buy any burgers," she said.
"Yes, you did," he replied. "They're on the door--Boca something."
She laughed again. "Those are Stepf's veggie burgers. They're not beef."
"Oh. I wondered why you had bought such a cheap, dry cut."
My father, a real meat and potatoes kind of guy, thought the Boca burger was beef--just not good beef! (He still eats them and says he liked them better once he learned they weren't beef.)
Chicken-less nuggets don't taste like chicken, but do chicken nuggets really taste like chicken? Not really.
Would an Italian soy-sage be mistaken for real Italian sausage? Yes. If you're my dad. (A few weeks later, the same scenario happened, only with Italian soy-sage. He's a fan of those now, too.)
Vegetarian hot dogs taste remarkably similar to regular hot dogs. They have the snap of a good hot dog, and you don't have to shudder to think about what's in them (various soy products and wheat gluten, plus spices, in case you were wondering).
There are also vegetarian cold cuts, chorizo, and pepperoni (surprisingly tasty)!
As far as meat-free eating goes, I would prefer "whole" unprocessed foods in most cases. These products are good for satisfying the occasional cravings. How about you? Would you or have you tried "meatless meat"? Would you?
And, while we're on the subject: What's your favorite veggie burger? Do you buy them or make them? Which brand is best?
They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the adage applies to food. When you know you can't or shouldn't have a food, do you crave it all that much more? Since Lent started, have you had any Friday cravings for meat?
Sure, I've offered plenty of meat-free alternatives, but what are you to do when a craving for a hot dog, chicken nuggets or a turkey sandwich hits? Must you hold off until Saturday?
Nope. You can indulge your cravings for all your favorites--pepperoni pizza, BLTs and even sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches--even when you're on a meatless diet.
Welcome to the wonderful world of… meat analogs.
Take a stroll through the frozen food section of any grocery store these days, and you'll find the meatless meats. Chicken nuggets, chicken patties, ribs, burgers, sausage, bacon, ground meat, hot dogs, even turkey have been made meatless.
These meatless meats are not just limited to vegetarians and those who give up meat for Lent. If you keep kosher and crave a cheeseburger or are on a low-cholesterol diet but want an Italian sausage, they could also fill a niche in your meal plan.
I like to think of meat substitutes as "gateway" foods for new vegetarians and those who want to enjoy a meat-free meal. They help you adapt foods you know and love for a meat-free meal, day, or lifestyle.
How are these meat substitutes made?
Meat substitutes can be made from a variety of foods, the most common being soy/TVP and seitan, which is wheat gluten.
Veggie burgers: These are usually made from various processed soy products, mushrooms, vegetables, beans and seitan. There are plenty of different brands to choose from, including Morningstar Farms, Boca, Amy's and Gardenburger. Beyond just a beef substitute, check out interesting flavors like spicy black bean (great in Mexican and southwest dishes), Asian vegetable (try them in stir-fries), veggie-medley (get a serving of vegetables on a bun) or tomato and cheese (fabulous on top of pasta).
Quorn: Quorn is the most popular brand of mycoprotein foods. Marketed as being made from mushrooms, Quorn is made from an edible, processed fungus that is bound with egg whites. Quorn is especially popular in the UK, and its products are convincingly meatlike. I've had their chicken cutlets in the UK, and I was thoroughly surprised by how much it looked and tasted like meat! Quorn also makes chicken nuggets and patties, turkey roasts, meatballs and mince (ground meat, as we call it in the States).
Yuba: This is one you can't knock until you try. Yuba is… wait for it… the skin that forms on the top of soymilk. It's also called dried beancurd. It's actually quite tasty. Yuba can be used to recreate chicken and other poultry. It's not bad!
Do they taste like meat?
Well… no… yes…maybe…
"It depends" is the best answer I can give you.
Is a veggie burger going to taste like beef? Nope. But after you pile on the low-fat cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard and low-fat mayo, will you really miss the beef? I sure don't.
Funny meatless meat story No. 1: After college, I moved in with my dad and stepmom for a couple of months. My stepmom bought me a box of Boca burgers. One night my dad worked late and opened the freezer in search of a quick dinner. He saw "burger" on the box, popped one in the microwave, and plopped it on a bun with onions and mustard. The next night at dinner, he remarked to my stepmother, "Those burgers were a little dry. Were they on sale or something? I'd much rather have a regular burger."
She laughed. "I didn't buy any burgers," she said.
"Yes, you did," he replied. "They're on the door--Boca something."
She laughed again. "Those are Stepf's veggie burgers. They're not beef."
"Oh. I wondered why you had bought such a cheap, dry cut."
My father, a real meat and potatoes kind of guy, thought the Boca burger was beef--just not good beef! (He still eats them and says he liked them better once he learned they weren't beef.)
Chicken-less nuggets don't taste like chicken, but do chicken nuggets really taste like chicken? Not really.
Would an Italian soy-sage be mistaken for real Italian sausage? Yes. If you're my dad. (A few weeks later, the same scenario happened, only with Italian soy-sage. He's a fan of those now, too.)
Vegetarian hot dogs taste remarkably similar to regular hot dogs. They have the snap of a good hot dog, and you don't have to shudder to think about what's in them (various soy products and wheat gluten, plus spices, in case you were wondering).
There are also vegetarian cold cuts, chorizo, and pepperoni (surprisingly tasty)!
As far as meat-free eating goes, I would prefer "whole" unprocessed foods in most cases. These products are good for satisfying the occasional cravings. How about you? Would you or have you tried "meatless meat"? Would you?
And, while we're on the subject: What's your favorite veggie burger? Do you buy them or make them? Which brand is best?
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Comments
My husband likes the 'grillers original' also because those have more of a grilled burger taste. When I eat the 'grillers' on a bun with ketchup, mustard, and grilled onion, it tastes just like a burger to me. - 8/23/2012 9:00:27 AM
There are so many wonderful non meat product and so many dissapointing mock meat dishes. I do eat meat and always will but I also enjoy meatless dishes and days. - 10/1/2009 9:04:05 PM
veggie burgers. My mom ate one and actually liked it!
She made the remark about her glucose level being lower
when she came to my house last year. Morning Star Farms
beats McDonalds any day! - 9/9/2009 5:54:28 PM
It always drives me crazy when folks get snotty about vegans eating meat analogs. They aren't dead animals. That's pretty much all I care about. Oh, and I won't buy Boca due to them being owned by Phillip Morris. Not giving them a cent, if I can help it.
I prefer Amy's burgers, as they are full of veggies, whole grains and not all processed soy like the Boca brand, anyway. Field Roast and Tofurkey are also great. I really like my premade proteins to be more wheat gluten based than processed soy based, usually.
Also, for those saying "ew, fakeeeee" I saw, "ewwww, rotting dead carcass!" And I'll bet 9 out of 10 of you eat nitrated meat on a regular basis, eat mostly factory farmed stuff FULL of fake chemicals, pesticides and worse. A little processed veg meat is still WAY more healthy than 99% of the meat on the market. Unless you're buying all organic, grass fed and natural meat (preferably farmer direct or via a place like Whole Foods) I'd watch what you say about fake stuff in food. Our meat system is ridiculous in the States. - 7/5/2009 12:22:21 PM
I prefer tofu, beans, whole grains etc. but sometimes convenience and "fitting in" with my family is more important.
I like yuba. I have had it prepared for me by a friend but I recently bought some and plan on trying to make a dish with it.
I prefer Morningstar farm to Bocca because I think Bocca tastes too much like meat or at least what I remember meat to taste like. - 4/19/2009 9:48:45 PM
You don't have to become a full vegetarian to help your well-being; even a small change in what you eat makes a huge impact. I work on a non-profit health campaign called Meatless Monday, which encourages Americans to forgo meat once a week to improve their health. Skipping meat one day a week reduces your saturated fat intake by 15%, which is a easy way to decrease your risk of illness.
For tips, recipes, and more information about the campaign you can visit our website, www.MeatlessMonday.com
- 4/13/2009 5:12:34 PM
When I became a vegetarian in Spring of 1980 the fake meats were truely terrible. At the time I made my own bean burgers from a recipe I think I found in Consumer Reports of all places. It had garbanzo beans, brown rice, and oatmeal and made a tasty sandwich even though it didn't taste much like beef. I've long lost that recipe though.
Morningstar Farms Chik patties are also very chicken-like. They really nailed the flavor though they are more tender than any real chicken I remember.
When I'm not grilling I usually choose Boca Original Vegan because it is good with the condiments I use on hamburgers (BBQ sauce, mustard, tomatoes, pickles, and onion) - 4/13/2009 12:36:58 PM
My 12-year-old daughter swears by Tofurky sandwich meat. At the grocery store she won't even look at ham, bologna or anything else. And she isn't even a vegetarian! - 4/13/2009 10:00:07 AM
Unfortunately, you can't find Boca Burgers -- my favourites -- in Canada, or any kind of Quorn products, but in a pinch, I'll get the Garden Burger ones. - 4/12/2009 9:50:47 PM
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