Meat substitutes...

MoonDancer

Is it just me, or does anyone else not like eating those meat subsitutes that actually taste like meat. I had a meat free burger today & just couldn't bring myself to eat it as it reminded me of beef. And those chicken style pieces too!!! ugh! I'm just wondering how popular they really are!

sweet-rasmus

I totally get you. Some people love 'em and it doesn't appeal to others. Still, it's useful for someone making the transition from meat eater to veggie as it would ease them in without feeling too shocked. My other half is veggie but still loves the substitutes. I made him a veggie coddle the other day; halved potatoes, cooked in a vegetable stock sauce, with pieces of 'bacon' and sausages added after half an hour in the oven. One other plus about the substitutes is that they are high in protein and if you aren't into your beans and pulses (again, like my OH), then at least it helpd to boost the intake.

Aoifums

I can't stand the sight/smell/taste of those yokes. I hate the taste of meat and I don't want to replicate the taste.

A friend of mine was veggie for a while. She lived of meat substitues and had a bit of a freaker when I dragged her to a veggie resturaunt. Was having a bit of trouble adjusting to the lack of meat apparently...

Nature Boy

Depends on why you became veggie. If you don't like meat then why would you like something that's pretending to be meat? Personally I love the stuff (most of them anyway)

MadgeBadge

My Mam bought me a tin of 'Mock Duck' from the health food shop. I've never eaten duck in my life so I don't know if the taste was accurate, but it freaked me out. The texture and the gravy made me feel really icky, I just couldn't eat it.

I do, however, happily enjoy quorn products and other mock meat products that I started eating when I was younger (and a bad cook). I suppose I'm just used to them now.

One of the things I hate about meat is the texture.
So things that try to replicate that like say linda mccarney sausages.
They make me ill.

But stuff that is merely meat shaped and doesnt really bear any actual resembleance to met is grand. Like tofu sauages, vegi deli rashers, seitan steak.

sweet-rasmus

Yeah, I agree about the texture of the Linda Mc Cartney sausages. They freak me out. I'm a real fan of the Redwood Basil and Oregano sausages though. Yum!

Slaphead07

it doesn't bother me if something looks like meat or even tastes like meat, just as long as it isn't meat!

sweet-rasmus

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

Yeah, I agree about the texture of the Linda Mc Cartney sausages. They freak me out. I'm a real fan of the Redwood Basil and Oregano sausages though. Yum!

The sage and margoram are my favorites. Really nice in pasta dishes.
Only they are hard to keep stocked, because the meat eaters have discovered they are tastey and lazy snacks. :rolleyes:

Nature Boy

Slaphead07 wrote: »

it doesn't bother me if something looks like meat or even tastes like meat, just as long as it isn't meat!

Couldn't have put it better myself!

MoonDancer

I never thought of the new vegetarian's starting out. I'm sure they would find those meat substitutes helpful. My 3 year old loves the quorn peppered steaks. He calls it a 'vegetarian' haha
I had a tofu hotdog yesterday, & I have to admit it was nice!

Nature Boy

MoonDancer wrote: »

I had a tofu hotdog yesterday

Which one was it so I can try it

Tar.Aldarion

I love these as all I ate before I became a vegetarian was meat. GFod I love the seitan in france, nom nom. It's like steak.

MoonDancer

Nature Boy wrote: »

Which one was it so I can try it

It's was a 'Tofu Weiner' by Taifun. Was very tasty & it didn't gross me out like all the other substitutes!

Oobie

I can't stand any of the substitutes and feel physically ill when trying to eat them.

MoonDancer

Oobie wrote: »

I can't stand any of the substitutes and feel physically ill when trying to eat them.

You're not alone!!

Steffi

You're definately not alone, I'm not really a fan of meat substitutes either. There's nothing wrong with them as they're not meat but I think if you're going to be a vegan you should be willing to experiment and think outside the soya box. I use soya mince occasionally (the Real Eat brand, as Quorn isn't vegan) for bolonaigse or shepherds pie but am really starting to get into using beans and lentils as opposed to processed soya.

sweet-rasmus

Welcome to the forum Steffi! Good to see another vegan about