So I gave up meat for lent and it has been very interesting. I've slipped up once - ordered French onion soup at Panera and was halfway through the bowl when it occurred to me that it was made with beef broth - DUH! Other than that, just seafood and fish and that's intentional.

But there is something I'm really missing and I truly think it's the texture. The chewiness or something. And I think the up side to this is going to be that I'm going to look foward to chicken for Easter! Who'd have thought I'd ever be glad to see a piece chicken again???

I think the best part is that it's made me pay even more attention to what I'm eating. And anything that does that is a good thing.

I used to be a vegetarian, in fact managed it for several years (still fat the whole time!) but ultimately I decided a little bit of animal protein is a good, and delicious, thing.

We eat meat-free (excluding broth) suppers 2-3 times a week, and red meat maybe once a week, with pork once a month or less. Breakfast/lunch is usually meat free or meat-light as well.

Lately, maybe because it is Lent, and I am a quasi-Catholic, lol, we have been eating a lot of fish and other sea-food. Even though we don't eat meat nearly as often as a lot of people, now that I have added it back to my diet, I can't imagine going without having it every once in a while.

I'm not Catholic so I don't give up anything for lent but admire those that do and stick to it!!

i could never imagine giving up meat for good love hamburgers and meat loaf to much

I gave up meat, cheese and eggs a couple years ago and honestly, I love it.

I never really missed the texture of meat but my husband said he felt there was some transition.

Some things you can try are hearty beans, mushrooms and even things like tempeh, seitan, tvp and tofu. I've recently fallen in love with baked tofu myself and it is so easy to do, but it took me a couple years of being vegan to actually cook tofu myself.

Even prior to being vegan, I used to look up vegan recipes because I wanted to learn how to incorporate more veggie centric meals into my diet. If you look at your local library, you may find some good cookbooks to give you ideas and also http://blog.fatfreevegan.com is great for recipes

I LOVE soy, in all it's myriad forms. Bf can't eat much of it though 'cause it can raise estrogen levels in large amounts. That being said, he will kill my TVP salad if I don't watch it like a hawk!

I have tried (and liked most) all of the various meat substitutes, but I decided I still like the real thing on occasion. I think of the subs as an "other" not as a replacement.

I gave up meat years ago and the only thing I miss occasionally is fresh seafood. I love seafood on my plate as long as I don't think about where it came from. So, to curb the seafood cravings I go to the grocery store and look at the dead fish. Stops the craving straight away.

Like Nelie, I love baked tofu, and DH does too. It gives him the bite and chew of meat, without the cruelty. Tempeh and seitan, as Nelie already said, are good substitutes for the meat mouth-feel also.

I admire your perserverance!

I keep reading that mushrooms are meaty but I just don't see it. I still eat them but I just don't think they are "meat-like" or whatever. Also, I do love some meat free things like light life products and boca sausages

I know this probably sounds strange, but I don't want to replace it with a meat substitute. The idea (for me) is to sacrifice in some small way as Christ sacrificed for us (in a big way). So it somehow feels like cheating to find a way to eat a hamburger when I gave up hamburgers (if that makes any sense at all). I know if I was going to adopt a veg lifestyle permanently, I would need to find some subs. But for Lenten season, the hole it's making on my plate is the "reason for the season".

Have you ever tried portabellas or shiitake mushrooms? I love grilled portabellas and I like shiitake mushrooms in soup.

I don't do meat substitutes except on occasion but certain things I don't really view as 'meat substitutes' but for some people, they can give you the texture you may be missing. Like I don't think of tofu as a meat substitute as I think of it as something else in its own right.

And usually if something tastes too much like meat, it actually grosses me out which is one reason I avoid some of the more realistic meat substitutes.