I don't start threads very often, but polls often liven things up, and this forum is so quiet, which makes little ol' veggie me sad.
Do you like fake-meat products--seitan, commercial chick'n, etc? Do you like only homemade, or only commerical products? I' still on the fence myself--I don't buy it much myself because it's just a little too expensive to justify. And I do think there is something to be said for not just using meat-centric recipes that swap fake-meat for the real thing--that whole thing where meat is the focus of the meal has always bugged me, and I don't like it much anymore with fake-meat either. However, the first time I tried seitan'chickpea cutlets it was a revelation--so yummy! ...Thoughts, 3FCers?
My answer really is it depends. Some commercial fake meat stuff is really good but homemade is generally better. I don't eat a lot of fake meat stuff though.
I don't like real meat, so I don't search out meat substitutes. I agree that meals should not be meat focused anyway, so why bother with a meat substitute.
That said, I have eaten Morningstar Farms Chix and enjoyed them. I occasionally eat a veggie burger, but avoid the ones that mimic hamburger because I can't stand hamburger.
I'm pretty new at all this veggie stuff. I do occasionally like the Morningstar breakfast sausages and bacon.
I bought the Soyrizo and cooked it but then just stuck it in the freezer because I couldn't think of what to make. I put the Gimmelean sausage in my chili once but I probably won't again. The chickpea cutlets I made were overcooked but I will try them again.
I've never had seitan. I've had tofu one time and it was okay enough I did buy it again. I think I am going to try to stay away from most of the soy based products after the information I found in regards to Thyroid/PCOS problems until I talk to my doctor again.
I grew up around vege-meats, although I wasn't vegetarian. I never loved them though.
Now that I'm vegetarian (just since September), it wasn't my intention to use meat substitutes. But I have found that a bit of Tofurkey Italian Sausage just adds a really nice certain something to bean dishes. It has ingredients I'm resaonably comfortably with. A lot of vege-meat stuff is just way to processed and preserved for me.
I do like a good vegeburger, but the best ones, IMO, aren't trying to imitate hamburger. I'm still experimenting to find a homemade version I love.
I haven't had seitan but plan to try making some.
I didn't love tofu at first, but it's growing on me. But I don't really think of that as fake meat.
I also haven't had tempeh yet, except for Fakin' Bacon, which I didn't care for. But again, plain tempeh I wouldn't consider a fake meat.
I'm a big bean lover, so I use lots of them and get protein that way, plus nuts and cheese. And whole grains. And when you eat a great deal of produce, the protein there adds up. But sometimes, the meatier-like foods are not as much about protein as it is about satisfaction from heartier foods.
I'm still working it out. I think over time I'll care less about wanting foods being meat-like at all. Especially since being kind of grossed out by meat contributed to me becoming vegetarian.
I put sometimes, if it's convenient. Though it should just be sometimes, I don't think it is ever convenient because it is another thing to prepare. I usually don't eat it, I don't miss anything on my plate, but once every few weeks I do want the taste of a nice falafel. I have to admit though that the choice here is very, very small compared to the US or UK. So I don't get tempted either.
On the rare occasion that I don't use beans in a recipe then I use yves ground round for protein, I also like veggie burgers. For the most part I like the convenience but I don't like to use the veggie meat too often as I want the vast majority of my nutrients to come from veggies and beans.
I would also agree the best veggie burgers are the ones that don't try to taste like meat. Although some of the fake chicken stuff is really good like nuggets but I consider those a rarity as though they use whole wheat bread crumbs, they are a bit on the side of junk food.
I use all sorts of substitutes, even though I haven't eaten meat for a very long time. The reason for this is my omnivore partner, before we moved in I hardly ever bought substitutes. When I was a meatie I almost always ate organic non processed meat as my grandad, dad and brother hunt as a hobby, so I never really developed a taste for processed stuff. Now I'm starting to get sick of substitutes again and crave fresh vegetables.
Eh sometimes I do sometimes I don't. I don't really consider tofu or tempeh a meat substitute - they've been used in Asian cultures forever! I try to eat a mostly whole foods diet and the processed stuff doesn't really fit into that. Of course once in a while I must have Trader Joe's soyrizo!
I put down when it is convenient but you know, I've only had fake meat twice in the last couple weeks, a Boca vegan patty and some gimme lean "sausage" in a homemade Shepard's pie. I could live without it completely if I had to, and not look back.
I lost a lot of weight when I became vegetarian and before I discovered fake meats. fake meats were my downfall - just like when I wasn't vegetarian, I ate too much meat, now I'm eating too much fake meat.
I say try to use beans nuts seeds etc for protein and use fake meats on occasion... especially if you're trying to lose weight.
To fake it, or not to fake it?
