why does litelife fake meats taste terrible?

Question

is there any good tasting fake meats. i'm a new vegetarian and i am still accustomed to real meat. i was just wondering if there is any good tasting fake meat products?

alright, i just wanted some ideas on some good brands that taste alright. i don't need any opinions on why this and why that, i am a vegetarian because of i don't like animals suffering! so please don't tell me what i should or you think is something i should do. just some simple opinions is good...thanks all!

Answer 1

Since you're a new veggie stick to the Boca and MS Farms products since those are heavily aimed at omnivores trying to eat healthier and those companies (especially MS Farms) don't really care about the veggie market. I'm not trying to be insulting when I say that your tastebuds still fit that market profile!

I'm going to guess that it's the LightLife 'cold cut' products that you didn't like! If that's the case you want look for Tofurkey brand or Yves. But the Yves slices have the same problem as the LightLife ones, they took out way too much of the fat in them (fat carries flavor) to make them more attractive to the omni market but they're still tastier than LightLifes.

It's no secret that market research shows omni's consider no flavor to be a sign of a healthy product! Some of these companies go way overboard on that data.

There *is* a way to make them taste better! Marinate the slices in a little olive (or other) oil for a bit before using them, that 'opens up' the flavor compounds in these products, especially if you give them a quick sizzle in a skillet or microwave (us old-time veggies know all the tricks)!

Answer 2

Some Lightlife stuff is good, and some sucks, I agree. Tofurkey makes good deli slices. There's a German company called Viana that makes totally awesome faux "chickin fillets." They also have "chickin" nuggets, "cowgirl veggie steaks," and other varieties. You can get them at www.veganstore.com and www.veganessentials.com. Yves has a pretty good taco mix--just heat it in a skillet, and you're ready to go. Amy's has some pretty good veggie burgers. If you're trying seitan, I recommend making your own, as the packaged stuff isn't that good, and it's ridiculously expensive.

As for why vegetarians eat fake meats, most of us grew up eating meat. Some of us like the taste or the heartiness, but we don't want to buy into the horrible animal industry. Fake products give us taste and texture without the cruelty, the fat, the cholesterol, the hormones, the antibiotics, etc.

Answer 3

Yeah, it depends on the brand and the kind. I usually eat Vegeking/Vegefarm brands which is an Asian brand found in Asian stores. Since they have been vegetarian for a long time, they are good at making these kind of products. Quorn is supposedly pretty good, and I would think wheat gluten type "meats" are good, from what I've had (can't remember the brands but something like veggie roast).

Answer 4

You're not alone--I agree, fake meats taste NOTHING like the real thing, despite all this advertising. Lucky for me I never really liked meat (my family just ate meat on special occasions) so transitioning wasn't that hard. Whenever you're tempted to eat meat, just think of the animals being killed and you probably won't want to eat the meat.

Answer 5

I understand your frustration completely. I've been strict vegan for 7 years, but I can still remember the taste and texture of meat, and in terms of how stimulating meat is to the tounge, taste buds, and salivatory glands, the eating of animal products is in some cases as good as or better than any other food, even my favourite exotic fruits.
The simple fact is that meat alternatives may never taste as good as the real thing, and that's a sacrifice every vego must make. When I became vego, I realised this quickly, and decided then that not only meat products but also fake meat products would not be a part of my diet. I only eat meat alternatives, which are designed to be and are by definition differently tasting to real meat or products which try to simulate that taste and fail miserably. I still eat soy sausages, soy burgers, soy you-name-it, but I think of it differently. Keeping in mind that the human mind is a very powerful manifestation, consider the possibility of trying a product on the premise that you are choosing to consume that product because it is vegetable based, and because you want it to be vegetable based, and not trying to pretend it is animal based.
This pretending industry has grown sistemically and exponentially around the world, as major corporations discover they can create a very similar product, which will sell for a similar price, at a fraction of the cost. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame made entirely from man made chemicals are replacing sugar, and are advertised as low-calorie yet are proven to increase appetite and subsequently waistlines too. that's just one of 100 examples that i'm aware of.
So my humble advice is that while you are in this conversion phase, moving from meat to vege, go for products like tofu (the tofu that looks and tastes like tofu), lentil-burgers, vege-patties, etc, etc, to generate a new palete for your tounge to dance with. Once your mouth has been weaned off the taste of real meat, start trying the alternatives that make you look like a meat eater, if you want that image to prevail in the minds of the social crowd you frequent. At least that way you don't have to go around defending your decision.

All I'm trying to say here is that lifelike fake meat doesn't taste terrible, it just tastes terrible to you, and only at the moment of right now. So the simple solution is not to eat it. It's like that old doctors joke that goes something like "Doctor doctor, it really really hurts when I take the bottom of my foot and touch it to the top of my head," and the doctor says "Then don't do it!"

If you don't like lentils or tofu, eat something else. there are plently of food sources you can substitute for your iron and B12 dietary requirements. And remember, the average omnivorous diet includes almost 10 times the RDI of protein, so as long as your not starving yourself don't worry about protein.

Finally, consider including some additional justifications on your decision to go vegetarian, to use as ammunition in a social assault. the 5 main reasons people go vego are:
Animal rights
Animal welfare
Human rights
Human health
The Environment

Each justification is an excessively sufficient justification on it's own, but international debate teams who have argued all five simultaneously have won in every single tournament held in the last 3 decades. The costs outweigh the benefits at almost every level conceivable, and in many cases the political meat industry lobby have no sensical response. You too can have that confidence by going to either of the sources provided. Good luck and God bless.

VGN UNITED

Answer 6

My family likes the fake meats. I haven't eaten meat or flesh for 30 years, neither has my husband. Our daughters never ate meat until middle school age when they wanted to try fast food like their friends ate.
Then they went vegan. They all like tofurky, and seitan, etc. I eat black bean burgers, but since I didn't ever like meat, I don't want to replace it in my diet. Try making real food without meat. After more time goes by, maybe you will like those fake meats.

Answer 7

it tastes terrible because it's not real meat.
you know , I never understand it-vegetarians are always craving meat. If you didn't crave meat, why eat 'fake' meat? that really doesnt' make anysense. but if u are so inclined try the Garden Burger brand. They have a wide variety of veggie burgers and soy 'chicken' patties that are actualy pretty good. but if your looking for a real vegetarian diet, why don't you try looking up some recipies on foodtv.com or something.

Answer 8

i began to like the taste of fake meat when i stopped comparing it to the taste of real meat

Answer 9

Morningstar Farms is great!

It doesn't taste exactly like meat but it's really good.

Except the bacon...that's awful.

Answer 10

I love tofurky italian style sausage.
I also love morningstar "chicken" nuggets