Going to try & not eat meat for a week or two as an experiment. Any good ideas for meat substitutes?

Answer 1

SEITAN has been used in Asia as a protein source and meat substitute for hundreds of years. It is made from a flour-and-water dough, which is rinsed to remove the starch components. What is left behind is a high-protein gluten. Sometimes called "wheat meat," seitan is available at natural products stores and Asian markets. Do not use if you are gluten-sensitive (see "Against the Grain").

TEMPEH is made by fermenting soybeans and grains, then forming a cake. This Indonesian food has a yeasty, nutty flavor and is a good source of protein. Some chefs prefer the texture of tempeh over tofu for use as a chicken substitute.

TOFU is soybean curd made from soy milk. Although somewhat bland by itself, it easily absorbs the flavors of other ingredients. A firm or extra-firm tofu can be used in stir-fries, for marinating and for baking. The soft or "silken" variety is creamier and is used primarily for dips, puddings and salad dressings.

IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, soy-based meat substitutes have sprung up everywhere. Some examples include tofu hot dogs, soy sausages, soy bacon bits and textured vegetable protein (TVP)—look for MSG-free varieties. Because soy foods in general are lower in fat than meats, they tend to stick on the grill or to a skillet. Avoid this by using cooking oil or a vegetable spray, and make sure the pan is hot before cooking. Also, choose organically grown soybean products to ensure products are free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Answer 2

My friend gave up meat for a week to see what life's like for me and she had no problems with it. Seitan is amazing and even better if you can find a vegan chinese who'll cook it for you. Try not to think of meat replacements as meat because while a lot do taste like meat, my meat eating friends find there's something lacking from them. Some brands of sausages are an exception though... try Real eats sausages... they're amazing! Actually all of real eat's range are good.

Answer 3

I'm guessing you want the subs for the taste and texture. There are many good types of veggie burgers available. Tofurkey makes pretty good sausages and deli slices. Yves and Lightlife also have pretty good analogues. My favorite is from a company called Viana, which has a delicious faux Chickin Fillet and some pretty good nuggets (you can get their stuff at www.veganessentials.com or www.veganstore.com).

Tofu takes a little practice to learn to cook. Tempeh is fairly easy--you can fry it in a pan, grill it, or crumble it into chili. If you're going to try seitan, you're better off making your own (check www.vegweb.com for hints on making seitan), as the packaged stuff is overpriced and not very good. If you have any more questions, do contact me, and I'll give you some more tips.

Answer 4

It is common misinformation that the body requires protein from meat. If you read some labels, you will find that protein is found in most foods. Iron and Calcium are a bit less common. Good sources of these nutrients are spinach, kelp and a variety of fortified foods (many popular food products are these days). The truth is that your body really does not need a singular substitute.

Answer 5

Good for you! There are many good reasons to give up meat. However, the subject is controversial among some folks; namely farmers, who depend on the market. My husband and II tried to go "vegetarian" some time ago. I didn't think it would be difficult since we didn't eat much meat in the first place.....or so I thought. Turns out, it was much more of a change than we anticipated, and although we found some wonderful dishes which we continue to eat (because the just taste so darn good), we have abandoned the "vegetarian" lifestyle.

Why are you giving up meat? We did it for a few reasons but the biggest were: 1) COMPASSION: We never liked being part of the slaughter. I keep saying I'm going to find a local farmer who's cows and chickens are treated truly humanely during the animal's life AND slaughters them in a humane way as well. I know idea of a "humane slaughter" is an oxymoron to many vegetarian, animal activists and vegans, but even though I'm not crazy about animals dying for food, I am comfortable with the notion that humans are part of the food chain and we are not the only animals who kill for food. 2). HEALTH: My entire life is the story of "the battle of the buldge" and a vegetable based diet is much lower in fat than a meat based diet. Still, I do see great nutritional value in meet, even though vegans and vegetarians will argue that protein, iron and other benefits of meat can be found in other foods. 3). FILTH: I've read several reports regarding the state of filth in slaughter houses and what gets passed through the assembly line straight onto our plates. It is so disgusting it literally sickens me. One such report was in Mother Jones several years ago. It focused on a company whose major buyer was one I shall not name but who has sold billions of hamburgers. What was described in that article was later also portrayed in a network news magazine expose' with video footage. I won't go into it here exept to say I have no desire to eat puss, feces, and urine laden hamburgers. Yes, PUSS. (also various forms of cysts and tumors) 4). NUTRITION: I know I don't eat nearly enough fruits and vegetables. I feel like crrap most of the time and I think a change of diet; one high in vitimins and anti-oxidants could change how I feel.
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I appreciate your question because I am setting here thinking maybe I should give it another try. Or at least limit my meat to one or two servings a week. I crave a nice thick steak only about twice a year. I have chronic anemia, so maybe if I force myself to eat alternative iron-rich foods I could dicipline myself.
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One of the recipes we came up with we actually love and still eat them now. We actually prefer them over the meat/chicken alternative. Also, at the bottom of this post I have linked you to "All Recipes dot com". It is a GREAT source for recipes and it is FREE. If you can't find what you are looking for there, then you're not looking very hard.

Here's my recipe:

BURRITOS

Flour tortillas
one small jar of salsa
two 16 oz cans of Campbell's Vegitarian Baked Beans
Iceberg Lettuce
Ripe Tomato
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directios: Pour beans and Salsa into a skillet. Heat and simmer until thickened. Meanwhile, chop or shred lettuce. Dice Tomato. When beans are thickened, warm tortillas in microwave. Spoon beans onto tortilla and sprinkle cheese onto beans. Top with lettuce and tomato. (We sometimes top it with Taco sauce, too, but it isn't really needed). Wrap and eat.

The salsa gives soooo much flavor to the beans and I tell you.... two (each) of these leave us stuffed. It is realatively low calorie, especially if you use "fat free cheddar cheese-- Healthy Choice makes it". The recipe will make more than 4 burittos, but cooking this will give you leftovers for a quick meal or snack later. We use Mild or Medium Salsa. Of course you could use Hot, if you like to feel your food burning as it travels to your stomach. :-)
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"VEGETARIAN"
http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=vegetarian&SearchIn=All
"VEGAN"
http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=vegan&SearchIn=All
"VEGETARIN COLLECTION"
http://allrecipes.com/Search/Collection.aspx?WithTerm=vegetarian&CollectionTypeID=32
"MEATLESS"
http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=meatless&SearchIn=All

Answer 6

Morning Star brand has tons of great food!!!! All vegetarian of course. Well except some has eggs and I dont do eggs. But I use the morning star "beef" which isnt real meat but I use it for a lot of my dishes.

Answer 7

veggie burgers, veggie dogs, veggie sandwich slices(bacon, ham, bologna, turkey, whatever), veggie ground round

Not the greatest idea for long term eating, but straightforward, nutritious, and you can use these products in recipes you already know. There's no point analyzing vegetarian nutrition to death or learning a new system of cooking if you're only veggie for a week.

Answer 8

Pasta and beans. That'll give you complete proteins. They're also filling and taste great with a variety of spaghetti sauces. Finely chopped cauliflower adds the texture of ground beef to vegetarian chili.

Answer 9

Green leafy veggies, one or two servings of soy (soy burger, soy milk, or any meat substitute.), steamed veggies with rice, meat free tocos made with veggie beef crumbs, fresh fruits and veggies, beans and rice, whole grain breads, and plenty of water.

Answer 10

Cashews, almonds, walnuts and other nuts that squirrels love.

People are meant to be meat eaters by nature. For proof, look at our teeth, we have teeth for ripping into meats and other teeth for grinding our food like grains and veggies. We were made to eat a balanced diet. Just "food" for thought. LOL