Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Substitutions
Created on: 01/06/10 09:17 AM Views: 2253 Replies: 10
tessking2010 Joined: 01/01/10 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 24	Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 9:17 AM It seems that when I try to use a meat or dairy substitute the meal or snack turns into a fail. I am not going to name names, but these products are gross. After I taste one bite of the vegan cheese or sour cream it takes a lot of lemon and water to get the taste out of my mouth. I have wasted a lot of money trying to create meals of days gone by. So, I began questioning what is the real mission of being vegan. And for me, I don't think it is to use fake animal products to nourish my body. They are not needed. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and soy are enough. So I am done trying to find replacements. I like the quote the person here is using about if you have to read labels it is probably not a good idea to eat. Thanks for that. www
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josie Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 12	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 9:39 AM I'm with you on that observation Tess. I have gone vegetarian and vegan a number of times, but it seemed that I was always having trouble getting in enough of the good stuff (vitamins and minerals, ect). Turns out, I was relaying too heavily on meat substitutes, the quick fix. I'm sure they have their place every now and then, but I now focus solely on vegetables, nuts, grains, and fruit. Besides, a lot of those substitutes sometimes reacted "negatively" on my body and digestive system.
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Mariberry Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 9:48 AM I'll third the consensus. Some of those meat analogs are positively vile. One product I do like a lot is the Boca burger. Have you tried that one? The product line has a vegetarian (contains some cheese I believe) and a vegan burger. All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance"
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BusyBody Joined: 01/05/10 Posts: 1	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 9:49 AM I've been vegetarian for several years now and have just started the 21 day vegan kickstart. I feel the same way about meat substitutes. I just don't like them. I got away from eating meat and decided that eating foods that either look or taste like meat defeats the purpose for me. There are so many options to choose from in the plant world to waste time trying to imitate meat.
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Harmonicgogiberry Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 47	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 10:04 AM Count me in for lovin' Boca! Also agree that most substitutes don't suit me. I did make a crockpot of organic/vegan chili yesterday and I added a generous sprinkle of bulgar wheat (never used this product before). Slow cooked it overnight and the wheat is great! I suppose it's a "meat substitute", though it really just adds a texture- like hamburger,(feels gross to even write that word now) and absorbs the flavors of everything else.
	Edited 01/06/10 10:05 AM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
slowcarr Joined: 12/27/09 Posts: 33	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 10:21 AM While I don't rely on meat substitutes, I do use them on occasion. It took me several months for my tastes to adjust enough that a few are acceptable. I have been vegan for 18 months now & don,t see changing in my future. I feel too good. Most cheeses I don't like with the exception of Galaxy brand vegan cheese. I can't find it in my area anymore unless I want to order it by the case. But I do like Morningstar Farms Grillers Vegan & Grillers Chicken. But again my tastes have changed over time. Boca I totally dislike.
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serenevannoy Joined: 12/28/09 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 294	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 1:59 PM I like lots of the (homemade!) substitutes, because they provide me with some of the texture cues without the slaughter and fat -- seitan's a great example. My family will eat it, too -- happily -- so there's another benefit. Serene Vannoy, Oakland, CA -- My daily Kickstart blog: http://serenecooking.livejournal.com/tag/kickstart
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VeganRecipeGuy Joined: 01/03/10 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 131	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 2:03 PM If the wife and I are both home on a Saturday morning I may use some vegan substitute as an ingredient in my "oven roasted potato hash" but usually we have leftover veggie-loaf that fits the bill nicely. www
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Faithella Joined: 01/04/10 Posts: 23	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 2:16 PM I do use the "hamburger" type for the men in the house that think they will die with out meat, but I have to agree the meat subs do not taste like meat nor do they taste like anything in nature. The list of ingredients is like a novel. I will take a boca burger to a cook out or try something that someone recommended (recently Gardein) to see if it is good but they often make me gassy. No harm if you like them but a veg stir fry over brown rice or quinoa wins everytime. Faith
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Aviva0321 Joined: 01/03/10 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 18	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 2:22 PM The "meat analogs"/"transitional foods" can be helpful for some that can't imagine a meal without meat. If you don't like them, just skip ahead one space and start cooking with whole foods: beans, rice and so on. If there's a recipe that wants TVP or something that's similar, I find tempeh a great substitute. It's crumbly and chewy. It's whole soybeans that are fermented, so you get the benefit of the protein from whole soy and the enzymes from the fermentation. Plus, it's easier to digest. (You know what that means! )
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Julia Joined: 12/28/09 Location: California Posts: 44	RE: Substitutions Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 5:57 PM Quote: One product I do like a lot is the Boca burger. Have you tried that one? The product line has a vegetarian (contains some cheese I believe) and a vegan burger. I second that opinion. Its amazing. I recommend trying a boca burger if you are looking for one of those hamburgar replacements. But yeah Im trying to get away from eating those boca burgars. I did find that when I was making field roast vegan sausage today I almost felt queezy because it smelt like real sausage. I took one bite and was so grossed out. But the sad thing it was good. It tasted like real sausage. But after that one bite I stopped because I felt like I was eating real sausage even though I was not.
	Edited 01/08/10 6:09 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom

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