Vegetarian items for the meat eaters

CJMST3K

If you've thought of trying vegetarian foods, but aren't crazy about vegetables, you're not alone.

About 20 years ago I realized I didn't want to hurt animals anymore, and *bam*... I pushed myself blindly into the vegetarian world without a roadmap... with no desire for vegetables... and with a craving for meat.

The veggie-meats below I highly recommend if you've been wanting to try veggie meats but didn't know where to begin. There is a difference between the "real thing" and the "veggie thing" (kinda like the difference between diet soda and regular soda), but I truly no longer crave real meat, and I instead crave the below items. Some are better than others, so if something doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean everything won't work for you. But I only listed things that I get on a regular basis, because of it's authentic taste.

You don't have to become a vegetarian to try these foods. They stand out on their own merit... and every meal without meat can help animals, even just once in a while.

Anyway... here's veggie items for those who prefer meals with meat.



FIELD ROAST makes very good long sausages (best when cut up and cooked into Italian food)
http://www.fieldroast.com/products.htm
Available at Whole Foods
VEGAN
-Italian sausages are the only thing I've tried (great on pizza, or with onions and peppers)


MORNINGSTAR FARMS make a huge variety of great products
http://www.morningstarfarms.com/
Available in most grocery stores
VEGETARIAN

-Sausage Patties are excellent! (though beware of their Maple ones, or of the links)
-Chik'n Patties are amazing! I recommend microwaving, then toasting them briefly to crisp up
-Chik'n Nuggets are also amazing. Same as above.
-Their Veggie Burgers are hit and miss. None bad, just some better than others.
-Their Bacon is not so hot... I cook it up rarely for a novelty, but it's not the same as the real thing
-I'm not a fan of the Italian Sausage at all, nor the Sausage Links
-


QUORN makes great "chicken" products
http://www.quorn.us/
Available in many grocery stores, but in another section away from Morningstar for some reason.
VEGETARIAN
-Their unbreaded "chicken" products are great.
-I have yet to try most of their other products



LightLife/SmartDeli makes great sliced deli meats
http://www.lightlife.com/deli.jsp
Available in most grocery stores
VEGETARIAN
-I have a veggie balogna sandwich every day. Better than the real thing.
-Some of their other products are hit-and-miss.
-Their pepperoni is just "ok", but look below for a great pepperoni.


Yves makes great sliced deli meats
http://www.yvesveggie.com/
Available in most grocery stores
VEGETARIAN
-Their pepperoni is my favorite item, and much better than the LightLife one.
-Very good salami, but not as oily as the real thing.
-I use both of the above in stromboli, and you cannot tell the difference.
-I have yet to try most of the other products


Gardein makes very good products too...


Feel free to add to the list!

(and ok, insert predictable "people eating tasty animals" and whatnot comments... been there, done that)

adropinthepark

CJMST3K wrote:

FIELD ROAST makes very good long sausages (best when cut up and cooked into Italian food)
http://www.fieldroast.com/products.htm
Available at Whole Foods
VEGAN
-Italian sausages are the only thing I've tried (great on pizza, or with onions and peppers)

I LOVE Field Roast. The Elysian Brewing Company used to make the most kick ass reuben with their deli slices. Now that restaurant uses mushrooms instead, which is too bad, 'cause it does NOT work. Same restaurant used a Field Roast product for the most delicious vegan tacos ever. They ended up being my favorite mexican food item in the Seattle area while they were serving them.
At home, I have the Smoked Apple Sage Sausages about once a week, served like a bratwurst on a bun. Every meat eater that has ever smelled those being cooked has wanted to try them. Yummer Nummers.

ValleyGal

I recommend Yves Italian Ground Round. We've used it in spaghetti sauces and chili and can't tell the difference from ground turkey (don't know about taste versus beef - haven't eaten any in a long time).

Going to try it in a taco salad tonight

Riverrunner

Boca Burgers Rock!

I also had the Yves Burgers once and loved them, but I can't get them in this area, but we can get the Yves deli slices.

When I eat an "old fashioned" breakfast I buy the Morning Star Farms fake sausage links and we eat them with biscuits and gravy....mmmmmm...

And at Thanksgiving I really like Tofurkey. Yes, I think it is good.

CJMST3K

I got myself hungry typing that, so I went to Whole Foods and got 4 packs of veggie sausage. I just made sausage and onions and tried both Field Roast and Tofurkey italian sausages. The Tofurkey was $2 less a pack, but were just not as good as the Field Roast.

Given to...

Quorn makes some pretty good BBQ Riblets too.

Sian-of-the-dead

I'm a 'meat eater' and I eat vegetarian food all the time. I absolutely adore Quorn products! We weekly buy Quorn mince for meals instead of beef mince and take Quorn sausages/burgers to BBQs... I love love love the minted 'lamb' cutlets! I was a vegetarian for 10 years and started to eat meat again at the age of 18 but my love for Quorn never waned. I mainly eat it now as it's lower in fat than meat, costs less and it's better for your heart. It also helps that it doesn't contain soya (I have to avoid eating that in high quantities) as a lot of veggie food can contain high levels of soya.

I'm not so keen on Linda McCartney veggie products, they're always higher in fat and kinda taste weird... :?

Dalepak and Goodlife foods also do some lush veggie products here in the UK :thumbup:

prism

i've been totally veggie in the past (one kid still is) and now sometimes eat poultry and seafood. though i love cooking with alot of fresh veggies too. however i haven't touched red meat in 9 years.

i agree that veggies burgers are hit or miss....i do like boca bugers

liked the quorn cutlets i've tried





what's i get at TJ's and it's cheaper:

they make a wonderful potato-based marsala burger....fold over a piece of tandoori nan for the bun....awesomeness :thumbup:

they also make a good soy chorzio...good in omelettes or in chili... on nachos...

morningstar sausage patties

yves ground round...in chili i actually like it better than ground turkey

tofurkey italian sausage....great with onions and peppers in spagetti sauce....on pizza etc. and i make gumbo with it too...so yummers

chime

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I'm a 'meat eater' and I eat vegetarian food all the time. I absolutely adore Quorn products! We weekly buy Quorn mince for meals instead of beef mince and take Quorn sausages/burgers to BBQs... I love love love the minted 'lamb' cutlets! I was a vegetarian for 10 years and started to eat meat again at the age of 18 but my love for Quorn never waned. I mainly eat it now as it's lower in fat than meat, costs less and it's better for your heart. It also helps that it doesn't contain soya (I have to avoid eating that in high quantities) as a lot of veggie food can contain high levels of soya.

I'm not so keen on Linda McCartney veggie products, they're always higher in fat and kinda taste weird... :?

Dalepak and Goodlife foods also do some lush veggie products here in the UK :thumbup:

Still in the UK ... for mince I like Realeat. For burgers I like Tesco own.

With Quorn as well as stuff already mentioned I like the Quorn Tikka pieces for adding to salads.

mikalina

I thought I was a "healthy" eater, this is great !!!! I can't wait to try some of these food items. I see some of this at the grocery store - but I've never tried any. No harm in trying. Thanks for the info

Sian-of-the-dead

chime wrote:

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I'm a 'meat eater' and I eat vegetarian food all the time. I absolutely adore Quorn products! We weekly buy Quorn mince for meals instead of beef mince and take Quorn sausages/burgers to BBQs... I love love love the minted 'lamb' cutlets! I was a vegetarian for 10 years and started to eat meat again at the age of 18 but my love for Quorn never waned. I mainly eat it now as it's lower in fat than meat, costs less and it's better for your heart. It also helps that it doesn't contain soya (I have to avoid eating that in high quantities) as a lot of veggie food can contain high levels of soya.

I'm not so keen on Linda McCartney veggie products, they're always higher in fat and kinda taste weird... :?

Dalepak and Goodlife foods also do some lush veggie products here in the UK :thumbup:

Still in the UK ... for mince I like Realeat. For burgers I like Tesco own.

With Quorn as well as stuff already mentioned I like the Quorn Tikka pieces for adding to salads.

The Realeat stuff is nice (had it in the past) but isn't it soya based? Same as most supermarket's own burgers, sausages, mince etc :(

Ohhh I didn't know Quorn did tikka pieces, I'm going to a BBQ tomorrow so I shall hunt for some for my salad :thumbup:

intodeep

I am a carnivorous (sp?) creature, but i like morningstar's spicy black bean burger.

I put a little hot sauce and hot salsa on it and i think it is tasty on a bun

Riverrunner

I have never had Quorn products. We don't have them in this area. We live in a rural area of the Midwest so don't have much access to meatless products. It wasn't that many years ago that there were none.

MayDay10

Starting in June I am going to start to ease into a Veg diet. I tried to dive in before and my diet was out of whack and didnt/wouldnt work. This time I am going to start a few days a week, and keep increasing it until I am comfortable with it at 7 days a week. This will help.

Get_Right

Quorn Chicken is excellent

A friend of my brought some "chicken" pesto salad to a tailgate and did not tell any of us that is was vegan chicken

nobody noticed it wasnt chicken

CJMST3K

Get_Right wrote:

Quorn Chicken is excellent

A friend of my brought some "chicken" pesto salad to a tailgate and did not tell any of us that is was vegan chicken

nobody noticed it wasnt chicken

Exactly! Much of what meat-eaters have could be substituted for alternatives... and I bet that "chicken" pesto being made out of Quorn saved a chicken... and that adds up.

decides2dream

morningstar spicy black bean burgers! YUMMM!
no, you won't mistake them for beef, but doesn't matter b/c they are so damn yummy.
thanks again dcfaithful for always raving about em, even mr. dream really loves em. fantastic with pico de gallo.

Claireack

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

chime wrote:

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I'm a 'meat eater' and I eat vegetarian food all the time. I absolutely adore Quorn products! We weekly buy Quorn mince for meals instead of beef mince and take Quorn sausages/burgers to BBQs... I love love love the minted 'lamb' cutlets! I was a vegetarian for 10 years and started to eat meat again at the age of 18 but my love for Quorn never waned. I mainly eat it now as it's lower in fat than meat, costs less and it's better for your heart. It also helps that it doesn't contain soya (I have to avoid eating that in high quantities) as a lot of veggie food can contain high levels of soya.

I'm not so keen on Linda McCartney veggie products, they're always higher in fat and kinda taste weird... :?

Dalepak and Goodlife foods also do some lush veggie products here in the UK :thumbup:

Still in the UK ... for mince I like Realeat. For burgers I like Tesco own.

With Quorn as well as stuff already mentioned I like the Quorn Tikka pieces for adding to salads.

The Realeat stuff is nice (had it in the past) but isn't it soya based? Same as most supermarket's own burgers, sausages, mince etc :(

Ohhh I didn't know Quorn did tikka pieces, I'm going to a BBQ tomorrow so I shall hunt for some for my salad :thumbup:

The Fajita strips are good too, like them better then the tikka pieces - not as soggy somehow.

mensane

Gardein makes a beef burgundy meal pack that is soooo good. beef type chunks, sauce with mushrooms, carrots and onions; and rice. great to take to work.

if you ever come across yves ground "turkey"...get it...make it into a gravy and eat with mashed potatoes. yum.

tofurkey is sooooo good. i eat a few times a year. it is all about the marinate you use. i make mine with olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and pineapple juice.

chadwick

i love vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish and meat.
bring it on.

i believe the only vegetable i don't care for are peas.

i've considered becoming a vegetarian
but i haven't ever tried super hard at the quitting of eating meat.

mikalina

chadwick wrote:

i love vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish and meat.
bring it on.

i believe the only vegetable i don't care for are peas.

i've considered becoming a vegetarian
but i haven't ever tried super hard at the quitting of eating meat.

Hi Chad, I can never be a "true" vegetarian. I just love a "grilled" steak in the summer. Even if its only a few times per year.

But - I'll definetly try some of the food items mentioned on here - I'll give it a try. Take care.

dcfaithful

Morningstar has some of the best products.

Quorn is pretty damn good too.

It's a shame there is a misconception about the food, and attitudes of vegetarians. Granted I still eat seafood (pescetarian)...when I tell people this they act surprised, as if they cannot fathom how one could live without eating a huge slab of dead cow or chicken on a daily, or weekly basis.

dcfaithful

decides2dream wrote:

morningstar spicy black bean burgers! YUMMM!
no, you won't mistake them for beef, but doesn't matter b/c they are so damn yummy.
thanks again dcfaithful for always raving about em, even mr. dream really loves em. fantastic with pico de gallo.

You're welcome! I'm glad I've helped others learn to enjoy them.

They're delicious, in fact I just had one for lunch.

decides2dream

dcfaithful wrote:

Morningstar has some of the best products.

Quorn is pretty damn good too.

It's a shame there is a misconception about the food, and attitudes of vegetarians. Granted I still eat seafood (pescetarian)...when I tell people this they act surprised, as if they cannot fathom how one could live without eating a huge slab of dead cow or chicken on a daily, or weekly basis.

being a pescetarian makes it far easier tho.....yummmmmm....shrimp! my gawd, i love it so!
i was a veggie for a few years, right before/after i married. mr. dream wasn't and no plans on it, and he's an awesome cook and well, i don't.....and then yes, i missed my buffalo wings. i am not a big meat eater, never was...but yea...i realize, it works for me and i enjoy it. however, i also eat a ton of fruit/veggies....and i adore ethnic foods, so the balance of meats/veggies is delish! i eat beef mostly in the summer, the occasional burger. otherwise, i am all about shrimp, chicken and turkey...and sure, some pork. but there are loads of YUMMY foods that are entirely veggie, so i enjoy it all!

dcfaithful

decides2dream wrote:

dcfaithful wrote:

Morningstar has some of the best products.

Quorn is pretty damn good too.

It's a shame there is a misconception about the food, and attitudes of vegetarians. Granted I still eat seafood (pescetarian)...when I tell people this they act surprised, as if they cannot fathom how one could live without eating a huge slab of dead cow or chicken on a daily, or weekly basis.

being a pescetarian makes it far easier tho.....yummmmmm....shrimp! my gawd, i love it so!
i was a veggie for a few years, right before/after i married. mr. dream wasn't and no plans on it, and he's an awesome cook and well, i don't.....and then yes, i missed my buffalo wings. i am not a big meat eater, never was...but yea...i realize, it works for me and i enjoy it. however, i also eat a ton of fruit/veggies....and i adore ethnic foods, so the balance of meats/veggies is delish! i eat beef mostly in the summer, the occasional burger. otherwise, i am all about shrimp, chicken and turkey...and sure, some pork. but there are loads of YUMMY foods that are entirely veggie, so i enjoy it all!

It does make it easier. Thanks to 81, I now know what to call myself...

Like you, I was never a big beef eater. Although to this day the one thing that tempts me is a greasy, loaded cheeseburger. My God...

But, my favorite meats have always been turkey and chicken. As of late though, I've become obsessed with fish. Salmon and Lobster have to be some of the most amazing things around. Even still though, we don't eat fish/crustaceans on a daily basis...jstu when we feel like enjoyin' them. The other night Jen stuffed sweet potatoes with some fake ground "beef"...holy lord it was delicious.

d2d, if you are ever interested in more veggie recipes let a fellow friend know! (as well as everyone else, but d2d seems to have been the most interested in the past.)

CantKeepMeHere

Chris thank you very much for this post!!
My stepdaughter decided to go 7 days without meat and she is just around that number now and your OP will come in handy around my house

CJMST3K

CantKeepMeHere wrote:

Chris thank you very much for this post!!
My stepdaughter decided to go 7 days without meat and she is just around that number now and your OP will come in handy around my house

Glad I could help!

Also, for more options, if you like chinese foods, you may want to call around to a few chinese restaurants to see if any of them offer "mock meat". Some just have tofu items, but some have completely realistic faux meats.

Best of luck!

CantKeepMeHere

CJMST3K wrote:

CantKeepMeHere wrote:

Chris thank you very much for this post!!
My stepdaughter decided to go 7 days without meat and she is just around that number now and your OP will come in handy around my house

Glad I could help!

Also, for more options, if you like chinese foods, you may want to call around to a few chinese restaurants to see if any of them offer "mock meat". Some just have tofu items, but some have completely realistic faux meats.

Best of luck!

Jo

Wine.

Claireack

Jo wrote:

Wine.

Cider too, as they are made with fruit, must be good for you

JaneNY

The smoked Tofurky sandwich slices are good. My cats even beg for it if they smell it when we are making sandwiches.

There's one brand of tempeh that makes something called Fakin Bacon. They also have plain tempeh, and I haven't found Fakin Bacon for a while, but its quite good - its already in slices and you just fry it. Great with vegan pancakes, scrambled tofu, and lots of maple syrup, or you can put it on sandwiches like a BLT with vegannaise (vegan mayo).