Seitan versus TVP?

**Lisahas2cats** · 01-04-2008, 09:34 PM

I used to buy TVP, but I've read enough about how it's created that I no longer want to eat it (it's chemically "washed", etc, etc). But I've been reading about "wheat meat", or seitan, and am intrigued. Do any of you use this, or make your own? How does it compare with meat? Whether you make your own or buy it, how frugal is it? If you make it.....how?

TIA!
Lisa

**shortcake** · 01-05-2008, 09:27 PM

I have never made it. I am the only vegetarian in my family. Since I don't want to cook two meals everyday I usually keep some frozen vegetarian meals in the freezer for myself when I don't have anything else on hand. One of the meals I buy is seitan in a sweet & sour thai sauce with basmati rice, it's my favorite meal. I have seen packages of just the seitan in sauces before that you can buy also. The ones I have seen are always in a flavoured sauce, I think seitan is like tofu and doesn't have much flavour on it's own.
Can you tell me more about TVP I use it all the time and have never heard of what you mentioned above about the washing???

**Lisahas2cats** · 01-05-2008, 09:46 PM

Here's a link to one online article I found with concerns about TVP, from a "how it's produced" standpoint. Also, I've read concerns about how since it's not a very processed soy product (soy isolate), there's a risk of it putting one at much higher risk for cancer (as opposed to eating more natural soy foods that may help prevent cancer, like edemame).

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/artic...le-protein.php

**shortcake** · 01-05-2008, 09:52 PM

Thanks I will check it out. I don't know any other vegetarians so it is nice to meet some on this site.

**Lisahas2cats** · 01-06-2008, 10:36 AM

I don't want to fly under false pretenses, so I do have to say that I'm not a vegetarian

. We do eat less meat than a lot of families (and my dad's family was 7th Day Adventist), but meat is still, for better or worse, part of our diet!

**shortcake** · 01-06-2008, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Lisahas2cats

I don't want to fly under false pretenses, so I do have to say that I'm not a vegetarian

. We do eat less meat than a lot of families (and my dad's family was 7th Day Adventist), but meat is still, for better or worse, part of our diet!

I just read everything again, sorry that's my fault, I assumed you were vegetarian. I thought you had mentioned being vegetarian but I think I confused this post with another one. I'm really sorry, didn't mean to. I think it's great that you incorporate none meat products also. I know a lot of people just cringe including some of my family members when they hear something is vegetarian. They don't even give it a chance or taste it.

**Lisahas2cats** · 01-06-2008, 05:53 PM

Girl, no need for apologies!

. I just didn't want you to come across any posts later where I'm talking about eating meat and think "Wha...?", LOL.

And maybe it's because I grew up in a very Adventist area, but meat alternatives have always been part of the diet around here (even if it wasn't necessarily always in my home growing up). Even when we don't eat "meat alternatives", we have lots of meat-free meals

**perSue** · 01-06-2008, 06:49 PM

i'm a veggie!
but my family isnt... so i cook meat for others.

i don't like tvp, because most that you find in the supermarket does have chemicals... so you can buy your own to make... but that can be tedious.

otherwise, i like seitan. it's versatile, and it has a subtle taste, that i don't have a problem covering up. not exactly one i want to be able to taste all the time. it's good for bulk and adding to recipes.

**Vegreenmom** · 01-06-2008, 08:48 PM

I use seitan and love it. It's one of the only meat-substitute type thing I really eat...I mostly just eat beans for protein. Personally I wouldn't make it at home. I have a few friends who have and have said that the amount you have to rinse it and drain it (many MANY times) uses so much water that they doubt if it saves that much money over buying it premade.

**Mtngrl25** · 05-31-2008, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Vegreenmom

I use seitan and love it. It's one of the only meat-substitute type thing I really eat...I mostly just eat beans for protein. Personally I wouldn't make it at home. I have a few friends who have and have said that the amount you have to rinse it and drain it (many MANY times) uses so much water that they doubt if it saves that much money over buying it premade.

Bumping my really old thread, LOL!

Vegreenmom, you can buy the vital wheat gluten and use it directly in your seitan-making instead of doing the rinse/drain/forever method with whole wheat flour.

I did try making seitan once after posting this thread, and it was less than successful. But now I know that I allowed it to cook too "hard" (meaning my water was boiling)....it had the consistency of rubber, literally. I plan to give it another shot, as I still have my 5 pound bag of gluten in my pantry, LOL