[Tracy]

I really want to go totally vegetarian and have been cutting meat out of my diet slowly (which is hard with a DH that loves meat). I have tried several meat substitutes and there is one hamburger brand that I love but cost $$$ so I only get it once in a blue moon. But I have tried tofu, tofu hotdogs, tofu substitutes but I really hate it. Which is sad because I have tried to like it but I don't.:thud: Does anyone have any suggestions for any other substitutes that don't taste like well like tofu? Or what do you like or does anyone have any recipes for vegetarian substitutes?

 

[i.m.cheap]

I am not vegetarian, but I do like the "Original Garden Burgers" They are yummy. I like them on a whole wheat bun, with tomato, shredded lettuce, red onion, and French's Gourmayo in the Smokey Chipotle flavor.

 

[bamaprincess]

Boca makes really good burgers and sausages (my husband even eats them). We like the Italian Sausages by Boca but not the breakfast sausage. We aren't really vegetarian but we are trying to eat healthier.
Try this website: www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com She has lots of stuff about vegetarian and veganism. There is a link on the left titled "Meat Dairy and Egg substitutes" with a whole list of different brands of meat subs.

 

[Neeley]

I am total veggie. Personally I love Boca and Morningstar Farms. I am not all that crazy about Garden Burgers. Boca makes a delicious lasagne, "hamburgers" and crumblers. Morningstar farms has wonderful hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken patties, steak strips and chicken strips. Garden Burger does make tasty ribs - I just do not like their hamburger patties.
I use the Boca crumblers for everything from casseroles to tacos to cheeseburger pizza. A box of the Boca crumblers (this is the vegetarian version of browned ground beef) usually runs about $3.00 a box. In each box there are 3 individual bags. I get three meals out of each box - and keep in mind I am feeding 4 BIG eaters. Boca is a little less than morningstar Farms, but Morningstar Farms has a bigger variety. Garden Burger is by far the cheapest.
If you go on Ebay, there is a lady who sells coupons for vegetarian items. She is really nice and will send you a weekly newsletter with the coupons she has available. I always get Boca and Morningstar Farm ones from her. I think her name is Organicallygrownkids. I will look it up and make sure I am right and see if I can find her website for you. She will normally have $0.50 to $0.75 off coupons for Boca - Morningstar farms are a little harder to find - she has these less frequently.
I hate tofu also - made me GAG!!!

 

[babetteq]

Luckily there were healthy vegetarians long before tofu was invented! You can avoid it completely and not look for 'meat substitutes' but simply change your diet - incorporate more lentils, beans, nuts, seeds etc and just not worry about 'substitutes'. I'm not a big tofu fan, but one of my favourite things is little squares of firm tofu that have been deep fried until they're golden and crisp on the outside, with spicey peanut sauce.

 

[i.m.cheap]

One reason I like the Garden Burgers is that they do not attempt to taste like meat. They taste more like grain to me. I have tried Boca and Morningstar farms, and they make some good products too. I have to put a little Tabasco sauce on the Boca burgers to cover that "soy" taste.

 

[lottaLove]

I agree, you definitely don't need tofu to be healthy. When we're having meatless dinners, which is a lot, I love to make black beans. Instead of burgers, you can grill up some portabellos, top with roated peppers, and yum yum yum!!

I'm not a fan of tofu unless it's been deef fried, but we do like the Yves burgers and "ground round" crumbles. If you add them to a sauce or chili, you hardly notice the difference. I add the crumbles to spaghetti sauce, and my DH, who absolutely refuses to eat any soy product, can't tell it's not ground beef.

I found a good recipe book at our library that I photocopied some recipes from, it's called World Vegetarian cookbook by Sarah Brown. I like that cookbook, because none of the recipes call for seitan or tempeh or tofu, or any other kind of "vegetarian meat substitute" that you can find in stores. There are some great ideas in there that take things you probably already have laying around your pantry!

 

[Nada.Leona]

Schnieders makes the most delicious faux chicken burgers. They are so delicious and even my :smooch: thinks they taste like chicken.

I started eating chicken and fish again, because I want to start working out my muscles and strength training, so I wanted the extra protein. But I still love most soy products.

 

[Tracy]

Thank you for all the great suggestions. I am going to try them and make some beans in my crockpot today. Yummy I hope they turn out okay!

 

[patra]

Luckily there were healthy vegetarians long before tofu was invented! You can avoid it completely and not look for 'meat substitutes' but simply change your diet - incorporate more lentils, beans, nuts, seeds etc and just not worry about 'substitutes'. I'm not a big tofu fan, but one of my favourite things is little squares of firm tofu that have been deep fried until they're golden and crisp on the outside, with spicey peanut sauce.

I too am a vegetarian(I do eat eggs though- the happy kind )I do not eat tofu anymore for I have had some wierdness with it some sensitivity,but lentils and rice,black bean soups and even peanut butter on rice bread have been some of my staples.I also eat yogurt, though milk is another one of those sensitivities( gluten milk etc...)but seem to be able to metabolize it pretty well.(I try to get organic yogurt and eggs on sale- my daughter seems to intuitively turn from soy and most meats but chicken and eats eggs and yogurt-she is two and I have no intention of raising her as a vegetarian unless at an older age and maturity she decides its what she wants...)sorry for the babbling Im sleepy!

Patty

 

[frugalvegan]

oh tofu hotdogs are gross. however, a tofu stir fry can be amazing...tofu will soak up the flavour of whatever marinade or whatever you cook with it; teriyaki, soy sauce, spices, whatever.

 

[frugalvegan]

also: tofu BLTs...i love these. slice tofu, marinade with soy sauce, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast. let sit, then bake 20 minutes. the rest is your usual BLT. yum.

 

[Neeley]

oh tofu hotdogs are gross. however, a tofu stir fry can be amazing...tofu will soak up the flavour of whatever marinade or whatever you cook with it; teriyaki, soy sauce, spices, whatever.

I tried cooking tofu in some marinade and I could not get it to absorb the taste. I had always hear you could get it to take on the taste of whatever it was cooked with - did not work for me. Any secret to it that I am missing?Which firmness of tofu are you getting - or does that matter? Our store sells it in various level of firmness and in a few different brands.
Please share your secret for making it edible and good cause I am doinfg something WRONG!!
Thakns in advance for any advice you care to share - Leigh

 

[frugalvegan]

i like firm; its always worked for me...let it marinade for a while...with the BLTs i let it all soak in for 10 minutes or so

 

[cheles2kids]

Sometimes the *brand* of tofu stinks. I've tried eating tofu out at restaurants & it's been awesome! But the one time I tried with a recipe here at home, it turned out awful!!

Then someone told me it was probably the brand that I was using. I've heard Mori Nu it supposed to be a good, easy to find brand (I used Nasoya with my recipe). But everyone says the fresh tofu at a oriental market that you take out of a big tub yourself, is supposed to be the tastiest of all.

Thanks, FrugalVegan for sharing the BLT recipe, this sounds YUMMY!!:fdance:

Michelle in Fl.

 

[Maisiedotes]

I am vegan, and I found beef-style TVP in the health food store. It is vegan, and SO cheap, much cheaper than the veggie crumbles. I found them in the bulk section. I also hated tofu when I first went veg 9 years ago, but it grew on me. I recommend starting with the pressed stuff- there are a few different brands out there and the texture is not as squishy. I have had the sesame-ginger and a few others- they are yummy.

As far as regular tofu goes, I love the soy boy water-packed extra firm. It seems firmer than other extra firm. I can't stomach the silken stuff. Freezing tofu improves its texture.

Have you tried seitan? It is much meatier in texture. I grate it for chili, or slice it for stir fries or with pasta. It is cheap and easy to make your own, too.

Good luck!

 

[frugalvegan]

yay i hope you love the BLTs! i'm going to make some tomorrow

 

[Stella]

I am in love with morningstar brand chik strips. The honey mustard and buffalo flavors are my fav. I had some people at work eat them and they had no idea. I like the morningstar corndogs too. My BF is anti-fake meat and he had no idea they were not meat. I did not tell him until he was finished, and then he got mad because I proved him right that you can not tell the diffrence. I cut up the chik strips and use them on salads too. The veggie crumbles are good too. I cook them, add a little "lighthouse sesame giner" dressing to the pan and put them in lettuce, to make lettuce wraps. They are sooooo good!

 

[Stella]

I am in love with morningstar brand chik strips. The honey mustard and buffalo flavors are my fav. I had some people at work eat them and they had no idea. I like the morningstar corndogs too. My BF is anti-fake meat and he had no idea they were not meat. I did not tell him until he was finished, and then he got mad because I proved him right that you can not tell the diffrence. I cut up the chik strips and use them on salads too. The veggie crumbles are good too. I cook them, add a little "lighthouse sesame giner" dressing to the pan and put them in lettuce, to make lettuce wraps. They are sooooo good!

 

[Stella]

Woops, sorry!