imitation meats
Posted by Anonymous on Mar 18, 2009 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
for the vegans, do you experience any longing or craving for imitation meat, e.g., tofurkey, veggie burgers, etc. ?
myself, having long been vegetarian, then becoming vegan with a lean towards raw foodism, i can't say i feel any attraction towards the . too, maybe because i spend a lot of time on my bike, carrying those type foods or snacks simply becomes less practical than, say, some fruit, nuts, etc.
simply curious.
~ fr
I actually really like tofurky--I don't crave it often--but every now and then I get a hankering for it--I do crave primal strips though! I love those things!
i really enjoy a boca burger if it is done up right...like with sauteed mushrooms and onions and tomatoes and lettuce....veganaise...mustard...i'm hungry!! haha! but that is pretty much the only fake meat i eat...oh, and TVP tacos...just because they are so easy...
sometimes I crave smart dogs......with sauerkraut and mustard....yummmmmm.....
and I really like those Gardenburger Chik N' Grill chicken patties.....
Fake meats are great if you also have to feed an omnivore. My DH actually finds most of them acceptable for eating at home. He needs the dead rotting stuff away from the house. He especially likes the fake "ribs" in a slightly spicy plum sauce that we buy at Whole Foods in San Antonio. We don't have any at the present or I'd be more specific as to the name and brand.
"Not Balls"
Not so much that Gimmie Lean! is such a great tasting thing, but they serve as an awesome vehicle for garlic, onion, oregano, cayenne, cumin, parsly, rosemary... All the stuff that tastes best slow cooked in spaghetti sauce.
Boca Chik'n Patties are the only ones I really crave, but I haven't bought any in months. Sometimes I buy tofu dogs though because they are quick and cheap(er).
I think most of my cravings are for specific meals or flavors. Not for a specific vegan meat exactly. Though Tofurky Jerky is irresistible to me.
The best thing I've come across is that riblet thing that Gardenburger sells.
It's this one.
Chewy but not too meaty, and the BBQ taste totally hits the spot. (I'm from the South, so that is important to me!)
Though a mere vegetarian, the only things I crave are Chick'n strips and chili featuring ground "beef" crumbles.
i guess, in my situation, it's a case of 'can't miss what i've never known' or something that i haven't had in soooo long. still though, i find the physiology & psychology behind "craving" to be somewhat fascinating.
thanks to all for sharing!
~ fr
I understand the "can't miss what you've never known" sentiment. Chick'n strips I eat because I ate them all the time pre-veg. I'd never even had chili before "beef" crumbles. I saw them at the market, and thought I should have chili. I have the fake meat covered from both angles.And my mom makes awesome vegan chili.
well, i've made mistakes too: been about 10 - 12 yrs now but once i'd decided i just had to know what was going on at this popular fast-food place where all the kids were eating, mustered up the courage to walk in, order some sort of cheeseburger, and then bit into it ...
(*GAH*)
... and ended up in the E.R.: turned out my stomach didn't produce the digestive enzymes for ; my doc jokingly questioned whether i'd been pondering some deliberate act of culinary suicide.
have not repeated, nor been tempted to repeat, the experience.
~ fr
fml, were you born without the enzymes to break down meat?? or did your body just stop making them? i haven't had meat in almost a year and even though i have ZERO desire to eat any meat now...i am curious as to how my body would react....but it's not something that i want to test...haha...
I enjoy the taste and the convenience of fake meats, but can't say that I have any cravings for them or for meat.
I enjoy the taste and the convenience of fake meats, but can't say that I have any cravings for them or for meat.
This is a TAC-Tweety+AC. aka AC agrees with Tweets.
I probably have occasional cravings for certain things, but duh.
fml, were you born without the enzymes to break down meat?? or did your body just stop making them? i haven't had meat in almost a year and even though i have ZERO desire to eat any meat now...i am curious as to how my body would react....but it's not something that i want to test...haha...
Not to answer for fml, but I'll answer for fml. Sorry. :)
Humans actually have no pre-digestive enzymes for digesting meat. Our stomachs are not built from birth to handle it. That's why babies, when being introduced to foods, are given only fruits and vegetables. At later stages, meat broths and and pureed meats are slowly introduced, so their body can figure out a way to digest them... by cultivating enzymes and letting it rot in the colon for a while.
The only reason most adults can eat meat is because they were slowly broken into it. Stop eating it, and your body stops making the items used to digest it.
So yeah, if you ate meat, you'd have no enzymes at this point... and hoo boy!
fml, were you born without the enzymes to break down meat?? or did your body just stop making them?
Not to answer for fml, but I'll answer for fml. (...) Humans actually have no pre-digestive enzymes for digesting meat. Our stomachs are not built from birth to handle it (...) Stop eating it, and your body stops making the items used to digest it. So yeah, if you ate meat, you'd have no enzymes at this point... and hoo boy!
(*sits on top of physiology text to reach keyboard*) hmm ... yes, kind of like nature gave me a headstart on a vegan diet; pretty close to what was written above.
~ fr