This is something I see a lot when people try tofu or seitan at first. It really depends on how it’s prepared and cooked. Usually folks turn their nose up at tofu because they think it’s mushy and bland. Which, it totally true for some types of tofu. The beauty of it being “bland” or analog is, you can marinate it and flavor it any way you want (also applies to seitan). If it’s drained well, it will soak up flavors, spices, oils, etc. You can turn it into a really nice tasting product.
The texture thing is something that can be avoided if you use super-firm tofu instead of “silken”. The firmer the tofu, the better the texture. If you fry it or bake it, it gets really firm and chewy. If it’s marinated in a sauce and fried it’ll get really firm and chewy but juicy with flavor. If you freeze it, thaw it, press and drain it, then marinate it before cooking, the tofu will get a “fish-like” texture.
Definitely try some Asian dishes where they fry the tofu, you might be surprised by it if you haven’t had it this way.
Seitan suffers from the same blandness issues as tofu and unfortunately it doesn’t get prepared correctly at many restaurants. I see all too often people will make the seitan but do not season it well, they just cook it and expect there to be flavor or for it to taste like meat. Just like meat, you have to season it and prepare it accordingly to what role it’s going to play in the dish. If you’re wanting to use it like a chicken replacement, season it like chicken. If you want it to replace BBQ, season it with the BBQ spices and rubs when you make the seitan, etc.
The above can be applied to veggies too. It’s really all about how it’s prepared. Learning what you may like comes down to how it’s prepared. There are going to be some vegetables you may simply not like at all, that’s ok! You might surprise yourself though if you try preparing the same vegetables in different ways, one way it’s cooked may be way better than another way, if that makes sense.
I agree a lot with what you’re saying.
I found that I didn’t generally miss eating meat but I was missing those flavors.
Once I was able to replicate the flavors and apply them to a meat substitute or find a restaurant that did I was fine.
While it wasn’t all 100% the same it was enough to satisfy the cravings.
Also after not eating meat for so long I’ve had some urge to try to incorporate some back into my diet but I could never bring myself to actually doing it.
I hate vegetables and fruits - I’ve had to make this change because of health. Option was so this, or leave my kids 10-20 years too early.
I do have to say once you “force” yourself to start eating better and the foods that don’t “taste” good - you begin to develop a taste for it - and the way it makes you feel so to speak.
I forced myself to fry onions and now I love them. Some rice friend up with onions and garlic. Nothing better.
I’m excited to try new foods I previously didn’t like and see what I’m missing out on. I’m going to go get some mushrooms and give it a try.
I don’t even want burgers anymore. They feel “gross” to me now, I’d rather have rice and beans and stuff. It’s crazy how good it makes you feel
Perhaps some of them have a benefit to mankind other than existing?
Seriously though, I would recommend you make sure your body gets all the nutrients and vitamins it needs, because believe it or not meat doesn’t just elevate your cholesterol levels… It has countless benefits!
That is of course, if you do not overeat, as a general rule.
I think all of the environmentalist and animal suffering arguments are valid, but there’s nothing inherently bad for your health about eating meat. Lean meats like chicken and turkey for example are very good for your health.
Glad to see people share a similar diet and hobby with me, I haven’t (intentionally) had meat since the 80s. Even after all this time, I still miss certain foods and do enjoy the meat substitutes that have gotten pretty good over the years. I was bummed when Tofurky stopped making their philly style slices, but I recently tried Jack and Annie’s philly style to make some cheese steak sandwiches and they tasted great. Seeing @Bruce123 posts from Nats this weekend made me want some more.
I havent seen that particular Jack and Annie’s product at my grocery store - but I’ve had their nuggets and breakfast sausages and enjoyed them both. I’ll have to keep my eye out!
Definitely worth it if you like those or are nostalgic about them at all. I prefer the jack fruit based “meat” because it seems possibly less process and more digestible to me than some of the soy based ones. OTOH, jack fruit doesn’t have much protein. Protein isn’t something I worry about too much though.
However - generally every time people have heart or health issues the advice is to follow a plant based diet.
While lean meat may be better than fatty meats. Generally no meat is a better option. That being said there are certain amino acids and vitamins that are tough without meat - supplements help.
valid point about being less “processed” - at this point I don’t eat the store bought substitutes very often, just mainly tofu and then every few weeks I’ll make myself a big batch of seitan “chicken” to use in various dishes.
I’ve found that I can satisfy most of my nostalgia for tastes and textures with those, and even though there may be some things I think I miss sometimes, as soon as I think about my animals I don’t miss that anymore.
Same here, the pre-made stuff is a once in a while convenience thing mostly for us. What we’ve found interesting is that the kids seem to not really eat any of the fake meat stuff. Probably because they’d never tried the real stuff, so a fake chicken nugget didn’t seem like anything to them. They don’t really like burgers or hot dogs either.
I think this is done because it’s harder to screw up. If someone is having cholesterol issues or whatever in the first place, they’re probably not going to understand more nuanced diet advice properly, so doctors play it safe.
if you ever find yourself in upstate NY, you’re welcome to come visit my farm sanctuary! We’ve got over 40 residents rescued from various situations and removed from food systems.
Thanks! @schohariecreeksanctuary on instagram for the animals or @toiletcircle on ig for the yoyo content (also includes animals over the last few years) if you’re interested in either of those
I’m in excellent health.