I have been completely vegetarian since last Friday. I know, not that long to already have a problem! (Before I was still eating fish products) and picked up some Tofuturkey at the grocery store over the weekend. I hated it! Do you think it was the brand? Just tofuturkey? Or Tofu in general? (I hope this is NOT the case!) Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Lunch seems to be my meal where I tend to fall on fish products for some proten so any other alternatives would be fabulous!

Thanks!:rockon:

IMO, you probably don't like the Tofurky brand. There's a lot of variation in flavor and texture between the different faux meats; if you try some others you'll probably find a couple you like. I doubt that your dislike is of tofu itself but rather the seasonings/flavor of the additives in Tofurky since tofu really doesn't have much a flavor to itself. Try out some of the flavored smoked tofu (available in most health food stores and/or large supermarkets)!

Here's some lunch ideas from my weekly menu that have a minimum of effort:

red pepper/cucumber/hummus sandwich on wheat bread
homemade Greek salad with lettuce, olives, tomato, & dressing
classic cheese & tomato sandwich
Greek salad stuffed into pita bread
couscous with plum tomatoes and garlic

If I feel uninspired for lunch I throw whatever veggies I have on a sandwich and voila! It's also a good strategy to make extra for dinner and have the left-overs for lunch the next day.

Tofurkey doesn't taste like Tofu. There are a lot of differences of opinions when it comes to which deli slices are yum, and which are yuk. I find a lot of them are better having been fried in a bit of earth balance first.

I've never tried Tofurkey so I can't really help you there.

As for ideas for lunch:
Hummus on a bagel or bread
Peanut/almond butter and jelly on a bagel or bread
Peanut/almond butter and banana on a bagel or bread
Pasta
Left-overs
Salad
Cut up veggies in a ziplock

If you're stuck eating from a deli or convencience store they usually have veggie and fruit salads, fruit juice, trail mix and potato chips. :sweat:

I like tofurkey products, although I'm not sure if I would have at the beginning. I was so focused on texture at that time too. Everything that was a substitute was a little wierd. :)

I wonder if you should distance yourself from meat analogs for a while and try them again in a few months. I bet your comparing them to meat. You have to like them for what they are, not because they taste just like turkey - they don't. They are what they are.

I don't even remember what a meat burger tastes like and frankly, I'm now convinced that there is no difference between the taste of a BK veggie burger and it's meat counterpart!

It's only been two weeks since you stopped eating most meat, and only since Friday that you haven't been eating fish. My experience is that most (not all) meat analogues taste fairly nasty when you still remember what meat tastes like. Give yourself at least 30 days, then maybe try again. Personally, I've been veg over two years, and I'm just now starting to like some of the meat analogues. The other day, I bought veggie ham slices to use to sneak my dog her medication, and I tried some. Two years ago, I tried veggie ham, and I thought it was NASTY. Yesterday, I wanted to eat the whole package.

The meat analogues I have always liked are:
Gardenburger meatloaf (although it seems you can only get it in a meal now).
Gardenburger riblets.
Gardenburger cutlets (I don't eat them anymore because they have honey, but they are tasty).
Gardenburger sausage.
Boca Vegan burgers.

For lunch, I usually make extra for dinner and bring in leftovers. Other options are:
Hummus and veggies in a pita (add bread and butter pickles and artichoke hearts, and it reminds me strongly of tuna).
Big salad with assorted veggies with lots of beans or three bean salad on top. Or with nuts on top.
PB&J
Nut butter with veggies to dip it in.
Hummus with veggies to dip it in.
Pasta salad.
Soup with lentils and/or beans.

for the record, i don't like the tofurky deli stuff, but their "turkey" roast is really good. maybe you could try one of those?

Another lunch idea: "Mock" tuna salad. Just dump a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) into a bowl, mash 'em up really well with a fork, and use the mashed chickpeas in place of tuna to make your usual tuna salad. Mmmmmmm

Wow! Thanks for all the ideas :) The faux tuna salad with chickpeas sounds like a fantastic idea!

I definitely think it's been too soon since I had real turkey to appreicate the faux turkey. I'll experiment around and see what I can come up with!

It's actually been kind of exciting and cool (I'm a dork, I know) to experiment and see what I like or don't like.

The mashed chick peas sound yummy! I'll try that tomorrow!
I don't like tofurky either. No worries, there are lots of options out there. :)

try to find some recipes using whole foods--rather than relyingon meat analogues. you can live without them--i know i do! :)

meat analogues in general freak me out. The closest I get to them is the occaisonal TVP (and then very rarely).
I stick to eating fresh veggie sandwiches, or hummus and pita bread or leftovers from the night before or anything wrapped in a tortilla.

I don't think too many people actually like the Tofurkey itself, but moist of their products are very good, the various slices, the sausages and kielbasi, and definately the tempeh Superburgers, which they should market way more than they do, I think that they're easily the best burger I've run across.

Maybe black beans with rice and some taco seasonings in a wrap, if you are looking for protein?

Tofurky is great haha! Tofurky bratwurst, with saurkraut! THE BEST, and for tofurky sandwich slices, i do what rabid_child does, fry them, and turn into into hot breakfast ham, has a fresh fresh bacon/ham flavor after its warmed up, but in olive oil (which is a healthy oil to use, i use it on everything), instead earth balance, that and they are high in protein, 29 grams for a bratwurst!!

I agree with the postings that waiting a bit of time will help you enjoy the faux meats (and cheeses, too). I love tofurkey brand slices, especially the peppered or hickory, but don't care for the big hunk of solid Tofurkey that is a sub for turkey at Thanksgiving. I make a stuffed tofu which is delicious and doesn't pretend to be meat.
As far as the burger business, I don't care much for the ones that try to be like the rubbery fast food burgers. The Sunburgers are just great and so are Tamari flavor tempeh burgers. The recipe for Budget Burgers in Ecological Cooking is just delicious.