How many of you don't like tofu, tempeh or fake meat?

[gracelove]

I know that is a lot. I have decided to go back to being veggie. And I have discovered that I just don't like tofu, tempeh or fake meat. I have tried tofu so many ways and I just don't care for it. Tempeh I cannot stand. And fake meat scares me.

I ask the question because I feel like I have now really limited myself. I was just wondering if there are any folks here who enjoy a veg diet without these things?

[CatLadyVT]

I rarely eat those kinds of things, mainly because I hate preparing tofu and the fake meats are expensive. I love tofu, in certain ways, if someone else prepares it. No matter how hard I try, I cannot like tempeh and I have never tried seitan so I can't say one way or the other.

I don't think you are limiting yourself much at all. If you are worried about your protein intake, just eat nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, soymilk, etc.

[TheGoldenEel]

The only times I use tofu are in lasagna and stuffed shells. Fake meat? I use the crumbles in chili and soups, it's really good and I have fooled many people with it. I love tempeh and seitan but don't eat it a whole lot. The fake deli meat frightens me though.

[LittlePenguin]

I use all of those, although not a ton of any, but I don't think it would be limiting to go without. I do think it would be easy to have a healthy, tasty veggie or vegan diet without any of those...

[beatricious]

I hated tofu for many years but I love it now. I still hate tempeh, though! And I very rarely eat fake meats (maybe once a month). Have you ever tried seitan? It's yummy and I hear quite easy to make, though I've never made it myself. It's also really versatile.

But yeah, it's definitely possible to have a healthy and varied veg*an diet without fake meats.

[Swaybe]

I normally hate tofu, but I do love how it's prepared at this one restaurant. As for fake meats...ew. Especially the ones trying to imitate beef. But the chicken-like nuggets are okay. It all just tastes kind of off to me. I prefer veggies and stuff. I've never had tempeh.

[blugirl400]

I usually do not like tofu, I've never tried tempeh, and the fake meats seem gross to me(if I wanted to eat meat, I would eat it, I don't need to eat a substitute when I don't even like the real thing). I'm new to this so I'm probably not the best person to take advice from, but so far I'm doing fine.

[honeyfugle]

I like fake meats, but I'm not usually a big fan of tofu (I think that might just be cos I can't cook it well though... ;) ). I've never had tempeh though.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Obviously, as you can see from the above responses, it's possible to go without any and all of the items you mentioned...

You can get protein from plenty of great sources besides tofu, tempeh and 'fake meats'.

But don't write them off entirely - it's very possible that you might eventually like some of them, when you learn different cooking techniques or as your tastes change or you try a different brand or cooked in a different manner.

I didn't really start "liking" tofu until about 5 years ago, even though I've eaten it off and on, all my life.

[froggythefrog]

I know that is a lot. I have decided to go back to being veggie. And I have discovered that I just don't like tofu, tempeh or fake meat. I have tried tofu so many ways and I just don't care for it. Tempeh I cannot stand. And fake meat scares me.

I ask the question because I feel like I have now really limited myself. I was just wondering if there are any folks here who enjoy a veg diet without these things?

Look at how many things Indians do with lentils in their dishes (for example) and I promise you, you will have plenty of protein and there will be no need for "meat substitutes."

Legumes, grains, nuts, and mushrooms all have good protein too!

[Pirate Ferret]

I only like tofu if its fried so dont eat it often. dont care for fake meat. if someone was nice enough to buy and prepare it for me (like grandparents) id eat it but wouldnt choose it.
never tried tempeh
or did i
was that seitan? i dunno it was a free sample
whatever it was it was horrible

I dont eat any substitutes really, dont care for any and like shopping in cheap normal supermarkets

[Smurfbabe]

Yeah I can't say I'm a big tofu fan, I don't mind it out at restaurants but I don't like it when I prepare it myself. I did however make some tofu vegetable mini quiches and they were surprisingly good (even my non-veg friends said so). I find some of those fake meats a little strange too, but I occasionally get 'soy sausages' or just vegetable sausages/patties because I'm pretty lazy in the kitchen and they are quick and simple.

You can definately have a delicious and varied vegan diet without any processed supermarket crap in my opinion (I'm just too lazy to do without it!)

[Miss Meg]

I don't mind any of those things, but I do suspect that I have a mild alergy to some of it. I don't eat much processed soy in general just to be on the safe side. I was never a big fan of the fake meats anyway.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

<<<sigh>>>
I just need to have a big ol' "HOW TO COOK REALLY EASY, YUMMY TOFU" cooking class for you all!
... ... ... ...

Seriously, those of you who have tried something once, try it again, in a different recipe or brand or whatever. Your tastes DO change. You might be surprised.

When children turn their noses up at something, we parents and educators say it takes ten "tries" to learn whether you really like something or not - I don't know if it's the same with adults, but I still think trying something several times, in different dishes, is a great idea... it opens up a whole world of new possibilities.

[rabid_child]

I love tofu, hate tempeh, like many fake meats but don't buy them too often (maybe once a month?? if not less often) because they're too expensive. I love seitan and make/use that a lot. Also love cooking with the cheap and versatile bean, and sometimes use TVP.

[Scorpius]

I don't like tofu. When I was at a treatment canter for my eating disorder, they had tofu stir fry almost every other night. And it was HORRIBLE. It always came cold...and greasy... Honestly, if we're in a therapeutic place trying to make our relationships with food a bit healthier, don't you think they'd serve us DECENT food!? Sorry got OT there for a sec...

I DO however like some of the fake-deli meats...Lightlife and Yves makes some pretty good ones. Even my meat-and-potatoes dad thought the Lightlife veggie bologna was pretty convincing (don't ask me HOW I got him to try it...he eats like such a little kid...) They're also very convenient for packing lunches, especially for people like me who are not too fond of the same of nut butter and fill in the blank sandwiches day after day.

[Chrysalis]

I love fake meats but they're too pricey for me to buy often. Tempeh is not my favourite, and tofu is okay depending how it's cooked. I am in love with seitan, however it takes a while to make so I don't have that often either! On average I'll go have tofu once or twice (sometimes 0) times a week, and fake meat or seitan every couple of months. So really, it's not that much. I rely heavily upon dishes using beans and rice, and I've fallen in love with lentil dals and lentil curries with naan bread. Oh right, and TVP is good too, I'm not sure if you classify that as a fake meat.

If you don't like fake meat taste, you can get veggie patties that are basically just vegetables and have little/no soy in them. Some of them are pretty tasty, though I'm not sure of their nutritional value.

[bekki81]

I don't really care for fake meats, they make me a bit queasy because they are just too like meat and since it is just gross to me I see no need to emulate it. I do still have two Boca Chik'n patties and I must admit that they are pretty good. Then again there isn't much chicken in "real" chicken patties anyway so maybe that's why the fake ones don't bother me :p
As for tofu I don't like it on its own but it can be an excellent binder agent in some things, like the falafel recipe in Moosewood New Classics or the cupcakes i veganized. I definately say that it is one of those things you can't generally hate just because it is nearly impossible to try it in all of its different forms.
And I love tempeh depending on the preparation. I make an italian tempeh crumble and lentil soup to die for. It's pretty great in stir frys too.
With all that said my two favorite proteins are lentils and black beans. I could seriously live off of them, and they are so easy to make a million and one different ways. Being veg*n is like any other way of eating, you don't have to like everything that fits in the category. Listen to your body, it will let you know if you are getting what you need.

[danakscully64]

The only way I'll eat tofu is in miso or hot and sour soup. I hate tofu any other way. I've never actually tried tempeh, so I can't say anything about that. And fake meat....YUM! I love soy protein! I love veggie corn dogs, Morningstar Veggie Crumbles, MF Grillers, MF "Chicken," and Boca Burgers. And Worthington Wham is just to die for!

Experiment with the fake meats. Don't knock them until you try them all. :) I think the veggie crumbles are the best!

You don't have to eat these things to be healthy though. Beans are the best! :) MMmmm... protein.

[Keli]

I haven't even tried tofu or tempeh, and the fake burgers I find really gross. But I loooove chik-n patties, they are delicious.

[TheGoldenEel]

^The chik-n patties are super good.

[Mskedi]

In general I don't like fake meats. I'll have a smart dog or something when friends are having a barecue sometimes, and I do keep some in the freezer for those times when I run out of fresh food and haven't had a chance to go shopping yet, so I have it probably once every few months, but it's really not my thing.

Tofu, however, I do not consider to be a fake meat. It's just... tofu. If I tried to use it in place of meat in traditionally meat-filled recipes, then maybe, but I don't. It's good stuff. :)

[Hebecarrot]

I like the boca burgers and the GardenBurger riblets. The Tofurky Italian sausages, tofurkey turkey thing for holidays, and spicy chik'n sandwiches. I love convenience.

[Pinkmama]

I have a tofu obsession...but I just don't do fake meat...but that is more of a thing about not eating processed foods than about the fact that it is pretending to be meat!

Clarexxx

[death2fairytale]

"man was not meant to eat artificial meats..."