Anyone else dislike mock meats from a nutritional standpoint?

[federico]

I hate processed foods, vegan or not. The other day I went to this Asian-fusion vegan restaurant and all they had on the menu were mock meats made with wheat gluten, soy protein, etc. I had to bite the bullet and order some "fish" sticks and they were horrible. They were basically covered in bread crumbs and fried. I don't even see why omnis wouldn't just eat the real thing.

Anyone feel the same way?

[*AHIMSA*]

For the most part, from a nutritional standpoint, they aren't a great choice! They can be very delicious and enjoyable if prepared well. Sometimes I LIKE deep fried, batter dipped highly processed soy products and I eat them without a second thought. I am so scrupulous with my eating on a regular basis that a small, infrequent deviation doesn't worry me at all.

As the mother of a teenager, I know mock meats make it more fun for my child too. Also, my man likes (and can "afford" calorie-wise) to eat rich and naughty foods. This is a rare treat for us all and we indulge when we go out to eat on occasion. :D

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

If everyone ate nutritionally sound food all the time, the world (and our health) would be a lot better off...

HOWEVER... some people honestly just don't care about nutrition - or they care more about taste... others don't feel there's a problem with a little "bad" nutrition once in a while...and others can afford to eat all the fat, salt and calories they want... (I'm somewhat the same way AHIMSA is, though I do some less-than-healthy processed items purely for convenience too...)

There are plenty of people who are concerned with their health and don't eat a lot of processed foods - but just be aware that being vegan isn't always synonymous with "healthy"...

[sybaritik]

From a nutritional standpoint, the mock meats I've got in my fridge at the moment are fine.

They contain carbs, iron, zinc, B12, negligable amounts of saturated fat and zero trans fat.

I don't really see a problem.

[paganveg]

I am trying to eat whole, unprocessed foods for the most part. But we do eat them occasionally, and enjoy them.
Our kids especially enjoy the chick'n nuggets, and we sometimes use veggie crumbles.
Helps to add variety, and they can sometimes be good choices when my omni family members come over, since I won't cook meat for them..hehe

[grapico]

same here, i eat all minimally processed foods (all are processed per se) but. yeah... I don't eat the fake meats... I did when I first transitioned... but that was only a week, I view those things as transitional foods...as an athlete over months of eating "junk" vs. eating all healthy foods it makes quite a difference.

[vigilant20]

They aren't really bad for you, and are a good change of pace.

I think people just don't realize how fatty or high calories some of the recipes they whip up are. Try running some of your favorites through a nutritional analyzer program or website sometime and I think you'll be surprised.

[grapico]

They aren't really bad for you, and are a good change of pace.

I think people just don't realize how fatty or high calories some of the recipes they whip up are. Try running some of your favorites through a nutritional analyzer program or website sometime and I think you'll be surprised.

perhaps, but that is a generalization... I track all my calories personally... for years... so ... pretty aware of what is going in there...
when you are eating all unprocessed foods and not cooking with oils/fats, you can eat a lot of "mass" without running up calories much.

www.nutritiondata.com is a great site.

my biggest problem with the processed meats is the high sodium content. that and they are often void of nutrients.

[*AHIMSA*]

when you are eating all unprocessed foods and not cooking with oils/fats, you can eat a lot of "mass" without running up calories much.
True. I regularly eat a LARGE volume of food, several cups at a sitting but the bulk of it is vegetables seasoned with spices and herbs.

Mock meats that the OP was referring to are typically made from soy protein isolate, are HIGHLY processed, sometimes are made from GMO's, are high in sodium and also in fat once prepared. That's not a "good" health choice, any way you slice it! :lol:

Again, I will eat them on occasion when I visit local vegan eateries, for birthdays and when taking omnis to experience something vegan and comparable to what they are accustomed to eating (chicken strips with ranch, sweet and sour and orange chicken and so on).

[grapico]

True. I regularly eat a LARGE volume of food, several cups at a sitting but the bulk of it is vegetables seasoned with spices and herbs.

Mock meats that the OP was referring to are typically made from soy protein isolate, are HIGHLY processed, sometimes are made from GMO's, are high in sodium and also in fat once prepared. That's not a "good" health choice, any way you slice it! :lol:

Again, I will eat them on occasion when I visit local vegan eateries, for birthdays and when taking omnis to experience something vegan and comparable to what they are accustomed to eating (chicken strips with ranch, sweet and sour and orange chicken and so on).


fully agree, I will *eat* them... but they aren't something I include in my daily meals ya know? If it is offered at say a bbq, of course I'll eat a boca burger or something. Same with some mock stuff at restaurants. With all processed/junk food, I don't totally shun it if somebody is offering it or sharing, but I don't purposely stock my kitchen with this stuff. Multiple reasons, but maybe one overlooked... its just more expensive!!!

[mysticaries78]

They were too expensive for me to ever really rely on as a staple. But recently I've been reading about the 'dangers of soy' and how the processing it goes through (for soy milk and tofu, too) actually makes it toxic to your body by adding tons of chemicals, etc. Also that soybeans are one of the largest pesitcide-using crops. Has anyone else read about this? I'm really trying to get my protein from foods in their natural form now. I had been using soy milk as a major protein source but this stuff sort of scared me.http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
If you think about it, it's very unnatural.

[grapico]

They were too expensive for me to ever really rely on as a staple. But recently I've been reading about the 'dangers of soy' and how the processing it goes through (for soy milk and tofu, too) actually makes it toxic to your body by adding tons of chemicals, etc. Also that soybeans are one of the largest pesitcide-using crops. Has anyone else read about this? I'm really trying to get my protein from foods in their natural form now. I had been using soy milk as a major protein source but this stuff sort of scared me.http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
If you think about it, it's very unnatural.

without the bad information I avoid it... I stick to rice milk and coconut milk if I want a milk base. At the same time I don't freak out if I eat some of it... but I don't try to get my protein from it either.

[jeff_veg]

Contrary to a lot opinions here, I think that mock meats ARE bad for you, particularly the highly processed grocery store kind. They are usually loaded with heavily processed soy (not healthy), chemicals (not healthy), and often preservatives (not healthy).

Eating them once in a while won't kill you, but whole foods are the best way to eat.

[paganveg]

They were too expensive for me to ever really rely on as a staple. But recently I've been reading about the 'dangers of soy' and how the processing it goes through (for soy milk and tofu, too) actually makes it toxic to your body by adding tons of chemicals, etc. Also that soybeans are one of the largest pesitcide-using crops. Has anyone else read about this? I'm really trying to get my protein from foods in their natural form now. I had been using soy milk as a major protein source but this stuff sort of scared me.http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
If you think about it, it's very unnatural.


I think all the new hype about soy being dangerous is just that..hype. But I do agree the more soy is processed, the less nutritious it is..as with any food. :)

[Kiz]

Yeah, I'm seeing a whole lot of "fake meats" that don't have high sodium content and have no chemicals and minimal processing. I've seen some "fake meat" processed that's usually little more than wheat gluten with natural herbs and spices. Though seriously, even if the restaurant was using a non-so-good variety eating a little extra salt once in a blue moon when you go out isn't going to kill you. There's healthy and then there's obsessive. Food is also there for pleasure and enjoyment.

[grapico]

When people talk about "mock meats" is that including things like tofu and seitan or is it just about veg*n convenience food? I'm never sure.

Personally I'm not... im referring to like boca chicken strips... that stuff.

[Kiz]

Yeah, some of those fake bacon strips and the like from Santiarium have some pretty serious ingredients. But not all "fake meat" is like that, some is pretty good, no more processed than bread or pasta.

[cryptoveggie]

When people talk about "mock meats" is that including things like tofu and seitan or is it just about veg*n convenience food? I'm never sure.

Tofu, tempeh, and seitan are their own thing. Mock meats would be like smart dogs, veggie ground, or chick'n strips.

[Vegreenmom]

fully agree, I will *eat* them... but they aren't something I include in my daily meals ya know? If it is offered at say a bbq, of course I'll eat a boca burger or something. Same with some mock stuff at restaurants. With all processed/junk food, I don't totally shun it if somebody is offering it or sharing, but I don't purposely stock my kitchen with this stuff. Multiple reasons, but maybe one overlooked... its just more expensive!!!

Agreed! Don't get me wrong, generally speaking it can be cheaper than let's say...organic ground beef to make into burgers. However, it's so much cheaper and easier to eat beans, rice, fruits/veggies, etc. Plus, as it's been said over and over - the mock meats are typically highly processed. Don't get me wrong, I buy a box of something by Boca or Gardenburger from time to time...but I'm not basing my diet off them and would never buy more than maybe one box (usually containing 4-6 'burgers' or 'chicken patties') per month.

[Just_Kris]

With most things in life, my key is moderation. Nearly anything can become bad for you if done/eaten/thought of/etc in excess. I'll just stop there. ;)

[shineonyou]

I cut back on faux meat products because they're expensive! I don't feel especially proud of how little of it I eat from a nutritional standpoint. But I'm not particulary afriad of processed foods and some of it is low calorie enough and fortified with vitamins and such. My dad tends to buy me faux turkey slices whenever I'm at home even though he hasn't see me buy it for myself in years and I say it don't want it (because I don't: it's too expensive for what it is). I read nutrition facts religiously and it doesn't seem to bad... unless you turn them into a sandwich full of high-calorie condiments, which isn't delicious enough to be worth it.

[organgirl]

I eat them, I love them, I don't worry about it much.

I have much bigger things in my life to be concerned with.

[Bells]

I do not eat mock meats, and I have never had them before (unless you count tofu? I have had that a few times).

I don't think you should base your diet around it but every once in a while is fine.

[grapico]

I eat them, I love them, I don't worry about it much.

I have much bigger things in my life to be concerned with.

not to be mean, but isn't your health important?


I guess to me, its a big thing.

[Kiz]

Well, yeah, but a little fake meat in your diet isn't going to kill you. Being concerned about one's health is good but so many people seem to be skewing into orthorexia. Seriously, there are other things to worry about in life than what a person puts in their mouth.