Best Meat Substitutes For New Vegetarians Who Miss the Flavor

If you are new to a vegetarian lifestyle, you might find yourself missing meat. Keeping those cravings at bay are key to sticking to your new meatless habits. So how can you satisfy your longings? Here are some of the best meat substitutes.

When I became a vegetarian over 25 years ago, it was difficult to find meat analogs, or fake meats. You couldn't buy veggie hot dogs or meatless burgers anywhere, much less at any grocery store. I had to come up with my own recipes to get the flavor of the meat I was missing.

Meat Casseroles

Get Spicy

One of the first recipes I developed was a meatless Portuguese bean soup recipe. I realized much of the flavor was from the spices in the Portuguese sausage. So I incorporated those into the soup, and voila, a lovely vegetarian rendition.

If you have a favorite recipe with lots of spices, see if you can't use just the spices and leave the meat out. Chances are good that the flavor you are looking for comes more from the spices than the meat itself.

But this won't work if the base flavor is meat. So how to substitute for that?

Fake Burgers

Today you can find a wide selection of meatless burgers in the frozen section of any grocery store. If not, take a trip to your local health food or natural products store. You'll be overwhelmed with the selection there.

Meatless burgers usually are flavored either with various oils and extracts (from soy, mushroom, and yeasts), or with vegetables and grains. They tend to be mostly vegetable flavored, or made to taste similar to meat. Try the "meaty" ones.

If you grill the burgers or fry them in a pan with a little oil, to get a crispy outside, you might be surprised at how satisfying they can be. Add all the trimmings you normally do: cheese (or an alternative), mustard, pickles, mayo, whatever, and I bet you'll be pretty happy.

If not, try other varieties and brands. The flavors and textures very hugely, from chewy and smoky, to mushy and bland. Don't give up after just a few. There are so many to try, I'm sure you'll find something you like.

Meat Analogs

Several companies also make fake meat products, such as chicken strips or chunks, luncheon meats, pepperoni, and hot dogs. Again, the tastes vary quite a bit from brand to brand. But they can be very satisfying. Look for them in the freezer or deli section, as dried bits to be rehydrated, or canned.

I love veggie pepperoni, chopped up and added to a pizza. Or veggie hot dogs added to baked beans.

Being a vegetarian doesn't mean you have to give up the foods you love. With a little trial and error, you can re-create those comfort foods, including meat. It takes some persistence and willingness to experiment. But you are likely to find decent meat substitutes when you miss that meaty flavor.

Best Meat Substitutes For New Vegetarians Who Miss the Flavor

Find award-winning vegetarian and vegan recipes at my blog: http://almostveganinparadise.wordpress.com/

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