Other than tofu

Perhaps a couple months ago I thought it would be nice to get some burgers so I could make one up for lunch every so often (no, this does not mean I go to Mickey D's for food). Much to my surprise when I thought about this a bit more I realized what I wanted wasn't a beef burger, but a veggie burger. So I tried a few more and then went back to my earlier reviews to see if there were any I could try again. Some of my adventures in eating:

This first group were found at a health food store:

Moophrey Burgers. As with some of the earlier veggie burgers, this is not a flavor I could eat long term. Again as before one is too little and two are too much.

Amy's Texas Veggie Burgers, Barbecue Flavor. By the end of the first one it seemed too sweet. Again, not a good long-term flavor and again, wrong size. I looked at other flavors, but they were higher in sugar or in carbs.

I looked at other brands at this store but they were higher in carbs, to the detriment of the protein content.

Quorn Grounds. This is a product made from mycoprotein (mushroom?) and egg whites to be used as a substitute for ground meat. As in other substitutes the sauce can make a difference and I'll have to experiment (the current version is a little too heavy on the tomato paste). I guess the sloppy joes I made using it are acceptable, though the texture is a little chewey. It made an amazing mess in my microwave.

Back at a regular grocery store (well, one particular store in the area):

I tried some meatless meatballs, which were decent. I forgot to record the brand name, but I remember what the box looks like. The continued success depends on getting a good salsa or other sauce.

From my earlier notes I tried the Morning Star Grillers Prime. I've come to like the flavor, though they are high in fat. The "prime" part of the title means they are bigger than the regular burgers.

Poking around in the freezer section I found Morning Star Sausage Patties. These have a very good flavor and are lower in fat than the Grillers Prime (and much lower in fat than they typical sausage patty. Each patty is small, but they come in a package of two, which is about right for a sandwich.

I also found Morning Star Sausage Links. A good flavor and low in fat (like the patties). But it would take 5 links to make a decent meal instead of the 2 suggested on the package. This would be a good side dish to a traditional breakfast (but I only eat a traditional breakfast when away from home).

Here is an article which I just found from Health and Wellness that lists 7 sources of meatless protein -- other than tofu. The suggestions:

* Quinoa (KEEN-wah), a grain with a nutty flavor that cooks faster than rice.

* Veggie burgers (been there, see above).

* Almonds, almond milk, almond butter. It doesn't say how the fat content of almonds compares to peanuts (a staple of my diet in the form of natural peanut butter with the oil poured off).

* Yogurt, though low-fat is way too processed and flavored has too much corn syrup.

* Tempeh, similar to tofu but nuttier and chewier.

* Legumes -- lentils, black beans, chickpeas, etc. And hummus.

* Cheese from humanely raised animals.

I may have to try some of these ideas.

Naturally, this article drew a huge number of comments from vegetarians pushing a huge number of related ideas (humanely raised dairy even possible?) which must be taken with a grain of salt.