The main reason so many people are drawn toward fatty food, and insist that "meat" tastes "good".... is because meat tends to have a lot of fat in it. Whereas Fats and oils coat and stay on ones taste buds longer, along with the spices and other ingredients in the recipe, giving the illusion it is the meat that must be doing this. The same goes for fatty things like donuts, cookies and onion rings. Most meat analogs are healthy alternatives with little oil in them. We all know that a lot of fat in a diet is not good for a person, and almost all Americans NEED to switch to a lower fat diet. Yes, food will taste different, just switching to a meat free analog. But you can add more oil to, say, a meatless meat, and it will make the flavor more pronounced., but do you need too? Since taste is a learned process we need to "unlearn" some things too. Give new products a chance and in time just the thought of all that previous fat in your diet will turn your stomach.

Some of the best meat substitutes in my opinion.

When trying substitutions be open minded. Even when cooking with regular non-vegan ingredients, recipes do turn out differently, according to humidity, age of spices, amount of mixing, etc....

Virtually All meat is altered before it is eaten. The final product is "what it is" through texture, spices and usually a high contact of fat, which isn't good for you in any form.(see side note below) so using a "meat" replacement should not be that big of a deal.

I of course haven't tried all the substitutes out there so there might be even better ones, since I found these. The ones I list here are the ones that I use in my recipes, and have fooled many a meat eater with them!

Beef, chicken pork, etc.... each have many analogs out there. If you are adding it to a dish that has a lot of flavor already, like a spaghetti sauce, or casserole, you can use an "un-flavored" or mild alternative that resembles the meat you normally use, having the size and texture of that item.

You will see TVP , which stands for texturized vegetable protein, which can be used in just about any recipe.
Most meaty substitutes are made out of soy, vegetable proteins, and/or wheat gluten! They are amazing! Look for Seitan or Wheat Meat in the refrigerated section, or make your own! You can fool a lot of people by using seitan in place of meat when you use it with a sauce. Easy to do and much
less expensive then any meat or meat substitute!...

I prefer a mild flavor alternative in most recipes, such as the "Flavored Ground Poultry Style" or "Flavored chunk beef style" The ground is great for sandwich recipes, besides other recipes such as sauces, etc... and the chunk is wonderful in soups, stews.... etc... check out http://www.healthy-eating.com/texturedsoy.html

There are many alternative Burger products on the market. Check out the freezer section of most super markets or for even more go to a "health food store"! Some will remind you of a "meat" burger while others will be a totally new taste experience, with lots of spices, mushrooms, peppers... etc... Very Gourmet!

The best burger substitute I found is called Soy 7, or aka "whole Earth" burger mix l. It comes in a dry mix that makes great burgers, loafs, meatballs, tacos etc.... and there is no refrigeration needed for the unopened pack!
UNFORTUNATELY, ADN, the company that used to make Soy7, has stopped making this product... but they informed me that another company, SOLCUISINE will be offering it, in small packages soon! Although they do offer bulk, 22 pound packs rght now! http://www.solcuisine.com/services2.html

The best broth, is from Frontier, their beefy broth powder has a mild good flavor so makes a great substitution for any recipe that calls for any flavor broth.

Bacon is almost pure fat with a smoke flavor. That smoky flavor is easy to copy. Liquid smoke is just that; liquid smoke. Most super markets carry these small bottles, usually near the BBQ sauces. A few drops in anything calling for bacon will help retain that flavor.
There are also many smoky products that imitate the texture.... Bacos have been around for many, many years and a staple at salad bars everywhere! My favorite bacon substitute is the "Soft Bacon Style Crumbles" or "crunchy bits". BLTs never tasted so good!

The place I buy the crumbles and burger items at (besides others) is:

This is the best source I have found for such a variety of great alternatives to try and can be delivered to your door!
Just scan this site and you will have a new outlook for vegetarian and vegan options!

My favorite stand alone dry "meaty" item is the "stonewall's Jerquee" Vegetarian Jerkies, Teriyaki Beef for eating right out of the package. For cooking, I like the original mild, just re-hydrate in boiling water for a few minutes and it is just like steak! Add some A1 steak sauce and your set! They also have spicy flavors if you like it hot! Use this jerkie for all cooking, when you want the meaty, chunky texture. It is found to be too "meaty" for some vegans and vegetarians. You can also order them in small pieces "fines" which are fabulous for anything where smaller "meat" is used, such as a roast beef sandwich...

Morningstar Farms has recently come up with a steak strip that is
quite good.

Another truly remarkable meat substitute is Veggie Ribs Mix ! They are incredible! You have to try these! They are actually best the next day so make them one day, serve them the next.... You won't believe how good they are! Just add a couple things.. like peanut butter (yep!) and your favorite BBQ sauce... bake and WOW!

You can find these through www.healthy-eating.com also, plus many health food stores sell a lot of these same items, so check them out too!
There are lots of "hotdogs" on the market too. For regular "kid type" wieners I like the canned "Big Franks" by Loma Linda.

For a more flavorful one I like tofurky brand Kielbasa, in the refrigerated section.

Tofurky also makes wonderful "turkey" Tofurky Deli slices for sandwiches, or salads, or sliced in casseroles such as "turkey" tetrozini. etc... I like the Hickory Smoked one.

You will also find sliced hams, pepperonis, Canadian bacon, etc.... so you have a lot of trying to do!


BOCA has recently come out with an excellent vegan Chicken Burger.
BOCAź Original Chik'n Patty ,
which could fool any Mcchicken burger fan

Just don't forget, most people put lots of other things on sandwiches .. mustard lettuce, tomatoes, etc... and in recipes...... so give these, and anything else you sample, a fair try as you would, say, eat a "real" "meat" sandwich.

Although these are great stand alone products too!


I recently came upon VegeUSA A company that offers items like vegan shrimp, Citrus ribs, Pepper steak, chicken drumstix... a vegan chicken, and a ham roll that are truly amazing! They aren't sold in stores and are only available to restaurants and one store in California that I am aware of. But perhaps press the company, and check out their other products. VegeUSA These are foods that everybody will love, and vegans wonder if they are truly vegan!

Converting other recipes to vegan is very easy.

You will want to keep a couple things in mind. when you start, so you will understand a little more on why items are used for different recipes.

Eggs are used primarily for two reasons in cooking;
as a binder, to help hold other ingredients together, like in a "meat" loaf
and as a leavening agent to help the item "rise" as in baking.
If you keep that in mind you should do well!

Instead of 1 egg in baking, you can use...

• 1 T Flax seeds ground with 3 T water
• 1 Tablespoon (chick pea) or soya flour and 1 T water
• 1 T arrowroot, 1 T soy flour and 2 T water
• 2 T Cornstarch
• 2 T Potato starch (Instant mash potatoes)
• 2 Tbsp flour, 1/2 Tbsp shortening, 1/2 tsp baking powder and
  2 tsp water
• 1/4 cup soft tofu blended with the liquid portion of the recipe
• 1/2 large banana, mashed
• 2 Heaping t Soy powder + 2 T water 
•  1/4 cup apple sauce (in sweet recipes)
  
  I usually use 1 T ground flax seed, 1 T cornstarch, 1 T oil
  plus 2 T water or soymilk, in place of 1 egg
  and have had no problems yet!
  
  I adjust to the recipe... If it has more than 2 eggs I add baking powder.
  If you don't want the flax seeds, say
  in a smooth batter white bread cake, then use something else....

 choose 1 instead per egg...

• 2 T mashed potatoes
• 2 T mashed avocado
• 2 T Tahini or other Nut Butter
• 2 T moist bread crumbs
• 2 T Moist Oats
• Plain silken tofu
• White sauce (soy milk, vegan margarine, and cornstarch or flour)
• 
  

In place of eggs for breakfast...
check the recipe page but silken tofu, nutritional yeast, broth, and vegis make an incredible Vegan scrambled eggs!

Other Dairy Substitutes

Oil is 100% fat
Real margarine must be 80%
Oil Spreads and Whipped Spreads can range from
zero fat to 70% so read the label if cooking with it!

Vegan Butter/margarine/shortening/oil
Shortening, like regular crisco is vegan, and can be used in place
of butter in recipes. (Although it is not the healthiest choice.)
To make it healthier, use oil, like Canola and 3/4 the amount .
If a recipe calls for 1 cup shortening or butter, use 3/4 cup oil.

You can use margarine for baking without any noticeble difference in
the final product, if it contains at least 60% fat.
There are some very good vegan butter substitutes on the market,
and most of them are found in health food stores such as Earth Balance.
A real Margarine found in many regular supermarkets is Nucoa brand. ,
a stick margarine, so easily substitutes for any butter or margarine.

Milk
Soy milk can be used for drink, on cereal, and in cooking, baking..anywhere that dairy milk has been traditionally used.
There are several options for "milk" substitutes, including Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Almond Milk, etc... Some are sweetened and some are plain, some are chocolate, vanilla etc... so personal tastes and preferences are the main key for choosing a milk alternative.
Don't expect it to taste like cows milk. It is a product that can be used in places some people traditionally use cows milk, It is not made to taste like it.

If you don't know which one to choose, when cooking use the plain unsweetened, where there is ONLY soybeans and water on the ingredients. Any other ingredients, even when it says unsweetened, can alter the taste in the final product.

Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk is just 2 servings of milk in 1 serving of liquid.
So to get evaporated milk use twice as much instant dry soy milk powder to one serving of milk, or take ready made soy milk (with only soy beans and water on the label) and use that in place of water for mixing one serving of of instant dry soy milk powder.

Sweetened Condensed Milk
Use this recipe to make your own.

CHEESE is one of the things hardest to find a perfect substitute for.
Although, they are coming out with new products constantly,so it is
just a matter of time for thee perfect vegan cheese substitute to
come around!
For now, the best cheese substitute I have found is Follow Your Heart,
brand, Vegan Gourmet.
What I do, if I don't have store bought vegan cheese, or to extend it,
is make a vegan cream sauce, adding more nutritional yeast and onion powder, and for that shredded cheese look, I grate extra firm tofu,
and mix it with a lot of nutritional yeast and onion salt/garlic salt.
This works great for pizza, where you have a "melted" cheese, and
it still looks like real cheese.

Cream Cheese

Tofutti "Better Than Cream Cheese"
To make one from scratch, and substitute it in cooking, remember it is almost 90% fat! 54 % moisture. Very much like sour cream but firmer.
when baking or when making a dessert, or "sweet" food,
You can substitute another high fat "butter" like almond paste, or even avocado and more oil and add a little tofu for consistency.
If you want cream cheese for a dip base, or topping for a main
meal, you can use more tofu plus a nut butter, tahinini or avocado
and seasonings, such as onion salt, nutritional yeast, garlic....

Buttermilk
For 1 cup: use 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar mixed in.

Sour Cream

Tofutti makes excellent vegan versions, called Better Than Sour Cream

For cooking:

Low fat: Silken tofu , pinch of salt, Tablespoon of lemon juice per cup.

Regular sour cream: Mashed ripe avocado, pinch of salt to taste, tablespoon of lemon juice per cup.

Or use half tofu half avocado.... salt, lemon juice... or use a couple tablespoons canola or olive oil if no avocado available.

or Tahini or other nut butter.

For Topping Potatoes or similar:

Low fat: Silken tofu , pinch of salt to taste, teaspoon of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, Tablespoon (more or less) of nutritional yeast per potato.

Regular sour cream: Mashed ripe avocado, pinch of salt, teaspoon of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, Tablespoon (more or less) of nutritional yeast per potato.

Or use half tofu half avocado.... plus salt, lemon juice, nutritional yeast...

Or try Tahini, straight or mixed with tofu and a dash of lemon juice.

Cottage Cheese (or Feta, or basically any cheese)

nst

1 cup= 1 cup Crumbled Tofu, with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (leave out yeast and garlic, and add 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder if making a cheesecake or something sweeter.)

Optional: Replace some of tofu with avocado or oil for richer cheese.

Ice cream

Check the freezer section of a health food store. There are many options and and flavors so personal tastes will only tell... Don't expect it to taste exactly like ice cream either.... They are going to be different.
Although, I really like SOY DELICIOUS brand... They have incredible flavors like chocolate caramel "Turtle Tracks", "Peanut Butter ZigZag".. etc. But if you like plain vanilla, you may want to add more toppings like chocolate syrup, peanut butter, jam, nuts... etc... but you may love it the way it is!

Whipping Cream

For cooking:

Whipping cream is generally around 30% pure fat.

For 1 cup use 3/4 c soymilk and 1/3 c vegan melted margarine

Blender ripe avocado with a little soy milk and oil to thin.
or mix tofu with 25% or more oil

Whipped Cream topping

I use frozen vanilla soy delicious or similar dessert.. There are a lot of non dairy whipped toppings in the freezer section of all stores but most actually contain dairy.

Vegan Mayonnaise

When a person thinks of Mayonnaise, they think of 2 types.
One is REAL Mayonnaise, which has a bland flavor and is
made from almost 100% oil, of which it is emulsified, or whipped
hard to change its state from a liquid to a semi solid.
Real Mayo is what is used in baking, when a recipe calls for mayonnaise. It is around 75% fat.
The other type we call mayonnaise is truly a "salad dressing" or "bread spread". Something like Miracle whip, which has a flavor
and is used most often in Cole slaw recipes, potato salad, or
as a bread spread.
There are some vegan Mayos on the market, like vegannaise.
which you can find at health food stores. I have a recipe which makes a great Miracle whip like salad dressing.

For substituting into a recipe, you need a mayonnaise that is primarly oil, without added flavors. Try making homemade
mayonnaise. No egg needed! It can be difficult emulsifying it,
whereas sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.