We don’t do a lot of faux meat, or “meat alternatives,” around these parts. I prefer to get protein from whole foods including legumes, nuts, and whole grains. These minimally processed foods don’t have complicated ingredient lists, are better environmentally (less energy and water into processing and less packaging), and are easier on the budget.
We do eat tempeh and tofu a few times a month (tempeh is less processed than tofu), and I enjoy Field Roast sausages, though I buy them only rarely. Ever since a Boca burger left me feeling funky several years ago, I’ve avoided premade veggie burgers, instead making my own bean and veggie burger creations (though I did have a decent store bought veggie burger at a 4th of July party over the summer).
That said, meat alternatives have come a long way since I stopped eating meat (11 1/2 years ago!). During my brief internship with Lighter (a company with a plant-based meal planning app) this spring, recipes using a number of new-to-me meat alternatives piqued my curiosity, and a few weeks ago, I finally bought a couple of items to try: Upton’s Seitan Bacon and Beyond Meat Chicken Strips.
The Bacon
The bacon looks pretty realistic. For my first tasting, I cooked two strips in our smallest cast iron pan . . .
. . . and crumbled them over eggs.
I enjoyed the flavor of this product. I was able to get a bit of crunch on the edges, but overall the texture reminded my more of beef jerky (which I enjoyed, back in the day) than bacon.
Now that we finally have tomatoes coming in, I want to try a BLT using the Upton’s bacon. I do find it annoying that tomatoes and lettuce are not really in season at the same time — the heat that tomatoes need pretty much ruins lettuce — though I guess now we might be getting close to fall lettuce. (A year ago, I had a craving for BLTs that I have yet to satisfy. I actually considered purchasing a small amount of nice, locally raised pork bacon, but never took the plunge. We’ll see how the vegetarian version works out.)
The Chicken
The package of the Beyond Chicken Grilled Strips said it served four, but I decided to stretch it a bit, using half of the container for a fajita recipe.
I sauteed the strips with onion, green pepper, shredded cabbage, thinly sliced kohlrabi, and cumin and chili powder.
Served on whole wheat tortillas topped with lime juice, sour cream, and diced tomatoes.
Like real chicken, these strips don’t have much flavor on their own. (I under-salted the dish, expecting the strips to have plenty of salt already, which they don’t — the brand does offer preseasoned products.)
As a vegetarian, I found the strips’ texture to be creepily similar to real chicken (I’m not alone in this reaction). While it was an interesting addition to the meal, I would have been just as happy having an all-vegetable fajita with a side of beans. I’m not particularly motivated to use the other half of the box. After many years of vegetarian cooking, it’s like, what the heck would I do with chicken?
Verdict
I can see buying the bacon again / having it around sometimes (it can be frozen, as can the Beyond Chicken product), but probably not the chicken — I’d just as soon eat tofu or tempeh. I may eventually try some of the other Beyond Meat products, but I’m not in a big hurry.
These products could be useful for omnivores who are thinking about becoming vegetarian or who want to eat less meat, but are not sure how to cook without meat. For long-time vegetarians who are used to cooking well-rounded meals without meat alternatives, you’re not missing much other than novelty.
Note: All opinions are my own. This post was not sponsored in any way.
Her Green Life 
Bacon has always been the only thing
I am tempted to purchase. Where did you buy that product. Next on my list is developing a make my own veg chirizo recipe. I too dislike overly processed faux meat.
Funny, when I ate meat, I was never really into bacon. I’ve heard it called the gateway meat for vegetarians, though 😉 (i.e., the thing that converts vegetarians back into omnivores). I bought the Upton’s bacon at Whole Foods.
It’s funny. I used to LOVE bacon back in the day, but even though I’ve gone back to eating some meat, I think I’ve bought actual bacon only once – and I felt sorta “meh” about it. I just couldn’t get beyond the idea that I was mostly eating fat and nitrites!
Anyhow, after several years of being an omnivore again, the only meat that I eat regularly is chicken. I will eat beef occasionally (a few times per year) when I really crave it, but it’s not really “my thing.” After spending most of my adult life as a vegetarian, I actually find it hard to think of ways to incorporate meat! Most of the time I simply add some chicken to a vegetarian recipe to up the protein content!
For me, the meat substitutes are problematic because of soy and other random ingredients that are on my allergy list.There are a few that I can eat, but honestly, their protein/carb ratio isn’t nearly as good as one would imagine – meaning they are pretty carb heavy for a food that’s supposed to be substituting for meat.