Would you say this is a bad vegetarian diet?

I've been a vegetarian for three years now, and I must admit that lately I have actually been craving meat. I used to hate the idea of fake meat, but now I'm addicted!



So far I have tried Zoglo's chicken patties, and Tofurky italian sausage and they were delicious. I also tried gardenburger but didn't like it very much.



So how unhealthy is it to eat one fake meat product every day? And can you recommend anything else for me to try?Would you say this is a bad vegetarian diet?
Humans were born to be omnivores so that explains your meat cravings. You can get like this nut mince stuff from health stores, it isnt too bad. :)
Fake meat is fine, as long as you work other things in as well such as veggies and beans. Even without meat, it's still important to stick to the good old-fashioned food pyramid!Would you say this is a bad vegetarian diet?
Eww ! -Gross me out ! :o
Not trying to tell you what to do, but something to consider is that maybe these fake meat products are actually making you think about and want more meat. It is flirtation of sorts, don't you think? The same as when an alcoholic wants a booze drink after a non-alcohol drink. Technically they've broken no rule for themselves but they submit to so much of the rest of that experience, such as the mixers, the glassware, the ice and salted rim, that they expect the full flavor of an alcohol drink, and they expect the buzz, the heat of the booze on the back of the throat, etc and before you know it they are off the wagon because the non alcohol drink didn't fully satisfy.



Same with your fake meats. If you used to enjoy meat, then you know in your heart that a soy burger or whatever is not going to completely do the trick. It may quiet a craving if you need some protein, but if you want meat, fake meat won't do...the texture is wrong, for one thing, and if they get the flavoring close at all, it is probably due to using some sort of synthetic flavorant.



I'm not saying GIVE IN to your cravings or do anything that you feel is wrong to do, but if you did slip, I think you should be forgiving of yourself. And I'm just suggesting where your cravings may be coming from. My suggestion to you is to look for recipes that are gloriously complete without any meat or substitute meat, instead of trying to fake it with not-dogs, soy nuggets or TVP or boca burgers or whatever. Look for bean dishes, veggie stirfrys, curries, casseroles, eggs and cheese, etc if you eat that that have so much flavor and texture that you don't miss the meat at all. These will be satisfying and you will not have deprived yourself of anything, and you will not be making any weird substitutions for your ingredients. This, and absolutely remember to take in enough protein and iron for yourself so that the body won't beg for it through a meat craving.Would you say this is a bad vegetarian diet?
its not as healthy as eating a wholefood vegetarian diet but it is healthier than eating meat.

when i ate meat i had chest/throat infections 6 times a year. they stopped completely when i stopped eating meat even though i was having fake meat twice a day and a lot of processed junk. i was far healthier on fake processed meats than on real meat.
actually, your cravings for meat could mean an iron deficiency. or an addiction to the processed junk they feed to our live stock.



i'd suggest boca meat crumbles, boca meatless 'burgers', boca chicken patties (spicy or regular breaded), boca chik'n nuggets, and pretty much every other soy meat replacement that boca makes. i made white cheddar macaroni and cooked some meatless boca ground crumbles in a frying pan with a packet of sazon goya seasoning, then mixed it together with the cheese noodles. because i was craving meat earlier, and that definitely satisfied my cravings.



meat replacements are actually rather good for you. all of the boca products i buy are low fat and low calorie, but with quite a bit of iron so i'm not 'missing out'. plus they're absolutely delicious, and very satifying.



good luck and stay veg! :)
Yes. Fake meat is a load of crap. Make your own food. If you're craving something with texture and 'taste of meat', then make some homemade seitan and spice it up, flavor it up to taste however you want.
The plethora of fake meats in the supermarket are about as healthy as the average bag of potato chips. All of them are highly processed industrial food products and are filled with ingredients that are difficult to pronounce, much like most junk food. Like all junk, they are probably fine in moderation, which means a few times per week.



But they do not deserve the apparently stellar reputation granted them in recent years. And on top of it all, fake meat is outrageously expensive. You'd be much better off buying some organic eggs, milk, or cheese, or work on preparing flavorful legume dishes. Dishes like refried beans or multi-bean chili I've found are just fine without adding TVP or the like.
Maybe you should think about why you are craving meat. Perhaps it could be due to iron deficiency? Iron deficiency is really common among women (vegetarian or not), and if you're especially craving red meat, that could be an explanation. Most cravings have some kind of reason behind them. If you aren't taking an iron supplement, maybe you should? And if you don't want to take supplements, try food that is rich in iron.