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The Vegetarian & Vegan Thread

Swifty said:
(Genuine upcoming festival)

Are you a vegan who's getting bored of telling random people you're a vegan. Is being really annoying in restaurants 'so last year'? .. now you can all shout "look at me! look at me!" with your very own festival, £85 a ticket!. Except there won't be anyone there to piss off and be sanctimonious to because you'll all agree with each other instead so that won't be as much fun now, will it?.

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Reads like a bad acid trip.
 
Swifty said:
(Genuine upcoming festival)

Are you a vegan who's getting bored of telling random people you're a vegan. Is being really annoying in restaurants 'so last year'? .. now you can all shout "look at me! look at me!" with your very own festival, £85 a ticket!. Except there won't be anyone there to piss off and be sanctimonious to because you'll all agree with each other instead so that won't be as much fun now, will it?.

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Note that three of them have even seen fit to name themselves after their food fad.

Would it he possible to rent the next field upwind for the UK’s first marathon barbecue festival?

:evillaugh:

maximus otter
 
Swifty said:
(Genuine upcoming festival)

Are you a vegan who's getting bored of telling random people you're a vegan. Is being really annoying in restaurants 'so last year'? .. now you can all shout "look at me! look at me!" with your very own festival, £85 a ticket!. Except there won't be anyone there to piss off and be sanctimonious to because you'll all agree with each other instead so that won't be as much fun now, will it?.

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It is interesting that they feature chickens in the illustration as they have no purpose in a vegan world. Raising chickens is a time-consuming and often costly affair and if there is no payback in terms of eggs or meat then who is going to bother? Also, foxes will be presumably roaming round in huge numbers as they are no longer being culled and so good luck with that, too. Result is that they would basically become extinct bar perhaps a few in zoos or whatever.
 
hunck said:
In the interest of science I tried these, plus I got them in the cheapo/reduced section. I’m not sure they’d appeal much to actual veggies as they’re the ‘bloody’ type with beetroot juice, presumably to look more like steak. Not bad, with a meaty texture but won’t replace your venison steak. They seem aimed at meat eaters who want to cut down a bit.

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The ultra-processed fake meat fad has had its day:

https://www.theguardian.com/food/20...in-uk-as-brands-withdraw-plant-based-products

This is why:

Ingredients: Hydrated Vegetable Proteins [Water, WHEATProtein [20%], SOYA Protein [3%]] [77%], Vegetable Oils [Sunflower, Rapeseed in varying proportions], Coconut Oil, Flavourings, Thickener [Methylcellulose], Vinegar, Vegetable Fibers [Sugar Cane, Citrus], Colours [Beetroot Red, Safflower], Starch [contains WHEAT], Reduced Sodium Salt, Water, Herbs, Spices, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Mushroom Powder, BARLEY Malt Extract, Vitamins and Minerals [Vitamin B12, Iron].

(as ever, nowt wrong with a balanced vegetarian diet)
 
Paul_Exeter said:
The ultra-processed fake meat fad has had its day:

https://www.theguardian.com/food/20...in-uk-as-brands-withdraw-plant-based-products

This is why:

Ingredients: Hydrated Vegetable Proteins [Water, WHEATProtein [20%], SOYA Protein [3%]] [77%], Vegetable Oils [Sunflower, Rapeseed in varying proportions], Coconut Oil, Flavourings, Thickener [Methylcellulose], Vinegar, Vegetable Fibers [Sugar Cane, Citrus], Colours [Beetroot Red, Safflower], Starch [contains WHEAT], Reduced Sodium Salt, Water, Herbs, Spices, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Mushroom Powder, BARLEY Malt Extract, Vitamins and Minerals [Vitamin B12, Iron].

(as ever, nowt wrong with a balanced vegetarian diet)
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No good if you're allergic to wheat.
 
T'missus came across a recipe on TicTok for making seitan - a Chinese mock meat alternative - at home.
It's a real faff (you essentially 'wash' flour until only the starch remains, takes most of the day to make - but it's made with just flour and a flavour/colour stock such as beetroot juice or vegetable stock.
The results look fine, but I dunno what it tastes like.
 
Stormkhan said:
T'missus came across a recipe on TicTok for making seitan - a Chinese mock meat alternative - at home.
It's a real faff (you essentially 'wash' flour until only the starch remains, takes most of the day to make - but it's made with just flour and a flavour/colour stock such as beetroot juice or vegetable stock.
The results look fine, but I dunno what it tastes like.
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So much of this food is heavily processed.
 
Swifty said:
(Genuine upcoming festival)

Are you a vegan who's getting bored of telling random people you're a vegan. Is being really annoying in restaurants 'so last year'? .. now you can all shout "look at me! look at me!" with your very own festival, £85 a ticket!. Except there won't be anyone there to piss off and be sanctimonious to because you'll all agree with each other instead so that won't be as much fun now, will it?.

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Lets sell burgers and hotdogs outside it.

@maximus otter beat me to it with a better idea!
 
Stormkhan said:
T'missus came across a recipe on TicTok for making seitan - a Chinese mock meat alternative - at home.
It's a real faff (you essentially 'wash' flour until only the starch remains, takes most of the day to make - but it's made with just flour and a flavour/colour stock such as beetroot juice or vegetable stock.
The results look fine, but I dunno what it tastes like.
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I tried a while ago and you're correct- a real faff indeed.
I have had mock duck, which is seitan, and that was ok. Not cheap though.
 
Floyd1 said:
mock duck
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1685806324140.png
 
Floyd1 said:
I tried a while ago and you're correct- a real faff indeed.
I have had mock duck, which is seitan, and that was ok. Not cheap though.
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I think most mock meats in Cantonese cuisine are made of this. I've eaten mock duck, goose and abalone before and while they all have a similar texture, they somewhat replicate the taste of the real thing. I have seen tinned mock duck in local supermarkets before. Don't know why you'd make it yourself as it is a laborious process.
 
I've been using these vegan chicken strips lately which are very authentic, and I'd be interested to know what you think (especially you @Paul_Exeter) of the ingredients, as they seem ok to me and nothing untoward in there;

Flavoured Textured Soya Protein (Water, Concentrated Soya Protein, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Flavouring, Spices (Paprika, Ground White Pepper, Ginger Powder, Nutmeg Powder, Mace Powder, Cardamom Powder))

https://www.iceland.co.uk/p/the-no-meat-company-no-chick-strips-320g/74488.html
 
Floyd1 said:
I've been using these vegan chicken strips lately which are very authentic, and I'd be interested to know what you think (especially you @Paul_Exeter) of the ingredients, as they seem ok to me and nothing untoward in there;

Flavoured Textured Soya Protein (Water, Concentrated Soya Protein, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Flavouring, Spices (Paprika, Ground White Pepper, Ginger Powder, Nutmeg Powder, Mace Powder, Cardamom Powder))

https://www.iceland.co.uk/p/the-no-meat-company-no-chick-strips-320g/74488.html
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Can't see any of these:

Calcium, Ca [mg]15
Iron, Fe [mg]1.21
Magnesium, Mg [mg]25
Phosphorus, P [mg]195
Potassium, K [mg]243
Sodium, Na [mg]86
Zinc, Zn [mg]2.1
Copper, Cu [mg]0.07
Manganese, Mn [mg]0.02
Selenium, Se [µg]22
Thiamin [mg]0.07
Riboflavin [mg]0.18
Niacin [mg]9.17
Pantothenic acid [mg]1.1
Vitamin B-6 [mg]0.47
Folate, total [µg]6
Folate, food [µg]6
Folate, DFE [µg]6
Choline, total [mg]78.8
Betaine [mg]5.7
Vitamin B-12 [µg]0.33
Vitamin A, RAE [µg]16
Retinol [µg]16
Vitamin A, IU [IU]53
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) [mg]0.27
Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units [IU]5
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) [µg]0.1
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) [µg]0.1
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) [µg]2.4

All these vitamins and minerals are found naturally in chicken are are easily absorbed by our digestive system. Also higher-welfare chicken such as organic came out on top in the category of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, with 47% higher levels than their nonorganic counterparts. Omega-3s have been credited with a slew of health benefits – lowering heart disease and inflammation and fending off cognitive decline

There are many health concerns around textured soya protein, not least In order to produce TVP, soybeans are treated with a chemical to separate the fat from protein. The beans are soaked in hexane, a toxic petroleum distillate chemical. It is an air pollutant and a by-product of gasoline refining.

So those vegan strips resembling cheap chicken did mean no chicken died and I understand why that is important for many people on an ethical level. However, unfortunately they are ultra-processed and entirely lacking in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. There don't even appear to be any vitamins or minerals added in after processing and whilst sunflower oil can be healthy in its natural form, it isn't when in processed food. Salt has been added as well, not a huge amount but it all adds up.

The strong advice on diet is to avoid ultra-processed foods, and yes these include many meat products as well and I have pretty much given up bacon and pork sausages as a result. There you go, you did ask...!
 
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Paul_Exeter said:
Can't see any of these:

Calcium, Ca [mg]15
Iron, Fe [mg]1.21
Magnesium, Mg [mg]25
Phosphorus, P [mg]195
Potassium, K [mg]243
Sodium, Na [mg]86
Zinc, Zn [mg]2.1
Copper, Cu [mg]0.07
Manganese, Mn [mg]0.02
Selenium, Se [µg]22
Thiamin [mg]0.07
Riboflavin [mg]0.18
Niacin [mg]9.17
Pantothenic acid [mg]1.1
Vitamin B-6 [mg]0.47
Folate, total [µg]6
Folate, food [µg]6
Folate, DFE [µg]6
Choline, total [mg]78.8
Betaine [mg]5.7
Vitamin B-12 [µg]0.33
Vitamin A, RAE [µg]16
Retinol [µg]16
Vitamin A, IU [IU]53
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) [mg]0.27
Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units [IU]5
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) [µg]0.1
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) [µg]0.1
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) [µg]2.4

All these vitamins and minerals are found naturally in chicken are are easily absorbed by our digestive system. Also higher-welfare chicken such as organic came out on top in the category of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, with 47% higher levels than their nonorganic counterparts. Omega-3s have been credited with a slew of health benefits – lowering heart disease and inflammation and fending off cognitive decline

There are many health concerns around textured soya protein, not least In order to produce TVP, soybeans are treated with a chemical to separate the fat from protein. The beans are soaked in hexane, a toxic petroleum distillate chemical. It is an air pollutant and a by-product of gasoline refining.

So those vegan strips resembling cheap chicken are ultra-processed and entirely lacking in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. There don't even appear to be any vitamins or minerals added in after processing and whilst sunflower oil can be healthy in its natural form, it isn't when in processed food. Salt has been added as well, not a huge amount but it all adds up.
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Right. Cheers Paul.

(I will add that I do eat lots of fish, salad and veg though).
 
Floyd1 said:
Right. Cheers Paul.

(I will add that I do eat lots of fish, salad and veg though).
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I buy a lot of Iceland's frozen wild salmon, really good value healthy food and 9 fillets for £10 at the moment. There are ethical issues around eating fish, but I am lactose intolerant and so a cheese-based veggie diet is not feasible.

There are many problems with cheap chicken, from environmental to welfare. I personally do eat chicken but limit myself to an RSPCA Free-range or preferably organic whole chicken maybe 2-4 times a month and avoid chicken in snacks and take-aways as it is inevitably low welfare (and often imported from Thailand and Brazil - take a bow KFC). But the fact remains that even cheap, low-welfare chicken is a lot healthier than the fake alternatives and more economical for people on a budget
 
Paul_Exeter said:
The strong advice on diet is to avoid ultra-processed foods, and yes these include many meat products as well and I have pretty much given up bacon and pork sausages as a result. There you go, you did ask...!
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Bacon? That isn't particularly processed, if you buy one of the upmarket brands. Sure, it's been hung for a while and sliced and maybe smoked/dry cured, but that's about it.
Cheap bacon has water and nitrites pumped into it, so I wouldn't touch that.
 
Mythopoeika said:
Bacon? That isn't particularly processed, if you buy one of the upmarket brands. Sure, it's been hung for a while and sliced and maybe smoked/dry cured, but that's about it.
Cheap bacon has water and nitrites pumped into it, so I wouldn't touch that.
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High in salt and the nitrates are a problem:

"About 90% of bacon sold in Britain is thought to contain nitrites, which research studies have linked to the development of bowel, breast and prostate cancers."

“Nitrites are found in many foods and can be perfectly harmless. But when they are used to cure bacon, and that bacon is then cooked and ingested, they produce carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach.”

https://www.theguardian.com/food/20...n-scientists-mps-call-for-uk-ban-cancer-fears

There is now nitrate-free bacon available but it is often just the basic Red Tractor stuff which I avoid in favour of RSPCA Outdoor Bred as a minimum guarantee of welfare. So when I can find higher-welfare bacon that is nitrate-free, such as the free-range, celery-cured stuff made by Ben's Farm Shop in Exeter, then I'm all over it and these are just my own personal welfare values.
 
Paul_Exeter said:
High in salt and the nitrates are a problem:

"About 90% of bacon sold in Britain is thought to contain nitrites, which research studies have linked to the development of bowel, breast and prostate cancers."

“Nitrites are found in many foods and can be perfectly harmless. But when they are used to cure bacon, and that bacon is then cooked and ingested, they produce carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach.”

https://www.theguardian.com/food/20...n-scientists-mps-call-for-uk-ban-cancer-fears

There is now nitrate-free bacon available but it is often just the basic Red Tractor stuff which I avoid in favour of RSPCA Outdoor Bred as a minimum guarantee of welfare. So when I can find higher-welfare bacon that is nitrate-free, such as the free-range, celery-cured stuff made by Ben's Farm Shop in Exeter, then I'm all over it and these are just my own personal welfare values.
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Oh, just to add that Sainsburys Organic sausages are nitrate-free and free-range:

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/all-organic-/sainsburys-pork-sausages--so-organic-350g

Not cheap, but a great treat every so often
 
Free Range sausages? Yeah I'm always seeing sausages roaming around freely.
 
On a bike ride yesterday we stopped for breakfast at the Marina. As usual Techy had the full English and I had a veggie equivalent.
However, I was served veggie sausages which they hadn't given me there before.

Tried one, and it seemed like a real sausage to me. Asked Techy to taste it and he said it was indeed a veggie one.

I'm still not convinced though. It was springy in texture, not solid like a veggie one.
They'd had new staff who'd got other things wrong so I'm suspicious.
 
escargot said:
On a bike ride yesterday we stopped for breakfast at the Marina. As usual Techy had the full English and I had a veggie equivalent.
However, I was served veggie sausages which they hadn't given me there before.

Tried one, and it seemed like a real sausage to me. Asked Techy to taste it and he said it was indeed a veggie one.

I'm still not convinced though. It was springy in texture, not solid like a veggie one.
They'd had new staff who'd got other things wrong so I'm suspicious.
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RELAX...
 
escargot said:
On a bike ride yesterday we stopped for breakfast at the Marina. As usual Techy had the full English and I had a veggie equivalent.
However, I was served veggie sausages which they hadn't given me there before.

Tried one, and it seemed like a real sausage to me. Asked Techy to taste it and he said it was indeed a veggie one.

I'm still not convinced though. It was springy in texture, not solid like a veggie one.
They'd had new staff who'd got other things wrong so I'm suspicious.
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There are some very 'realistic' ones nowadays, like these;

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/this-isnt-pork-plant-based-sausages-270g
 
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