My New Year's resolution was to try and eat less meat and try more non meat substitutes. So as the Fourth of July approaches and the usual hot dogs and hamburgers are standard fare for grilling I thought I would try and find some veggie alternatives to these two items. First I have to say that you will not find an exact veggie substitute for your traditional hot dog or hamburger. Soy or black beans will never be an exact substitute. But having said that over time you can retrain your palate to like the substitutes every bit as much as what they have replaced. You may not even like the regular items once your palate as been retrained. The healthier choices are worth the effort. Having tried a few of each item here are my substitutes.
Whole Foods have a few veggie hot dogs and the Lightlife ones are the ones I liked the best.
I grilled the hot dog above with some liquid smoke (great for getting a taste we associate with meat). Add some pepper strips and mustard and it tastes great.
Meat substitutes are becoming more common in our grocery store. They are worth a try.
#hocofood
Since my wife was diagnosed with Celiac disease we have stopped eating gluten and I can confirm what you've said about retraining your palate. I can no longer eat burgers with regular buns. We are now moving to reduce meat as well and are finding it very easy to skip meat.
ReplyDelete