big-franksThose of us who grew up Adventist know that there are many commercial meat analogs available. Many lacto-ovo vegetarians and even dietary vegans don’t have any problem with them. Others have issues with specific ingredients (wheat, soy, sodium, food dyes and other chemicals) and the higher carb content.

When I was raising my children in the ’80s, we were Feingolding during those years, meaning we eliminated all food with artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, as well as certain salicylate foods which they did not tolerate. This ruled out pretty much all commercial meat analogs. On Pathfinder campouts I took Feingold-approved all-beef hot dogs for my son while the rest of the club had Big Franks! Those were the years I learned to cook from scratch using the Recipes from the Weimar Kitchen cookbook, along with The Feingold Cookbook for Hyperactive Children and Whole Foods for the Whole Family (La Leche League International). This was before GMO wheat and soybeans were so prevalent and we made tofu and seitan at home. I still make homemade seitan from non-GMO vital wheat gluten, and I am fortunate (at the time of this writing) to be able to get Trader Joe’s organic sprouted tofu. Now I very rarely purchase or eat any of the commercial meat analogs and they are not a staple in my pantry or freezer.

Below is a wide spectrum of articles about vegetarian/vegan meat alternatives along with lists of analog products, some popular, some not so well known. If you are interested in keeping or incorporating vegetarian/vegan products into your diabetic nutrition protocol, take some time to peruse any of these links that look interesting to you.

Please feel to comment, especially if you have experience with any of these products, and if you have any questions.

Articles

Are Meat Analogues a Healthful Habit?
This author believes that analogues [sic] should “serve as a bridge leading us from the meaty diets we grew up with toward…vegetables.”
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/are-meat-analogues-a-healthful-habit

Don’t Buy Veggie Burgers With These Ingredients!
Here are some ingredients to watch out for in veggie burgers.
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/veggie-burgers-ingredients-health/

Don’t Eat the Fake Meat
“A more logical approach, I think, is not to make plants that taste like meats, but plants that taste better than meats.”
https://theawl.com/dont-eat-the-fake-meat-2880291ac2d#.7f3w5z5zj

Kellogg Sells Worthington and Loma Linda Brands
In October 2014, Atlantic Natural Foods, based in Nashville, North Carolina, announced it has bought the Loma Linda and Worthington brands of canned meat analog products.
http://spectrummagazine.org/article/alita-byrd/2014/10/09/kellogg-sells-worthington-and-loma-linda-brands

Meat Analogs
Published: 06/28/2013
They may look, smell, and taste like animal protein, but these mock meats are plant-based.
http://www.foodandnutrition.org/July-August-2013/Meat-Analogs/

Meat Analogues: Just Like Your Adventist Mother Used to Make
The Seventh-day Adventist denomination is a historically vegetarian group owing to the teachings of the prophetess of the church Ellen G. White who advocated for conservative dietary habits following a prophetic vision.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/whitny-braun/meat-analogues-just-like-_b_9621080.html

The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Meats and Meat Substitutes
This guide is about using less processed foods to substitute for meat.
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/the-ultimate-guide-to-vegan-meats-and-meat-substitutes/

Think Twice Before Buying This Type of Burger
Lists ingredients often found in vegetarian burgers that the author feels are detrimental to health.
http://foodbabe.com/2012/07/02/think-twice-before-buying-this-type-of-burger/

Toxic veggie burgers: MorningStar Farms exposed
This author contends that “buyers may be risking the very thing they are trying to protect – their bodies from toxic chemicals.”
http://www.naturalhealth365.com/Morningstar-Farms-veggie-burgers-1563.html

Vegetarian Meat Substitutes
The SDA church early recognized that a vegetarian diet was superior to one that contained meat and these principles of diet and health were recognized and emphasized by Ellen G. White.
https://vegetarian-nutrition.info/vegetarian-meat-substitutes/

Products

9 Vegan Bacon Brands to Sizzle, Sprinkle, and Fry
Some of these brands are low-carb, some are high-carb. Be sure to check the labels before you buy.
http://www.peta.org/living/food/vegan-bacon-brands/

11 Vegan Meat Brands That Are Changing Everything
http://www.peta.org/living/food/meat-replacements/

19 Popular Vegetarian Foods, Ranked From Worst To Best
Note: This list was not created with diabetics in mind!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/04/best-vegetarian-foods_n_4373466.html

ABC Health Foods
Online source for Cedar Lake, Loma Linda, Worthington, and other brands of vegetarian meat analogs.
http://abchealthfoods.com/

Amy’s Veggie Burgers
These burgers are NOT low-carb, though many of them are ADA-compliant.
https://www.amys.com/our-foods?onthemenu%5b0%5d=veggie-burgers

Beyond Meat
http://beyondmeat.com/products

Boca
http://www.kraftheinz-foodservice.com/en/productsandbrands/meats/boca/products

Cedar Lake
http://cedarlakefoods.com/meat_free_products/index.html

Gardein
https://gardein.com/products/

Heritage
This is a current [2017] distributor of legacy Worthington canned and frozen products.
http://heritagehealthfood.com/shop/natural-products/

Loma Linda
http://lomalindabrand.com/vegetarian/
http://lomalindabrand.com/vegan-foods-lower-in-cholesterol-and-fat-than-meat/

MorningStar Farms
https://www.morningstarfarms.com/products.html

Quorn
http://www.quorn.us/product-range/

Tofurky
Many of these products are not very low-carb, so check the labels carefully.
http://www.tofurky.com/shop/

Worthington
http://heritagehealthfood.com/shop/legacy-products/
http://abchealthfoods.com/index.php/brands/worthington.html

Worthington Stripples, 5.25 oz
I have listed this one product separately from the others, simply because it’s the most popular Adventist vegetarian go-to as a replacement for bacon!
http://www.shopwell.com/worthington-stripples/frozen-appetizers-entrees/p/2898927001