Quorn - Not just for us Veggie's! (Quorn products in general)

Member Name: famouslastwords

Product:	Quorn products in general
Date:	22/11/08 (319 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Adaptable, healthy, varied and tasty

Disadvantages: Can be expensive and some products are tastier than others

I've never really been a big meat eater, even before i turned veggie a few years ago. I decided to finally take the plunge because ethically, eating meat was not something which sat comfortably with me (Dont worry, i promise not to preach! My other half is still a carnivore) and i deal with other people making their own choices in life, but personally it just doesn't sit right.

Well... you know that deal i made about not preaching? Maybe ill just have a little preach... :P I know this is a review about quorn, but i just though it might be useful first to specify the different types of vegetarianism. A few too many times i have had the conversation; "Oh, your a veggie, cool, me too! I just eat chicken and fish!" Obviously, these distinctions can vary, i just thought it would be a good way to begin.

- Vegan - Vegans eat no animals (including fish and seafood), animal bi-products (such as gelatin) but also eat no animal produced products (such as eggs or milk) Vegans also refuse to use leather or other bi-products. The hardcore!

- Pescitarians - Pescitarians eat only fish, but no other meats. Honestly, i find this a little confusing... I always thought as fish as animals! But many people go through this stage between meat-eating and vegetarianism as a transition.

- Vegetarians - Veggies eat no meat, fish or seafood. Also, veggies avoid animal bi-products but tend to eat animal produced products. As i say, these vary and many people have all shades in-between, i just thought it might be helpful.

Quorn itself is specially produced for vegetarians as a meat substitute. Most quorn products are made from a type of mushroom / fungi called Mycoprotein. Mycoprotein naturally produces a high level of protein which makes it ideal for veggies to replace the protein normally found from meat in a balanced diet. Unfortunately, no quorn products are suitable for vegans as they all contain either egg whites or milk.

One of the greatest benefits of quorn for veggies and non-veggies alike is the health benefits. Mycoprotein is very low in calories with less than 1% fat. Also, it has no cholesterol at all. I know many non-veggies like to use quorn when they are on a diet as it tastes just as good but is much better for you if you are watching the calories.

Quorn has become part of the staple diet in my household. As i mentioned, my other half is not veggie but he prefers many of the quorn products to meat as they often taste like high quality meat, especially the swedish balls and the chicken fillets.

Quorn generally breaks down in to several categories; ready meals, deli, snacks and ingredients.

Ingredients
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I break down ingredients into those quorn products which are designed to be part of a recipe. For example, quorn chicken style fillets, quorn chicken style pieces, Quorn Mince, Quorn streaky bacon and quorn swedish style balls.

My verrrry favourite is the balls, for a lovely cheap meal, cook the balls in with some chopped tomatoes and some mixed herbs and serve with spaghetti. I did this for a big group of friends recently and they only realised that they wern't meat when they saw me eating them!

My least favourite is the bacon. I didn't like bacon before so these don't really sell me. They taste more like ham.

Much like meat, a single boiled piece will not taste special, but add to a nice recipe and you can get something fantastic. Just use recipes and add instead of the meat! Great for getting used to not eating meat and for 'bulking up' veggie meals.

For a treat, i really enjoy the quorn burgers and the sausages too. There are many many ways of doing veggie products but to have something which seems like meat can be nice, but it also gives you a choice (and avoids those awful veggie mush in breadcrumb monstrosities!) Especially look out for the pork and apple burgers and the breadcrumb chicken burgers.

Most of these ingredients can be found in either chilled or frozen versions, but both taste just as good.

Ready meals
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For the busy ones amongst us, the ready meals are very handy. Most of these can be frozen so you can stock up and have them ready for whenever you need.

My very favourite is the cottage pie. Quorn mince covered with potato in a healthy portion, and only 170 calories!!! Excellent for a diet and really tasty.

Id also say give the sweet and sour chicken a try, and the lancashire hot pot. All excellent for filling up with nice warm meals in the winter. Also, if your cooking for two, quorn do two different sizes of many of there ready meals. This is really handy if your cooking for two and saves a few pounds.

Quorn also do a range of pies which are well worth a try. the chicken and mushroom is very tasty and much lower in calories than the linda McCartney versions. However, if you really want a treat id say got for the linda ones, these are richer with nicer, thicker pastry.

Included with the ready meals, i thought i would mention the chicken nuggets and goujons. These are only around 40 cals each and have a lovely coating.


deli
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By deli i mean ready to prepare sandwich fillings and salad toppers. These take any effort out of things by stopping you needing to cook and they seem to be extending the range all the time.

I love the fajita chicken style pieces. These are excellent in a wrap with some sour cream. yummmmy!!

I also enjoy the ham style slices but i think these might be an acquired taste. They can seem a little flavourless unless you are having them with a salad sauce or in a sandwich. However, there are many varieties. If you dont like the chicken, ham or beef, give the bacon slices a try.

Snacks
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These i only get as a real treat because i find them quite expensive, and the range is currently quite small but seems to be growing all the time.

Check out the cornish pasties for a nice snack on the go and the scotch eggs. I really missed these and the mini ones are an excellent treat at only 40 or so cals each.

I once heard a very weird argument by a non-veggie that there was something 'wrong' in the fact that quorn is like meat. I don't actually understand why that is a problem! It certainly insn't for me because even if looks like meat it isn't meat! I love it. Its excellent for cooking with an adds and extra dimension to the veggy diet.

At the end of the day, quorn is only one brand of veggie products. Some are tastier than others and like everything people will have their favourites and those they don't like at all. Have fun trying different meals and different recipes and just go for it! Just remember, supermarket versions can be just a tasty and a little cheaper. However, most stores do regular 2 for 1's and deals on their quorn products.

Summary: I love quorn meat. Its healthy qualities make it a great edition to any diet.