Calling All Vegetarians!

[Nyxie63]

I've torn the grocer's freezer case apart at this point. Can't find anything like a veggie burger or tofu hot dog that doesn't have gluten in it.

Do you have any products (brand names)? I need help here!

Thanks!

[RiceGuy]

Since I don't buy mainstream products, I can't suggest any of those, but I have found ways to get some meat-like taste & texture qualities out of certain things. For a poultry-like thing, I would take a package of extra firm tofu, drain it, slice it four ways, and put it in the freezer for at least 4-5 days. This makes the texture surprisingly like poultry. Then thaw it out, put poultry seasoning and salt on it, and cook as you would a piece of chicken or turkey. Usually I'd put it in a stew or casserole, etc. I found that cutting a slit into it, in which to put the spices worked pretty well. Otherwise they'd just fall off once in the stew.

Maybe someone else will chime in with some product names you can try.

[BRUMI1968]

Sunshine burgers don't have gluten or soy, and are based on beans.

Open Original Shared Link

(I don't eat soy or beans, but used to and remember these being pretty good, especially the black beany/southwesty one. Enjoy!

Also, you can make garden burgers yourself by using nuts/seeds and ground up veggies. Flax would hold them together I think. Try googling Veggie burger recipes.

[ItchyMeredith]

I love Sunshine Burgers! I buy them at Whole Foods. Amy's Bistro Burger is also gluten-free.

[lorka150]

Fresh tofu is gluten-free, as long as it's not seasoned or pre-marinated.

[Nyxie63]

Thank you for the replies!

Will have to try the tofu/freezer thing. Hubby won't touch tofu (it's evil, he says) and I have to find some way of sliding it past him.

Fortunately, he's more open to the idea of veggie burgers and the like. Looking for fast and easy for days I'm really not feeling up to cooking (let alone getting out of bed) and the Sunshine burgers sound like an option.

Will also look for veggie burger recipes. Wonder how well they freeze?

Thanks again

[spunky]

I used to be a vegan and when i first had to get off the gluten, I found Tofu Pups to be the ONLY gluten free veggie hot dog that I could find anywhere. We liked them... unfortunately, several months into gluten free I began having problems with soy and had to give up that, too.

Now I eat wild fish and free range meat.... got too hungry remaining vegan and seeming to have so few options without the soy, some other legumes, etc.

By the way... I also used to make bean burgers myself... I used to take cooked beans... any kind either home-cooked or canned... drain, mash with a potato masher and then add chopped onions, mushrooms, peppers, diced carrots, just any combo of diced veggies I wanted, or sometimes even no veggies at all... then added spices... basil, garlic, oregano, thyme, etc., and enough rice flour to thicken them up enough to form into THIN (thick doesn't work well) patties to fry up. If you fried them using one of those little egg molds, they look really professional...round, as well. Those worked out really well, but after so many beans started messin' with me, I had to stop doing that.

Anyway... the tofu pups tasted great and were gluten-free back then... hopefully they might still be gluten-free now.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Franklin Farms has some great veggie stuff (not vegan though) and Garden Burger has some vegan and veggie stuff that is also good. Sunshine burger is okay, too, but not as good as the other two.

[BRUMI1968]

But Sunshine is the only soy free one, to my knowledge.

I can't help but notice, Nyxie, that you tested somewhat allergic to soy in your intradermal testing (in your signature). Soy is one of the top allergens (wheat, corn, soy, dairy) and I wonder if you wouldn't be better off staying away from it.

There are also many drawbacks to soy that have nothing to do with allergies/intolerances, and one of the most important one of those for celiac sufferers is that it blocks the absorption of minerals. It is also extremely estrogenic, so it mimics estrogen in the body. If you have any hormonal imbalances from years of celiac, this can make things worse. (Soy as a health food is the product of a huge marketing campaign - kindof like margarine, which has proven to be terrible for you.) Just some thoughts.

[Nyxie63]

Bully4You,

I try to limit soy (mostly because of the impact it has on the thyroid), but with my reactions to most meats (even chicken if I eat it too often) I'm try to vary my protein intake. And I'm not a huge fan of fish. I'm currently doing a rotation diet, which means I can only eat a food every 4 days. Some foods even less so (max 1x a week) depending on my reaction.

I do have hormonal imbalances. Then again, i'm also at "that age" where things start getting funky. My endocrine system is seriously out of whack, most likely due to Lyme&Co.

Spunky and Turtle,

Thanks for your replies! Will have to try the bean burgers out.

Thanks again to everyone who's posted here.

[celiac-mommy]

I know they have soy, but my kids love the Gardenburger brand Flame Grill burger is gluten-free, the black bean chipotle and the breakfast sausages are too. They both say 'gluten-free" right on the package.

[moldlady]

It is very frustrating finding acceptable meat alternatives. I just ended up making my own oatburgers. Too many additives in the grocery store products. Some have added sugars to them which will feed fungus in the body and that is unacceptable for some of us. Potato starch, corn starch, modified food starch, isolated soy protein, are all questionable food additives. Just not a good product out there.

ML

[BRUMI1968]

Yeah, I make raw burgers. Sunflower seeds, celery, carrot, onion, cilantro, etc., plus some flax seed; then dehydrated for about 5 hours. Pretty good.