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Konarocks
May 1st, 2004, 04:11 PM
Last month I started America's first vegan burger joint her in Missoula, Montana called Mr. Goodburger's. The response has been great however many of our customers bring their young children and a Goodburger is too big for them to eat. I would love to offer tasty "kid tested" vegan chicken nuggets. Has to be vegan not just vegetarian. Any ideas would be great! Thank you!

cedarblue
May 1st, 2004, 05:13 PM
well done you - hope it goes from strength to strength!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Roxy
May 1st, 2004, 06:21 PM
Yes congratulations! If I lived in your area, I would support your business all the time! There aren't enough vegan restaurants around and I've never before heard of a vegan burger joint.

Up here in Canada Yves Vege Cuisine (which I'm pretty sure is available in the USA) make a vegan "chick'n nugget" which is actually pretty nice, texture and flavour wise.

Roxy

Artichoke47
May 1st, 2004, 09:10 PM
I don't have any suggestions, except don't call it "chicken," please.

Yay for Goodburger's! I hope we get one in Indiana soon.

globesetter
May 2nd, 2004, 10:43 AM
Last month I started America's first vegan burger joint her in Missoula, Montana called Mr. Goodburger's. The response has been great however many of our customers bring their young children and a Goodburger is too big for them to eat. I would love to offer tasty "kid tested" vegan chicken nuggets. Has to be vegan not just vegetarian. Any ideas would be great! Thank you!


congratulations! What a great idea! I have also heard the something like chicken nuggets could be made with seitan - making the batter from silken tofu -

i love the japanese tofu, Age Dashi - which is tofu pieces dipped in potato starch, then fried and served with a sweet and sour sauce - it seems you could flavor the potato starch a bit to make it even more kid friendly, and then offer whatever dipping sauces kids might like.

all the best,
globesetter

Bagger9
May 5th, 2004, 05:24 PM
Hi Konarocks!

I am on the East Coast & I have been in discussions with Mr. Goodburger's to open some of the restaurants in PA! Congratulations to you on your store opening in Missoula!

I am constantly searching the web for new info on Mr. Goodburger's as it develops & I came across this thread. I plan to open my first restaurant in the 2nd Quarter of 2005.

To answer your question, follow the links below. "Health is Wealth" is a company that has great tasting VEGAN chicken-free nuggets & chicken-free fingers! They are really great tasting & have been given a thumbs up from my 1 year old daughter who just loves them!

The chicken-free nuggets are even sold for food-service so they can be purchased in bulk for the purpose you are looking for!

Check it out:

http://www.healthiswealthfoods.com/chick%20free%20nug%20pat.htm

http://www.healthiswealthfoods.com/chicken%20free%20fingers.htm

Also, I am wondering, do you only sell products that are completely vegan at your location? I know the Hawaii location offered a dairy cheddar cheese with some of their burgers as an option, but I am not willing to do that. Tony did mention that a vegan cheese such as Tofutti brand may be used as well. I only want to sell product that is completely 100% animal free.

I would love to know how you feel about how things are going at your location - feel free to Private Message me here & I will give you my email address.

LaBanditaRoja
May 8th, 2004, 09:44 PM
I looked up those chicken nuggets that Bagger9 reccomended and they looked good so I recommended them to another message board thing I'm on.
They said that one time they had mixed up vegan chicken nuggets with real ones! I just thought I'd give you all the links that someone else gave me. I'm sure it's not a problem anymore, but just in case you're curious. I still want to try it...what do you think?

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/printthread.php?t=9826&pp=40

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/enforce/2003/ENF00815.html

Bagger9
May 10th, 2004, 05:47 PM
Thanks foir that info - I did go ahead & read about that incident - this is the first I have heard of it & yes, that is frightening! I did not get any of the mislabeled boxes myself thank God!

I sent an email to the company asking what steps they have taken to insure that something like this will not happen again. The easiest fix is to no longer sell real chicken right? It is strange that a company that purports to be dedicated to healthy food choices sells real chicken along with vegan products.

Anyway, I can let the mistake slide personally as long as it never happens again. As far as the taste of their vegan products, I think it is fantastic & would be very good in a restaurant like Mr. Goodburger's.

Unregistered
May 11th, 2004, 04:01 PM
I don't have any suggestions, except don't call it "chicken," please.

Yay for Goodburger's! I hope we get one in Indiana soon.

doubtful, but i'm keeping my fingers crossed along with you. i'd really like to try their burgers but unfortunatly indiana isn't exactly a big market for all-vegetarian restaurants.

and those health is wealth nugget things are pretty good. probably the best vegetarian chik'n nuggets i've had.

mattd
May 11th, 2004, 04:02 PM
sorry, that last one was me.

animalsvoice
Jun 10th, 2004, 01:49 PM
Wow great!!!

I don't like it when things are called "chicken", "fish" or something like that though..

cedarblue
Jun 12th, 2004, 02:39 PM
in a local chinese takeout restaurant, they have a whole section called 'vegetarian meat' with different flavours! i haven't been there yet, and i'm assuming it isnt beancurd (tofu) so anyone any ideas what it may consist of?
thank you :confused:

Cloudy
Jun 12th, 2004, 03:23 PM
The mock duck type stuff? I think it's seitan.

Place up the road from me does it - although be warned, it's pretty meat-like. Not sure I'd order it again just yet!

globesetter
Jun 12th, 2004, 08:43 PM
in a local chinese takeout restaurant, they have a whole section called 'vegetarian meat' with different flavours! i haven't been there yet, and i'm assuming it isnt beancurd (tofu) so anyone any ideas what it may consist of?
thank you :confused:


There are a few restaurants here who also serve different `meat`s`that are vegan - they are soy or seitan products - they are seasoned and prepared differently to taste like whatever meat they are posing as... I find them a bit boring, and donīt like eating processed food, but some vegans I know love it.

In large whole food grocery stores, you can also get various `meats`that are usually soy products....


regards,
globesetter

TheFirstBus
Jul 16th, 2004, 03:19 AM
I hate calling it meat substitute but hey. Which do you prefer?? I have tried Seitan but I think I screwed up making it. When I cooked the seitan it was reminisant of under cooked poultry or on the other scale it was a little to burnt

So I have two questions
Which "meat substitute do you prefer??
and can anyone help me with my sucky seitan??

Artichoke47
Jul 16th, 2004, 03:39 AM
I don't eat any "meat substitutes." When I first went vegan and as a vegetarian, I ate TVP, soy-based analogues, et cetera, but I have now found that I much prefer legumes and nuts in my recipes.

TheFirstBus
Jul 16th, 2004, 06:55 AM
so you don't eat tofu??

eve
Jul 16th, 2004, 07:19 AM
I don't like substitute meats either.

TheFirstBus
Jul 16th, 2004, 07:25 AM
I quite enjoy tofu. Like I said I didn't like seitan but I think I screwed up...

Artichoke47
Jul 16th, 2004, 12:56 PM
so you don't eat tofu??

No, I don't like tofu one bit. The consistency in my mouth is enough to make me gag, or worse, throw up. I'm being honest here. I don't like the taste, no matter what it's mixed with.

However, I will use tofu in desserts, such as for cakes, brownies, and frostings, but that's a rare ocassion and normally I'm making it for other people as well. You can't taste the tofu in the dessert.

Gorilla
Jul 16th, 2004, 08:21 PM
i eat tofu because i really like it, although it took me a while to get used to cooking it well. when i first went vegetarian i tried meat-style foods but i don't know why because i never really liked the taste of meat anyway. i think it was just because i never realised there were so many other, better things to eat. :)

most meat-style foods i've found available in the UK aren't vegan and the ones that are are usually horrible. i tried seitan and it was bizarre, it was really wheaty and chewy - yuk. maybe i didn't cook it properly but it seems quite expensive so i don't think i'll bother trying again

i sometimes eat RealEat's Vegemince which is quite good, just for a change in bolognese and chilli.

tsunami
Jul 17th, 2004, 04:09 AM
Seitan was made in china thousands of years ago bu buddhist monks to replace meat.

I like seitan and tofu a lot. Not because of the meat likeness, just like it as is, and it does not rem,ind me of meat. Tofurky is completely vegan and very delicious. Vegan deli slices, tofurkey thanksgiving meal(though is a bit expensive), and some others. They taste very good, and not like real meat, but better in it's own vegan way ^_^

I have not tried making my own seitan yet, as it does seem a bit comfusing, for now i will buy it. But make sure you made it right, as otherwise it is very good and healthy, unless oyu are glutenintolerant and such.

gertvegan
Jul 18th, 2004, 06:53 PM
Are Mock Meats Too Real? From Joanne Stepaniak. http://www.vegsource.com/jo/qa/qamock.htm


Q. People often ask me why vegans eat mock meats. They say it doesn't make sense for us to eat fake burgers, turkey, and lunchmeats if our true intention is to avoid all animal products. I've even known some vegans who wouldn't touch certain brands of veggie burgers because they seem too "real." Personally, I enjoy these products. Should I feel guilty about eating them?

A. For the most part, processed meat products don't resemble animal body parts. By the time raw meat reaches consumers, most of it is skinned, boned, ground, chopped, sliced, or diced. Various cuts also may be formed into patties, loaves, roasts, links, and other assorted shapes. We recognize "hamburger" as "meat," even though it actually doesn't resemble anything specific. Consequently, we associate veggie burgers with hamburgers because they have a similar appearance (and sometimes a comparable texture and flavor), but neither looks like an animal's limb. We live in a meat-centered culture and are surrounded by meat-eaters daily, despite our displeasure about it. Nearly all vegans grew up eating meat or living among meat-eaters, so meat in all its forms is customary and familiar. Animal flesh is a central feature of most holiday and social gatherings, and, healthful or not, many of us learned to fashion our meals around animal products. It is reasonable that people accustomed to this way of eating would want a painless replacement for meat when they become vegan. Having a cruelty-free alternative to meat can make vegan meal planning a snap, and it also can help ease the transition to an animal-free diet.

Nevertheless, mock meats are not solely for new vegans; long-time vegans and even nonvegetarians enjoy them as well. Tasty analogs are ideal for meat-loving family members and friends, as they are a food we can delight in and share. They are perfect for warm weather cookouts when nearly everyone wants something to grill, office picnics, parties, and other celebrations. When coworkers, friends, or relatives are eating burgers, we can indulge in a veggie version and not feel alienated. When people partake of foods that are comparable, even if they are not identical, there is a feeling of unity and camaraderie. Because these foods can be heated quickly, they are convenient for hectic lifestyles and people on the run. Students, teens, and busy parents find them to be a godsend when appetites are raging and time is in short supply.

An interesting detail about meat is that it hardly ever is relished plain. Meat-eaters generally douse it with tenderizers, gravies, sauces, herbs, spices, breading, and a variety of condiments. At the very least, it almost always is served with salt and pepper. Meat without these seasonings and treatments usually is bland and relatively unpalatable. When people say they crave meat, what they really long for are the flavor enhancements, the chewy texture, or a sense of fullness and satisfaction. All of these are replicated easily with pure plant foods in the form of mock meats.

The vast majority of people who become vegan or vegetarian do not alter their eating habits because they abhor the taste of meat. While they may find animal products objectionable for myriad reasons, typically this has more to do with how meat is produced, or its effect on human health or the environment, rather than an aversion to its flavor. No one should be ashamed about having enjoyed the taste of meat prior to becoming vegan. Generally, those of us who ate meat at some point in our lives liked it, and this notion isn't going to vanish simply because we choose to change our diet. Although we might feel that meat is repugnant on a spiritual, philosophical, or intellectual level, our palates have memory. We cannot erase a personal history of once having enjoyed the taste of meat, and our emotional attachment to it may endure.

There is no reason for vegans to avoid plant-based foods that simulate meat or other animal products. For many vegans, meat analogs fill a void. They also are handy, practical, comforting, and satisfying. Plant-based mock meats may be reminiscent of animal products, but the critical point is that they aren't meat.

i_like_deer
Jul 19th, 2004, 06:20 PM
i love seitan! i have a friend who makes it all the time & i guess it's kinda complicated. he leaves in the freezer for days to get the consistency right (he makes chicken-fried seitan with it).

you can buy it in cans at asian markets but it's hard to find them without sugar. they also taste kinda funky but you can circumvent that buy soaking it in water & draining it really well. my boyfriend & i made jerk seitan "chicken" in this way & it was sooo good.

also some asian restaurants make fake meat dishes with it. there's an awesome vegan chinese restaurant here that makes fake chicken nuggets & fake fish filets with it. also in oakland, ca there's a place called "the great wall" & its whole menu is is made with seitan substitutes. i had szechaun "chicken" & it blew my mind (or tongue i guess).

Michelle
Jul 25th, 2004, 03:39 PM
This is interesting...I am seeing that some of you started out eating some meatless "meat" in the beginning and are no longer eating it now. I never really thought about it, but I don't eat it much anymore either. I used to eat it pretty much every day, but now it's really rare. I do, however, provide "substitutes" to my daughter's daycare so that her food will resemble theirs enough that she won't try to eat theirs (she once stole a bite of another child's fish..blah!). I'm afraid that it might be a mistake to do this, because I will have to explain to her later why her food is different from theirs. At home, I usually don't give her "subs". I sure hope that when she is old enough to understand what meat is, she will not want any part of it or the "subs". Right now, at 2 years old, she loves beans and pasta and fruit (her favorite) and bread and corn and potatoes, but she won't touch any colorful veggies (red or yellow or green).