his week I welcome you to the world of “meat substitutes.” Sounds appetizing, right? Not really, but they can be. I think that any time you decide to use a veggie meat, it’s important that you approach it with the right mindset. It’s similar to substituting any ingredient for the one that you’re used to. When turkey burgers started to make their way into popular culture as a healthier alternative to beef, many people gave them a try but didn’t care for them because they didn’t taste like their regular hamburger. Veggie meats are very similar because the veggie bacon is not going to taste like regular pork or turkey bacon, so you’ll need to approach it as a whole new taste that is similar to “regular” bacon. With an open mind, I’m sure you’ll find that veggie bacon can be a tasty ingredient-swap in this week’s meat-free meal.
Ingredients per sandwich:
- 2 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
- mayonnaise
- thick slices of tomato
- fresh spinach
- 2 slices of Morningstar Farms veggie bacon (cooked according to package directions)
- 1 egg, fried nearly hard
- salt and pepper
Pile the ingredients between the slices of toasty bread and don’t forget the salt and pepper! Serve with a side of fries or tater tots and fresh pile of purple grapes for a sweet, yummy treat. I like to eat this meal for lunch but you can gobble it up anytime of day, enjoy!
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Care to learn more about being a vegetarian? Click here to read my mini-series: When Veggies Come to Dinner
I’m new to your blog.. I love your photography! This looks like an excellent alternative!
Thank you so much and I’m so glad you stopped by because I got to discover your blog too! Your photography is wonderful, I can’t wait to explore more!
That looks absolutely scrumptious. I want it right now for breakfast! Beautiful image, too.
Thank you, Elen! It really is a tasty little sandwich!
This looks so delish! I can’t wait to try for myself. I’ve never tried veggie bacon…anxious to see how it tastes.
I’m glad you’re being adventurous and considering giving it a try! Let me know what you think. It doesn’t taste exactly like bacon, it’s just a crunchy, salty treat on the sandwich. 🙂
See I knew yours would be a ton more fancy haha! Looks yummy! 😀 love the idea of the spinnach on it.
Haha, your post had 6 different kinds of sandwich spreads! Can’t get much fancier than that. 😉
I have tried many healthy substitutes to bacon, but haven’t tried veggie! I will try it! Looks delish!
Glad you’re going to give it a try! Let me know what you think.
I will!
I’m so glad you started this! And that you’re blogging more often! I love all your posts!
Aww, thank you so much! I was traveling through the Everglades last week, so there will be plenty of fun nature posts coming up. Along with some fun projects! Thanks for reading, Katie, it really does feel wonderful to know that people enjoy it. 🙂
That sandwich looked scrumptious! I think the problem with vegan/veggie subs is that they call themselves “facon” etc. and are vying with the meat that they are trying to replace. If they were called something different like veggie lunch slices or fried smoky tempeh/tofu/seitan strips rather than “vegan bacon” people wouldn’t be so disappointed with them in the first place…nothing to live up to ;). Earlier on in my vegetarian experience (say going back more than 20 years ago now!) last century to be exact, I used nut meats and other fake products so that I could replicate what I had previously been eating. After a while you transition naturally to other things. I prefer veggies, grains and home made all the way for cost and for health BUT they really do offer an alternative to people just starting out and for people who want to blend into the crowd at omni bbq’s 🙂
Yeah, these veggie options were so great when I was transitioning my diet because you really do wonder…what do I eat now? After a while, it is so easy to come up with veggie options and I never feel like something is missing from my meal. You’re so right though, when you first get started or if you’re a meat-eater only transitioning for a meal or two a week, these things can be great.
Not only great, they can actually keep you on track of your goal to not eat meat. Once you develop a meatless habit, suddenly a world of crazy whacked out veggie food opens up to you and combinations that you would previously make a finger cross at and back away slowly from are delicious! Funny how life changes when you step into another chapter isn’t it? 😉
Looks yummy. And I think you’ve hit the main point: it is what it is – don’t try to make it something else or you’ll be disappointed. Stop the comparisons and eat. Enjoy!
You’ve summed it up beautifully and I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for stopping by.
This looks delicious! I have had turkey bacon but not veggie bacon. I will need to try it!
It has an interesting flavor, let me know if you give it a try!
That’s a good looking sandwich there, that’s for sure!
Thanks, Jennifer! I ate several of them last week since I already had the ingredients, yum, yum, yum!