Sausage Fest: Heart-Healthy Vegetarian Recipes

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Wednesday, October 8, 2008 - 11 Comments
If you're trying to reduce your intake of saturated fat -- the kind that raises cholesterol and increases your risk of heart disease -- you probably bade farewell to sausage a long time ago.

After all, an astounding 2/3 of the saturated fat in the average American's diet comes from animal fat, and tasty "meat-free" sausages have been pretty hard to come by... until now.

If you resigned yourself to a gastronomic life devoid of some spicy flavor from your favorite wurst, there's a product that you should know about: Boca sausages. From the makers of Boca burgers come three varieties of meatless sausages (Italian, Smoked and Bratwurst).

They're all made from soy protein and contain 130 calories or less per link, 5 to 7 grams of fat, and zero to 1/2 gram of saturated fat... depending on the variety. That's a savings of up to 100 calories and 11 grams of fat when you compare the numbers with those of a traditional pork sausage.

If you're wondering how they taste, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the just-right blend of herbs and spices and the dead-on sausage texture. Give them a try in one of these speedy mini recipes:

Sausage and Pepper Stir-Fry: Cook Italian sausage according to package directions and slice. Spray a skillet with olive oil flavor cooking spray and cook sliced peppers and onions until tender; stir in sausage slices. Serve over rice.

Sausage Roll: Grill bratwurst according to package instructions; place on a light hot dog roll and top with brown mustard and sauerkraut.

Sausage Omelet: Cook smoked sausage according to package instructions. Spray a skillet with butter-flavor cooking spray and scramble 1/2 cup egg substitute, cooking until set. Season eggs with salt and pepper; serve alongside sausage.

Do you know of another great meat substitute? Let us know and comment below.

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Comment: October 15, 2008 4:25 PM - Anonymous Lisa R. said...  

It's great that you are writing about Vegetarian options, which we don't find on eDiets very often. Unfortunatly, all Boca sausage products contain Wheat Gluten (I just checked their ingredients list at bocaburger.com), and my husband has Celiac Disease :-( Our favorite meat substitute is beans ... red, black, kidney, garbanzo, lima, black-eyed, navy ... you name the bean, it's most likely in our pantry!


Comment: October 16, 2008 9:26 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

I love love love Quorn brand products. They have THE best chicken substitution that i have ever had. Its made out of mushrooms for those people allergic to soy, or just freaked out by it. They have tons of kinds, like naked, spicy, crispy. nuggest, strips, etc. They are all so good, i would eat them everyday!


Comment: October 18, 2008 11:35 AM - Blogger Dansgyal said...  

Unfortunatly, most of the meatless products have way too much sodium. I am a vegetarian who has high blood pressure, so the best thing for me is a nice, big portabella burger with sauteed onions and Swiss cheese. Yummmmmm!


Comment: October 18, 2008 1:39 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

i have been a vegetarian for more than fours years now and these sausages are easy to make and very tasty.I like putting them in lentil soup.


Comment: October 19, 2008 9:07 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Thanks for the tip of the Quorn products for chicken. So far every time i've tried veggie chicken it tastes horrible. I will try this brand!

I like Yves burgers and also, their veggie roast beef is great along with their veggie dogs. Tasty!


Comment: October 20, 2008 2:01 PM - Blogger k-rin & day-vid said...  

I also like the "Gimme Lean" products. I've been a vegetarian for right at 2 months now. There are a few varieties to choose from, more than ever. I also like making bean burgers and sausage from scratch. The best part of all these options, is that you get the flavor without all the grease & grossness than real meat! Enjoy!!


Comment: January 12, 2009 4:56 AM - Blogger mikesd said...  

Dansgyal is right about the sodium content. Everything is high. I try to follow it with juice or something high in potassium. MorningStar Chick 'n Nuggets are good.


Comment: February 7, 2009 5:55 AM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Wayyyy too much sodium...


Comment: June 25, 2009 11:25 AM - Blogger Jackie said...  

Came across this site and would like to share it with others, great site with a whole lot of information and advice on High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Cholesterol and Stroke –
http://www.bizymoms.com/cares/heart_health/index.html
Information on diseases known as the Silent Killers and advice on regular medical checkups and early diagnosis and symptoms.


Comment: June 26, 2009 10:55 AM - Blogger Jennifer said...  

Thanks so much for your meatless option ideas!!! My favorites are the Quorn "chicken" products, the Grillers Prime Morningstar "Burgers" and the Boca Sausages. All great products!

Please keep the meatless ideas coming! :)


Comment: June 26, 2009 12:53 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Just so everyone knows, Quorn meatless chicken products are made with 51% dehydrated egg whites. So if you are going to eat egg whites you should just eat real chicken. I was very disappointed to learn this. Why is egg considered a meatless ingredient and chicken is not? Makes no sense to me.


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