Diet Food Reviews
Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Veggie Protein Strips
By: | Jun 4, 2007
I am what you call a last-minute cook. I almost never plan exactly what I am going to eat for dinner until five minutes beforehand, when I realize that I am famished. Because of this lack of forethought, I often rely on brands like Morningstar Farms to provide healthy, meat-free protein sources.
Morningstar Farms produces a line of meat alternatives called Meal Starters, which, as the name suggests, makes mealtime much easier for spontaneous cooks such as myself. They come in four varieties: Chik'n and 'Steak' strips and Sausage style and Ground Beef style crumbles.
While the crumbles are versatile in their own right, I much prefer the strips for creating more inspired dishes. The strips mimic the real deal so closely that I have had my family members ask me, "Oh, are you eating chicken again?" and "Since when do you eat steak?" They smell and look just like their intended meat counterparts. The texture is similar, although they might be a bit chewier than meat. Taste wise, the strips present a pleasant saltiness to the palate, and the chik'n strips have a slight southwestern seasoning to them.
Both the chik'n and steak strips lend themselves particularly well to fajitas, stir-fries, casseroles, and pastas. Most recently I used the chik'n strips to make a vegetarian version of chicken and gravy over rice; I often use them to top salads as well. All it takes is a quick zap in the microwave and a little inventiveness to make a delicious and healthful meal
Not only are these strips convenient but they are "figure-friendly" as well. For a generous 12 strip serving, there are 140-150 Calories, 3.5 grams of total fat and only 0.5 grams of that is saturated. Each serving also delivers an astounding 22 grams of protein, a fact that makes them mighty attractive to all the vegetarians out there. In addition, these strips boast several vitamins and minerals, including 30% of the RDA for iron, 30% for vitamin B-12, and 30% for zinc. The sodium content is a tad high, providing 22% of the RDA, but salt is decidedly ubiquitous in most frozen fare.
The price is slightly higher than the budget-conscious might prefer, but I frequently find coupons for Morningstar Farms in the Sunday paper. Often the company attaches coupons to the products themselves, so be sure to keep your eye out for possible savings.
See more on: Vegetarian
, faux meat
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This sounds perfect to store in the freezer at work and top my salads with at lunch. I am concerned about salt, but I doubt I'd eat an entire serving at lunch. I'll have to keep an eye out for these. Thanks!
I was just on Morningstar's website (I recommend it- they have tasty recipes that incorporate their products) and a serving is 12 strips, not 24.
Oops! You're right, Mary Anne. Thanks for the information!
I have only had the chik'n strips, but I agree that they are very good. They look so much like the real thing that you could definitely fool someone. I have used them to make "Chicken" caesar salad, and pasta with veggies. With all of the great substitutes morningstar farms makes, i never feel like I'm missing out by not eating meat!
I bought some �steak� strips last night. For $3.69 for a bag with 2 and a half servings, it works out to not be too expensive. I microwaved them before work and mixed them with a leftover veggie mix from the night before. Those strips are actually a lot bigger than I thought and ended up only mixing in half a serving (6 strips) for lunch. I don�t think I could eat a full serving. They were really very good. The texture is weird to get used to at first and I don�t think the chewiness could fool someone into thinking it was real steak. However the taste is very good and gave the veggies a good taste as well. I felt really full after lunch and would definitely buy these again. My only complaint is that the heating instructions on the back of the bag suggest that for the best results you heat it in a pan in oil. How unhealthy! I know that vegetarian isn�t synonymous with healthy, but I�m pretty sure that Morningstar markets itself has a healthy alternative. Why suggest something like that when there have been nonfat cooking sprays out for years? Anyhow, the microwave worked perfectly for me and I�ll definitely add these to my salads and stir frys when I�m in a hurry or at work. Thanks for the review!
MaryAnne- you don't have to fry them in oil. Usually when I use them I just lightly coat a pan with cooking spray and thats works fine.
When I prepare them, I don't fry them either. They actually taste fine after a quick zap in the microwave, but they're better when you heat them in the pan as Gabi suggested.
After reading 'bout these on this site I found them at my local grocer. OMG: Yummy! I topped my Asian Chik'n salad with these. Boy oh boy I could've eaten the whole bag. I wish they came in a larger sized bag (much akin to the quantities found at Costco.). Luckily they were on sale 2/$6.00. I should've thought ahead & stocked up.
I pretty much live off of these Steak and Chik'n strips. The Chik'n is great for stir fries, and the Steak does well with wild mushrooms, herbs and some A-1 on the side. This stuff is really versatile, high on protein and low on calories. Sometimes when I'm working out I'll just eat a whole bag of it. Vegetarians need their protein!
For the people discussing oil, I hardly ever cook with it, or the spray for that matter. Just use a little water in a non-stick pan!
hi, I will not buy any other veggie burgers except for morningstar, the best. I just wish I could find coupons.
I use the steak version of these to make a hearty "beef" stew, and it's always good.
Unfortunately, MSF has changed their Chik'n Strips recipe and now they taste strongly of mesquite/BBQ. This pretty much removes them as chicken substitutes for a great many recipes I've used in the past. :(
where do you buy the chick n strips and steak strips> I love them and was able to buy them when we lived in CA but now we live in OK and I can't find them anywhere. Do you buy them onlune?