Are vegetarian sausages a good replacement for actual vegetables?

Question

I am a fussy eater and there are not very many vegetables that I like. However, I need to eat healthier and I am trying to include more vegetable-heavy meals in my diet (vegetable soups, veggies in sauce (lots of sauce!) on pasta etc) and I was wondering do any vegetarians on the board know if a vegetarian sausage/beef pattie/whatever actually provides any of the nutrition benefits from the vegetables used, in a similar way that a sausage-sized serving of veggies would :) ? Or is it nowhere near as good as just eating a pile of veggies?

It would be great if they did - that would be one more vegetable-serving I could actually eat!

(I know lots of people think vegetarian sausages don't taste nice, but I have had some nice ones at party once, so I know they exist and if it's worth it, I'll hunt them down to the corners of the earth!)

Thanks all.

Answer 1

Actually Dr. Praeger's makes burgers with veggies and they are pretty good.

However, nothing is as good as the fresh veggies as unprocessed as possible. Keep eating them (and good for you) as they will become tastier as you go along. It sometimes takes ten times to realize you like something after all.

Until then though, have you tried roasted/grilling veggies (and even some fruits)? Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, peppers, and more taste fabulous roasted. Cut in bite size pieces, toss with a good cooking olive oil and salt, pour on a pre-heated baking pan and roast at 350 to 400 degrees F for 15 to 25 minutes till nicely browned. Big difference.

For the veggie alternative meats do keep with the whole food and least processed versions such as Tofurkey, Amy's, Dr. Praegers, Sunshine, Field Roast, etc. The bigger companies use a soy protein isolate which is what happens after the soy oil has been extracted and the leftover meal is broken down even further and processed some more.

They are healthier than meats, and certainly safer to work with and eat. But do keep eating your veggies. And eat veggies with your meat alternatives too. :)

Answer 2

Vegetarian sausages provide protein, you still need to eat your veggies.  

Answer 3

No, but they are a good substitute for meat.  Most veggie sausage is made from soy and/or wheat proteins, and there's not much in the way of vegetables in them.

You really do need to eat your vegetables.  I'm a bit of a fussy eater myself, and many veggies have to be cooked right for me to eat them.  There's nothing wrong with putting veggies in lots of sauce (as long as it isn't a creamy sauce) on top of whole wheat pasta or eating vegetable soups.

Stir-fry dishes are also good.  Start off with minced vegetable nests (if your local Asian place has them) and work up to actual veggie-rich stir-fries.

Answer 4

Fresh vegetables are wonderful (and I'm an omnivore.) Just don't think the only way to prepare them is to boil them to death. You can saute them, chop them into fried rice or bulgur wheat or couscous, bread them and deep fry them a la tempura, and many, many other things. Get a good cookbook and try things out.

Answer 5

lmfao...  no.

Answer 6

You'd have to check the nutritional contents of each, but there are plenty of delicious-tasting vegetarian breakfast sausages out there...Morning Star Breakfast Patties are my favorite, but Boca's are good too.  For the most part, the veggie burgers/sausages are intended to replace meat, not vegetables.  They are high in protein, so I'm guessing you'll still want to eat some veggies.  However, they are excellent in place of pork sausage - much less fattening and actual contain healthy nutrients.  

Answer 7

Not really.  THey are just a meat-tasting substitute.  THey do taste like meat.  If you want to know what to eat, just walk down the produce aisle and you are in healthy-body heaven.  You will find something that agrees with you.  I find that i can eat more vegetables like brocolli and asparagus if i melt cheese over them.  

DOn't worry about it too much.  You will probably live a long healthy life.

Answer 8

They are a substitute for meat protein; not a vegetable source.

You are correct that you need lots of vegetables to be healthy.

Science is only recently understanding the importance of vegetables.

Try experimenting with lots of different colour groups of veggies.

You can slice them raw with dips, or roast them on the grill.

Incorporate them in soups & sauces.

You can even get them in drinks (V8).

Fruits are just as important as sources of fibre & antioxidants.

Answer 9

Check the nutritional facts if they are a good sorce of the vitamins you are missing from the vegetables that you don't eat, then they are a good replacement. If not then no, you have to find other vegetables that are good in those vitamins or check w/ your doctor and maybe try a suppliment.

Answer 10

Vegetarian sausages are typically made of grains and/or legumes. They're also usually kind of heavy on the additives. So, no. They aren't a replacement for vegetables, let alone a good replacement.

Answer 11

No..of course not.  Nothing replaces veggies.

Answer 12

try lightlife sausage or amy's california burgers. Thier both really good.