Harmony Valley Foods Vegetarian Meat Substitute!  Yes, I know the name doesn’t sound scrumptious, but this goo is pretty decent.

And simple to prepare, I must say.  Unlike refrigerated or frozen vegiMeats, this stuff ain’t- that means convenient, like for storage or travel- like to outer space or even camping.  And unlike TVP or TSP, this stuff is already spiced- and that is convenient beyond convenience.   Put mix in bowl, pour water in bowl, stir with spoon and let stand 15 minute.  Once hydrated, prepare as desired.

And taste?  This is good goo. Vegetarian Hamburger Mix and Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage Mix are quite true to their descriptive names. I’ve fried it as patties, thrown it in some chili, put it on nachos in the broiler, and made shawarma for my pitas.   What will make this popular with omnivores may also turn off some vegans- their authentic meaty texture.  At 5 servings per pack and at a suggested retail of $3.99, it’s not a bad deal.  Now, let’s talk the bad.

As with most vegiMeats, we are plagued by the omnipresent Soy Protein and her nagging cousin, Wheat Gluten. I love you two dearly, but you’re better in moderation, instead of infiltrating everything I put in my vegan mouth. As for Uncle Sodium, he makes a modest appearance in the Hamburger Mix, but overstays his welcome in the Sausage Mix at 430 mg per 3 tablespoons of dry mix.

Yeah, I would totally buy these again, but go easy on the sausage.

As a source of vegan protein that tastes like decent goo, I hereby give Harmony Valley Vegetarian Hamburger Mix 4 Goatz, and Harmony Valley Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage Mix 3 Goatz, for an average of 3.5 Goatz, that I’ll round up to 4 Goatz because it’s a wind powered company.

[I also want to comment upon something that struck me when I read Harmony Valley’s homepage.  First, I want to clarify that I’m bringing it up as a way of addressing my own feelings about vegetarianism & veganism.  I was a vegetarian for many years before I became vegan.  My vegetarianism opened my eyes to animal exploitation certainly, but I hadn’t considered all forms of animal exploitation- namely dairy (and sometimes sea life).  Today, I know that animal exploitation goes far beyond my plate or closet.  It includes any time an animal is used for our own purposes or amusement.  I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to encourage my flexitarian and vegetarian friends at Harmony Valley to research these things at length.  We are the animals best and only defense, and they need our help.]

Gratitude and thanks to Harmony Valley  for graciously sending me some of their products to review. 

Disclaimer:  Views and opinions expressed here are those of YDV and derived from personal experience.  These opinions are not influenced in any way by the receipt of goods or services.  We will always notify you when a product has been given to us to review, test, use, or talk about.