Guide to Poultry Alternatives

Not long ago I was giving a talk to a County Health Department. The organizers had told me that food would be served, but assured me that it would be vegetarian. Vegetarian? The first thing that caught my eye when I walked in was a large platter lined with lettuce leaves, garnished with tomato slices, and filled with slices of something that looked like turkey. Luckily I checked more closely before protesting. The organizers had kept their promise. The slices were Tofurky, a completely vegan product made from soybeans.

Products like Tofurky are becoming increasingly common in the frozen and refrigerated foods sections of stores. I found products which resembled chicken nuggets, chicken patties, chicken chunks to add to stir-fries and other dishes, mock chicken salad, sliced turkey, and even drummettes. How good are these products?

Nutritionally speaking, most are quite high in sodium, a common complaint with processed foods. Nuggets and patties have a sodium level which is similar to that of products containing chicken, and roast Tofurky is higher in sodium than roast turkey. The sodium content of deli slices is actually lower than that of turkey-based luncheon meats. Fat content is generally quite low and is comparable to the amount of fat in similar poultry-containing products. The exception is chicken-free nuggets and patties, which are much lower in fat than products made with poultry. Most poultry-free products have no saturated fat or cholesterol, compared with around 75 milligrams of cholesterol in 3 ounces of chicken. They are fairly high in protein and some products contain significant amounts of iron. A serving of Health is Wealth Chicken-Free Patties or Lightlife Smart Deli Roast Turkey Style or MorningstarFarms' Chix Nuggets has 15% or more of the US RDA for iron.

These products are often made from various combinations of soy protein, wheat gluten, and tofu. Many products are vegan. Those which are not may contain either egg whites or whey protein and dried milk (Hearty and Natural Chicken Patties, Boca Nuggets and Tenders, and Worthington Foods' Fri Chick, Diced Chick, and Turkee Slices).

Surprisingly few products use organic ingredients. Gloria's Kitchen Orange Peel Chicken contains organically grown brown rice, and Tofurky products are made with soybeans "grown without herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers."

Cost is a factor for many people. Vegetarian poultry substitutes, like many processed foods, are expensive. They are convenient, however, and many people will opt for their familiar taste and appearance. Other options for make-your-own poultry alternatives include those using tofu or wheat gluten. The Vegetarian Resource Group carries a number of cookbooks with recipes for poultry alternatives (also see our website, www.vrg.org).

Certainly vegetarian poultry alternatives represent a more compassionate alternative to poultry products. Their nutrition profile is often better. If you're looking for a quick meal, try some of these products.