Many people making the shift to a vegetarian or vegan diet may be reluctant to try meat or dairy alternatives. Others simply do not realize the variety of products available to replace meat and dairy and still enjoy favorite foods like burgers, shakes, and cheese.
Meat alternatives are usually made from soy protein and other ingredients. These foods are not only of interest to vegetarians but are also of benefit to people who want to take advantage of the significant health benefits of soy. Soy protein products can be made to taste like meat. There are soy protein products that are naturally flavored to taste like beef, pork, chicken, and even fish. There are veggie burgers, hot dogs, and deli meats as well. These products vary in terms of how much they taste like the meat-based foods they are named after. Some taste remarkably like meat while others do not. In many cases, people like the new versions better, even if they do not taste like meat. There are also products, like Revival soy bars and shakes, which use a natural process to pack concentrated amounts of isoflavones (the compounds in soy that are credited with health benefits) found in into a single serving....