What could this "texturized vegetable protein" be?

I am an ovo-vegetarian who avoids soy in any significant amount. Lately, I have been buying those Quorn products which do not contain dairy. (All contain egg.)





What do you make of the list of ingredients in these "soy-free" Quorn meatless meatballs?





"Mycoprotein (38%), textured vegetable protein (wheat flour, sodium alginate caramel), onions, partially rehydrated egg white, textured wheat protein (wheat protein ), canola oil. Contains 2% or less of rice starch, autolyzed yeast extract, salt, natural flavorings from non-meat sources, barley malt extract, gum arabic, sugar, nutmeg, ginger, cilantro, thyme, sage, pepper, parsley, trisodium phosphate, chili pepper, allspice, paprika extract"





The front of the package says "soy-free," and the TVP is claimed to be made of wheat. Can you really make TVP from wheat? How is it different from seitan? Is it good for you?|||If the label says it's wheat, by law it must be wheat. If the label says it's soy free, by law it must be soy free. Many people have life threatening allergies to these ingredients, and the labeling laws exist and are enforced to protect these folks. A lot of things on labels are intentionally vague or confusing, but one thing you can trust on a label is if an ingredient is listed as coming from a certain source, it comes from that source.





So you can definitely trust that there is no soy!








As for if it's good for you... Like the rest of the product, it is highly processed. It's kind of like seitan, but processed to alter the texture and probably the flavor too.








You will save money and do your body a favor if you reduce or eliminate the processed imitation foods. Eat real food instead! Instead of weird mycoprotein, which is derived from a non-mushroom fungus, eat real mushrooms instead! Instead of fake meat things, eat real nuts, whole grains, and beans. You can even make your own patties and roasts from them!





I love these veggie burgers:





http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2011/鈥?/a>





They are simple and easy to make from scratch. My comments and changes are in a comment near the bottom of the page - just scroll down.








Create your own nut loaf recipe on this site:





http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio鈥?/a>





You just check the boxes for the ingredients you want to include, and it calculates a recipe for you!








Enjoy!|||TVP can be made from a number of high-protien sources, including wheat or soy. The phrase "TVP" refers more to the preparation and presentation than the source.





The particular TVP in the Quorn meatballs you listed is very much like seitan and probably has a similar nutritional analysis.|||I buy TVP from Whole Foods. I put it in my Vegan Chili. It is protein from vegetables that is textured.





It different from Seitan b/c seitan is wheat gluten. TVP is soy. But it can also be made from oats or wheat. Depending on what you buy.