Vegetarian substitutions?

So, do you guys use vegetarian/vegan substitutes for meat - are they healthy, or should I avoid them?

DCTO

When I think of meat substitutes I think of the packaged products like fake luncheon meat, hot dogs and chicken strips. The nutritional value of these products can vary although they’re often quite high in sodium. On the other hand, they’re convenient and can be an easy and high source of protein. Personally, I don’t eat them often, instead preferring to use extra firm tofu or legume-based dishes. I break out the meat substitutes for convenience, such as when I’m visiting a cottage and everyone else is having a BBQ, so I can just throw veggie dogs on the grill.

Graham Hamstra

When in the UK there were a lot of meat substitutes made that were excellent. Wicked kitchen's vegan chorizo sausage was so good and Linda McCartney's fish cakes and mozzarella burgers were all excellent. Wish I could get those products now that I'm back in Canada.

Marie

Any fake chicken is, in my experience, a safe bet. Everything else is a crapshoot. I rarely ever use meat substitutes and find that recipes that are inherently veggie are all-around better.