Vegetarian Journal'sFoodserviceUpdate



Vegetarian Journal's Foodservice Update
Healthy Tips and Recipes for Institutions
Volume XII, Number 2 and 3 Summer 2006

FoodService Hotline

Question: I am a school foodservice manager and am being asked to add vegetarian items to the menu. I'd like to be able to offer one entrée to all the students, since we've had a bad experience with separating out vegetarian entrées from traditional entrées. Of course, the more familiar a food looks, the better acceptance we have. Someone suggested I start using TVP instead of ground beef. What is TVP and how do I use it?

Answer: TVP or TSP, textured vegetable or soy protein, is the granddaddy of meat alternates. It is lowfat and high in protein. TVP is processed as either a dry or moist product, usually made with proteins isolated from soy flour. You can rehydrate the dry TVP or use the moist TVP right from the package as a substitute for some or all of the meat in recipes such as chili, lasagna, pasta sauce, taco sauce, etc. Or, if you've purchased 'veggie ground round', it can just be added straight to a recipe without rehydrating, as a substitute for ground meat. TVP is an ingredient in many prepared vegetarian products, such as veggie dogs, chilies, and sausage.
You can purchase TVP fine or crumbled, flavored, or plain. Use TVP where you would use ground beef or ground turkey. For TVP that needs to be rehydrated, a general rule of thumb is 1 cup of TVP to ¾ to 1 cup of boiling water, allowing 10 minutes for rehydration. Once TVP is rehydrated, use the fine texture in sauces, soups, casseroles, tacos, and chili. Use the crumble texture to replace beef in stews, stir-frys, soups, pot pies, and hot entrées. Dry TVP can be stored in dry storage for up to 6 months. Rehydrated TVP needs to be refrigerated and used within 3 days. For more information on TVP, check out <www.gnc.com/health_notes/Food_Guide/Texture_Veg_Protein.htm> or <www.nomeat.com> and click on "meat analogs."



Excerpts from the Summer 2006 Issue:
Adding Vegetarian Options into School Lunch Programs by Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, CCE
Food Service Hotline
Vegetarian and Vegan Foods in Schools by Amie Hamlin
School Foods 101 by Amie Hamlin
Vegetarian Quantity Recipes
Veggie Pita Delight
Chili "con soya" with Beans
Vegetable Chili
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Apple Crisp with a Crunchy Granola Topping

Return to the main Food Service page (Vegetarian Journal's FoodService Update and Quantity Cooking Information with links to each issue).


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Last Updated July 5, 2006

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