A Meat-Eater's Review of Honeyville Grain's Beef-Flavored Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)

Textured vegetable protein or TVP is a soy product often used as a healthier meat substitute. It's been used in school programs and has been popular with vegetarians and those who want to transition to a vegetarian diet.  It's also popular with preppers and survivalists because of its long-term use. There are many different brands of TVP and this is my review of the beef-flavored TVP pieces sold by Honeyville Grain.

I'm not writing this review as a vegetarian but I do enjoy some meatless meals. The two main reasons I started using TVP were as a meat extender as well as a long-term storage staple for emergency use. The fact that it's helping me cut down on red meat is a bonus.

Honeyville's beef-flavored TVP comes in small pieces that are meant to resemble ground beef. It's easy to rehydrate with a 1:1 ratio of hot water and TVP.

So far, I've used this TVP in equal proportion to ground beef in meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, chili and tacos and I could hardly tell the difference. I've read reviews of TVP where people say they've fooled their families when they've replaced all the beef with TVP. But there is a texture difference that I would think would be noticeable to most beef eaters, though not so different from beef that using it as a 50% substitute would ruin a meal.

The meatloaf turned out much less greasy than it usually does. I've had to adjust the oven temp and cooking time to make sure I don't overcook it, but less grease is a good thing, so I'm not complaining. Both the chili and tacos were delicious. I noticed that I didn't feel as full after eating but my appetite was still satiated after consuming the same amount I normally would with 100% beef. I also experimented with completely replacing the beef for TVP in tacos and my husband and I didn't miss the beef at all.

The ingredient list includes soy flour, caramel color, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, water, salt, hydrolyzed corn-soy-wheat protein, and autolyzed yeast.

My main complaint about this product is the high sodium content of 490 mg per 1/4-cup serving. That's much higher than regular ground beef which is generally under 90 g per 3-oz serving. The trans fat content is 1 g, carbohydrates 8 g, fiber 4 g, and protein 12 g.

Honeyville Grain specializes in long-term storage foods. This TVP is packed in #10 cans with oxygen absorbers and is meant to store between 10-20 years in ideal conditions (cool, dry place). As of this writing, you can buy it for under $13 a can for 40 quarter cup servings. One half cup will yield the equivalent of 1 cup of meat.

Would I recommend this to meat eaters? Except for a very short bout of vegetarianism as a teenager, I've never been one who believes that meat is bad for you. It's the quality and quantity which are the biggest issues. Because of the sodium content, I doubt, however, that I would use this product more than once or twice a week. I would alternate it with other lower sodium TVP products.

I've also used beans as a meat extender and plan on experimenting with oats and wheat berries in this regard as a lower sodium alternative. If you don't have a health issue concerning sodium or generally eat a low-sodium diet, then this may not be a big deal for you. I'm not going to get into the trans fat controversy except to say that this product has approximately the same amount as ground beef. However, the trans fat in beef is natural as opposed to the artificial kind used in processed food which gets the most bad press.

With all that being said, I think TVP is a good source of protein to keep on hand as a long-term storage food staple to replace or extend meat. Honeyville's TVP has great flavor, is easy to use and reasonably priced and stores well. Meat eaters or vegetarians would be wise to stock up for emergency or rainy day use.