# Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)



## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I have found TVP to be a wonderful addition to long term storage. 

If you haven't used it or even seen it before, it is a soy product that looks and tastes (as much as possible) like real meat. It is dried and will last for years in storage. It absorbs liquid in the cooking process, and is a good source of protein. I have made soups and casseroles with it, and if I hadn't made the food myself, I would have thought it was real meat. It is also sold unflavored, and I have never tried the unflavored. I have seen Beef, Chicken, Ham, Taco.

Which reminds me. Bullion is another good storage prep item.

Someone posted the coupon code for Honeyville, and they carry TVP in many flavors. They sell it in #10 cans. I have found it in the bulk bins at my local Seventh Day Adventist store. Their religious beliefs don't allow them to eat meat.The page for Honeyville TVP is here; http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/soytvpproducts.aspx


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

TVP has been around forever  Good stuff for vegetarians and backpackers. High protein, useful for making chili, casseroles (man....GOOD low fat/high protein casserole...TVP, chili powder or taco mix, mozzarella cheese cubes, rice and a can of stewed tomatoes..YUMMYY!!) and all sorts of "need to add meat..don't HAVE meat...how about TVP?" things. You can do a 1/2TVP and 1/2 ground meat to reduce calories but keep taste if you have a problem wiwth the taste of the TVP. 

Yes, it's soy. Please don't turn this into a "soy is evil" thread.

forgot: I make a chili mix out of my normal spices for chili, dried tomatoes, and TVP. Add it to boiling water, stir, cook for 5 minutes and you have a good chili for camping/storage.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

_"Good stuff for vegetarians and backpackers."_

Part of what make it good stuff for backpackers is that a little bit goes a long way, and it is very light weight. When using it, I just use a little bit, and it puffs up as it absorbs the liquid. A #10 can would last a very long time! 

When it comes to survival, we can't afford to refuse to eat evil soy, if it means the alternative is starvation.


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

Yep, it's been around forever and everyone should try it. Try many flavors and manufacturers. Try different recipes. Get some real experience with the stuff.

And having done all that you will fall into one of two camps - them what likes it and them what views it as a genuine survival food. Meaning they'd have to be starving to willingly eat the stuff again.

I'm in the survival food camp.

.....Alan.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

We love edamame (soybeans), and tofu in some Asian foods. But I've never tried TVP, mainly because I've focused on canned meats, and growing my own meat. Maybe I should give it a try...


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## cvk (Oct 30, 2006)

I don't understand what is to hate with TVP. The unflavored is totally tastless and can be flavored to your liking. Now the pre-flavored can be disgusting!


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

I've used it, tolerate it, have it as part of my preps.

But it's not part of my daily ration.

Some love it, some hate it. I'm somewhat in the middle.

The ham flavored TVP smells like burned tires to me.

I do like the non-flavored kind for putting into meatloaf and casseroles and chili with ground beef.

I've got the taco, sausage, chiken strips. Maybe I should try them out before a disaster hits. But then, I might and eat enjoy them with starvation as my other alternative!

;0


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

cvk said:


> I don't understand what is to hate with TVP.


 Braaappppp!!!!

....Alan {'nuf said.}


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

I bought some of the beef and chicken flavored tvp to keep in my long term storage. I havent used it in everyday cooking, although I have bought Meatballs at Aldi and they were made with tvp. I believe I remember hearing somewhere that schools are using the tvp in place of meat to not only save on costs but to increase nutrition.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Used to sell the stuff in a health food store. Tried working with some myself, had bad reactions. I suggest that IF you plan to use it as a survival food, you better try to use it now like you would then. If you find your body doesn't tolerate it, you will be sitting with a pile of inedible junk at the time when you could least afford it.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

I never even thought of adding it to my preps... I'd rather keep beans I guess. I've had TVP in various meatless dishes more than once, and I hated it every time. 

However when a small amount is mixed in with beef for things like meatloaf/meatballs it's not noticable (less than 25 percent TVP, more than 75% beef). Makes the meal a bit cheaper and more healthy. Maybe if I slowly took out the beef and transitioned to the TVP it would be more tolerable......


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Can I grow tvp in the garden? Can I harvest wild tvp from the woods? Can I scrounge tvp from others? If I can, I'll try it and use it... if not, I have no use for it.

I 'can' harvest tap (texturized animal protein), I can grow it, and I can scrounge it. {tap... pounded jerky}.

I have eaten tvp back in my freeze dried food backpacking days... back then, anything moving slow enough was fair game... carbon ore is goooood...


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

I bought 50 pounds of unflavored crumbles from Honeyville and put it up in quart jars. It takes alot of jars.
I use it to stretch hamburger in beans and tacos.
I like the unflavored better than the flavored.


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## StaceyS (Nov 19, 2003)

SquashNut said:


> I...
> I like the unflavored better than the flavored.


Me too! The unflavored is so versatile, plus I like that I can take out just a little to make dinner for myself.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

You can make it yourself, Texican  It's quite a process tho. Soybean, squeezed so you get all the oil out, take the leftover protein cake and run it through a mill and dehydrate. Voila...soybean crumbles 

Up here in Wisconsin, it's not out of the question should bad times come calling. There are enough soybean fields around that one could scavenge. OR just buy the edamame "heirloom" type seeds and plant some each year to keep your supply going and fresh for each year. They're easy to grow (plant and forget type things) and don't take up a whole lot of space. They do take a bit of water, tho...like any bean.


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## Colorado (Aug 19, 2005)

Texican, 
I saw recipe to make tvp at home. in one of my drying books I think. I never tried it so can not say how it works but but listed. Yes, you could grow in in your garden as soy beans and they make tvp out of the dry beans. As I have some in pantry I have never made any. I have both the small and the chunks for stew. I rather have real meat. I have cooked dried soy beans to eat and realy prefer pintos. I can make the tofu form the soy beans too or milk. Beans can be made in to soy flour too.


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

Wisconsin Ann said:


> You can make it yourself, Texican  It's quite a process tho. Soybean, squeezed so you get all the oil out, take the leftover protein cake and run it through a mill and dehydrate. Voila...soybean crumbles
> 
> Up here in Wisconsin, it's not out of the question should bad times come calling. There are enough soybean fields around that one could scavenge. OR just buy the edamame "heirloom" type seeds and plant some each year to keep your supply going and fresh for each year. They're easy to grow (plant and forget type things) and don't take up a whole lot of space. They do take a bit of water, tho...like any bean.


Where ther'es soybean fields, there's usually deer and other critters that crave the protien.

I'd rather eat the critters!


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

What is it with you Americans and your "flavored" everything?


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## rickd203 (Sep 11, 2005)

I have been looking into raising soybeans for oil, TVP, soymlk, etc. I have a can of soybeans in my preps for sprouts. If I decide I want a crop of soybeans, I could plant them. I'm still trying to find out if there is an inexpensive way to press the oil out of the beans.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

texican said:


> Can I grow tvp in the garden? ...


Actually, you can, not sure if its TVP, but theres a meat subsititue thats wheat, ground, water added, kneaded to make gluten and the starch rinsed away. We had a demo class once -- pretty neat. You can then flavor it how you want and make all sorts of stuff with it.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Tracy Rimmer said:


> What is it with you Americans and your "flavored" everything?


Its called "Taste"


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

rickd203 said:


> I have been looking into raising soybeans for oil, TVP, soymlk, etc. I have a can of soybeans in my preps for sprouts. If I decide I want a crop of soybeans, I could plant them. I'm still trying to find out if there is an inexpensive way to press the oil out of the beans.


You might be interested in this article from a Farm Show. 2 farmer brothers bought an inexpensive screwpress and engine thing. They're doing really well at processing. Not just their own beans, but other people. Might give you some ideas.


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

mnn2501 said:


> Actually, you can, not sure if its TVP, but theres a meat subsititue thats wheat, ground, water added, kneaded to make gluten and the starch rinsed away. We had a demo class once -- pretty neat. You can then flavor it how you want and make all sorts of stuff with it.


That's called "seitan" -- or "wheat-meat" to some.


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## sapphyre (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks for this thread! It got me thinking of this product as a good prep item that will keep a long time. I was at the grocery store this morning and snapped up a big bag of TVP. One 1/4 cup serving has 22% RDA of protein. Not bad, not bad!


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

Textured vegetable protein.....it even _sounds_ nasty to me. There's just something about soy that turns my stomach. I can smell the stuff even in cosmetics....yuk!

I'll have to stick with 'normal' beans as my protein alternative/meat stretcher.


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## cvk (Oct 30, 2006)

I have about 30 pounds of unflavored tvp in the bottom of my freezer--when I get down there I will know I am out of meat! We don't eat allot of tvp but I add it to hot cereal to bring up the protein content and throw in a handful when making chili or whatever so that it gets rotated. We don't eat entire meals of tvp but if the time should come when it is necessary we will have the stuff and our bodies will have experienced it so we won't make ourselves sick. Although I would like to play the macho farm person that has it all under control--well, I have lived long enough to see all of my chickens eaten by something overnight--had the beef die in the pasture from what we will never know--had droughts where there was no garden and precious little well water for drinking. Survivors get over petty food dislikes or they don't tend to be survivors for very long in a serious situtation.


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

Three of my four kids wont eat beans no matter what I do with them. I mash them up and hide them (and lentils) in sauces, gravies and I add them to meatloaf. They eat them not realizing it. I think im going to open a can of tvp that I have in my long term storage and see how it goes over.


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## mosepijo (Oct 21, 2008)

I used some for the first time last week. Made sloppy joes and used 2# ground round and 2 cups TVP. No body said a word except, "these are good, mom".

I have more input if I tell them its in there so I just keep it my secret.


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## Sharon (May 11, 2002)

I've never been a big fan of TVP until I tried TVP by Harmony House Foods. Theirs is amazing in my opinion. Here's the link for anyone who might want to give it a try: http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/TVP-Meat-Substitute_c_6.html. They give a 10% discount with the coupon code: BACKWOODS. They are nice to deal with and have fast delivery; their shipping is reasonable too and free if you order $99 or more.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

I go along with Harry chickpea. Better try it before you stock up. And not just one item in a meal. Try it for a week or so. There are all kinds of side effects for many people, especially male children.

There was a recent thread on soy. I suggest it be read before money is spent.


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

> Ounce for ounce kale has as much protein as whole milk and only 50 calories per serving.


 http://www.gonggarden.com/content/kale 

It's a good-quality protein (complete) and easy to grow, store, use, and lure animal proteins with . I apologize for being a bit off topic, but wanted to throw in another vegetable source of protein. It wouldn't probably be a great "only source" of protein, but it's a really nice "also source".


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

How do collards stack up against kale, nutrition wise? We eat a lot of collards, usually stir fried until tender-crisp, but nobody in my family likes kale.


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

> but nobody in my family likes kale.


  My husband says, "you notice how not one of those recipes say how good it will taste, they just go on and on about how healthy it is?" I mostly dry it to put in soups and sauces, it thickens them nicely, and as long as you break it up into tiny bits, no one notices it. I put a handful in almost everything I cook in a pot. It does turn the dumplings in my chicken and dumplings a lovely shade of green. 

Nutrition-wise, I think they're about the same, they are really closely related.


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## cvk (Oct 30, 2006)

There are reams of articles about how bad food is for us that point fingers at beef, pork, bacon, ham, butter, milk, spinach, all sea food is contaminated and on and on and on. There is no food that has no harmfull side effects if misused. Soy is no different.


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## Pink_Carnation (Apr 21, 2006)

I'm thinking the rats from another thread would be better. TVP is a nasty survival only dietary component...it doesn't even qualify as food to me


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## ailsaek (Feb 7, 2007)

Huh. We love TVP in our house, and go through a lot of it. We order it in 20 lb. bags from Bob's Red Mill - unflavored. So far my best recipe for it is:

2 c TVP
a decent sized glug of veggie oil
1 T chili powder
1 t Adobo seasoning
2 c boiling water

Cover and leave for 15 minutes. Use in tacos or casseroles or spaghetti sauce.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I throw TVP in spaghetti sauce a lot - just makes it seem like there is hamburger in it. I also add it to hamburger in other recipes. It stretches the meat, and it stretches the $$. I use the unflavored, and can't tell any difference in taste. It is a part of our preps and rotated like the rest of the preps, so that we eat what we store and store what we eat.


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## kinderfeld (Jan 29, 2006)

MauriceYu said:


> TVP is organized vegetable protein. It is made from defatted soy flour and has a very low fat content (3%). It is usually made into flakes, granules or blocks and can be used as a substitute for beef filling. It should be noted that TVP and HVP (plant hydrolyzed protein) are different. HVP is a food additive that contains a lot of MSG (monosodium glutamate), while TVP does not contain this ingredient. Although the fat content of TVP itself is very low, sometimes additional fat is added to industrial products.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Better late than never.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

kinderfeld said:


> Better late than never.


$10 says that our new friend necro-poster gets paid every time someone clicks the link in the post above.

ETA: yup. Their other post is a necro of the same topic, with the same link.


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## kinderfeld (Jan 29, 2006)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> $10 says that our new friend necro-poster gets paid every time someone clicks the link in the post above.
> 
> ETA: yup. Their other post is a necro of the same topic, with the same link.


Gotta admit that I've resurrected old posts before as well. But damn it, I really wanted to know what happened to Elfie!!!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Spam with an ad for *CHINA* soy. Has anyone besides me reported them?


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Danaus29 said:


> Spam with an ad for *CHINA* soy. Has anyone besides me reported them?


It looks like they were deleted. I did report an Indian jobs spammer that showed up in GC this morning.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

kinderfeld said:


> Gotta admit that I've resurrected old posts before as well. But damn it, I really wanted to know what happened to Elfie!!!


I want to know what happened too. I played hostess to him for a few months.


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## kinderfeld (Jan 29, 2006)

Danaus29 said:


> I want to know what happened too. I played hostess to him for a few months.


I never got to, myself. 
I think someone just decided to keep him.


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