Fake Meat Never Tasted So Good

Fake Meat Never Tasted So Good: We Taste-Test Subway's New Vegan Subs, and Like Them

 
Photo courtesy of Compassion Over Killing

Pity the vegetarian on a long road trip. In the grand scheme of American fast food, there really aren't many palatable meatless options. If you're a vegan, it only gets more difficult to find proper sustenance in the types of restaurants that dot strip malls and highway exits.

In that, Subway's 33,000 nationwide stores have always been something of a blessing. The fast food sandwich monger has always provided its Veggie Delite to vegetarians, but that was about it. But now, there are more options to be had—and these will even appeal to vegans.

In partnership with animal rights group Compassion Over Killing, Subway recently rolled out three all-vegan sandwich options—and much to our luck, they're being tested in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia market. Since I sent Ben to taste-test Burger King's Bacon Sundae (short Ben: it was gross), it fell on me to head down to a Subway Café on Massachusetts Avenue today and sample the new vegan alternatives.

First off, a disclaimer: I don't go to Subway very often. But in the totality of American fast food, I would choose it over some of the competitors. I suppose I like the variety as much as I enjoy pretending that it's really healthy. (It's not as unhealthy as some fast food joints, but it's also fast food—and there's always plenty of extra calories secretly hidden away in its offerings.) Additionally, all words of praise here have to set to a fast food standard: good means good relative to other fast food options; we're not pitting Subway against Citronelle, after all.

My first choice was the Sweet Riblet. And why not? Non-meat meat products have certainly improved over the years, but their consistency and flavor can leave just about any meat-eater wanting. I approached this sub skeptically; I really like ribs, after all, so fake ribs just wouldn't make the grade. Or so I thought.

Though the ribs emerge from a vacuum-sealed pouch that's quickly microwaved before being unceremoniously plopped on your choice of bread—there are five vegan options: Roasted Garlic, Sourdough, Light Wheat English Muffin, Hearty Italian and Hearty Italian White—they tasted like, well, ribs.

No, a real rib aficionado wouldn't be fooled if served Subway's vegan alternative unaccompanied on a dish, but sandwiched between the bread and toppings you'd hardly fault someone for thinking they're not eating the real thing. The barbecue sauce slathered on the "ribs" even had a pleasant smokiness to it, and I had no problem wolfing down the six-inch Sweet Riblet sub. (It did have an odd aftertaste, but I've learned that plenty of meat substitutes do.) I can see this becoming a go-to option whenever I stop into a Subway, as rarely as that happens.

The Italian Black Bean sub was a little less compelling, mostly because there wasn't much to it—a halved Morningstar black bean patty is the star of this sandwich. Also thrown in the microwave, the patty became unpleasantly chewy, almost gummy. It wasn't bad—the patty itself is nicely seasoned, after all—but there wasn't much setting it apart.

I didn't get around to trying the third offering, the Malibu Greek sub, mostly because I'm not about to stomach a full foot-and-a-half worth of Subway—ever.

I'd say Subway is on the right track with its three vegan options. The standard Veggie Delite sandwich is passable, but it fails on one key point—the vegetables at Subway don't ever seem very good. The vegan alternatives—at least the Sweet Riblet—make you feel like you can pack your sandwich with something a little tastier, heartier and animal-friendly.

If you want to try the sandwiches yourself, these are the participating locations:

D.C.
555 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20005 -- 202-347-4616
455 Massachusetts Ave, NW (1st Floor) Washington, DC 20001 -- 202-638-0348
550 First St., NW, Washington, DC 20001 -- 202-661-6639

Maryland
8145 Main St, Ellicott City, MD 21043 -- 410-418-4330
5520 Research Park Dr, #107, Catonsville, MD 21228 -- 410-455-5222
300 Sentinel Dr, #100, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 -- 301-490-6553

Virginia
320 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- 703-879-4321
2361 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- 703-879-4321

70-Year-Old Woman Finds The Fountain Of Youth! (This Is How)

50 days unitl I'm 50!

Well now the biggest challege starts, losing weight by my 50th birthday. Besides the goal to lose by a certain date it will fix a lot of my health problems, especially the blood pressure.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OVERVIEW

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a common condition that can lead to serious complications if untreated. Making dietary changes and losing weight are effective treatments for reducing blood pressure.
Other lifestyle changes that can help to reduce blood pressure include stopping smoking, reducing stress, reducing alcohol consumption, and exercising regularly. These changes are effective when used alone, but often have the greatest benefit when used together.

Healthy Heart Habits May Also Guard Against Cancer

Good cholesterol, blood pressure levels and more appear to reduce tumor risk, study finds.

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16, 2011 (HealthDay News) — People who are diligent about keeping their heart healthy have a good chance of staving off cancer as well, researchers report.

Individuals who don't smoke and who maintain a healthy body-mass index (BMI), normal blood pressure and two to four other "ideal" measures of heart health have a 38 percent lower risk of developing cancer, according to research scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla.

The study authors hope the score they've developed will help doctors drive home the message that prevention is key to bothcancer and heart disease.

"Physicians need motivation to really push the issue of prevention with patients," said lead author Laura J. Rasmussen-Torvik, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Other experts agreed.

"If we give patients a double whammy [message], in the ideal world, we might be preventing two of these biggest killers. It might be a stronger message," said Dr. Tara Narula, a cardiologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"People generally know that healthy behaviors prevent heart disease and cancer, but to [relate risk factors such as cholesterol] to cancer is novel," added Dr. Harmony Reynolds, associate director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City. "It's very nice to have that crossover in practice. Sometimes I talk to patients about lowering their cholesterol and exercising, and they get very fatalistic saying that, in my family, cancer is the problem. It's very convenient to be able to say these things."

"Ideal" cardiovascular health is one of the American Heart Association's Strategic 2020 Goals, which aim to improve Americans' heart health by 20 percent and reduce deaths from heart disease and stroke by 20 percent.

For this study, researchers followed more than 13,000 healthy individuals for 13 years, measuring seven "metrics" of heart health at the start and tracking any cancer that developed. Those seven factors are: not smoking, normal BMI (a calculation based on weight and height), physical activity, healthy diet, and safe cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting blood glucose levels.

Between 1987 and 2006, the participants developed more than 1,800 new cancers, namely prostate, breast, lung and colon. But, the more "ideal" factors people had, the less likely they were to develop cancer.

Compared to people who had none of the seven factors, having just one reduced the risk of cancer by 20 percent. Three factors lowered the risk of cancer by 22 percent, and five to seven pushed the risk down 38 percent.

"If you lower yourself by one point [risk factor], that's a significant decrease in cancer risk and a lower risk of heart disease," said Dr. Christopher Cove, assistant director of the cardiac catheterization lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. "That's exciting."

When the researchers looked at the same participants but removed smoking from the measure, the association was no longer significant but the trend was still in the right direction.

"This says that, yes, smoking is really important but we still see the trend when smoking is taken out, so adhering to a healthy diet and having a low BMI are still important for cancer risk," said Rasmussen-Torvik.

The association might have been even clearer had the study had more participants and more cases of cancer, said Reynolds.

It's not clear why these associations exist, but Narula hypothesized they could relate to overall inflammation, which drives both heart disease and cancer.

The study authors said they hope to see more collaboration between the American Heart Association and cancer advocacy groups.

"I think the American public is very confused about conflicting health messages," said Rasmussen-Torvik. "If organizations like the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association could work together to emphasize some core prevention goals, that could be beneficial to all groups."

Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Heavy D Had Resumed Weight Loss Plan In Last Months

 

Heavy D, Getty Images Entertainment, Chris McKay

Family, friends, and fans of hip-hop star Heavy D are still in shock over his untimely death Tuesday in front of his Beverly Hills home. As a private funeral and public memorial are being planned in New York next week, more details about his struggles with his weight are coming to light.
While the cause of death has not yet been determined, it is believed to be related to a respiratory issue.
According to TMZ, Heavy D, who was 44-years-old and weighed 344 pounds at the time of death had recently resumed a workout regimen. He was also an established actor, appearing on "Law & Order: SVU," "Boston Public," and the new comedy blockbuster "Tower Heist."
One of Heavy's trainers discussed a fitness program with him three months ago at the Ultra Body Fitness gym in West Hollywood, TMZ reports. In 2008, this same trainer, named Tony, helped Heavy D lose 150 pounds.
Heavy D was reportedly frequenting a number of local gyms, and doing a variety of exercises including running, hiking, and boxing. Tony described Hev as a hard worker, recalling times when he worked out nearly every day.
Heavy also experienced another significant weight loss in 2002. Then, he lost 135 pounds, an accomplishment motivated by his desire to secure more acting work. In a 2003 interview with the Television Critics Association, Heavy recalled advice from a director.
"I went on a couple auditions, and one director was kind enough to say, 'Look, you would've had this part but you're not fitting, you're stifling yourself," Heavy told TCA. "He was right. I kind of always knew it in the back of my mind, and I just woke up on a Tuesday and I just kept going."
Heavy D will indeed be missed. Ironically, he released his last album, 'Love Opus," in September, and left the simple yet poignant message "BE INSPIRED!" on his Twitter page the day before he died.