Love chili but trying to eat less meat? 'Morning Edition' tests a plant-based version

Freedom to choose is a wonderful concept. I believe we should be free to choose our basic living standards. If someone wants to be a vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, or omnivore, more power to you. I will enjoy the foods I desire as well, which include pork, beef, poultry, and rabbit, all raised on our little hobby farm. I've tried some vegan stuff, and it just doesn't work for me.

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Weeknight Meaty Chili gets a lot of its taste from the same ingredients that go into traditional chili; onions, garlic, cumin, tomatoes, chili powder. Plant-based meats from companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have developed a faux ground beef that not only tastes like the real thing but it feels right too. Bishop says the companies put a lot of research into giving the veggie meats just the right texture and chew.

The fake meats fall short, however, when it comes to protein. Four ounces of ground beef has about a third more protein than veggie meat.

The America's Test Kitchen recipe gets around the protein deficit by adding red kidney beans.

They might taste yummy but nothing could be more offensive to a Texan than adding beans to chili. Real Texas chili has meat, meat and more meat. In other words, beans ain't welcome in these parts!

Bishop says it's pretty easy to fool a meat lover into chowing down on veggie chili. But perhaps the less said, the better."...