When my husband Chip and I moved to Atlanta to be near his family, I had some trepidation about hosting my first dinner party. All four of his siblings are vegetarians, while his dad's a confirmed meat-and-potatoes man. Chip has himself to blame: now an omnivore, he went veggie in high school and college. He credits himself as the first vegetarian [0] in the family, creating a sibling-wide trend. His siblings, however, look at the halibut on his plate and call him the first quitter.

How could we make a dinner that would please not only the veggies in the family, but also his meat-loving parents...and not to mention, ourselves?

I recently surveyed meatless options in the freezer cases of Whole Foods [1] and Sevananda [2] , our local food co-op. Buying as many different meat substitutes as I could find (eliciting a curious look from the checkout person), I had the family over for an impromptu taste test. Our "panel" included vegetarian siblings Steve and Rebecca, my meat-eating parents-in-law, Joe and Christina, and myself and Chip, also omnivores.

Here's what we found out:

Field Roast [3] Grain Meat Sausage (Smoked Apple Sage): This sausage held its shape and even had the bite, or "snap" of a real sausage casing. You can cook it whole, slice it or crumble it, which makes it versatile. Joe said, "By itself, I don't care for it. But in a sauce or a dish, it would be good." Steve wasn't that impressed either, describing it as "bread-like" without a meaty texture.

Veat [4] Gourmet Bites: These chicken-like morsels "look like real meat," said Joe, although he thought the flavor was weak. It's one of Rebecca's favorite meat substitutes because it browns well, is versatile, and has a satisfyingly chewy texture. But both Chip and Steve detected a disturbing sweet flavor to it.

Quorn [5] Naked Cutlets: Another chicken substitute, these "cutlets" do resemble chicken breasts and we all agreed it did actually taste like chicken...like ultra-processed, fast-food chicken, that is. The only drawback I found was that it didn't brown evenly, although Rebecca pointed out that the cutlets allow you to make "traditional" meals that would involve chicken breasts.

White Wave [6] Chicken-Style Wheat Meat: These small chunks came in an unappetizing, and rather unwieldy, large lump, which didn't defrost properly, necessitating brute force to hack off enough for our taste-off. It was also the least favorite of our tasting-comments ranged from "dry" and "bland" to "tastes like feet," never a good thing.

Gardenburger [7] BBQ Riblets: The vegetarians and omnivores alike had a collective nostalgic moment for McDonald's dearly departed McRib [8] sandwich. Indeed, the riblets did resemble a strip of ribs... sans bones, natch. Microwaved in their plastic pouch, the ribs come doused in a spicy-sweet barbecue sauce, making us wonder: was it just the sauce that made them so good?

Morningstar Farms [9] Chick'n Nuggets: Joe pointed out that the breading on these nuggets "overcomes any deficiency in the actual meat." True, the bread was satisfyingly crisp, as if it were deep-fried instead of baked. Convenient for snacking (and tasty dipped in the dregs of the aforementioned BBQ Riblet sauce), Christina compared them to Chicken McNuggets, but thought they'd be "hard to make a meal for adults."

Morningstar Farms [10] Meal Starters (Steak and Chicken): We tried both the steak and chicken versions in my Won't-Miss-The-Meat Stir Fry [10]. Maybe it was the soy marinade, but most of the tasters thought the two versions didn't taste much different...the only discernible difference being that the chicken version was pale and the steak was dark. But Steve was convinced that the steak version "is pretty beefy...from what I remember." Nonetheless, the strips did have a satisfying taste and texture, especially in a stir-fry, and would be easy to use in fajitas, on a salad, or in a Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

Our conclusion? Our panel preferred the Gardenburger Riblets, the Quorn Naked Cutlets and the Morningstar Farms Meal Starters, with the White Wave Wheat meat being the only contender we disliked. With the exception of the Meal Starters, we tasted all of the "meats" plain, which is "not so tempting," noted Christina, but in dishes, most of the meat substitutes would satisfy a meat-eater's cravings. Of course, said Joe, "The real meats will always be better." You can't please everybody, but it's good to know there are some options for vegetarians and omnivores to enjoy together.

Photo: Morningstar Farms [11]