 Falafel has become popular among vegetarians and vegans , as an alternative to meat @-@ laden street foods , and is now sold in packaged mixes in health @-@ food stores . While traditionally thought of as being used to make veggie burgers , its use has expanded as more and more people have adopted it as a source of protein . In the United States , falafel 's versatility has allowed for the reformulating of recipes for meatloaf , sloppy joes and spaghetti and meatballs into vegetarian dishes . 
