If you are a vegetarian, do meat imitations in your dish turn you off?

Question

yes, no... why? give examples if you have.

Answer 1

I've been a vegetarian my entire life and the reason I was because of the association that meat was an animal. However in more recent years there are products on the market that very much resemble meat. It's funny some don't bother me but others when I look at them do look like meat and I am grossed out by them. Some examples would be the pepperoni, bacon, fish type products. I think the reasoning as to why someone is vegetarian may impact whether they are turned off of the fake meats. I know I have people say if your a vegetarian why are you trying to be a meat eater by eating the stuff that looks like meat. The products on the market are not only for vegetarians they are trying to reach a broad market. Perhaps by trying to make a transition between the meat eating world and veggie world. These companys are trying to get more consumers. Well I can however eat the ground round products but the reasoning for that is that it's usually mixed into something that I don't see it. What bothered me about ground beef is that it's red and bloody when you buy it the ground round version doesn't look like meat so I don't even compare the two however I do always use it as a substitue in recipes that call for ground beef. It's the texture it adds to the recipe.

Answer 2

It doesn't turn me off but I'm not particularly fond of meat imitations and I generally try to avoid them because they just don't taste good. I like things to taste like what they are. I used to eat meat so I know what it's supposed to taste like. Veggie dogs and sausage - gross. I tried a package of vegetarian sliced turkey once, had one bite and tossed the whole package. Inedible. Why have a veggie burger when you could grill up a delicious portabello mushroom cap instead? Fake ground beef is OK if it's used in chili, but I'd rather just use beans and vegetables. I love tofu, but tofu is not a meat substitute, it's a good food in its own right.

When I became vegetarian I opted to not eat meat. I don't need to have poor-tasting imitations to be satisfied. I'd rather just eat more vegetables.

Answer 3

I eat some of them, just because they taste good. They don't all taste like meat, the companies are just trying to make the imitations look like something people can recognize, therefore eat. You are more likely to eat a fake hamburger than an exotic dish that you have never heard of.

I don't eat the boco burgers, they taste like real burgers and I almost puked cause of the taste. Smells don't bother me, but most of my friends eat meat.

Answer 4

Hi. Interesting question. I know they make many vegetarian frozen foods so they have a meat-like appearance. I know this because I am young and lazy and eat a lot of this stuff. They make "burgers" and "hot dogs" for example. I just think its silly and eat the stuff anyway. It doesn't offend me or turn me off, although I am a strong vegetarian and am opposed to killing animals.

Answer 5

No, they don't turn me off as long as I'm sure they're NOT meat!. But, frankly, I don't see the necessity. There are so many more interesting, tasty and colorful vegetables why do I have to put fake meat into anything?
If I'm cooking oriental, sometimes I'll add tofu but I add it as TOFU for its qualities as a soy product, again not as a meat substitute.
In fact, I've found that I'm slightly allergic to many of the so-called meat substitutes (I think it's the gluten/wheat in them), so I just bypass them altogether.

Answer 6

Well, I don't exactly mind it. However it's not the best for you to eat it all the time. Basically I limit my intake of fake meats to about once a month or so. (I think I've had five or six veggie burgers in the six months I've been veg.) I think they are great though for people transitioning I just would not rely on them for a extended period of time.

(I don't find it gross or strange if that was you were asking and my above answer competely missed the point. It's fake and oviously so.)

Answer 7

I loved meat and at first I quit eating it because of...

http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ar-aninsidelook.html

Then I read this....

http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/nutrition/veg.htm

and between the two of those I knew it was the best way to eat even if animals weren't treated cruely before slaughter. But back to your question...If there wasn't soy meats, I don't know what I would have done because I know that this vegetarian couldn't live on fruits and vegetables alone...

Answer 8

I am a veggie during the week and a cow eater at weekends - meat imitations turn me off because most of the time they wil have a high fat content, especially trans fatty acids - worse than meat

Answer 9

No, my family loves the veggie burgers and veggie dogs. You just have to try different brands until you find one you like or else make them from scratch. My daughter is introducing me to tofu the next time i visit her at college. Vegetables are great also and I love a good mushroom burger!!!!!!!!!!! :o)

Answer 10

No, i eat them. Mainly they are a way to "Assimilate" with others. you know, grilling burgers, roasting hot dogs around a campfire etc...