Vegetarian hotdogs/hamburgers..?

Question

Before anyone gets offended, I am asking this question because I am honestly curious about the answer.

For people who choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle to protest the consumption of meat (ie, not for health reasons) why are there veggie burgers and hotdogs and bacon and the like? I would think that if one was protesting the eating of meat, they wouldn't WANT to eat a "veggie burger" or a "veggie dog" or anything of the type that resembled a meat product.

And this question was not asked so that people could bash on vegetarians or vegans either, I'm asking so that I can educate myself instead of being uneducated and not knowing.

I guess my original intent didn't quite come across, sadly.

I think what I'm asking is "Why make a veggie product look like a hotdog, which is made from a meat product? Why make a veggie product that looks like bacon, which was originally a pork product?" Why is there a need to make a vegetable product LOOK like something that was originally a meat product?

I can understand the "burger" aspect as it's basically a round disc that's pretty handy to have on a bun, but like veggie bacon - bacon being something that is traditionally known as a meat product, why try to emulate that?

Hopefully that's a bit clearer? :)

Answer 1

I really don't think people who become vegetarians are offended by eating something that looks like meat - for them (and me) it's just eating meat that is repulsive. Some of them may feel funny eating veggie burgers and may not be able to because of how realistic it may taste, but they don't want to cause animal cruelty and or eat meat, it doesn't matter what it looks like. Also, eating veggie burgers might make them fit in more. It can be kind of annoying to be the only one not eating meat in a group, eating a veggie burger might make you fit in more.

Answer 2

Last time I checked, neither a hot dog or hamburger resembled an animal.

Regardless of that, alot us that used to eat the meat versions never stopped liking the flavor..just the cruelty.

Why make a vegetarian product like a hot dog that was made out of meat first? Why not? Is there a meat eaters uprising over this? I didn't make them so I can't answer why. Maybe it's because they fit the bun? Maybe it's because the design makes it easy to cook? It does not really matter beause what it comes down to is that it's NOT meat.

Answer 3

I think the answer is different for everyone. As a vegetarian, as long as it doesn't contribute to the suffering of animals (and it tastes good), I'll eat it, I don't care what its called. Personally, I'm a vegetarian but my husband is not. With the "fake meat" we can both be happy. Some of the "fake meat" products we don't really like but some I would recommend (that even a meat eater would like) are: Boca grounds (tastes just like ground beef, put it in taco salad or whatever), Boca spicy chicken patties (make sandwiches or cut up in a pasta salad), Quorn Chick'n (this one isn't soy, its actually made from mushroom or something, very yummy).

Answer 4

I think the answer to that varies on the person. I know a lot of vegetarians who do NOT eat "fake meat". They think the texture/taste is too similar to meat and it grosses them out.

Myself... I was a meat-eater until a little over a year ago. I am used to cooking with meat, I'm used to eating meat, I like the taste of meat, etc. I went vegetarian because I could not explain to myself why I could eat a cow but not a horse, or worse yet... eat a rabbit even though I also have one as a pet!!! I simply cannot stand to eat a creature that has feelings, thoughts, etc... and being around animals my entire life, I realize that every single one of them possesses these traits.

Fake meats allow me to continue making the dishes I know and love, but without the guilt of eating animals. They are also quite nutritious and replace a lot of the nutrients that vegetarians often lack without meat (and if they don't know what other protein sources to use). It takes a lot of the thought and planning out of the vegetarian lifestyle.

I have noticed that the longer I am vegetarian, the less I rely on these products. I used to use them for every meal. Now I use them two or three times a week... sometimes less. As I learn more vegetarian dishes, and find ones that actually TASTE GOOD... I use less fake meat.

Answer 5

Mostly it is a marketing gimmick. I would say that alot of baby boomers are trying to be vegetarian because their doctors suggested it since most have heart disease and need to take in less cholesterol. They have a really hard time giving up their meat, but at least it looks like meat. Healthy young vegetarians just go along with it for the convience of it. Idyllic vegans can not take the idea of fake "meat", so they boycott it.
I know that I don't exactly protest the consumption of meat per se, as a vegan. I personally just don't like the killing of a living being just so I can eat it. And after being vegan for 2 years, I feel so much better (and I am not waiting till my doctor tells me to go vegetarian to help me in my heart disease).

Answer 6

I think it is because people are used to and do like meat products such as hot dogs and burgers but don't want to eat it made out of meat-if they are eating veggie dogs and veggie burgers then they are eating what they like but still not eating meat. They aren't all that bad, i have tried them. Other people also eat them for health reasons, I have tried some vegetarian things because of my cholesterol, i do love meat though so i get my craving fix.

Answer 7

I'm not getting offensive but it's obvious, don't complicate vegetarianism, we're not aliens, we're normal human beings.

The only difference to the average person is that we've taken our choice of what we put in our mouths a little further than most. But at the end of the day if it smells good and tastes good you want to eat it.

What I wouldn't want to eat is something that looks like a dead animal. A burger or hot-dog doesn't really look gross, so when eating a veggie dog I don't think of it as resembling a dead animal.

It's like you wouldn't eat people, I hope, but cooked people will probably look and taste a bit like a pork chop. Why do you eat pork chops or anything else that might look like a person?

It's not a person, so eat it.

Same for me, it's not an animal, eat it.

Answer 8

i can compare i use to eat meat but now I'm a vegetarian. the real meat was better but some brands of veggie meat rock and others taste horrid i say step away form cans unless a friend recommends a good can brand and if you do e-mail me it at: [e-mail]
but stripples(a brand of veggie bacon)is it to compare to the real thing i go to a school with only veggie stuff and it's not bad you'll get use to it but if prepared right it'll be better than real meat. i want micCdonalds to start to have veggie stuff i rember that the burgers where good when i ate meat.

Answer 9

They might really like the taste of a hamburger or hotdog and they wouldn't want to eat meat so they'll just eat that. I'm a vegetarian but I so it for health reasons but a little bit of it is for the animals though I'm not very strict on my self and sometimes eat chicken.But one of my best friends has never eaten meat since the day she became a vegetarian and she sometimes eat veggieburgers because she misses the taste but it really does not resemble meat actually.

Answer 10

My sister is a vegetarian, but she wasn't raised that way. She liked hamburgers as much as any other kid. When she made the choice to go vegetarian, that didn't mean that she found the TASTE of hamburgers disgusting, but rather the idea of eating meat. So she still enjoys a good burger with all the toppings. It just isn't made of cow.