If Vegans and Vegetarians are so repulsed by meat, why do they eat things that are supposed to be "like meat"?

Question

I don't get it - so many vegetarians, and ESPECIALLY vegans, love to pontificate to me about how disgusting they find meat to be, and then they turn around and eat Boca Burgers, Smart Dogs (tofu hot dogs), Tofurkey, and fake chicken made from tempeh or tofu. They then go on to tell me "Oh, it tastes JUST LIKE the real thing, but it's better, it's not made from an ANIMAL!!!" Not to mention tofu based fake cheeses (like fake "parmesan" cheese) and the ultimate funniest one, fake Sausage links!!!

Why can't these people practice what they preach and stick to just plain old vegetables and fruits and tofu??? It's hilarious to me that so much of their food is designed to be a "meat alternative" and even look and taste like the very meat which they supposedly "hate". And don't try to tell me that they only hate that meat comes from an animal, most vegetarians say they hate and cannot stomach the actual taste and texture of meat (yet they try to duplicate it with veggie alternatives!)

Answer 1

I agree with you it is stupid. I believe the only reason they have these foods are to attract people who eat meat to become vegan or vegetarian thats why they say they taste like meat.

Answer 2

Believe it or not, not every person eating vegetarian/vegan "fake meats" is doing so because they don't want to hurt animals. Both my grandfathers had heart attacks and were subsequently told they had to give up most of their red meat and breakfasty pig meats if they didn't want it to happen again. Boca patties and Smart Bacon were a way that they could stick to their new required way of eating without feeling too resentful about the sudden change.

Other people buy them every once in a while because they know they're a more healthful alternative. There's actually a really good Chinese buffet in my neighborhood that is 100% vegan, but about half the dishes use the "crypto-carnivorous" stuff, which is great for when my friends and I want to go someplace where the vegetarians among us have more options than a dinner salad and a plate full of side dishes. Those of us who enjoy meat still get the taste we're expecting, and the vegetarians don't have to worry about whether something is "safe" for them to eat.

Answer 3

I eat very little meat because for some reason I don't like to eat something that was alive and is now dead. And no, I'm NOT protesting how animals raised for meat are treated. Yes, that can always be improved, but I know a lot of ppl who raise animals for meat and they treat them well. I do not have religious reasons for not eating meat. It's s choice. I eat 'fake' meat, because I like the taste. I don't eat it every day, but I like it for a treat. I'm used to it. It gives me the same full feeling that meat does, without the dead part. :) I can open a can of Big Franks, and have a wiener on a bun with all the fixing's and not think about dead cow. In fact it tastes better to me then a real wiener. Why does everything have to be either. . . . or? Why do I have to say, I'm a vegetarian and I haven't eaten any meat for two years! Well yeah for you. But it's ok to choose not to eat so much meat. Or to choose to only eat certain kinds of meat. Or to choose not to eat any meat. Or to choose to eat dairy products, or not to. Please people, don't put down other people's choices, or push your own as the 'right' one!

Answer 4

I actually started using fake sausage and fake bacon before I went vegggie, when I learned how bad the real ones could clog up my arteries and my mom got lots of heart trouble. I also use fat free cheese. Then I found out that I could enjoy eating without eating any meat, still have the tastes I enjoyed without clogging my arteries or killing fellow creatures, so actually I went veggie kind of backwards. From fake meat I went to preparing tofu, lentils, beans, etc.

If you know vegetarians who pontificate, well, they should chill a little. But why do you care? You can eat all the meat you want to, although I would prefer if you would research a little into the consumption of resources to feed people directly with grains vs feeding grain to cows and feeding cows to people - you might be in for a big surprise.

Answer 5

Usually those vegans or vegetarians can't handle the THOUGHT of eating meat-- because of where it came from and the thought that the meat you are eating used to be a live animal... its usually not the texture and taste at all.. I have been a vegetarian for about 5 years now and use "fake" meat also... veggie "neatballs". veggie burgers, etc. I like the taste of meat but not the thought it used to be an animal... ;)

Answer 6

Who says that all vegetarians are just that because they don't like the taste of meat? They might like the taste of meat, but care more about animals, which is why I'm a vegetarian, among other reasons. And don't say that vegetarians force their beliefs onto non-vegetarians, because I have met many more non-vegetarians that degrade my beliefs. Also, don't think that God put animals on this earth just to be eaten by people, because I highly doubt that He—or any other higher power there is—would put a creature in this world simply to live life of suffering. And I hate it when non-vegetarians say they're natural carnivores or omnivores. A human's digestive system is much more similar to that of a herbivore. A human's "canines" are no where near as useful as the canines of a true predator. If humans had no man-made weapons, we would be defendless against predators.

Anyway, enjoy my rant.

Answer 7

Not all vegetarians eat faux meat.

And, while I do on occasion partake in a veggie burger or the like, it's for convenience... not to satiate my desire for "the real thing."

In my opinion, faux meats taste nothing like it's tortured counterpart.

I have also found that many new vegetarians and vegans use these products as a transition food, for any cravings or lack of culinary finesse. Also, it is an option for a veggie host to serve something familiar to non-veggie guests.

I would also say that "so much of their food is designed to be a meat alternative" is an exaggerated generalization... Since when were fruits, veggies, rice, beans, etc. an attempt to copy meat?

Answer 8

Alexa E said " If a vegetarian says they are disgusted by the taste and texture of meat it is probably just the idea that it is dead tortured animal flesh. "

Bingo, That's exactly how I feel. In addition to that though I hate the smell now. I don't use allot of meat alternatives, but I must say I really don't think they taste like the real thing at all. Many are pretty good, but I wouldn't say they taste like animal flesh. Maybe these people are just saying that to try to get you to try it.

Answer 9

The thought of eating meat is repulsive. But I was a meat eater for years, and it's often easier to model a veggie meal on a meat meal. It's not the taste of meat most veggie's despise, it's the thought of eating something dead. After awhile, eating a cheeseburger is about as appealing as eating roadkill. There's a big difference between being repulsed because of where something came from, and being repulsed because of the taste. Kinda like eating something from a really dirty kitchen that you saw the cook sneeze all over. It still looks good, but knowing where it came from, you wouldn't touch it.

Answer 10

The average vegetarian, who is vegetarian for moral and ethical reasons is repulsed by what meat is...dead animal flesh. Boca burgers are not meat therefore not dead animal flesh.

Practice what they preach? They ARE practicing what they preach and not eating meat. Are you mad because omnivores thought of the meat hot dog first and we copied? You need to find a better hobby.

Answer 11

Interesting question.

Some find them every bit as disgusting as meat, though, and won't go near them.

Like me, and most people I know who were raised as vegetarians. "Meat" = "gross," and that includes taste, texture, smell, etc. I can't mentally separate "hot dog" from "tofu pup" to the point where I want to eat the latter.

For most vegetarians and vegans, though, I think it's just another processed foodstuff -- most importantly, a meat-free processed foodstuff. If your disinclination to eat meat comes entirely from thinking about its origins, tofu pups probably aren't that bad.