Why do food companies make vegetarian/vegan products that look like real meat products?

Question

Is it really so vegetarians can feel they fit in? I've eaten veggie burgers at bbq's and it really seems to draw more attention to the fact that I'm not eating what everyone else is eating. And, isn't that somehow defeating the purpose if we eat products that look like real meat products?-don't vegetarians WANT to eat differently?

Answer 1

I think it's helps people make the transition into being a vegetarian a bit easier. It might also help some vegetarians feel more at ease when eating with carnivores. Most vegetarians eat like they do not to eat differently but to eat healthier and / or because they believe that no animal deserves to be eaten.

Answer 2

If you speak with the major food conglomerates that own the three major US brands (i.e. Morningstar Farms, Boca and Gardenburger) you will find that they all consider these products to be accidentally vegetarian and they consider their central consumer to be meat eaters looking for a healthier alternative to meat!

Please notice that Kellogg's now even redirects you away from the old www.morningstarfarms.com to a new site (linked below) that is most obviously NOT aimed at vegheads!

That said, not all vegheads use the products and for those of us that do it's because we don't object to the form but instead object to the content of the original animal based product.

I make it a point to use the products (even though I'm more than capable of making my own) because it doesn't support the animal industry and by "voting with my dollars" it gets these products in the public eye where they can try, hopefully like, and use more of these products and less of the products that support animal cruelty!

And even those of us that use analogs (the technical term for fake meats) eat a much healthier diet than meat eaters and we don't base our entire diet on veggie burgers etc. the way meat eaters base their diet on flesh.

Answer 3

I don't think vegetarians/vegans are doing anything with their food choices to draw attention themselves or making a point to blend in. It's for health reason and often to avoid that whole eating dead animals thing.

It's easy to cook a store bought veggie burger and put it on a store bought bun and eat it. I don't ALWAYS have time to drag out 17 ingredients and cook all meals from scratch. Meatless lunch meats are a god send! Throw it between two slices of bread and call it lunch or dinner.

My son is allergic to meats, weird I know, and I feed him fake chicken nuggets. I'm not trying to fool anyone or make a big deal either; it's just lunch. It's protein and he eats it therefore I'm thankful there are fake nuggets, burgers and tofu pups! He's also lactose intolerant so I'm very glad there is lactose free cows milk, too. It's all about the freedom to CHOOSE what you want to eat.

If you want to fit in at a BBQ then bring your own precooked tofu dog and eat the pasta salad, green salad, baked beans and other foods that might not have animals parts in them. If you are vegan it's your responsibility to being your own food unless you know the host/hostess is offering vegan fare.

Not everyone cares about what you're eating, trust me. If you don't like what they're serving you don't have to eat it. Just like meat eaters don't have to love your veggie burgers, all of these things are about personal choices.

Answer 4

A flattened disc of protein isn't necessarily a meat product. It certainly doesn't look like any animal.

It's a convenient format to eat.

It's also helpful for transitions. People are afraid to try new things so they'll go for whats familiar. Most people have eaten a hamburger, so a veggie burger isn't far off.


Additionally, the largest market for those products isn't vegetarians, it's people who want to reduce cholesterol, fat, calories, etc.

Answer 5

I was a meat-aholic, if there is such a thing. I was raised in a family where meat was required at every meal. Having been a vegetarian for 17 years now I can honestly say meat substitutes have allowed me to be nostalgic as well as eating healthy.

I can cook a similar dish as my father's chili, I can have my Mom's mashed potatoes and "salisbury steak" on the the side.

These dishes make it easier for people like me who started the vegetarian diet for health reasons, because I was killing myself by eating too much meat.

Answer 6

It helps some people transition to vegetarianism. It also helps people who want variety and familiarity in their food. Also, it helps people who need to eat healthy but aren't really vegetarian (I believe after a heart attack you are not supposed to eat much meat).

Answer 7

Some people choose to be vegetarians purely for health reasons, and so they just want to feel more like "everyone else". Also burgers can be a very convenient way to eat your tofu or vegetables and have a nice toasty grill flavor. But if you are a vegetarian for moral reasons I don't think you would want to eat something that deliberately simulated the flavor of meat, that would be revolting. So I think it depends on your reasons for being a vegetarian and on whether the product only simulates the convenience of a meat product or the actual flavor.

Answer 8

I agree completely. If I don't want the real thing, then why in the (#(# would I want a fake version, thats loaded with as much toxic crap as real meat. Silly, but I guess it provides an option for vegetarians. I am veggie, but I don't touch fake meat. Its full of genetically modified soy and gluten. Big gloppy mess if you ask me. I agree, too, about it attracting MORE attention. For bbqs, I usually grill a portabello mushroom to eat like a burger. Super good.

Answer 9

To make the carnivors happy. It is silly isn't it. I can live with veggie burger looking somewhat like a burger, but shaping tofu into a duck or turkey is just goofy!

Answer 10

As long as animals didn't die to make them, I don't see why I shouldn't eat foods that just happen to taste similar to the flesh of dead animals.