if vegans and vegetarians are so set against meat, why are there so many fake meats made for them??

Question

i understand it was not meat and was not alive but i do not eat spinach, i am not looking for fake spinach.

if you are against meat why not just noy eat meat?

Answer 1

Because we live in a world where most recipes are made to consist of meat and this makes it easier to make traditional recipes and substitute the meat for a soy based product.

Answer 2

There's a market because we buy the stuff. And we buy the stuff because it tastes good.

As you've seen numerous times before, veg*ans are against meat because of the cruelty, the hormones, the antibiotics, the slaughter, the environmental degradation of factory farms, the saturated fat, the cholesterol. Most vegans grew up eating meat; the analogues give us the taste and texture (sort of) without the cruelty, etc.

Some people just are meat-reducers and want to fill in the gaps. I think anything that helps people reduce their meat consumption is a good thing.

Answer 3

There are lots of reasons

1. Not everyone who eats them are vegetarians. Only animal products contain cholesterol and animal products tend to be much higher in saturated fat than plant-based foods. Because of this, some people who are dieting or have heart problems switch to fake meats

2. Some vegetarians like the taste of meat. I personally am a vegetarian that used to be addicted to bacon. I gave up meat because I don't like cruelty that occurs in the meat industry. My decision to become vegetarian had nothing to do with taste.

3. It's a part of your/someone's heritage and cuisine. Some "fake meat" isn't viewed as a meat replacement at all in their place of origin, but just another food. It's speculated that tofu has been around since 164 BC, and is an integral part of many traditional asian dishes. Tempeh is a staple on the island of Java.

4. It can be used as a "transition" food. It's difficult to completely change the way you cook and eat overnight. It takes awhile to find new vegetarian foods and recipes you like. Therefore, it's nice to have a meat replacer so you can continue to eat your famous Beef Tacos, for example, until you perfect your new famous Black-Bean Taco recipe.

5. To fit in. If it weren't for veggie burgers, I might not get invited by my friends to their barbeque's and other such get-togethers.

Answer 4

Presumably you do not eat spinach because you don't like it. In that case, of course you wouldn't seek fake spinach.

By and large, vegetarians are so set against meat not because we don't like the taste but because we don't support the torture and killing of animals or because we don't support the environmental disaster of factory farming or because we don't believe it's healthy. Fake meats give us all the variety we might want without any of the stuff we don't want to be a part of. What's hard to understand about that?

Answer 5

Well, most vegetarians are not against eating meat their against the way animals are treated when raised or farmed for food. Those vegetarians tend to not eat meat because of that, its like a boycott in a sense.

I however, eat the meat substitute products for pure convince not because they taste like meat, even though some of them do.

Personally, I like how their nice and neatly packaged and easy to cook.

I guess its the same reason why I buy my vegetables in the frozen food section already in steamer bags rather then in the produce section. I like to be able to just nuke them for 5 minutes and pour them out onto the plate. There is no cutting, washing, buying a steamer or steamer bags and all that.

Answer 6

Ok here is the story, NO vegetarian will tell you that they dont eat meat becuase they dont like the taste of it!!! IT is the animal suffering and murder we are against get that through your clogged artery thick head. Have you ever tasted imitation meat?? I TASTES EXACTLY LIKE REAL MEAT WITHOUT AN OUNCE OF BLOOD OR FLESH!!! Now why wont everyone just eat that instead of killing animals...oh yea and mock meat has 5 mg of cholesterol while the same poortion of beef would have 65 mg!!!

Answer 7

See, the thing is its "fake" meat as you say. As in, not an animal's flesh or muscle. Therefore since meat is defined as animal flesh, "fake" meat isn't really meat at all is it? Anyway, most vegetarians and vegans don't see meatless products like soy burgers as meat replacements, but its easier to grill a soy tofu burger than grill a soy tofu lump.

Answer 8

1) It's easier for people to make the switch.
2) It gives a variety.
3) It offers an easy substitute for nutrients in meat.
4) It offfers the convenience without the ethical guilt.

Answer 9

This is one of the stupidest questions that comes up over and over.

First of all, fake meat is plant protein and we can use it to suit whatever tastes that we were trained to have by our parents. Vegetarians that are raised without meat don't have any desire to eat it.

Second, veg*ans are against animal cruelty/suffering abd exploitation, not the taste of meat. "Fake meat" obviously doesn't involve cruelty to animals, so why are you asking this retarded question?

Since when is it your business what other people eat anyway?

Answer 10

I use soy protein to cook occasionally, although lately I've started eating more beans and nuts. It's handy at barbecues where I can "fit in" with everyone who's eating meat, they taste great (Morningstar Farms "chicken" patties taste better than the real thing, and they're healthier.), they're fun to cook with, and they ease the transition into vegetarianism. I'm against killing animals for food, but I never said anything about abstaining from things that look like meat.