If you are vegetarian or vegan, do you think it is weird to replace?

Question

meat with a substitute that is "meat resemblance". My example is the person who said that that at Thanksgiving they have a tufturkey and such as this. Are you still craving meat and you need a substitute? If you are vegan does this make you wonder about your beliefs (even if you are following strictly?) ?

I am not trying to be mean. I really am curious. And for all ofthe regulars you all know that I am not a vegetarian, but a human who tries to be conscious by avoiding companies that do exploit animals. However, I am not ready to make the full plunge. My problem in the last few days is that if I mention that I am still an omnivoe that I get a million thumbs down no matter how good my answer is. That bothers me a little bit. Then I see how people want to replicate meat and I just have to wonder about it.

Then again it may because I had a wee little too much time at happy hour, and like aphone, a key board should not be in front of me!

Jday- sorry I shortened your name, I agree 100% with you on that and they charge you an arm and a leg for it.

Krister- I really value your opinion over most here. I am not trying to be mean. I was only curious. I am not sure if I can get over not having gravy though. You have to give me a break though I am a Midwest girl! I am sure you have heard about us!

Me- We haven't seen the original me for some time have we? I agree I never put someone down for their diet and I love cooking so this section shows up on food and drink section. The first question I answered was an Ashley question. I have to admit I was a little hooked because I thought all the whole damn section was like her I learned differently,. and Krister if you are still here, you were one, I have learned a lot and though I am still omnivore I have learned how to make bette rmore ethical choices about my food.

now about us midwestern girls.......

mocking- I think that is great. I was rally just curious. I gues in my little mind eye I can just picture a tufu turkey on the table and aperson okay lets eat up and pretend that it is real turkey. I just wonder if that is sort of hyporcritical...that is all! Good for you though, I wish I could be that strong!

Me- I can't email you, but my email is wide open. We should continue are discussions..... J/K but seriously, you are erally my most favorite here and I do look for you when I sign in!

Good answer Prodigy and what is what I am looking for! Seriously, I do get sick of thumbs down when i take up for veggies, but people still know that i am an omnivore seems a bit ...hypocritical. However, I respect your answer a 110%!

Answer 1

First of all, I will say that sometimes omnivores give good answers and sometimes they give HORRIBLE answers, and I grade accordingly. This isn't a horrible or mean question, although it has been asked before. But I suspect you want an honest answer and are not trying to wind us up.

Now, onto the analogue issue. I eat the analogues because they taste good. I don't like all of the substitutes, but I have found those I like. And I think they make veganism--or at least reducing meat--a little more accessible to people. I stopped eating meat because I was disgusted by the taste and texture, and it sort of morphed into an ethical issue. The substitutes give me flavor and texture without the cruelty, the fat, the cholesterol, the hormones, and the antibiotics.

For the record, I don't eat Tofurkey roasts because I don't like the texture. But they make some pretty good deli slices.

Answer 2

I gave up meat because I didn't want to gain pleasure from something else's pain... I was practically a carnivore before this and had meat with every meal because I loved the taste. I think fake meats are great because they give us an alternative to eating real meat. I don't eat them that often any more because I don't crave meat anymore and am perfectly happy without them but I still do once in a while.

I think all vegs should support companys producing meat substitutes because the more people buy from them, the bigger they will get and the more research they'll be able to do into making their substitutes taste more like meat. Hopefully one day they will become so popular that the prices will be driven down and they'll taste exactly like the real thing.... then meat eaters may choose these instead of meat. People aren't just going to stop liking the taste of meat but if there are good alternatives then hopefully there will be less of a demand for real meat and less animals will have to die.

I'm a strict vegan and eating fake meat doesn't make me wonder about my beliefs... in fact it only strengthens them. I still wear cotton instead of leather or wool... I still eat maple syrup instead of honey and see this as perfectly fine. Substitute meat doesn't cause animals to suffer and they actually do a lot for the vegan cause so I think they're great.

Answer 3

I went veg 20+ years ago at 16. I can honestly say it was a really easy transition to make. About a year after I quit meat cold turkey (no pun intended) I had a craving for a roast beef sandwich. It passed and I have never had any desire to eat meat beyond that. I use meat substitutes sometimes (not terribly often) not because I am craving meat and questioning my beliefs, but because they taste pretty good, are versatile, allow me to enjoy dishes I like, my omnivore boyfriend likes them too, etc... Omnivores tend to think of the vegan diet as limited somehow, but then get all out of whack when we try to inject a little extra variety into our menu planning by using meat analogs. That bothers me a little.

Answer 4

Some vegetarians use meat analogs b/c of habit or tradition that a meal should consist of an "entree" & various "sides" so it seems more comfortable to have something as the "star" of the meal. From my experience & observing other vegetarians, analogs are used more often by "new" vegetarians.
My cravings for meat stopped a long time ago, & as several ppl have noted, analogs don't taste *too* much like actual flesh. Some are good & also filling. I use occasional analogs, but the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving meal is usually a sumptuous stuffed squash along with most of the more traditional "sides." It is possible to enjoy delicious vegan/veggie gravy, btw.

Answer 5

I stopped eating meat for moral reasons. When I first stopped I searched for replacements this was much easier then finding a whole new way to cook and eat.

I have been vegetarian for 12yrs now I do not crave meat at all because frankly I don't see it as food anymore. When I look at a slice of meat I don't see food I see death. Plus I found in the beginning of me becoming vegetarian it wasn't the meat I missed. It was the sauces and spices. So now I have the spices and sauces with out the death.

Answer 6

If you're craving meat than it is probably because your body is lacking a particular vitamin or amino acid. Craving meat shouldn't have anything to do with your beliefs. You should be able to follow a vegetarian diet without cravings. Although, I was vegetarian for several years until I was pregnant. At about 3 months I had these uncontrollable cravings and went to a Taco Bell. Now, nine years later I still eat the fake meat. I don't refuse meat (I should)...but I love the Morningstar farms meat scrambler...I mix it with ortega seasoning all the time...that stuff has sooo many ingrediants though...I don't know if I could say that the fake stuff is any good for you either...

Answer 7

Hm, I'm a vegetarian and do eat veggie burgers and burritos. I don't do it for the taste(they usually don't taste anything like the real thing, though I don't really remember or WANT to remember what the real things taste like). I eat it only if it tastes good. If it tasted like meat, I would probably be more prone to not eat it. =) I rarely have time to fully cook my veg. meals so these "meat substitutes" are a quick fix I can mix with rice, bread or whatever I have.

The sandwich meat substitutes are awful though; I have never found one that tasted good, and don't dare test any other brands out now. Haha.

Answer 8

HA! Tofurkey ain't nothin like the dead bird and I'm perfectly fine with that.

It does have stuffin and gravy but it has its own thing goin on, believe me.

I haven't craved any of that stuff in years. Even if I did, it's about my commitment to not eat the real thing and not about having a pure mind. My goal is the reduction in the suffering of animals and as long as I don't contribute to it, if it tastes good, I'm gonna eat it........well, as long as it wont make me fat.

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Gravy? They have a few vegan gravies out there. I'm no gravy expert but feel free to experiment if you are willing. The tofurkey gravy I just had wasn't all that nostalgic.

Gravy is mostly congealed fat and whatnot so the whole concept can't be too hard to replicate. If I was a gravy fanatic I'm sure that I could make one up from scratch or purchase some and customize it.

It's okay if you are from the midwest. Fresno, CA is the meth capitol of the world. I've never been there but it's only about 150 miles from where I grew up. Fremont, CA, white tweakers galore. My parents both have very unique issues. I did hear a few nice folks on YA mention that veg*ans all suffer from mental illness. You think that's why I turned out to be a pompous, elitist, "vegan" with OCD? jk

The world is plagued with hype. You just have to do what suits you and not worry about where and how you were brought up.

Answer 9

That is a very interesting question. I am a vegetarian and I hate the meat substitutes. I stopped eating meat and I, in my case, do not want to feel the taste of it anymore.... not even w/a substitute.
I avoid anything with meat taste or look.... but that is just my opinion.
I think the substitutes are for begginers.... so the change is not so drastic...and also to give variation to the meals....

honestly, those substitutes bother me a little bit too.. :)

Answer 10

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