I am serious here, why do vegeterians form their food to resemble?

Question

say sausages, or mince, or chicken. Why eat bacon substitute if they don't like real bacon? I am not being cheeky, just wondered. If I was a veggie, I would make the Eiffel Tower, San Fran Bridge or Nelly the Elephant for a laugh, and it wouldn't remind me of dead things.

Answer 1

I am a Florist and believe me, NOTHING wreaks worse than the vase of an EXPIRED bouquet! ( The one you held on to, or forgot to dump) No Meat, No Feet, No Sh..t! Meat doesn't stay around long enough, to get that Bad! I'm not saying vegetarian is bad, but shop often! Love to see that Eiffel Tower!

Answer 2

It's a combination of things -

1. It helps people transitioning over to a vegan/vegetarian diet to identify with things they were used to eating in an attempt to make the change more convenient. For example, I lived off of Health is Wealth brand vegan chicken patties my first year as a vegan because they were similar to what I'd have been eating in my omnivorous days. Made the transition easier to know that I didn't have to give up all of the convenience foods I'd grown up on, and from there I eventually found more vegan foods I liked that weren't simply meat substitutes.

2. It's a social thing. It's easier to fit in and feel less "weird" when you're eating something that bears similarity to what others are eating. A big blob of seitan stands out a lot more than a veggie burger (and seems more intimidating until you try it and find out it's good!), so if you want to feel a bit more "normal", particularly during transition times, veggie burgers/sausages/patties etc. work well in that regard.

3. As someone else stated, they fit easily on a bun and cook up quickly when you're feeling lazy and want convenience. Nothing wrong with that, is there? Meat eaters don't all sit down and make every meal from scratch, so why should we have to? :)

4. If you really miss the taste of meat (the longing tends to fade over time for most people), you're going to feed that need with a good quality imitation meat product. It's healthier than meat, it typically cooks up more quickly, you don't have to worry about e. coli, salmonella or other nasty things, and it can taste pretty darn good, too.

I'm sure I can come up with more, but that should suffice.

Before I wrap up, I do wish to state to those who seem to think that making products look like a piece of meat is some sort of ethical loophole, it's a flawed argument that's not doing anything to disprove what veganism or vegetarianism is about. I know, there aren't really all that many arguments against it other than the typical "Vegans/vegetarians are all just weird PETA people" stuff, or, "It's my god-given right to eat meat" excuse for not wanting to make change, but if you're going to say there's a reason you wouldn't make a change, just be honest with us (and yourself) and say it's purely based on complacency. At least we can then get past the usual baseless attacks and work on new ones to defend against :)

Answer 3

Sorry, since when was a cylinder shape the preserve of meat products ?

Which animal looks like a sausage ?

A veggie sausage does not remind me of a dead animal, why on earth would it ?

I think you are thinking about this from a meat-centric culture. Perhasp try to look at thinks with an open mind.

Some meat eaters seem to be a bit brainwashed into thinking a burger is actually an animal. "Monkeypie" seems to be quoting a quorn burger as an example of veggie food looking like an animal or meat...No it doesn't, it looks like a disc.

Answer 4

Some vegetarians eat these products, some don't. Either way it has f all to do with the animals as someone else said, no animals are shaped like a burger or sausage.
You only get to see these products in the super market, but you will also come across many other vegetarian delights there as well. Did you know that fruit and vegetables are also vegetarian.

Answer 5

I became vegetarian because I didn't feel well when I ate meat. I do like the taste of some of the substitutes, and if they came in the shapes of towers and bridges I would definitely get them. I've actually seen real chicken nuggets made into dinosaur shapes!

Answer 6

Well... I absolutely LOVED eating animal foods. My biggest "addictions" were chicken and cheese.

But then I learned about the health risks, the environmental impact, the needless animal killings... yadda yadda. So I decided to turn vegetarian in March, and then I became a vegan in June.

I eat the fake meats and such so I can have some of my favorite meals without all the negative baggage. I can still enjoy a fake scrambled eggs and sausage breakfast by substituting them for tofu and soy sausage.

Eating fake meats does not contribute to the death of an animal, and it saves me from ingesting unneeded cholesterol and bad fats.

Hope this shed some light. :)

Answer 7

That's an interesting question... I think most people make the switch to vegetarianism because they disagree with the way animals are treated and slaughtered (not because they dislike the way meat tastes or looks). Faux meats allow people to enjoy tastes and textures similiar to what they're used to, but without the suffering. It makes the transition easier. For the purpose of cooking (and packaging) it's better for the faux meats to be in the shape of patties, strips, etc. instead of something unusual like the Eiffel Tower. Nice ideas, though!

Answer 8

I eat the analogues because they taste good. If I don't like one, I don't get it again.

There are plenty of veg*ans who won't eat the analogues, but I think they serve a great purpose. Many of us grew up eating meat and decided to stop eating for a multitude of reasons. Eating faux products gives us a semblance of the taste (which is really just the seasonings) and texture without the cruelty, fat, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics in products made of animal flesh. It also makes vegetarianism look more "accessible" and doable to people who want to reduce meat, but worry about how.

Answer 9

in what way does a sausage look like meat? or mince. or beef burger what animal do they look like?
they are all minced up meat.
the veggie versions are minced up vegetables.
i dont ever buy bacon substitute or any look alike. but everyone is entitled to a choice. to most veggies its just food that isnt made of dead animals. theres no secret yearning to devour animals.
food producers do anything they can to get sales, so they will make bacon substitute. they also try to make meat pies look like proper food too. its not our fault that they disguise things to try make them look edible.

Answer 10

I never hated the taste of meat, but stopped eating it because I didn't want to support factory farming any longer.

So, to me, there is no conflict. I like the seasonings in Morningstar and Boca sausages. I like the convenience and crunch of chik patties.

They don't remind me of dead things, because I know that they're not.

I don't have the skill to sculpt the Eiffel Tower or any bridge.

ps I've never tried a Tofurkey, which does seem to look like a Turkey, but it looks kind of cute in a tongue-in-cheek way.