What should the vegetarian option be, ideally?

[Bortles]

Always seems to be a lasagne or a veggie burger made of vegetables. I'm talking pub lunch type places or similar budget.
I'd be so much happier if they offered the same things as the meat-eater menu but with fake meat of some kind. A burger made of vegetables doesn't have the same protein levels in it and just isnt as filling. (As well as offering the standard fake meat free lasagne/risotto I mean.) Would that really be too much faff to substitute one ingredient? Doesn't have to be quorn stuff, there are some pretty realistic products out there.
I only know of one place near me, an Indian restaurant, that does this.
Appreciate some people are veggie because they don't like meat and it wouldnt work for them but dont know if that's the majority of vegetarians.
Nb. Once went to a vegetarian restaurant happily thinking hooray, a place with more options for once. And nope. It wasnt. They only had three options total on their menu. 🙄

I think most vegetarians I know would prefer a vegetarian dish that isn't a meat dish in disguise i.e. no fake meat.

I agree with @emmathedilemma I don’t like fake meat dishes

DS is vegetarian and can't stand anything designed to look or taste like meat.

@emmathedilemma

I think most vegetarians I know would prefer a vegetarian dish that isn't a meat dish in disguise i.e. no fake meat.

Definitely!

I'd be happy enough with a lasagne or a veggie burger made of actual vegetables...

I think most veggies would prefer a genuinely vegetarian meal. I have nothing against fake meats, I eat them at home, but if I'm splashing out on a restaurant meal, I'd prefer unprocessed food or food that's supposed to be vegetarian, for example, in an Indian restaurant I would go for chickpea curry or paneer curry rather than fake chicken curry.

The Chinese restaurant near me uses tofu in a lot of dishes and it’s lovely.

Artifical meat made in a factory? Why oh why would anyone choose to eat such rubbish.

Most vegetarians choose not to eat meat and would find artificial meat doubly revolting.

I definitely wouldn't want a fake meat burger if I could help it.

Something with puy lentils; a decent veg curry; butternut and sage ravioli. I'm also quite partial to halloumi and chips but the calories make me weep. Decent veggie sausage and mash or toad in the hole is also always welcome.

For balance of appeal it's probably best to try to offer a couple of different options - maybe one 'fake meat' like a beyond burger, for people who want to feel like they're still eating meat. Then a fairly safe option or two like maybe a vegetarian pasta dish, and some things that are just inherently not-meat-containing like daal, veg stir fries or curries, lentil shepherds pie, jacket potato with cheese and beans and salad. Remembering that you've got to balance veggie and vegan options - there seems to be an increasing proportion of fully vegan people to vegetarians now, so can't whack cheese and eggs in all the vegetarian dishes.

I don't like heavily processed food or fake meat. I'd rather have vegetables. They could up the game by including more beans or pulses though..

I prefer not to eat lots of fake meat, it's OK occasionally, but it's highly processed and not very healthy.
It's useful for people to transitioning into a meat free diet, but usually long time vegans, veggies don't eat it.

I hate the pathetic attempt to give people meat free imposters. I saw two "chicken breasts" at the supermarket today. Some grey mush formed into a chicken breast shape. Surely this is not necessary? I much prefer a meat free option that is what it is. Like a bean chili. Or cannelloni.

And don't get me started on facon.

DS would definitely prefer fake meat to the vegetable burgers. He eats all the veg separately but won't even consider them in burger form. He also won't eat lentils, mushrooms and a ton of other stuff.

Luckily he is pescetarian so is happy as long as there's fish on the menu, or cheese pizza.

*I prefer not to eat lots of fake meat, it's OK occasionally, but it's highly processed and not very healthy.
It's useful for people to transitioning into a meat free diet, but usually long time vegans, veggies don't eat it.

I know a number of long term vegans/vegetarians who do eat faux meat.

For all the horror on here over it, some clearly enjoy it, so I don't think it's a bad idea to offer one meat alternative, perhaps something like Moving Mountains or Beyond but the rest should be based on plants, with some options including dairy or egg. A common complaint now is that too many of the options are vegan therefore excluding dairy or eggs which many enjoy.

I like a bit of fake meat tbh. I think it depends what the menu is. For example, at a burger joint I'd like fake meat because there are some really good ones about now and I have had enough portobello mushroom sandwiches to last me the rest of my life. For a pub roast on a sunday I would love a nut roast and the trimmings but it is so rarely available - instead you tend to get mediterranean tarts etc which are nice but NOT WITH A ROAST. In Indian restaurants there are loads of options already like lentils, paneer, chickpeas etc. Chinese there's tofu/beancurd and other soya stuff and I personally wouldn't eat fake meat alternatives.

What I will say is that although I like roast cauliflower it is not a main dish however you dress it up so please don't charge me 10 quid for it (or ideally don't serve it at all).

Another veggie who hates fake meat here.

I actively avoid the burger places we used to go to. Our local one used to do a great bean burger that was really spicy and delicious. Now they've replaced it with a vegan "B12" burger that "bleeds". My meat eating partner says it's very meat-like. I find it revolting, like other meat.

I'm honestly starting to feel like it was better to be a veggie in the 80s than nowadays! Give me some chickpeas and identifiable veg rather than weird processed pea proteins....

I have eaten but generally don't choose to eat any fake meat/substitute meat products.
I've been a vegetarian for many years, since before these types of things were common place, so I'm the veggie type that prefers vegetable based meals.
I love a good vegetable lasagna

NO, JUST NO.

There are plenty of veggie protein ingredients that are not fake meat. Lentils, chick peas, tofu, feta & paneer, edame beans, eggs .... but I agree, most pups veggie menu is pretty boring!

And another veggie who won't eat fake meat - or mushrooms, the other food all places think I should eat.

I wish more places sold a nice nut roast and spinach and ricotta canelloni

Our favourite pub does 'fish' and chips but with battered halloumi instead of the fish. It is fucking amazing.

What I really hate is when places decide to kill two birds with one stone and just do a dry horrible vegan bean burger to cover the vegetarians too, because having a dietary preference apparently means we're not allowed to want nice food. Yes I suppose I can eat that, but as I don't hate myself I'm not paying £12 for it. I just go somewhere else instead.

I’m no longer a veggie but my biggest struggle personally was everything had nuts in it! Being a veggie with a peanut and tree nut allergy is not easy, I’m also allergic to cheese so I had so much trouble eating out!
Ideally I love my veggies, I think it’s always nice when you can order a vegetable pie with mash or roasties, I was always happy with a veggie burger as I didn’t really want my food to resemble meat although saying that I would also happily eat fake mince for a spag Bol or rice and spicy veg.
I think people has such varying tastes it can be difficult to cater for everyone but restaurants really do need to start offering more choice, I still like to look at the vegetarian or vegan options but there’s usually only one or two choices.

Against the grain but long term veggie here who likes fake meat burgers. I don't tend to buy the heavily processed stuff at home (except veg sausages for dc) so not opposed to one at a pub/burger joint/chain restaurant. Also know a few meat eaters who will actively order a beyond style burger but not a veg one.

But I agree it depends entirely on where your eating.
If I went to a Chinese/Indian restaurant I'd be disappointed not to see tofu/paneer on the menu. Similarly at an Italian I like to see something other than tomato pasta. I wouldn't go to a pub/burger joint and expect as much. Id welcome more tofu or stews/casseroles though.

I can't stand the current trend for only offering vegan options though-I like real cheese, eggs and honey!

I always think I'm a very unfussy eater (apart from not eating meat) and I happily eat all the things that vegetarians often complain about having too often - goat's cheese, mushrooms, tarts, pasta, etc. But the one thing that would make me choose a different restaurant if it was the veggie option is what you want! I'm not opposed to fake meat as a very convenient and lazy option at home, but I am not paying restaurant prices for a Beyond Meat burger - it's not a treat and it's no effort at all to make.

You go to the restaurant or pub for meal and prefer fake meat, over something assuming home made like veg burger or lasagne?

Is not eating meat and eating out a recent change for you @Bortles?

I hate 'meat effect' mains - have to be polite if people dish them up but would far rather have something made from vegetables. Love a bean burger! Agree would be nice to have more options though