To not get the vegan meat thing.

[Katzia]

I just don't get it. Surely if you're vegan/ vegetarian you don't want things to taste of meat which you have foresworn, so why want a fake meat taste. I just don't get the fake steak, fake bacon etc thing. Be vegan/ vegetarian or just eat meat. It's one or the other.

Have we not had enough of these threads yet? If you don’t want to eat fake meat then don’t. Why are meat eaters OBSESSED with this question? (Often while telling vegans how they go on about their diet choices)

Clearly it's not 'one or the other' though is it. Eat your meat and don't worry about what we're doing. Cheers.

I don't get the obsession with questioning others food choices. I am not vegetarian/vegan but would much rather have a meat alternative if there is one, and if that's 'fake' meat so be it.

It doesn’t taste remotely like meat anyway.

It’s not the taste thing that confuses me though. It’s the why do they want to eat such highly processed, artificial, plastic-consuming junk?

DH has been vegetarian ( not vegan ) for Almost 30 years and still.missses.meat. . He was served some in a curry a few years ago by mistake and tried it ( without realising it was meat) . He only dipped his bread in the sauce but says he realised after that and sent it back. He says he realised because it tasted better than any curry he has eaten for years.

He also once took a bite out of my burger by mistake years ago when we were in Burger King. He uwrapped the wrong one while I.was sorting out ds and took a bite not realising . I remember he declared it a fantastic burger, which really surprised me as I know he isn't too keen on most veggie burgers. I was the one who.double checked and asked if he had bitten into mine. He was quite sad when we swapped

He loves meat substitute products and always has . Not all people who give up meat do it because they don't like it
DH gave up..eat as he lives by a ' do as little harm as possible' ethos and he says you can live healthily without having to kill.animals to eat them. He is really hopeful that they develop a proper meat substitute ( growing meat) as he will defintely eat it.

DS is the other sort of vegetarian who doesn't eat meat because he is ultra fussy about food and doesn't like the texture. He will.tell you it is because he doesn't want to hurt animals ( like his dad) but it is primarily because he doesn't like it.

@WellErrr There's this thing called treats and convenience. People who eat meat also have these things.

not the taste thing that confuses me though. It’s the why do they want to eat such highly processed, artificial, plastic-consuming junk?
For the same reason that some meat eaters also eat highly processed junk food. Processed food isn't a big part of my diet, but every now and then when I come in from work really tired, it's nice to be able to chuck some oven chips and something like veggie sausages or quorn nuggets in the oven, for a quick no effort meal.

There's this thing called treats and convenience. People who eat meat also have these things.

Yeah, like chocolate or something. Have you ever looked at the environmental cost of making fake meat? And the actual ingredients?

This is what gets me about fake meat, that people who are so preachy about health and the environment actually go near the stuff. I wouldn’t let my kids eat it.

As to why the like processed foods. DH is not a healthy eating fan at all
Despite eating.meaat, i.am.the one who like whole foods that are real.an unprocessed. I tried taking DH lots of lovely vegetarian restaurants over the years and he dutifully ate everything without comment ( meat and fish excluded) . However his favourite.place to eat out does mostly fake burgers, chilli dogs etc. He is vegetarian who loves American type junk food as his food treat of choice . He so loves very very spicy food.

Good for you.

Most vegans like the flavour of meat, and have been raised eating it, so if they can eat 'meat' without killing animals then that's great for them - it's not hard to understand.

I always think that people who ask this Q are being deiberately obtuse, it's not the flavour they oppose but the killing and environmental impact.... it's not one or the other, hence fake meat

OP, why are you so invested in other people’s dietary choices? What difference does it make to you if someone doesn’t want an animal killed in order for them to eat dinner, but enjoys a Linda McCartney veggie sausage?

It’s to encourage meat eaters to try none meat foods ,for a healthy choice occasionally.

I LOVE meat! I love roast chicken, sausages, steak, bacon sandwiches. But I don't love cruelty to animals, so I don't eat meat. I don't get how this is such a difficult concept to grasp, but somehow it does continue to confuse people.

I do get that there is a market for these products for meat lovers that want to stop for ethical reasons but they're not for me.

I've been vegetarian for pretty much all of my life and was happy when vegetarianism became more mainstream so that I could eat in restaurants occasionally.

I'm also moving towards being vegan so appreciate soya milks and dairy free spreads.

The problem is now in restaurants rather than offer pulses like bean stews and lentil dishes everything seems to be around fake meat. I used to enjoy bean burgers - now it's a pseudo beef burger as the non meat option. Yuk. Back to square one!

Plus, people aren't all vegan for the same reasons - some might care about animals but not give a shit about the environment/health.

Not every plant-based person is vegan

I don’t see why you are so riled up OP, it’s fairly easy to understand but since you are so lacking in imagination...

I like the taste of meat but don’t want to kill animals for it. I would eat lab grown meat and will do as soon as it becomes commercially, widely available.

‘Meat substitutes’ is a marketing term and it includes a lot of things. Some like a lentil/chickpea burger are simply veggie options, some are developed to look and taste as close to meat as possible and some, like soya burgers, are a good source of protein. I eat them because I like the taste, because they are convenient and because they are a good source of protein.

I hope you have been enlightened.

I agree op. I’m a strict veggie (certain E numbers derived from animal sources etc I won’t eat) so it’s easier for me to choose vegan options but the trend is sadly for fake meat and it’s so unappetising to me.

As for the 'fake chemical shit' claims, here are the ingredients of the vegie balls I buy from my local supermarket: Lentils (25%), Roasted Zucchini (24%), Chickpeas, Vegetable Oil, Roasted Onion, Besan Flour, Parsley (1.5%), Garlic, Brown Sugar, Salt, Yeast Extract, Crushed Chilli (0.5%) (Chilli (62%), Water, Sugar, Salt, Acetic Acid, Vegetable Gum (Xanthan Gum)), Vegetable Gum (466).

See, I love natural veggie foods like that, it's the Quorn rubbish I wouldn't touch. I don't think those are the foods the OP is talking about as they don't taste like meat at all, they are more comparable to something like falafel.

@WellErrr The fake concern for our environment/our health is so funny to me when it has been proven time and time again that meat is one of the biggest contributers to destroying to planet.

The problem is now in restaurants rather than offer pulses like bean stews and lentil dishes everything seems to be around fake meat. I used to enjoy bean burgers - now it's a pseudo beef burger as the non meat option.

Yes, I find this annoying. I'm an omnivore who often chooses vegetarian or vegan options, both for the taste and for environmental reasons, but if it's a choice between a beef burger or a 'beef' burger I'm going to choose the real thing.

when it has been proven time and time again that meat is one of the biggest contributers to destroying to planet.

Umm, no it hasn’t.

I was veggie for 6 years. But I loved meat, it was for ethical reasons. So I ate lots of meat alternatives.

Surely if you're vegan/ vegetarian you don't want things to taste of meat?

Are you a vegan yourself, OP? Or just goady and none too bright?

@whiteroseredrose I do agree that there needs to be more vegetable based replacements. I love the spicy bean burgers from ASDA but the trend seems to be veering towards being more realistic. I feel it's to do with convenience (if someone wants fast food they don't want it crammed with vegetables) and getting more meat eaters onboard to reduce their intake.

@WellErrr K.