Vegan fast food that looks like meat

[veganlookslikemeat]

E.g. all the new vegan options that chains have been coming out with recently. All the vegan fake meat burgers/subs/pastries etc (Burger King, Subway, KFC, Greggs etc)
They all look like the real thing they are trying to mimic so how can you actually tell you've been given the vegan option and not meat by accident?!
AIBU to want a vegan option that you can clearly tell is vegan... or can someone share how to differentiate these vegan items with the non vegan counterparts?

@bunburyscucumbersandwich

Never mind that it's been cooked in the same oil as the meat. Unless you go to an actual vegan restaurant then it's "contaminated" with meat anyway...

As a vegan this doesn't actually bother me.

I'm able to maintain being vegan by believing that eating a bag of chips cooked in a very large boiling vat of oil alongside piece of battered fish doesn't negate that I'm making every choice I can to stop eating / using the bodies of animals. If I never ate in a restaurant that may use the same oil / or purchased from a large chain such as Burger King; then personally I'd find Veganism too restrictive.

I count myself lucky that being vegan in 2021 means I can have options from nearly every high street shop. If I deemed minor cross contamination as non vegan for me then my social life abs even travelling with work would take a major hit.

“I agree with the PP that vegan options should not try to imitate meat though. "Burgers" and "sausages" and, above all, "chicken" are by default meat. If a vegan wants to eat something that looks and tastes like meat that is an admission that meat is a perfectly acceptable thing to eat. The closest thing to a vegan "sausage" would be a carrot.“

This makes very little sense to me. I’m not a vegetarian because of the way meat looks, I’m a vegetarian because of what it fundamentally is!

@bunburyscucumbersandwich

Never mind that it's been cooked in the same oil as the meat. Unless you go to an actual vegan restaurant then it's "contaminated" with meat anyway...

That doesn't bother everyone. There's a difference between paying for a product that has animal ingredients included, and accidentally having a very small amount of animal product cross-contamination that your money didn't go towards buying.

Obviously, not everyone feels that way. But they can stick to 'actual' vegan restaurants.

There is a distinctly preachy vegan shop local to me (the windows are covered in the sort of literature you'd expect about milk drinkers torturing calves).

I went in because I needed some vegetarian marshmallows, and had DDog with me. Like most vegan places, they are very dog friendly. Unfortunately, DDog managed to offend them - they offered him a vegan dog biscuit, which he promptly spat out on the floor I can't see the dog giving up meat any time soon...

I agree with the PP that vegan options should not try to imitate meat though. "Burgers" and "sausages" and, above all, "chicken" are by default meat.

Which cut of an animal is a burger? A sausage? Don't be pathetic

@1940s but it says this on the Burger King website: "This item contains soy, wheat, sesame, and gluten, may contain milk, eggs, mustard, celery, and sulphur dioxide, and may be cooked on same equipment as fish and crustaceans/molluscs. Modifications are not represented in this list.

BURGER KING®’s priority is to ensure customers with food allergies and intolerances have accurate information to enable them to make safe choices from our menu. There are 14 legally specified food allergens. Products contain or may contain them as follows:
• “Contains – a planned ingredient which is definitely present.
• “May contain” – a supplier has reported to us a real risk of cross contamination on their production line.
• “May contain via shared equipment” – potential cross contamination through shared cooking equipment in our kitchen (fryers & flame grilling equipment – broiler).
Toaster: All our buns are toasted in the same toaster. They all contain gluten, some contain sesame and some contain milk and egg. If you are allergic to any of these ingredients you are advised not to choose any of our sandwich products with a bun. Fryers: We have separate fryer vats for different products but they share an oil filtration system which creates a risk of cross contamination when the oil passes through the filter"
^
^
So, despite having a "separate" fryer, it's all the same oil and the toaster is being used for everything.

I still wouldn't trust them!

If a vegan wants to eat something that looks and tastes like meat that is an admission that meat is a perfectly acceptable thing to eat.

Don't be silly, we make lots of ethical choices about food which are nothing to do with taste. I'd love a delicious human burger but don't eat them because it's frowned upon.

@LadyWhistledownsQuill

There is a distinctly preachy vegan shop local to me (the windows are covered in the sort of literature you'd expect about milk drinkers torturing calves).

I went in because I needed some vegetarian marshmallows, and had DDog with me. Like most vegan places, they are very dog friendly. Unfortunately, DDog managed to offend them - they offered him a vegan dog biscuit, which he promptly spat out on the floor I can't see the dog giving up meat any time soon...

I joined a social media group when I first went vegan hoping to find some good recipes or recommendations for eating out and about etc, and dogs were a very contentious issue haha!

I find there are some preachy vegans, but most just get on with it. A lot would describe me as plant based as I am not bothered about things being cooked on the same grill etc; but I'm not arsed. I do my bit for myself, and that's enough for me.

@Brefugee

I agree with the PP that vegan options should not try to imitate meat though. "Burgers" and "sausages" and, above all, "chicken" are by default meat.

Which cut of an animal is a burger? A sausage? Don't be pathetic

Indeed! Vegetarian sausages have been around since at least the mid 1800's (first mention in print was in the 1850's). The first known reference to a vege burger was in a radio drama in 1948. I think it's safe to assume these things were known before they made it into media.

I think it's a bit late to be criticising it now...

@myBumJuiceSmellsLikeRoses

I don't understand why you'd want to eat something that looks like meat, if vegan/vegetarian. Never made sense to me.

Because we object the utter barbarity of the meat industry not because the look of meat offends us. Why do people keep making this stupid observation?

[quote bunburyscucumbersandwich]@1940s but it says this on the Burger King website: "This item contains soy, wheat, sesame, and gluten, may contain milk, eggs, mustard, celery, and sulphur dioxide, and may be cooked on same equipment as fish and crustaceans/molluscs. Modifications are not represented in this list.

BURGER KING®’s priority is to ensure customers with food allergies and intolerances have accurate information to enable them to make safe choices from our menu. There are 14 legally specified food allergens. Products contain or may contain them as follows:
• “Contains – a planned ingredient which is definitely present.
• “May contain” – a supplier has reported to us a real risk of cross contamination on their production line.
• “May contain via shared equipment” – potential cross contamination through shared cooking equipment in our kitchen (fryers & flame grilling equipment – broiler).
Toaster: All our buns are toasted in the same toaster. They all contain gluten, some contain sesame and some contain milk and egg. If you are allergic to any of these ingredients you are advised not to choose any of our sandwich products with a bun. Fryers: We have separate fryer vats for different products but they share an oil filtration system which creates a risk of cross contamination when the oil passes through the filter"
^
^
So, despite having a "separate" fryer, it's all the same oil and the toaster is being used for everything.

I still wouldn't trust them! [/quote]
I confess I'm not rushing out to buy one as it's not really my type of food. But if I was travelling or in a hotel for work and it was a case of burger and chips or just chips; I'd eat it. I'm personally pretty confident if I looked at it properly I'd know if it was beef or vegan alternative

@myBumJuiceSmellsLikeRoses

I don't understand why you'd want to eat something that looks like meat, if vegan/vegetarian. Never made sense to me.

It's just huge multinationals ploughing money into producing this crap and marketing to the masses to make them wonder how they ever coped without it.

Processed vegan food is as bad for you as any other.

What can I try that is obviously vegan? I will look into the greggs steak bake as a PP has said it also has different markings

Processed vegan food is as bad for you as any other

Well yes, but they're not being marketed as being healthy, but just like anyone's diet, they're fine in moderation. It gives options when out and about, that instead of having to take a packed lunch or just have a plain salad, you can eat with family and friends when out and about if you so wish.

Processed vegan food is as bad for you as any other

Who cares?

People who are vegan for health reasons are perfectly capable of choosing which foods to include in their diet

As PP mentioned, the more people who buy plant-based/vegan food in regular outlets, the more choice there will be.

I'm in The Land Of Meat, and as a vegetarian in the 80s,eating out was a nightmare. Now there is so much vegan choice alongside vegetarian, it is really easy to find lovely things to eat.
In fact I saw a statistic once that claimed one of the well known processed meat companies pretty much makes as much profit from plant based as meat products. Their CEO hasn't ruled out eventually abandoning the meat side of the business (I'll believe that when I see it)

I love vegan fake meat options, so many are really good now. I'm not a vegan, but I like being able to massively cut down meat consumption without feeling like I'm missing anything. We have alternative milks and vegan 'cheese' too very often.

It's also really good for neurodiverse/austistic/adhd people as well like my daughter who has issues with the texture of meat but is fine with meat alternatives. Helps us get some variety without cooking different things just for her.

@skirk64

I don't think it matters if the vegan product is indistinguishable from the real thing, the worst that can happen is that someone gets a real burger. If they notice, they can complain, if they don't notice then what's the harm?

I agree with the PP that vegan options should not try to imitate meat though. "Burgers" and "sausages" and, above all, "chicken" are by default meat. If a vegan wants to eat something that looks and tastes like meat that is an admission that meat is a perfectly acceptable thing to eat. The closest thing to a vegan "sausage" would be a carrot.

Burger and sausage are shapes. Don't be ridiculous.

There's definitely a difference between information and preaching. Preaching is information followed by 'and that's why x should become vegan'. Which tbh never works anyway so is a waste of time...

But I think providing extra information and then letting people make up their minds is almost always a good thing. (In almost all contexts! Be that health stuff, environmental stuff, plastic, fast fashion, whatever. It's good to know what the consequences of various actions are). It's up to people to do with that info what they want.

Several friends are now veggie when back at uni (when I was veggie before becoming vegan) they used to take the piss relentlessly. I knew there was no point trying to persuade them of anything, but now they've come to it in their own time.

In my experience, when you explain to some people that you are vegan (and there are social situations where it can be unavoidable)their manner changes and they become defensive. There's no need to. I don't care what they eat. I'm just answering their question such as "Ugh. Why drink soya milk?" In fact the most recent response to my ordering vegan food was "Well I think it's stupid". And this from someone in their 30s. Rude.

@skirk64

I don't think it matters if the vegan product is indistinguishable from the real thing, the worst that can happen is that someone gets a real burger. If they notice, they can complain, if they don't notice then what's the harm?

I agree with the PP that vegan options should not try to imitate meat though. "Burgers" and "sausages" and, above all, "chicken" are by default meat. If a vegan wants to eat something that looks and tastes like meat that is an admission that meat is a perfectly acceptable thing to eat. The closest thing to a vegan "sausage" would be a carrot.

well, that argument holds up really well.

Dinosaurs are perfectly acceptable things to eat, because I had a dinosaur shaped biscuit once.

My DS once had a train shaped sandwich - TRAINS ARE PREFECTLY ACCEPTABLE THINGS TO EAT!

My DS once had a train shaped sandwich - TRAINS ARE PREFECTLY ACCEPTABLE THINGS TO EAT!

And what about Colin the Caterpillar. Vegan, or not?
Not to mention the poo shaped cake somebody once ordered
from a local bakers.

I'm not a fan of this stuff I don't eat meat because I don't like the taste or texture. But can manage the things not like meat lirk quirn. But I wouldn't want to eat the vegan option that looks like a meat option as I don't full rust the staff. When the vegan burger came out a KFC there were stories of staff mixing it up.

I do occasionally get a vegan fried chicken burger from an amazing local burger place. But they make all their meat burghers themselves. So there's no danger of not telling the difference!

@skirk64

I don't think it matters if the vegan product is indistinguishable from the real thing, the worst that can happen is that someone gets a real burger. If they notice, they can complain, if they don't notice then what's the harm?

I agree with the PP that vegan options should not try to imitate meat though. "Burgers" and "sausages" and, above all, "chicken" are by default meat. If a vegan wants to eat something that looks and tastes like meat that is an admission that meat is a perfectly acceptable thing to eat. The closest thing to a vegan "sausage" would be a carrot.

This is satire, right? You're making fun of the unbelievably stupid crap that sometimes gets posted on here, aren't you?

@myBumJuiceSmellsLikeRoses

I don't understand why you'd want to eat something that looks like meat, if vegan/vegetarian. Never made sense to me.

Because I like meat and eat meat but am cutting down on how much I eat meat so sometimes I'll have the vegetarian/vegan option.