A vegetarian question about fake meat!?!
Answers: hello, i was wondering if anybody else, besides me, finds fake meat very scary. i'm a vegetarian, and i dont even like the idea of eating fake meat...is this normal?
I don't think it is scary at all. Why should veg*ns not have the same conveniences as meat eaters? It is very easy to heat up a not dog, veggie burger, veggie sausage, or slap on some veggie deli slices, dress it up and consume it.
This does not always mean it is the healthiest choice but neither do we always have the time and or ingredients on hand to make great tasting, healthy meals. These products are healthy enough especially if they are not solely relied on but are more of a supplement to ones diet, besides sometimes you just hanker for something less than gourmet.
I try not to think of these as fake meats but as vegetarian alternatives. If you or anyone else makes that association it is because we are too familiar still with having once consumed meat. If we were raised on this stuff to begin with we'd simply see it as a vegetarian alternative.
This subject reminds me of the church tunes that Martin Luther revamped from old drinking songs. When confronted about this fact his response was simple but to the point, "Why should the devil have all the best tunes." It is in this spirit I see vegetarian alternatives. They took something much less than optimum and made it better.
Edit: You can make the same issue out of vegan milks. By certain logic one should not drink soy, rice, oat, hemp, almond milks, etc, because they taste and look like really milk too much.
Personally I think we're over thinking things a bit. We should be happy there are alternatives, ones that make our lives much easier, not to mention helping the transitions of many meat eaters to veg*nism.
I used to find it scary, but then I realized they were lumps of soy protein and wheat gluten, coloured red with beet juice or tomato powder, shaped into cylinders, sheets, discs or whatever. I stopped thinking of them as meat analogues.
In my local grocery, most of the people who buy fake meat are *not* vegetarian. I guess they're doing it to cut down on their cholesterol or whatever, but that's a good thing. I think the manufacturers now realize that they are not just targeting the veggie people.
I now exactly what you mean. It's like eating meat because it looks and tastes almost the same. I prefer other foods, like lentils, chick peas or tofu.
Its all in your head. Most of it is just textured soy. Nothing to be scared of.
No. But it is easy to get burnt out on it.
It's not the idea that scares me. I just don't like the taste. I'm also a little concerned about all the chemicals, preservatives and artificial flavors being used to give imitation meat its texture and taste. I prefer veggies. I guess you may simply be relating the image of meat with slaughter, even if it just looks like meat. If it bothers you, don't eat it or buy it. It's not an essential part of a vegetarian diet.
I know lots of people who feel that way, but lots of meateaters have been converted to vegetarian by these when done well. There are some fantastic restaurants here in Melbourne owned by buddhists which are 100% vegetarian and offer a range of mock meat and vegetable dishes. So if you don't like the mock meat, you can still have the vegetables.
As a former chef, the idea of mock meat never worried me because I know the ins and outs of cooking. As a biology student, mock meat doesn't bother me as I know the ins and outs of protein and other food structures so I don't see these as representing or symbolising meat. And as a former meateater, these don't bother me as I was used to eating anything as long as it tasted good.
And mock meat tastes gooooooood.....
I'm an "almost vegan" (not yet become one. Hopefully it will be soon), and I find fake meat a little scary. The Morning Star bacon?? Yeah, that's way scary...Eeek!
Personally, I love Yves brand. They do not taste like meat, they taste like tofu and I love the taste. I don't think of them as meat at all because no animal had to die to get the product.
Eat what you want to eat. Even vegetarians are not all alike.
fake meat? i dont think its 'scary' exactly. I should try it, what is it soya beans or something? I think it would be kinda weird if you were just eating it so you could imagine it was a steak but if you just want a substancial meal i think its a good idea.
Well, I wouldn't use the term "scary", but I just don't like meat substitutes.
Since I don't like meat, why should I eat anything that resembles to it?
Its like cutting smoking and then smoking herbal cigarettes.
Well eating regular meat isn't normal (well at least it's not supposed to be). But soy meat is made out of soy beans (which is normal =)), and a lot of other ingredients that are too hard to pronounce.
Nah. I like some of the analogues (I prefer to call them analogues rather than fake meat), although I will admit the Gardenburger Riblets are a bit scary. I find some of the analogues a great covnenience when I really don't feel like cooking.
But if you don't like them, you don't have to eat them. Eat what makes you happy.
I love fake meats... they make it very convenient to adapt your favorite meals and recipes into vegetarian versions. They're also very healthy -- full of protein and other nutrients.
Some are a little too realistic-tasting for me, though. Once I was at an all-vegetarian restaurant and actually spit out the fake ham because it tasted so real!