Meat Substitutes

So I have been wondering about this for a while. There seem to be a decent amount of people who are disgusted with meat substitutes, even though they are completely veg*an. When I first started seeing this I thought it was a little outrageous, then a few months ago I went to the grocery store to find out they recently expanded the veg*an/all natural section to include a lot of veggie burgers, seitein and all those meat substitutes. As I walked by I finally understood what these people had been talking about. It occured to me that even if a product is completely meat free, but with the same taste and consistency it would probably still disturb me. I hadn't realized this because I cook 90% of my food at home and hadn't even purchased a meat substitute before.

SO! what about you guys? How do you feel about meat substitutes? Yes? No? who cares? Eat up?

 

I just wanted to point out that the third and fourth choice might seem the same, but they indicate different feelings in people.

Since I made the poll I suppose I'll post my thoughts. All in all I am slightly disturbed when I think about it and I will mostly always eat foods that don't resemble meat in anyway (which doesn't mean I won't eat vegetarian foods that commonly contain meat (burritos, for example)).

Oh and also - any and all thoughts on the subject are welcome!

brad

 

not allmeat substitutes taste like meat, they are just alternatives, i do not like the ones that taste like meat at all, theyre gross, but alot of so called meat substitutes i really do like & eat alot,
i would never eat any that claim to or do in factt taste like meat though, because the smell taste look & feel of meat grosses me out

tofu, seitan tempeh all can be concifdered meat substitutes however & i love em all

 

i have to say that I LOVE tofu and mock meats. Asian food places really know how to cook good tofu and mock meats. Now i'm getting hungry..lol I ate a lot of mock meats and they may look like meat, but by no means do they taste or smell like meat. I would get sick if it did.

 

Ooh, I don't know HOW to answer this one!

Things like mock chicken or steak strips & ground hamburger... YUK!
But I LOOOOVE things like Morningstar's Buffalo Nuggets, a good veggie-tasting burger, and tofu!
So... if it tastes like meat, I don't want it. But if it LOOKS like meat & tastes like veggies, then it's two thumbs up!
love,
mom

 

I think it depends entirely on how people personally view the foods; 'corpse substitute' or simply as a food in it's own right.

If you eat faux meats wanting a carbon copy of the animal product then you are going to be disappointed. So under those circumstances faking it perhaps isn't the best plan of action. Otherwise it's all good. It took a year or so for me to really enjoy quorn/soya/whatever, because I was over meat so could appreciate the food on it's own merits. That said my family do enjoy quorn because it resembels meat, but they're omnis.

 

i've never understood people getting upset by meat substitues.

When i was a kid i used to eat cookies called Cow pies, i wasn't turned off because i wouldn't normally eat cow poop. It looked like cow poop, but it wasn't...and it tasted good.
So who cares if your eating something that looks like a burger. The fact remains that it isn't made from a cow...and it tastes good.

i really doubt people that eat gummy worms actually eat worms. i've never met someone who refused to eat gummy worms because they wouldn't normally eat real worms.

So why would someone refuse a veggie burger, because they don't eat real burgers??

i just don't get it. If it tastes good, and it isn't a dead animal i have no problem eating it...even if it looks like a pile of cow poop!

 

I'm mainly talking about the veggie burgers that look like beef and the mock sausage and nuggets and all that stuff, not tofu. Tofu doesn't resemble meat in anyway really. I mentioned that I used tofu in my last chili in the chili thread and it tasted similar to the reg version but that was enjoyable because I loved my moms beef chili (everyone's mom is the best cook in the world, right? ) so that was nice.

 

they don't taste exactly like meat. just better (of course depending on the brand). No grease, fat, or purple mystery peices. So whats so gross?

 

I like to eat veggie burgers, but not because they resemble meat. They are just something else to eat that is meatless. I have tried a few other things like meatless "chicken" nuggets. They were not bad, but they are not something I would buy much.

 

i don't see the big deal, they are completely vegan friendly
i just made some veggie shepards pie with fake ground beef and it is freaking delicious
i say to each is own, eat what you want to eat

 

Not all meat substitutes are vegan friendly.

 

I try to avoid processed meat substitutes, like I try to avoid any other processed foods, but I do want to try homemade chili with TVP.

 

Yeah I agree yarrow. I almost feel like eating non-processed things is part of being a vegetarian. At least for me, they went hand in hand. That's an interesting thought, I wonder how most vegetarians feel about processed food in general.

 

I try not to eat very much processed foods. Most of it is not all that great for you anyway. I prefer to eat and cook fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

i for one love mock meat type foods.
morningstar vegan prime burgers are awesomely delicious on the grill!

 

I try to avoid processed foods for the most part because they just aren't as healthy as whole foods. But my husband loves mock meat, and we eat it on occasion. MSF Meal Starters kick ass, and so do Boca Vegan Burgers & Nuggets, Yves Ground Round, Gardenburger Riblets and Cutlets (which recently became Vegan).

 

i just had tofurkey tonight! yum! :drool:
i made my own nutritional yeast gravy with it.

 

it took me a while to get ok with them, but now i like them. the way i see it just becuase a think is shaped and seasoned a certain way it shouldnt be assumed to dead animal flesh, and that the methods of preparing meat dont need to be associated with meat and itself but rather a way to make food taste good, be it plant or animal protein. but the idea definitley creeped me out at first.

 

I like to use mock meats as substitutes in recipes that generally call for meat. Most people can't tell a big difference with what I make, which is good, since I'm the only vegan and most of the people I cook for think it's unnatural