Why do vegans/Vegetarians eat fake meat?

Question

It just seems weird... I don't eat immitation whale meat (though I hear it's DELICIOUS)

Answer 1

well it is probably the closes thing they get to eating meat. when some one else is having a hamburger they might feel like they r left out so they can eat a vegy burger insted. it is still a burger but it doesnt kill any animals.

Answer 2

Not weird at all.

I assume you're asking why, when veg*ns are opposed to meat, they eat products that are made to look/taste like meat?

First, turn the question around:

If meat-eaters like meat so much, why do they have to spice it, flavour it, add soy and other fillers,shape it into sausage shapes, patties, rashers and other shapes until it no more resembles  the cow or pig it came from (in taste or appearance) than it resembles a head of brocolli? See? Same logic, same question.

One reason fake meats are popular is probably that they make it easier for a new vegetarian or vegan to make the change from eating meat. And they're fine for people who may have a moral objection to eating meat, but who enjoyed and miss it.

But mostly it's just that they’re different tastes and textures, and who doesn’t crave that in their diet?

And they don't resemble meat - sausages, patties, rashers etc are just forms, usually made from meat, but they can just as easily be made from seitan, tofu etc. They’re not necessarily meat substitutes, but ways of processing and shaping food. You never saw a round flat animal, after all, or a sausage shaped one. They're just convenient shapes to form the centrepiece to a meal.

Meat ‘substitutes’ aren’t the healthiest or cheapest food you can eat, but if you’re feeling lazy and uninspired they’re fine now and then And some of them do taste good.

I went vegetarian in 1969 (I'm vegan now) and for many years there were no fake meats - just TVP chunks which were disgusting. So I lived for many years without them, and could do so again. But I like some of them, so I'll continue to eat them.

Answer 3

Because a lot of veggies LIKE the taste of meat, but they oppose the cruelty of obtaining the meat. It's ethics that stop us eating real meat. My conscience gets in the way. I just can't eat it.

May I politely ask you a question- Why do you eat real meat?

Answer 4

CUZ ITS YUMMEH.

that is all...

Answer 5

You don't have to dislike the taste of meat to be against the idea of it.

Answer 6

It's just another thing to eat.  It's like vegetarian food in a different form.  Also, if everyone is having a hamburger, you want to "fit in" and not draw attention to yourself.

Answer 7

cuz it has protien is my main reason, but it also tastes really good. it helped me stop eating the real stuff, so now i love the fake stuff!!! doesnt it seen kinda weird that people who say they love animals sometimes eat them? just anouther thought. : )

Answer 8

Because they are nuts.

Answer 9

I for one don't. Why would you want a fake version of a product you don't want to eat in its real version? Doesn't make any sense to me. Particularly those who say they don't eat meat for "moral" reasons. How much sense does it make to eat something that looks/smells/tastes like that "immoral" food product you reject?

I eat vegetarian because I prefer vegetables, fruits and grains to meat products. It really is that simple.

Answer 10

When I was a vegetarian I ate it for the TASTE and PROTEIN.

Then I found out that too much soy is not good for you, so I cut it out.

I still ate eggs, dairy, and whey protein for my protein after that, but without real meat, my weight-lifting wasn't what it could have been.

Switching back to real meat helped. No more estrogen boosting soy, lots of great taste, and easier to get high quality protein every 2-3 hours like I'm supposed to.

(Most vegetarians are not as concerned with bodybuilding as I am though, so it's quite a bit different.)

Answer 11

When eating with others, say at a cookout, keeps people from criticizing your dietary habits because you blend in.  The only issue I've had is having to watch the food like a hawk otherwise, I come back and find someone has already eaten my boca burgers...that I brought with me....and all that is left is meat products.

Answer 12

I...actually agree with you.  I find it weird and gross.

That said: I do eat fake meat, but not the ones that taste like meat.  I like veggie burgers that don't taste like meat, because it's in sandwich form and would prefer something that doesn't feel like a salad on a bun.  It also allows me to blend in w/ BBQs, so I have something more filling than just side dishes.  That's one reason I don't purchase Boca or Garden burgers, because they go for that feel, but rather go for the 100% vegetable patties.

The only other type of fake meat I eat is tofu in Asian Inspired stirfries.  But that's so I can get a complete protein (eat it with rice).  Many dishes have tofu w/ meat, so it's not that much of a stretch to simply say _____ but without the meat.  They don't even try to make tofu look like meat, so I'm ok.

The other type is vegetarian chili, but I just see it as beans with flavor.  For about 10 years I didn't even know you could make it with meat, I was so confused.  (Obviously I'm not from TX.)

Answer 13

Because it's fake.   It seems weirder to me to chew on dead animal flesh!

Answer 14

I've never even heard of imitation whale meat. I've never even tried whale before. LoL

I didn't stop eating meat because I hated the taste of it. I did it for moral reasons. It doesn't mean I don't want to still eat something that tastes like it.

Most faux meats do taste really close to the real thing anyway. So I don't see much of a difference, except for I don't feel guilty for eating a soy burger.

Answer 15

Because it's all the fun and tastiness of meat without the torture, suffering, and death!

Answer 16

It's mostly for texture and a little bit of a variety.

I mean, you're gonna crave meat-something when you go veggie. It's human nature. Faux Meat's a good way to satisfy that.

and for example, if I cook rice and ground meat for my family, I can eat the rice and some faux-ground meat.

it's pretty close to the same thing, but lots healthier!

Boca ground-meatless burger tastes a lot like plain Burger King patties.

Answer 17

I just like the way it taste, and would eat it even if i ate real meat (even though thats never going to happen lol).

Answer 18

Its for people who like meat but want to be a vegetarian so that the animals wont be killed

Answer 19

Well because it tastes good, has a lot of protein and helps with any cravings of meat.  At least for me, the fake chicken is awesome and I am always craving chicken so it comes in handy.  

I say Why not eat the fake meat?  It dosen't hurt any animals to get it so why go with the real stuff that to get it hurts animals in many different ways and our enviorment.  Uh huh, yeah!

Answer 20

I used to wonder the same thing, but I think I know the answer now. The reason is because most people were raised eating meat - they are familiar with hot dogs and hamburgers and the texture of meat. Later when one becomes a vegetarian it can be an easier transition to eat something in a familiar form and texture. Also, they are used to recipes calling for a certain ingredient such as meat. Hence the fake meat for vegetarians.

However when you think about it, beef shaped into a perfect circle to fit on a bun or a mixture of meats from different animals shaped into a hot dog is just as fake as a veggie burger or smart dog. I personally eat the smart dogs and the veggie burgers because I prefer the taste and texture of those more than the real meat versions - I even ate those when I *wasn't* a vegetarian!

Answer 21

why not? it tastes good and theres no cruelty. some people want to enjoy their old favorite foods without killing an animal.

Answer 22

I'm vegan because I don't believe using animals for food is good for the animals involved, good for my health or good for the environment.  Fake meats, while not the healthiest option in the world, address all of my concerns and add variety to my diet.

You don't eat imitation whale meat because you have no history of eating whale and no pressure to conform by eating whale.  Most veg*ns were once meat eaters and have experience cooking with, for example, chicken.  They can use familiar recipes by incorporating fake chicken.  Or they can blend in at a bbq eating a veggie burger.