Why assume vegans want a meat alternative?

Hithere

Seitan, also properly cooked, is exactly like meat

No it isn't, thank goodness!
I really don't like meats.

Delicious Easy Tofu

Extra firm organic tofu, drained and pressed (15-30 minutes). Cut into small pieces. Soy sauce drizzled, blot again. Dust with cornflour, fry.

Use in many dishes, eat as snack, or freeze. Our GC and GGC love tofu as salty snack. High in protein, no cholesterol.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/crispy-tofu

Seitan, also properly cooked, is exactly like meat

Norah

ViceVersa

How? They're not eating meat! As I said earlier, I would have thought that all the vegans and veggies would be encouraged that others want to join them, even if some of those people do want to eat the 'meat substitutes' rather than cooking everything from scratch. If that is helping them to stop eating meat, surely it's a small victory, right?

Agreed.

What are 'fake meat' and 'meat substitutes'?

Tofu, when properly cooked, is absolutely delicious, we use it as a main protein often. Perhaps 'protein substitue' rather than 'meat substitute'?

I assumed people choose food considering protein, carb, fat, vitamin totals over their day - maybe only vegans consider such?

The most delicious Tofu I ever tasted Norah, was at Plum Village in the South of France where they had 3 full time Tofu chefs...

ViceVersa

How? They're not eating meat! As I said earlier, I would have thought that all the vegans and veggies would be encouraged that others want to join them, even if some of those people do want to eat the 'meat substitutes' rather than cooking everything from scratch. If that is helping them to stop eating meat, surely it's a small victory, right?

Agreed.

What are 'fake meat' and 'meat substitutes'?

Tofu, when properly cooked, is absolutely delicious, we use it as a main protein often. Perhaps 'protein substitue' rather than 'meat substitute'?

I assumed people choose food considering protein, carb, fat, vitamin totals over their day - maybe only vegans consider such?

How? They're not eating meat! As I said earlier, I would have thought that all the vegans and veggies would be encouraged that others want to join them, even if some of those people do want to eat the 'meat substitutes' rather than cooking everything from scratch. If that is helping them to stop eating meat, surely it's a small victory, right?

BlueBelle

Kids can eat dinosaur shaped potato’s but no one thinks they are eating real dinosaurs !!!

That is not an equivalent. Some kids probably do think they are eating real dinosaurs and pretending to eat them is just good fun, but where people, on a matter of principle do not eat meat, it seems to me that eating a substance meant to have the same taste and mouth feel as meat, is also unethical.

I don't like meat substitutes but I have found a product called Beyond Burger which I find really moreish.. I also like crispy tofu as I do like something savoury and tasty with my salads and lots of tamari nuts...

Etoile2701

I have been vegetarian most of my life because I don't like the taste of meat.

Our granddaughter is the same.

Kids can eat dinosaur shaped potato’s but no one thinks they are eating real dinosaurs !!!

Well I don’t see it as pretending at all I ve tried many of the alternative products and only actually enjoy Quorn so that’s what I eat
I do make vegetable dishes but sometimes I just need something a bit more solid I m not a good or experimental cook so for me a curry or a vegis dish with a few bits of Quorn in it is a very acceptable alternative I m NOT eating it to pretend it’s meat I m eating it as it a peasant addition to either have Quorn pieces or Quorn mince added I don’t see anything unusual or wrong in that

I think there is a lot of snobbishness in sneering at ‘pretend meat’

I may be naive, but if I was a vegan and did not want to eat animal products, I do not think I would find that compatable with eating food that pretends to be made from an animal product because it would mean that, in effect, I was happy to pretend to eat animals.

Babs03

I don’t think vegetarians hate the flavour of meat products like burgers and sausages they just don’t like the fact that animals are killed to make them. So it makes sense to me that they like to eat burgers and sausages that do not require the killing of an animal. Plant based in other words. Is a bit like drinking alcohol free beer, the drinker probs quite likes the taste of beer but for whatever reason can’t drink alcohol, hence alcohol free beer.
Not a mystery in my opinion.

Agreed.

Some dislike the killing of animals.

Other vegans have health reasons - chloresterol, saturated fats.

I have been vegetarian most of my life because I don't like the taste of meat.

Well, as I said before, there's clearly a market for 'meat substitute' foods, as is obvious from the ever-expanding sections in the supermarkets. Why get your vegan knickers in a twist about it? No-one is forcing anyone to buy or eat them? I'd have thought all the vegans and veggies would want to encourage others to join them, whether that means cooking everything from scratch or buying meat substitutes or ready meals.

Both our sons are vegan - one eats meat substitutes, the other doesn't.

My OH made spicy chickpea bean burgers last night which we ate with sweet potato wedges and broccoli. Delicious. But I’d never buy the ones sold in supermarkets.

CanadianGran

I've never understood the meat replacement items either. If you don't want meat, then don't eat it! Veg ingredients are pushed into meat shapes and colours to satisfy what? Just to fool people into pretending they are eating meat? It makes no sense to me. There are plenty of healthy and tasty options for vegetarians.

Exactly! All these Food Like Substances produced in a factory, packed in plastic. If one doesn't want to eat animal products, why pretend that one IS eating it, like a fake sausage that looks like compressed cardboard? "sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry".

Rula

I have a fabulous friend. She's vegan. But a peaceful vegan, if that's the right word! She never mentions it. I only found out about 4 years after knowing her.

She will host dinner parties. And she will cook meat for meat eaters. Which has always surprised me.

I'm guessing that's not the norm. Or am I wrong?

You are totally right that it’s not the norm.

My SiL will now agree for me to bring some cold meats for my own consumption if I want to.

I don’t mind the family being vegetarian, it’s their choice but the ramming down your throat of their “virtue” that gets to me. (Not that DD and family do so)…

I only eat organic meat which is kinder to the animal and the planet so if I dine out i usuallychoose the vegetarian alternative. These used to be pretty basic but nowadays there are some fabulous vegetarian meals which are even more appealing than meat based ones.
Same with convenience foods the vegetarian is preferable to minced up mechanical ecovered meat -yuck but neither are particularly nice imo because of the artificial ingredients and processing. Natural foods for me all the time be they vegetarian or meat. Macaroni cheese from Cooks is a quick convenience food I keep in the freezer as it's like home cooking.

Vegan food I find unenjoyable but then it's a way of life whereby not only food but anything connected to animals such as wool and leather are no nos. Vegans then start preaching to the rest of us because of their beliefs. Shipping soya products in from half way across the world doesn't exactly help the planet either especially not when trees have been chopped down to grow it. Manufacturers don't care. Avoid processed foods whereas possible.

As a vegan I find most meat alternatives taste disgusting bar for a few brands of plant based sausages and fake chicken.
The same with plant based cheese.

I don’t like tofu no matter how it’s dressed up to taste like meat. It’s a texture thing. I find it rubbery.

When I first became vegan 6 years ago I went to my Db for Christmas dinner. He said what am I going to cook for you this year.
I said the same as you but I’ll bring plant based sausages for myself so don’t put yourself out.

Well when I got there he had bought a nut roast for me which was vile.
I felt guilty that he’d gone ahead and bought it and while I tried my best to eat it, I couldn’t.
He now believes me when I say don’t get a meat substitute.
I don’t understand why people think we have to have an alternative as I’m quite happy with veg, my favourite being Brussels sprouts.
My daughter on the other hand who is also vegan, loves the alternatives.

When making curries, chilli, and spag bol, to bulk them up I replace mince with green lentils ( that’s as alternative as I get lol) They don’t have the same taste as red lentils which I also don’t like. Everyone I’ve made them for have liked them and say they didn’t miss the meat. My dsis and bil love my bolognaise and I always make enough for them to take some home.

I think the reason why people think you have to have a meat substitute on your plate is because we have become so used to having meat and two veg that we are depriving ourselves if we don’t have something to replace it.

I've been vegetarian for over 20 years, I stopped eating meat because I didn't like the cruelty involved in producing it, I certainly don't miss it. I like the Quorn products but not overkeen on the vegan plant based products. I struggle with the fact that a lot of it is made to look and taste like meat! Isn't that what we're trying to get away from? Why it has to taste and look like chicken, ham, bacon and beef I don't know! And I really don't care what other folk eat in front of me, be it meat or otherwise. And for last Christmas myself and my meat eating other half had yummy egg ( free range) and chips cooked beautifully by him.

I'm a vegan & I would not cook meat for anyone, I also really appreciate it when people cook something I can eat. But I don't think meat alternatives are a necessity, I've never liked the meat alternative thing, I prefer vegan food that doesn't replicate meat

Sleepyhead52

My friend was vegetarian - she often cooked meat for me and I always devised a veggie dish as the protein part of a meal. It was never an issue

Well done to both of you, respecting each other.

My friend was vegetarian - she often cooked meat for me and I always devised a veggie dish as the protein part of a meal. It was never an issue