“Have you tried Gardein?” She said with big eyes.
“No.” I said.
“Oh my gosh, you have to try them!” She grabbed my arm as if this were a life or death situation.
I pulled back, “I’m not a big fan of the fake meat products.” I said. Even though I knew very well that I had 2 boxes of Trader Joe’s vegan soy nuggets (obvious “chicken nugget” impersonators) at home in my freezer. I ate them, but unenthusiastically at best. Veg-meat just wasn’t my thing.
But a lot has changed in the past few years, as veg-meat products are better than ever. And with every food I add to my diet, the questioning begins: Are vegan fake meat products defeating or defending the point of a vegan or vegetarian diet? Let’s discuss. (This is a long post, but a worthy conversation to begin)..
A while back, a non-vegan friend asked me, “What’s the point of fake meat? I tried it and it doesn’t taste like meat. It’s awful in fact.” I’d sit there with a blank look on my face. I kinda agreed. The “fake meat products” from say, five-ten years ago, kinda sucked.
Vegan Fake Meat 2010. But now, in the past year even, vegan “meat” protein products have evolved into high-quality-ingredient taste-bud bliss. There’s the Field Roast Grain Meat Co. sausages. It’s a safe bet that I have a pile of the Spicy Chipotle flavor in my fridge on any given day. And now Gardein has an entire shopping-cart-overflowing line of fake meat products that are 100% vegan and filled with more than just soy protein, water and flavoring. Gardein uses soy, wheat and pea proteins as well as ‘ancient grains’ that include quinoa and kamut. All non-GMO, aka ‘identity-preserved’ soy protein.
I’m kinda in love with Gardein products right now. And I’m not alone. Everyone from Oprah, Ellen and even TMZ’s Harvey Levin are tweeting and chatting about them. Even I was skeptical, but my view of fake meat changed when I bit into my first Gardein vegan Classic Buffalo Wing. The Gardein chick’n products look like real chicken, and maybe, taste like it. But you know what they say about “tastes like chicken”. Lots of things do! So really, does chicken really taste like chicken?
Frozen Gardein Products:
Chick’n vs. Chicken Taste. In Jonathan Saffron Foer’s “Eating Animals” book, he reminds us that most of what we know as the “chicken taste” isn’t actually the taste of chicken flesh. Most meat products are injected with so much water, flavored “broths” and other “salty flavors” as JSF says, that what we call a ‘chicken’ taste may actually be due to the flavors that are injected into the meat.
(JSF quotes one Consumer Reports study finding that “chicken and turkey may be ballooned with 10 to 30 percent of their weight as broth, flavoring or water.” -page 131)
And that flavor may be more than you bargained for. Why? Well the chicken is infused with (and I’m guessing flavor influenced by) what JSF calls, “fecal soup”.
Infused Chicken. Let’s get real for just a few paragraphs. On pages 130-31 of “Eating Animals” JSF references how the slaughtered chickens get dunked into a common tank of cold chill water (instead of air chilling). The liquid is basically filled with “filth and bacteria” and nicknamed “fecal soup”. The contaminated liquid is absorbed into the chicken and thus, fecal soup flavoring ensues. 11% of the liquid is allowed in each chicken by USDA, United States Department of Agriculture, laws. Hmm, natural flavoring I guess.
Not fun stuff to think about if you’re not vegetarian, right? Did I gross you out yet? I hope not. Keep reading. No more nasty images, I promise. Well OK, there’s a few in the next paragraph, but after that I’m done.
Tastes Like Chick’n. I still faintly remember the taste of chicken from my childhood. It wasn’t a bad taste. It was good in fact. But it was the little surprises that came with my meat that sent my mind spinning. The strange blue veins I’d find in my chicken breast, the odd fat clumps in my chicken nuggets, the overly fatty chewy chunk of my steak and the blueish black flesh marbling in my chicken soup chicken. Dark meat. White meat. Veins. Translucent valves, skins and wriggly things in and on my meat. By the age of twelve I was pretty much suspect to wondering: what am I eating? And why did I just pull a vein out of my sandwich?
Sorry, more gross imagery I know. But that’s the truth. My important point is this: I didn’t stop eating meat because of the taste. I stopped because of the questions. I had a lot of questions, and gosh darn it my pre-teen mind just couldn’t eat pepperoni pizza with wondering what part of what animal that pepperoni came from. And really, eggs, what are they anyways mom and dad? So, ham and eggs is really what…huh? Yuck. Whiny adolescent voice, “My food, answers, please!”
OK, No more vein imagery. I promise.
Let’s look at both sides of this “fake meat” issue. Is it defending or defeating the point of veganism and an animal-cruelty free lifestyle?
Defending the Point. So on some level, I think vegan fake meat products (even those called chik’n and beefless) are defending the point of veganism. True, they taste somewhat similar to the meat products they are impersonating. And most of the look spot on: vegan sausage and chick’n patties are pretty much the Madame Tussauds of the real-thing meat products. So the new “fake meat” is living up to it’s name. Although with vegan meats: the saturated fat, hormones, preservatives, antibiotics (and cruelty) are missing from each bite. Bravo. Vegan diet success: amazing taste, better nutrition (and planet-friendly) facts.
Case #1: My Guy. My non-vegan husband adores Gardein products: the spicy Classic Buffalo Wings, Chick’n Filets, the Beefless Tips and Grain Crispy Tenders are his faves. He could probably live off of these for the rest of his life, in place of meat, if he had to. But for him, like most “sometimes vegans” it’s really a matter of vegan food vs. temptation and convenience and real life.
(UPDATED: I actually had a whole paragraph in here about how my husband loves fake meat products since he sometimes eats meat. HA! It’s now 2019 and my husband hasn’t eaten meat in about seven years. He still eats fish, but that’s it. Vegan otherwise. Some call that Veganfish… Anyways, maybe Gardein was in fact a good bridge “meat” towards him making that full transition. Pretty cool to see how far some people can come in just a few years.) Another case for being PRO-fake meat products I think.)
Gardein Buffalo Wings, in package:
Cooked Buffalo Wings:
Boys will Eat like Boys? A guy Chef friend of mine recently Facebook statused “I just finished eating a super manly pizza!” Later he said it was filled with pepperoni and sausage. I had to roll my eyes. Why is meat considered manly? Are “fake meat” products manly enough for you men out there? Or will boys simply always eat like boys? Is a steak, aka dead flesh of a cow, really all that manly anyways? Isn’t eating heart-healthy, body-healthy and soul-healthy vegan food from whole grains, veggies and fruit the most sexy, manly thing ever?? I think so, but that’s just me.
One downside to Gardein products in particular, is that they are quite expensive! I have gotten quite used to buying my $2 tempeh bars, $2 tofu blocks, $1 cans of beans, $2 bags of grains and such. Those proteins can fill an entire dinner for mere dollars. One pack of Gardein fake meat can cost anywhere from $4-$6 (my Whole Foods sells most Gardein products for $4.69).
That’s cutting into my fruit and veggie dollars quite substantially. And I can easily get that same concentrated protein by eating whole foods: fruits, veggies, legumes and whole grains. So really, is the fake meat stuff just defeating the point of veganism??…
Defeating the Point. I’m vegan. I don’t eat meat. Every person I tell this to looks at me in an intrigued manner and I hope they question it, think about it and look at their own dinner in a different light – especially once they hear my story and about the foods I eat.
“Ooh, what is that you have there for lunch Kathy?” a co-worker once said.
“Um, a quinoa salad over arugula and mache leaves – with tempeh cubes and roasted red pepper dressing. Raw cashews too. Coconut water to drink. Oh and some sprouted grain bread with Vegenaise.” I replied. They looked at me dumbfounded. And the questions came hailing down on me like spring rain showers in April:
“What’s quinoa?”
“What’s Vegenaise?”
“What’s sprouted grain bread?”
“Did you make that yourself”
“What’s coconut water?”
“What’s tempeh?”
“What’s arugula? Why is that better than lettuce?”
“Is that healthy?”
“What’s the recipe?”
“Why raw cashews instead of roasted and salted?”
And so the conversation starts. I like that.
Now lets say I answer the “What’s for lunch” question by saying, “Oh I have some Beefless Tips in my salad or a Crispy Tenders sandwich.” Then do I say, “It’s fake meat.”
Fake meat? Why would a vegan want fake meat? Doesn’t that defend the taste and usability factors of real meat and the entire factory farming industry? Doesn’t that make the meat-eaters out there laugh at us and chuckle at their steak house dinners and say, “Haha have you heard of those poor vegans eating fake beef tips?! Why don’t they just eat beef like the rest of us!? Crazy vegans”
OK, so I’m totally stereotyping the average meat-eater. But I just want to consider the mixed message that “fake meat” is sending to the world. Why does Gardein have to call them “Beefless Tips” and not “Purple-Blackish Soy Grain Pea Nuggets” or something. I’ll tell you why: sales and marketing.
Most mainstream home-chefs wouldn’t know what to do with a soy-grain-pea patty or quinoa nugget. But they sure know what to do with Crispy Tenders and Beefless Tips. So is Gardein simply marketing to the non-vegans out there? The vegan newbies as I like to call them? Maybe. But in my house, when I scream out to my husband, “Do you want some (Gardein) “Beefless Tips” tonight?” I get a strange shudder in my chest, it’s the word beef that confuses my ears. I can’t be alone.
Gardein: Guy Approved. Husband Approved. Kid Approved? Maybe..
Case #2: My Nephew. My 4 year-old nephew, a newbie of vegan foods, loves tofu. But only if it’s not mushy. The firm stuff. His mom recently gave up dairy and is trying to explore more vegan meals. Hallelujah. My nephew doesn’t know much about the foods he is eating yet, but definitely knows what he likes and dislikes. Chicken nuggets: loves. So what about fake chicken nuggets? He’ll eat both vegan chick’n and real chicken nuggets – but either way he’ll call them “chicken nuggets”. Glad he is eating vegan – but is the message going through? Are we sending mixed messages to kids, if you don’t explain the difference between real meat and fake ‘meat’? Or will all this simply wait until later on in life?
Fake meat, aka Gardein, aka Field Grain Meat Co. – I’m so in love, and kinda conflicted.
Pros
It’s delicious.
It’s easy.
It appeals to my non-vegan family and friends.
It’s healthy.
It’s delicious.
It’s versatile.
Yum, Gardein spicy Buffalo Wings.
Its cruelty free, even if it has a confusing title.
Cons
It’s expensive for vegan food.
I hate saying that I’m eating “chick’n and beefless” – even if it’s vegan.
It confuses the public conversation about “meat”.
It sends mixed messages about what vegans really want to eat (meat or cruelty free vegan food?)
It sends mixed messages about protein. Because, FYI, you can absolutely easily get enough protein from whole foods: grains, legumes, fruit and veggies.
It cuts into my fruit/veg/grain whole foods quota of my day’s calories and shopping bill.
It is processed whole vegan foods as opposed to whole vegan foods.
It can become addicting. Encourages chefs to be lazy about exploring whole food-based vegan recipes, made from scratch.
What do you think? And how does this carry over to other fake food products like vegan cheese and vegan milk?
Are vegans just a bunch of sad copycats eating imitation, wannabe foods?
Of course not. I obviously don’t think that at all. I love my vegan lifestyle. I eat the healthiest, life-affirming, feel-good foods on the planet.
But wait is soymilk simply fake milk? I don’t think so. Isn’t soymilk just “milk” from made from soybeans?
What about vegan cheese? Is it “fake” cheese? Is it defeating or defending the point of vegan food, for the same reasons as fake meat products?..
Defeating: takes away the point of eating non-animal product whole foods.
Defending: Proves that you don’t need animal products to eat the many types of foods we love and use in recipes we have eaten everyday for hundreds of years. Recipes like pizza, hamburgers, milkshakes, fries, creamy soups, salads, beverages and more. All can now be “veganized” to some extent. Right? Defends a vegan lifestyle, right?
I’d love to hear what you think (vegans, newbies and non-vegans). Where do you stand on the “fake meat” “wannabe vegan foods” issue.
My final words: Right now, I really do love my vegan sausages, vegan cheese and vegan Buffalo Wings products. I crave them! If I’m out – you can find me at Whole Foods re-stocking my fridge. But I still think twice about the big picture of “fake meat”.
I'm a vegan and I prefer other, less processed foods for the most part, but I do like the taste, variety, convenience, and even nostalgia that comes from eating certain "faux" foods. I don't really see any reason to give them up since they are vegan. And I'm not against fake leather or even fake fur. Veganism isn't about self-deprivation, just not depriving other animals of what is rightfully theirs.
Also, the fake meats and cheeses REALLY came in handy when my husband went vegan. It was actually him who first said, "I think I want to try eating vegan for a while" and led us to both become vegans. It really shocked me when he said that because he mostly ate hamburgers, pizza, steak, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, that sort of stuff. He did NOT like vegetables, neither the taste or the flavor. But the faux stuff got him through to where he could finally start developing a taste for vegetables and now he's eating better and better with every passing month — though the moment he went vegan we know his diet changed dramatically for the better even eating vegan "junk food". And he's felt much better.
When friends ask us about the faux stuff we tell them, "We didn't go vegan because we didn't like the taste of meat/cheese/ice cream/etc. We went vegan because we didn't think it was worth harming animals to have those things, especially when there are so many alternatives." I think that helps because we get a lot of people saying stuff like, "Well, I'd go vegan, but I LOOOOOOVE cheese" in that tone like they must think that we have no idea how good cheese can taste. But then they have to consider that you can LOOOOOOOVE cheese and still decide not to eat it because you think it's wrong.
And even some of our friends who have no intention whatsoever of going vegan have found some vegan foods they like. And that's better for them and better for animals, so I don't see a problem.
I used to live for some of these products like vegan chick'n or substitute pastrami when I started transitioning about 110 years ago. But now, my tastebuds have changed and my wallet as well. I can't always afford the fancy vegan meats so I'm enjoying Nature's bounty.
I wouldn't ever want to try a vegan Salisbury steak or porkchop substitute though becuase I'm over the taste and texture of meat altogether.
I was vegetarian for a while until I moved to Germany and found a family-run butcher shop that I could trust…and I've never looked back since. I think it is important to know – knowledge is power – or at least doesn't leave you feeling helpless.
As the the whole fake meat thing…
I do think that fake meat has it's tasty moments, but I think that cooking from scratch and using basic ingredients is healthier..weather you're vegetarian or not.
But, in the end everyone has to know for themselves and be able to fall asleep at night satisfied with their own decisions 🙂
I am not vegan or even a vegetarian, but I enjoyed reading this post and the comments. I eat Boca and Morningstar products because they are low-calorie and for their convenience factor. You are right that vegetarian convenience foods are getting much tastier. (I remember one early Gardenburger faux-chicken-breast that looked and tasted like a kitchen sponge with fake grill marks.)
I think we will live to see the day when alternate protein sources become so tasty and popular that they make factory farming obsolete.
Hi Anna.
Great post, I totally identify with you. 🙂
"So, I gave up meat, eggs, dairy for the benefit of my soul. But, there are times that I crave meatloaf, or chicken and I can't eat the real thing without dying a little inside. For me, fake meats are AWESOME! I get to satisfy my cravings without compromising my values. Of course, it is the fake meats that led me to awesome products like tempeh and seitan! I would have never experimented with those without having first sampled the delights of vegan replacements!
P.S.- My favorite brand is Q'orn."
I'm sorry, but were you aware that the Qcorn products contain eggs?
i'm a vegetarian, not vegan, but aim at transitioning in a few years (when I graduate college, have total control over my kitchen and diet, and food budget!) and I am pro-fake meat products. I became a vegetarian at age 8 and have always battled anemia and iron deficiencies, and supplementing my diet with fake meat products helps me maintain iron and protein levels. Also, it's convinient, I'm not in a stage in my life where I have time to really cook a meal every night of the week, and I'm often pressed for time and stressed out due to classes and part-time work. Not that a vegan diet is totally inconvinient and time consuming, but for me, the fake meat products (i'm a morningstar fan, haven't tried gardein yet) really save the day. Also, because of my vegetarianism, my parents have supplemented out some of the meat in their own diets, even though they both eat meat, they eat less of it after realizing the other cruelty-free, low cholesterol, low fat and generally better for you alternatives there were out there. I think veggie meat can mean a lot of different things to different people, but there is certainly a market for it, and a place of high esteem in my fridge.
veganhomemaker,
YES! Frozen Gardein products are sooooo much better than the refrigerated products. I actually don't like the fridge Gardein. I have tried it a few times and it never seems to get the nice texture and flavor that the frozen stuff gets.
so yes, I totally agree. ~K
Hi Kathy, have you noticed how much better the frozen Gardein is compared to the refrigerated Gardein? I swear it's like it's two different companies making it. I won't even buy the stuff in the refrigerated section anymore, I buy frozen only. I find the biggest difference between the two "beef" products. I'm really curious if you have noticed this difference too.
I gave up meat because I never enjoyed eating it. So I cannot stand eating Fake meat, even if it tastes delicious. The only one I ever enjoy is the spicy black bean burger by Morning Star, only because I can see the corn and the black beans in it, not because it tastes like meat at all! 🙂 Just my opinion.
Thank you so much for posting this! I'm vegan and I've had a hard time defending fake meats to my omni friends. I didn't know what to say other than, "It's just convenient junk food." I usually avoid fake meat products because of cost, but it's nice to know that they're available to change things up a bit.
I'm not into the fake meat. I might buy it for my kids when I finally switch them over to vegan, or at least during the transition. I really enjoy eating a plant and grain based diet that tastes like plants and grains. I didn't like the heavy taste and flavors of meat products, so I'm not looking for heavy tasting fake meat products. I guess if I really wanted BBQ, I'd just eat BBQ. NO disrespect or judgment who those who like the fake meat. I mean, I don't even eat tempeh (can I even spell it!) or tofu. I do like a vegan cookie or cupcake now and then though!!
For me, I am one of those people still straddling the fence. I am from the south and that says it all. I am a "wanna-be" healthy expert mom who has raised my kids to eat "healthy/nutritionally sound" and balanced. I've studied food combining, raw foods, veganism, and vegetarianism. When I first learned of TVP after my first child was born, I mail ordered a case of it. That was it. We were going all out! Then news came out that TVP wasn't nutritionally sound, perhaps even unsafe to consume on a regular basis. I believe that pure, clean, naturally-raised, grain-fed, organic, whole-foods are the way God intended it to be, as stated as such in the Bible. Animals were created for man to use for work and for food when necessary. Don't go getting your trousers in a bind. I don't believe in cruelty to animals…in fact, I am an advocate against it; and I love my pets as much as the next; but we have to keep a balanced perspective. God created man as the superior intelligent creature here on earth. He also intended for us to use our food for survival, not to become overly consumed with our bodies and food to the point we loose a balanced perspective. Sad to say, food and exercise have become gods and/or addictions to many of us. We look at people who are overweight and automatically judge them as being unhealthy, unattractive, lazy food addicts; while those claiming to be fit, doing all the right things according to whoever…yahda, yahda, yahda…are just as consumed with it on the opposite side of the coin! Now they are saying that soy is one of the major prohibitors of weight loss. The "facts" seem to always be changing, except for the basics we all have known since life on earth began – that foods grown in their most natural environment are God's provisions for our bodies' nutritional requirements, as well as, natural sunlight (in moderation), sleep (but in moderation), physical exercise (in moderation), recreational time (in moderation), healthy relationships (in moderation)…etc. Even too much of a good thing can be bad; so…IMBALANCES of any kind on our part are really the issue we should be concerned about in every aspect of life. Proper balance is the key to health and life.
If I were to label my diet in a word, it would be "flexitarian"I suppose. I chose to eat whole foods, mostly that I make and prepare myself. I do eat regular meats of all types, but also have multiple vegetarian meals in my diet each week. Try as I may, even my attempts at "vegan" recipes would not satisfy a true vegan in the end of the day. I attribute this to the fact that almost all vegan recipes (except for some scrumptious salad ideas) that I have seen, even on this blog, contain some kind of "replacement" product, whether that be "veganaise" "Vegan-cheese products" "fake meat" or a variation on milk… I will end up using real cheese, real butter, real mayo (all of which have fewer ingredients and have to be processed less to become what they are, than their vegan replacements). So my "vegan" recipes typically turn out to be vegetarian instead (typically due to the use of real butter/dairy products).
I think tempeh is great too, but never ever think of it as anything other than tempeh (it doesn't replace anything in the "Western" diet) and I like it for that! Tried some "soy nuggets" for the first time tonight and they did not "taste like chicken", but they did FEEL like processed chicken nuggets that one would get at say McDonalds… in other words… NOT my thing.
When I see veg*ns eating "fake meat" I see them as more of a fad/diet veg*n and not really trying to live a healthier and animal protein-less life…
Thanks for the awesome comments guys! You all have very interesting comments – fabulous to read your POV's.
~K
Anonymous:
RE: "I'm sure you can find fecal matter on a lot of things, and it's most likely even on your toothbrush. There's a lot of disgusting things you can find on any food, meat or otherwise. I guess I missed it somewhere where this blog is only intended for vegetarians and vegans."
This blog is absolutely not just for vegans or vegetarians! Many many of my friends, family and fans enjoy vegan recipes – you don't have to be full time to make a difference in your own health and the health of the planet.
And while , yes there are "disgusting things" all over the place (salad bags, veggies, toothbrush, public bathrooms, office phones, etc etc etc) the point is that those gross things are still cruelty free.
It's impossible to live a bacteria-free life, but it is 100% possible to live a cruelty-free life (or at least try to anyways).
..you can wash your produce extra well and cook your meat extra long to kill bacteria – that's not the point. The point is to realize the harm and animal cruelty in the factory farming industry.
I'm not vegan and I love meat but I love variety so I often eat vegan and vegetarian sides. Unfortunately the range of fake meat products in the Caribbean is not good and the few vegan sausages that I tried were loaded with far too much salt! I usually restrict my sodium so it just wasn't an option – besides all I could taste was salt
I have been a vegetarian for years, or I guess technically a pescatarian since I eat seafood, but I recently found out that I am lactose intolerant and have to eliminate all dairy from my diet. This has posed some new challenges, as I consumed dairy on a daily basis since childhood. As a result, I am having to try new foods and look for ways to eat and still get all of my necessary nutrients. I have been rather disappointed in my local selection in this department; mainly all I can find are "fake meats" such as these, but I have never enjoyed them.
I stopped eating meat when I was a preteen for several reasons. One being the same as your issues, the questions! The veins, the cartilage, the fat, the… mystery. I also didn't enjoy the taste that much, opting for fresh vegetables and fruits as my favorite flavors. Not until I was a bit older and more educated on things did I see the environmental impact, the impact on the animals, and the processing and handling of these industries. Then I was even more disgusted, and really did not want to eat meat.
So I have an issue with the fake meat products, as I stopped eating meat for a reason. Why would I want to have something that looked, tasted, and smelled like it? I can handle a Boca burger now and then if it is topped with MANY veggies, but I have had some "chicken" products that made me spit out my first bite because they were too "real" for me.
I feel that if a person is going to make a step towards eating healthy and earth-friendly, it can wholly be done without filling in the meat vacancy with these fake versions of the same thing. There are an abundance of grains and vegetables and roots and the like to break the monotony, give you your proteins, and taste delicious!
ewwwwwww veins, haha.
they only reason I eat faux-meat products is just to add variety to my dinner every once in a while, i really don't miss meat! i ALWAYS tell my mom "i hate the vegetarian burgers/nuggets/etc that are supposed to taste like meat!" because i never really liked meat. i usually get the kind that are made with veggies. but sometimes i'll get the "nuggets" if they're made with good ingredients.
-Rachel
Having seen how my farm chickens were slaughtered, they don't dunk them in the chill-bath until they're plucked and gutted so, sorry, no fecal soup here. I'm pretty sure they don't dunk them in commercial slaughter houses until the same steps are taken. The thing meat eaters should be aware of is how much bleach is used in the slaughter process to keep things sanitary, not to mention all the other substances injected into the meat after slaughter.
Other than that, your post is VERY well written and very well thought-out. I enjoyed it greatly. I'm inspired to try the fake meat to see if the taste and texture are something I could live with, even though I'm not a vegetarian.
So, I gave up meat, eggs, dairy for the benefit of my soul. But, there are times that I crave meatloaf, or chicken and I can't eat the real thing without dying a little inside. For me, fake meats are AWESOME! I get to satisfy my cravings without compromising my values. Of course, it is the fake meats that led me to awesome products like tempeh and seitan! I would have never experimented with those without having first sampled the delights of vegan replacements!
P.S.- My favorite brand is Q'orn.
My family, which is 3/4 vegetarian, enjoys the fake meat products on occasion. We didn't stop eating meat because we didn't like the flavor. We stopped because we couldn't reconcile eating the animals we love so much. I don't really see the harm in fake meats. I think they are a great alternative. My hubby said he wold only go veg if there was an awesome sub for steak. Currently there is not. Don't get me wrong, no one needs to eat meat or meat subs, but the fact of the matter is, there are always going to be those who for one reason or another do not wish to give up meat, whether it's in it's true form or some kind of sub. We have tried many different varieties and have enjoyed some more than others. We enjoy the skewers from Gardein and love Trader Joe's veggie meatballs. I don't serve them often because the one drawback is that they are very expensive, so if it's not on sale it stays on the shelf. If the fake meat products help more people to stop eating our animal friends, isn't that a good thing?
I understand that fake meat products are really handy when you don't feel like cooking too much and I was once a real advocate of these products. But now i really find the whole idea of them rather depressing. Sure, they taste ok but they can never replace the taste of something real, organic and fresh.
The other night i was making carbonara and was trying to figure out how to get that smoky bacon flavor without resorting to veggie bacon. Couldn't really figure it out but I'm still researching. Anyone have any idea?
Good post and discussion.
Interesting topic. I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian…but I loved hearing your side of the argument. But here's mine:
With all the big bucks you're spending on all the fake meat…what about getting a high-quality, farm-raised meat instead?
I'm not much a meat-eater…so I only get meat occasionally. And when I do, I just try to make it a good meat.
That said, I do like processed meat, too. And I've been eating them my whole life, and I'm not dead, or diseased, or mutated yet. I think I can stomach that, despite the "horrible truth" about meat. Frankly, I think most people like it too.
But what I really want? I want my own chicken coop. And I wish every town and city had their own local farm like the old times, where you know exactly how your meat is raised and treated.
I have never been vegan, but I've been a vegetarian and I currently don't eat dairy or eggs (never at the same time). I appreciate whole, unprocessed foods. As Michael Pollan would say, can you image in growing? No, definitely not. I mean I guess it had a lot of whole ingredients, but that meatless chicken breast did not grow on a chicken or from the ground. I am also careful about processed soy unless it's tofu, since that's been pretty tested and approved for what, thousands of years?
I haven't tried Gardein, but for the most part, fake meats do not taste good. I think that there are contradictions in eating meatless meats in almost every case unless you are not specifically vegan/vegetarian and just like the taste and/or health benefits as an alternative to meat. If something tastes good and is healthy, by all means, eat it!
But if you are against animal cruelty, its a little strange to eat something pretending to be meat, especially when the whole food alternatives are much more tasty.
I've always been a little confused about fake meat products myself, but now it makes more sense to me after reading this post. I suppose I was being ignorant.
This was a great read 🙂
Shoot! I'm going to have to try that Gardein stuff. I've seen it in Whole Foods.
My husband and I eat mostly Morning Star Farms.
I agree. I do feel funny and saying chick'n. I always put the emphasis on the 'n' so you know i'm not talking about the animal.
Why am I saying that meat word when it's not meat? And sometimes I think why am I eating this vegan sausage patti when I could just have the real thing. Uhm… 'cause it taste good and is better for you!
I'm not tempted by meat 'cause I never really liked it either. I've been a vegetarian for 5 years now and my husband has been for 11 years. He's 6'2 and 270+ pounds. And people ask "what do you eat?" Well it doesn't look like we're starving does it?!?
And the price does suck. But I'd rather eat well with my veggies and fake meat and spend a couple of extra dollars. Spending $0.99 a pound on some hamburger to make 3 ways to last for a week isn't my thing anymore.
I'm sure you can find fecal matter on a lot of things, and it's most likely even on your toothbrush. There's a lot of disgusting things you can find on any food, meat or otherwise. I guess I missed it somewhere where this blog is only intended for vegetarians and vegans.
unless something is being tortured, enslaved and murdered to make gardein then i really can't imagine what argument anyone has for saying vegans shouldn't eat fake meats. however, i rarely eat them because most don't taste very good at all. i do like fieldroasts though and the occasional boca chick'n nugget.
I've never tried the fake meat products; only tempeh and tofu. I'm vegetarian; I have never really liked meat that much, just a few preparations of chicken and deli turkey. But now that I know the horrible truth about the meat industry and icky animal meat, I couldn't bring myself to eat meat.
I am on the other side of the arguement. I grew up near a farm, I help slaughter it all as a young girl, and knowing that it will be my dinner isn't what caused me to become a vegetarian. I don't care for the taste of most meat. Occassionally I want a good steak (and it has to be properly cooked) or a nice peice of fish, but for the most part I don't miss or care for meat.
When I was a vegetarian (sorry I like my real cheeses way to much) I tried various meat substitutes (and yes this was 10+ years ago) and I just didn't care for them. I still don't get it.
I also worry about the conflicting information about Soy out there right now and as a result of that I am avoiding most soy products. I however love lentils, beans, quinoa, and all things vegetables (except brussel sprouts and cabbage).
I couldn't see serving DH the fake meat instead of good pasture raised organic meats.
I bought the "chicken strips" once, and used them in enchiladas. The taste was good, but I prefer eating whole foods. I think products such as Gardein are good for those, rare, lazy days when you don't feel like being creative or spending a lot of time cooking. And another thing, I think it is so creepy that the products look so real, sometimes it makes me wonder, "what if this is real! ahh!"
Wow..I think along the same lines every time I bring my "fake" chicken out for a dinner party.
I brought some soy chocolate into a work meeting once..It brought up lots of questions along the lines of "if you like chocolate why don't you just eat it?" But at least that gets the conversation going. Great article. Don't know the right answer!
Hey,
blog topic.
Meateaters always ask me "isn't it paradox to have vegan beef/duck/etc." or "Why fake meat if you want to be vegetarian?"
I always reply that it's
a) about proving that it's possible to replace meet
b) it's about extra variety – even though vegan food is already quite varied
c) it's about conveniance
d)it doesn't mean you miss or need meat. you don't crave dead animals. but a certain umami taste/ way of preparing food/a meal
The main reason I have for supporting fake-meat is because there will always be SOME vegetarians / conscious meat eaters who will eat less meat or even go vegan.
Unfortunately it is harder to promote Vegetarianism or Veganism. than promoting a healthy or concsious lifetyle by choosing the "meatless" steak.
In the long term it will help promote a cruelty free lifestyle, since there are less excuses. It will also become more cost-efficient, as the market share grows.
I guess I'm the only one that doesn't like it. I tried the wings and chicken breast. I cut out the veggie meat and I feel so much better. I was always buying morningstar.