You have to consider the set of alternative available to the person.
If you're considering people who do eat meat, and want something that is close-enough to meat as a substitute, then yes, I am not a good judge of that. But if you're considering people who do not eat meat, and want something that's as close as they can get of things that are not meat, then I think I am an expert since over the past 18 years I have had many different varieties of that thing.
Agree with you. Luckily, the similar look/feel/taste of meat substitutes isn't much geared to vegetarians, but to those stuck on meat who aren't willing to give up what they've been accustomed to.
So someone whose subsistence depends on plant-based meat substitutes says their competitor are not good enough? Not much to see here.
I'm not necessarily saying they're wrong, only that they're not a reliable source for that information.
> I'm pretty most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference to animal meat in a blind test.
Perhaps not burger and nuggets, since those are heavily processed and seasoned anyway, but try to give them a plant based steak or ribs and I doubt anyone would fail to tell the difference.
What I meant by "people who previously hadn't eaten plant substitutes" was people who just haven't decided to try it because they just preferred to stick to meat, I should have phrased that better.
"I cannot go more than a few days tops without animal protein, or I start to get weird cravings"
Have you tried many vegetarian meat substitutes?
When I talk to meat eaters about this, many of them haven't tried many at all, and if they had tried anything it's maybe one product ten years ago.
The world of vegetarian meat substitutes has exploded in recent years, and there is just so much variety these days, many of them are really incredibly delicious and I'd stack them up against most meat any day.
Ok, they might not be 100% accurate, and tend to lack the blood, veins, gristle, skin, fat and bones of authentic meat products, but I think most people can live without those, if not even actively want to avoid some of that.
Yes, but those people are usually already vegetarians. ”Fake meat” is meant for people who still do it meat, not for someone who has completely banished it from their lives.
During my life as a vegetarian/vegan I regularly consume “fake meat” products because they are simple to prepare and allow me to use recipes that are not vegetarian. For example, it’s extremely hard to find a good vegetarian burger — the beyond burger was a revelation the first time I tried it. I still like burgers, even though there are many wonderful vegetarian dishes. I didn’t stop eating meat because I don’t like the taste of meat.
Imagine that many of your favourite dishes, those you grew up with, were suddenly unavailable to you because some ingredient no longer existed. If a new ingredient hit the market that was not quite the same but was a convincing substitute in taste and texture, would you consider it silly and avoid it?
I don't understand the focus on "meat". Most people looking for meat substitutes will get disappointed because the substitutes can't help but taste differently. Which is fine for me as long as the taste is still good.
There are some people who like the taste and texture of meat, but dislike the impacts of the commercial meat industry.
Those people might choose to use a meat-substitute, if it was reasonably similar in taste/texture/resulting product, and had less harmful impacts on the world.
However, I do see a place for meat substitutes as an option for "veggie curious" consumers who want to move away from meat consumption. If you're used to grilling hamburgers with the family every Saturday afternoon, meat substitutes provide a 1-for-1 option that requires no more thought that grabbing a different package at the grocer.
The switch to actual vegetables (or even tofu) takes a bit more thought. Tofu isn't usually tasty on it's own (but is fantastic when cooked with other flavors). And for somebody reared on beef and pork, learning to cook vegetables as the main ingredient takes time and new recipes.
There are plenty of vegans who don't regularly use meat substitutes. Imo, it seems like most of them are more directed to curious meat-eaters rather than vegans.
I like the taste of meat but I don't like how is it made. So if I can get a sensible substitute which hasn't been made killing animals, I'll eat it.
I'm not all day eating substitutes, as some of them are extremely processed, and also, I like vegetables and legumes, but I'll eat a Beyond burger or some other fake meat every once in a while.
You can think about it as in "I like my cell phone but I rather find something made with less suffering, so I'll buy a fairphone or something like that"
Much like vegetarian meat alternatives, I find it depends on how critical of a component it is to the meal. Meat substitute burgers are pretty good! But you can’t fake a steak. Similarly, a vegan cheese pizza just isn’t up to scratch.
For people who feel strongly enough about the ethics of animal farming and the environment, meat substitutes can be "good enough." When I gave up meat years ago I just considered it to be the price of doing what was right.
I'm sure you'll appreciate the chance to adjust your own mental heuristics. ;)
I'm just pointing out there are vegetarian dishes I enjoy every bit as much as a fat juicy steak, but not anything created and marketed as a meat substitute. I mention it because reasonable people can come to the conclusion that products created as animal food product substitutes are the best way to ease into eating a more vegetarian diet. But as far as I can tell that's not true.
I don’t have a strong opinion either way, I don’t eat plant based “meat” mainly because it’s over processed and tends to be higher in carbs than I prefer in my diet.
But your comment reminds me of philosophical question. If a company created a plant based meat analog that cooked, looked, and tasted just like human meat…should someone eat it? I don’t pose this to make fun of vegans or the plant based meat industry. I am actually curious to the mindset behind these meat analogs.
My own answer to that question is I wonder why a vegan would opt for any plant based meat analog. It just seems that the mindset should be as strange as this fictional plant based human meat.
If you're considering people who do eat meat, and want something that is close-enough to meat as a substitute, then yes, I am not a good judge of that. But if you're considering people who do not eat meat, and want something that's as close as they can get of things that are not meat, then I think I am an expert since over the past 18 years I have had many different varieties of that thing.
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