meat substitutes: bad?

[Tigerlily]

No, it isn't even considered a meat subsitute. It looks pretty gross...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natto

[thecatspajamas1]

A lot of times the fake meats are high in sodium- like hot dogs, deli meats. I like to buy or make veggie burgers that are mostly vegetables. I don't think that fake meats are totally unhealthy, of course they are so much healthier than real meat, but anything that is processed isn't what you should base your diet off of. I find myself doing that sometimes- buying lots of frozen foods, like frozen soy meat to add to pasta, and veggie chicken patties. I'm trying to eat more whole foods, like regular beans, grains, vegetables. I have to say that veggie meats, especially at vegan Chinese restaurants taste really really good! Like vegan sweet and sour chicken. I think they usually use wheat gluten.

[VeganVeggiePatch]

Maybe I'm crazy or maybe It's because I haven't had meat in over 4 years but I HATE meat substitutes. I hate the way they look...I hate the texture...I hate the way they taste. I know that tofurky isn't meat. But just the fact that it looks like meat completely turns me off! Does anyone else feel this way?

Edited for super bad typos lol.

[Firestorm]

I actually like meat subsittues, O.K some of them taste like crap, some are unhealthy and sometimes its mich nicer just to have houmous or lentils instead.

But I do think that they have there place. I generally try and eat the more healthy ones more often (one of the supermarkets in the UK sells soya chicken chunks that are low fat, quite low in salt and low in calories so I use them alot) and have the unhealthy ones as a treat - and even unheallthy Vegan options are more healthy than real meat versions (you dont tend to find eyes, ears and noses in Vegan hotdogs).

[Back-Space]

I buy a pack or two of tofurky sausages every month. Other than that I continue cutting(bit by bit) the most unhealthy foods out of my diet. Pretty well 90-95% raw now :) I see them fake meats as junk food, myself. The sausages have 25% of your sodium for the day, they're loaded with fat...

[Clueless Git]

'Lo all :)

We have a vegetarian (90% vegan) restuarant and mock-meat resaler near where I live.

Their target market is NOT vegans. They know that full bore vegans will eat little to no mock meats.

Where their target market is is people looking for cruelty free/healthier alternatives to the foods that they are used to eating.

Provides a stepping stone for meat-addicts to cross over to veg*ism. Kind of a 'nicotine gum' for meat eaters who would, if it were made easier for them, move away from meat, in a way.

[leedsveg]

I don't think they're bad, everything in moderation. I think they're good to have on hand for times when you maybe don't have the time or energy to cook. I'm not too fond of them personally because they taste too processed. I get the impression that certain vegans view tham as "unvegan" or second-rate substitutes for "real" vegan foods like legumes and veggies. I don't think that's true, I just think it's healthier to go with natural ingredients wherever possible.

I agree with what fiamma posted over 4 years ago.

lv

[Emma Rose]

You have to make sure it says vegan on the box. Boca and Morningstar use CAGED eggs in their ingredients!! (unless it says vegan). Quorn uses eggs too but I don't know if they are caged or not.
A large percentage of vegetarians (who would eat eggs anyway) are most likely vegetarians because of animal rights. And they are using eggs from chickens that are suffering. A meat substited with caged eggs. It makes no sense. I don't think vegetarians that eat these products realize that caged eggs are being used.
These companies are certainly putting profit over kindness and mercy.

[Clueless Git]

These companies are certainly putting profit over kindness and mercy.
Diametricaly opposed objectives, unfortunately ... :(

Kind of in line with the idea that one reaps what they sow; The human herds suffer much the same fate in as much as that we are only given as much as is needed to stop us from misbehaving (too much) and to optimise our productivity by those above us in the financial food chain.

(I know that to be basicaly true as I was trained how to keep people happy and productive for optimum (i.e. minimum) bucks during the management part of my career. Don't know waht they called it in other parts of the world but it was called the 'Investors In People' programme over here.)

Nice first post Emma and welcome to the forum, btw :)

Sometimes I wonder that our fat-cat contollers encourage the exploitation of animals for the simple reason that if animals were allowed exploitation free lives then their exploitation of us would be far more obvious and we might resent being fleeced and milked to death and kick up more of a fuss.