Fake meat products

Serious question here, please don't attack me! :P

I have an almost vegetarian diet for various reasons but I am still eating some meat at the moment. Trying to cut it down, so today I bought Quorn mince for my spaghetti bolognese, but it got me thinking, most of my veggie friends claim to despite the taste/texture/look of meat, so why do they eat these fake meat products? Surely if the thought of eating cow or chicken disgusted you, you wouldn't want to eat something that looked exactly like it. Those vegan fake turkeys you can get come to mind as well. Why? Is it just to make it easier to eat with the family, cos you can have the spuds, carrots, etc and just replace the meat, or??

henryporter

Personally I tend to avoid any ready made foods where possible, particularly the ones geared towards meat replacement therapy. Those veggie rashers you see sometimes are downright perverse and scary looking.

Absurdum

I hate those fake meat things.

sweet-rasmus

everyone has different taste. some people really love the taste of meat but would rather an animal were not reared for their death, so it's ideal to have the fake meat available. for others it helps with the transition from omni to veggie, cause you can easily replace the meat, and others, find it can be a convenience food (especially is the imitation of meat does not disgust them too much). also, i know that some omnivores choose fake meat due to its low fat content (as Quorn has been advertised on tv). i'm sure there are plenty more reasons.

Not all veggies hate the taste of meat. They are a world of different reasons to not eat meat.
Personally, I hate the texture of meat, and the fat.
If a "fake meat" doesn't have these quality's, Is essentially flavored soy. Then I might like it.
If something is like Quorn, and is actually reminiscent of meat. It makes me gag.

Tar.Aldarion

[quote=[Deleted User];63155791]Serious question here, please don't attack me! :P

I have an almost vegetarian diet for various reasons but I am still eating some meat at the moment. Trying to cut it down, so today I bought Quorn mince for my spaghetti bolognese, but it got me thinking, most of my veggie friends claim to despite the taste/texture/look of meat, so why do they eat these fake meat products? Surely if the thought of eating cow or chicken disgusted you, you wouldn't want to eat something that looked exactly like it. Those vegan fake turkeys you can get come to mind as well. Why? Is it just to make it easier to eat with the family, cos you can have the spuds, carrots, etc and just replace the meat, or?? [/QUOTE]

Nothing disgusts me, I love the taste of meat. As said people have different reasons for being veggie, it being my favourite food doesn't mean I eat it. Just means I have to slowly get used to icky vegetables!

ztoical

As already stated people eat different things for different reasons. I don't eat alot of the so-called fake meats but do use them for somethings not cus I think they taste like meat cus frankly I really don't think they do but more for the texture. Most dishes I make I can just replace any meat with veg but for lasagna I use the fake mince for texture. The sauce covers any taste the mince might have anyway. I've made loads of different veggie lasagnas using different veggies and I've found I like a mix of half fake mince half mushrooms for my filling. Not everyones cup of tea but then I don't like veggie lasagna made with eggplant, corn and carrot.

I'm not a big burger eater but when I do I prefer the fake meat burgers over the veggie bread crumb things again for texture. the bread crumb veggie things just feel like mush when you bit into them and not the feeling I'm looking for when eating a burger so I'll either go for a portobello mushroom or if that's not an option then a fake meat burger.

i-digress

I get your point about the whole fake meat thing, but it also comes in really handy if you're the only vegetarian in the house. If everyone else is having burger and chips, you can have a veggie burger. If you make one batch of meat chilli and one batch of veg chilli in advance, you can reheat both and eat with other omni's without being too different. Eating is a social activity.

I'm not a huge fan of them, I prefer to substitute other things, but occasionally they're convenient.

fillefatale

Its easier for me to adapt recipes from cookbooks, also its not really all that comparable, meat has a distinct smell and texture that I really don't associate with quorn. Its like trying to compare a copy of a Great Master painting to the original, aesthetically they look similar, but not completely the same.

lee_

I dont ever get a craving for meat the smell of it cooking puts me off, but the look of it not at all.
I just find the fake meats are just another healthyish option to cook with and spruce up a meal.

Bajingo

Im starting the conversion from omni to veggie and ive basically stopped eating meat altogether but im thinking its going to get harder pretty soon. So is there any good non-meat, meats that I can buy. I heard of some fake-meat pepperoni that looked good..is there any good shops in Dublin to buy these. Ive never tried quorn before i'll give that a go.

taram

I'm not a big fan of tofu, and if I want something like pasta with a chunky sauce, I'll need to add something to give myself protein, and quorn mince is easy and tasty to add.

TBH I only eat fake meat in sauces or in something, it's more for the texture and ease of getting some protein into myself rather than the flavour alone.

phic

I never eat fake meats, I really don't like the idea of it at all! It's not even because I don't like the taste of meat, I do, I just find imitation meats kinda disgusting!
Only time I eat them is if i'm eating at someone elses house and they've made me a meal using fake meat! Then obviously i eat it and tell them it's lovely because they've gone to the effort and I'd feel awful if I refused it!

Bajingo

Bajingo wrote: »

Im starting the conversion from omni to veggie and ive basically stopped eating meat altogether but im thinking its going to get harder pretty soon. So is there any good non-meat, meats that I can buy. I heard of some fake-meat pepperoni that looked good..is there any good shops in Dublin to buy these. Ive never tried quorn before i'll give that a go.

Tesco has a really good range of Quorn products at the moment.
I've never tried them though.

Healthfood shops carry the vegideli range by redwood.
Their Sage and marjoram sausages, are savage especially in pasta.

-lala-

I don't find the thought of fake meat particularly appealing, but as others have said, a lot of people don't give up meat because of the taste and texture, but for other reasons. Fake meat is like any food - some people like it and some people don't.

Bajingo

Moonbaby wrote: »

Tesco has a really good range of Quorn products at the moment.
I've never tried them though.

Healthfood shops carry the vegideli range by redwood.
Their Sage and marjoram sausages, are savage especially in pasta.

Where could I find one of these health shops? I think I heard about one in Blackrock..but that is miles from my house and probably wopper expensive!

Bajingo

Bajingo wrote: »

Where could I find one of these health shops? I think I heard about one in Blackrock..but that is miles from my house and probably wopper expensive!

Where abouts are you...There are plenty in the city centre.
I imagine Nourish on Wicklow St, and in the GPO arcade stock them.
There is also a good health food store, on Georges st.

If a particular healthfood store doesnt stock something you want in stock. You can ask for them to order it in for you.
My awesome local, has let me flick through their stock availability book.

http://www.redwoodfoods.es/products.php

Bajingo

Moonbaby wrote: »

Where abouts are you...There are plenty in the city centre.
I imagine Nourish on Wicklow St, and in the GPO arcade stock them.
There is also a good health food store, on Georges st.

If a particular healthfood store doesnt something you want in stock. You can ask for them to order it in for you.

http://www.redwoodfoods.es/products.php

Im close to town so ill check them out. Didnt know there was a place in the arcade. Cheers for the help.

Thoushaltnot

Bajingo wrote: »

Where could I find one of these health shops? I think I heard about one in Blackrock..but that is miles from my house and probably wopper expensive!

Master List of Health Food Stores;
http://www.irishhealthstores.com/member_list.php

The Hopsack in Rathmines and the Dublin Food Co-Op ('specially on Saturdays or their Sunday markets but it's a tad tricky to find) - I can recommend both heartily.