Why do vegans eat food products that represent animals?

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  • Gyllain
    Gyllain Posts: 39 Member
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    As a vegetarian, I sometimes like to have something that resembles the traditional diet I was brought up on, without the bits of dead animal in it.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    why do carnivores eat cabbage?

    I have yet to meet a carnivore human ... so I would not know....

    This ^^^

    How about omnivores people? Science much? :laugh:
  • TheFunBun
    TheFunBun Posts: 793 Member
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    Why is it that as a pescetarian, whenever I roast a whole fish, all the hardened meat eaters are like, "Eww, look at the head"

    If I'm going to eat a life, I'm not going to divorce myself from the process by having it in "meat shape". It's gonna be in animal form.

    Vegetable protein in discs, tubes, etc does not sound like it represents animals to me. And if you can make so called "meat flavor" with a few herbs, it frankly doesn't sound very meaty tasting to me.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    It's probably best to ignore this question because questions like this are typically asked by those who don't really care about why veg*ns choose to eat the way they do and just ask the most absurd questions they can possibly think of. But I'm going to anyway.

    This may come as a shock to some people, but an awful lot of people (in fact, probably most) do not become veg*ns because they didn't like the *taste* of animals. They do it for ethical reasons (due to exploitation of animals and/or degradation of the planet) or perhaps health reasons (following a plant-based diet). If they can follow their moral compass and lead a compassionate life while still enjoying foods that have a similar flavor to the foods they actually enjoyed the taste of, and still have some positive associations with (like memories of barbeques, family dinners, etc), then***why wouldn't they***? It's like saying, well, I can't end [world hunger, domestic abuse, insert horrible things happening all over the world here] so why should I bother doing anything at all about it within my own sphere of control?
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Why is it that as a pescetarian, whenever I roast a whole fish, all the hardened meat eaters are like, "Eww, look at the head"

    Really?? I've never known anyone to be grossed out by the fact that fish has a head.

    This thread is making me hungry for dinosaur shaped nuggets
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    Why is it that as a pescetarian, whenever I roast a whole fish, all the hardened meat eaters are like, "Eww, look at the head"

    Really?? I've never known anyone to be grossed out by the fact that fish has a head.

    This thread is making me hungry for dinosaur shaped nuggets
    Yes. All of this!

    Or the dolphin and whale shaped nuggets. Those are awesome.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    I know that when vegetarians use terms like "bits of dead animal" and "dead animal flesh" it's done in a judgmental way but all it does is make me hungry for hunks of dead animal.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    In...just to remind me to read through the inevitable carnage this topic will create.


    (Oh, and as a reminder to me for a post I may want to make later (depending on how this thread goes): enormous animal death toll from all of those acres of grain vs. one dead (family-raised, grassfed) cow to feed my family for a year.)
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    As a vege (not a vegan) I don't eat 'fake meat'. I eat quorn sausages. Soya sausages. vege burgers.

    I don't think to myself 'whoah, this is just like the *kitten* of a cow'... I think 'mmm,yummy vege product'...

    The OP is working from a false premise.
  • TheFunBun
    TheFunBun Posts: 793 Member
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    Why is it that as a pescetarian, whenever I roast a whole fish, all the hardened meat eaters are like, "Eww, look at the head"

    Really?? I've never known anyone to be grossed out by the fact that fish has a head.

    This thread is making me hungry for dinosaur shaped nuggets

    Yeah. My favorite quote is "It's looking at me while I'm eating it".

    Maybe my completely omnivorous friends and family just suck? It's possible. They don't hunt either, but this particular Mama has to feed her pets somehow.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    I know that when vegetarians use terms like "bits of dead animal" and "dead animal flesh" it's done in a judgmental way but all it does is make me hungry for hunks of dead animal.

    No, it's done in a descriptive way.

    I buy and cook meat for my partner, my family... I don't really *care* what other people eat, and have never felt judgemental about it. But call a spade a spade mate. It's a hunk of dead stuff. It's a description anyone preparing to eat it should really be comfortable with. (As you clearly are.)

    I have an issue with people who only want sanitised products, where the animal they're eating is not really evident in the 'product'. If you're prepared to kill it, skin it, bone and gut it, I reckon you have the right to eat it. Myself, I could never do all those things, and I'd feel a hypocrite picking up something in the supermarket someone else killed for me, conveniently forgetting it was once a living thing.
  • AtticusFinch
    AtticusFinch Posts: 1,263 Member
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    Like these you mean?
    210003.jpg
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
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    Vege burgers don't look like animals

    But I can't stand fake shrimp that's made from fish and shaped into giant shrimps
  • cjstrong
    cjstrong Posts: 54
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    The same reason lesbians like...um......male-parts shaped things?


    lolllllllllllllllllll
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    My reasoning for not eating most meat (pescetarian) is not because I object to how meat looks. Seems like a ridiculous question.

    It's like asking why people who don't eat worms will eat gummy worms because they look like worms. Don't eat teddy bears? Then why would you eat gummy bears?

    Really it's not a ridiculous question. If you have an aversion to eating chicken, why eat something called vegan chicken nuggets? Why not just eat vegan nuggets?
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    I know that when vegetarians use terms like "bits of dead animal" and "dead animal flesh" it's done in a judgmental way but all it does is make me hungry for hunks of dead animal.

    No, it's done in a descriptive way.

    I buy and cook meat for my partner, my family... I don't really *care* what other people eat, and have never felt judgemental about it. But call a spade a spade mate. It's a hunk of dead stuff. It's a description anyone preparing to eat it should really be comfortable with. (As you clearly are.)

    I have an issue with people who only want sanitised products, where the animal they're eating is not really evident in the 'product'. If you're prepared to kill it, skin it, bone and gut it, I reckon you have the right to eat it. Myself, I could never do all those things, and I'd feel a hypocrite picking up something in the supermarket someone else killed for me, conveniently forgetting it was once a living thing.

    Of course, the carrots, tofu, etc. are also a hunk of dead stuff. Correct?
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    They don't represent animals, they represent forms of food that most people grow up eating and are used to.

    This is what I think too. The easiest way to have non-meat alternatives to food is created them based on popular foods so it is familiar. I was vegetarian for quite a while and while I do eat meat now, I still consume a lot of vegetarian foods. I don't really think a veggie burger represents a cow -- it just fits on a bun. I don't think faux chicken nuggets represents a chicken, it's just easy finger food. I mean, if vegetarians and vegans were eating veggie products that were shaped like animals, you might have more of a point.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    I know that when vegetarians use terms like "bits of dead animal" and "dead animal flesh" it's done in a judgmental way but all it does is make me hungry for hunks of dead animal.

    No, it's done in a descriptive way.

    I buy and cook meat for my partner, my family... I don't really *care* what other people eat, and have never felt judgemental about it. But call a spade a spade mate. It's a hunk of dead stuff. It's a description anyone preparing to eat it should really be comfortable with. (As you clearly are.)

    I have an issue with people who only want sanitised products, where the animal they're eating is not really evident in the 'product'. If you're prepared to kill it, skin it, bone and gut it, I reckon you have the right to eat it. Myself, I could never do all those things, and I'd feel a hypocrite picking up something in the supermarket someone else killed for me, conveniently forgetting it was once a living thing.

    I have no problem killing and processing my own either and actually prefer it to the stuff I get at the store. It definitely tastes better. Unfortunately I don't get the opportunity to get my own as often as I'd like.
  • future_runner
    future_runner Posts: 136 Member
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    I understand it. There's more societal pressure than you think. Plus, cutting into a tofurky on thanksgiving is just more fun than just cutting into a giant block of baked tofu. It's tradition and allows a vegan the pleasure of enjoying a holiday without being too weird about it.

    I'll say it again, societal pressure is more powerful than you think. Plus, what else would a burger look like. Round, triangle, 3 dimensional? How else would you make a burger look?

    I think the people saying "because thats what a burger looks like" are missing the point of the question. Why do you want a food that looks like a burger? I think if you've made a life decision to have a plant based diet, no meat or meat products, I would think you would want just that food. The question is more if you dont eat meat, why is there a need for products that make it look and feel like you're eating meat?
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
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    I've wondered more why vegans eat things that TASTE like meat. I'm a veg, and I like being able to grill out a boca or morningstar farm burger. But any of that fake crap that not only looks, but tastes like meat grosses me out. Fake chicken is nasty as hell! I've always said if I want to eat something that tastes like real meat, I'll just start eating meat again!
    Ding Ding Ding.

    I completely agree with you. Oh, I'll eat the fake stuff if I have to, but 9 times out of 10, I's just go without and eat actual vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, ect

    Again, my experience: it was always disingenuous for people professing to be VEGETArian and then proceed to eat "meat": Make up your dang mind or just eat the real stuff: it tastes better, cheaper, and better for you (sat. fat notwithstanding, and that's easily avoided)

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