If you want to get an immediate conversation going on your Facebook page, post a picture of bacon made from tofu or seitan (wheat meat). About this topic, it seems almost everyone has an opinion.
“If you really want to eat bacon, then eat the real thing.”
“That’s so unnatural!”
“Vegan meat is an oxymoron.”
Whether it’s a company posting their new chicken-style cutlets made of wheat or restaurants showing off their acclaimed vegan reubens, you can practically count down in the comments section to the people whose ire is raised by the mere mention of plant based meats, milk, and cheeses. 3, 2, 1…
“Why not just eat fruits and vegetables?”
For my next few posts in this ongoing series on vegan misconceptions, I’m going to clarify my own thoughts on vegan meat, cheese, and milk. The obvious place to start is here:
Why do vegans eat things that taste like meat?
While there are some people who stop eating animals and their secretions because they don’t like the flavor, taste, or texture, that wasn’t my reason. In fact, most of the vegans and vegetarians I know grew up eating animal products.
I stopped eating animals, because I didn’t want to take part in the suffering of others when I had the choice to do otherwise.
I’d always considered myself an animal lover. But I realized that I was stopping that compassion for animals when it came to those animals who I ate instead of cuddled.
Why not eat “humane meat” instead?
For a period before I went vegetarian, I ate what is dubbed “humane meat.”
Then I realized three things. Humane meat is a marketing term that is unregulated. There is no such thing as pain-free slaughter. And the common link in all animals is that we want to live and care for our off-spring.
So I had to say goodbye to animal-based meat, cheese, milk, and eggs.
Regarding “humane meat,” even if such a thing were possible, I also had to get honest with myself that it wasn’t something I was consistent about all of the time.
That’s what I was buying for my refrigerator at home. But when I ate out multiple times a week, that wasn’t what was served at most of the restaurants I was visiting.
If it mattered, then it needed to matter everywhere, not just where it was convenient.
So when I transitioned to a plant-based diet, I did it because I didn’t want to pay someone to kill animals on my behalf. And that’s what I was doing when I was going to the grocery store and buying slabs of meat wrapped in plastic.
But why buy vegan meat? Why not just eat fruits and vegetables?
When I first went vegetarian, I was used to and familiar with animal-based foods. That’s what I’d grown up eating. And like many people, those are the foods to which I had attachments.
Going vegan meant that I learned about a lot of new foods I’d never tried before and meant that I was eating more produce than I ever had.
However, there were still times that I wanted to have some old favorites, or that I had specific desires for something salty, smoky, or chewy.
Having a breaded and fried piece of seitan or a smoky tempeh BLT was a way to satisfy the desire for those flavors without compromising on my values of compassion.
While I do have an ethical issue with meat, dairy, and eggs, I don’t have an ethical issue with grilled flavors, smoky flavors, chewy textures, or creamy textures.
I also discovered that a lot of what I was craving had to do with the delivery system more than the meat itself.
I liked the breading, horseradish, mustard, or pickles on my sandwiches. I liked the ketchup, barbecue sauce, or cocktail sauce.
Many times the part of the experience I enjoyed the most was plant based. So it was easy to just swap out the animal-portion of the meal for something else.
Also interesting, when I went vegetarian it was the first time that I really started cooking in earnest.
I was thirty by that point. So of course, I had technically cooked plenty of things. But up until then taco seasoning came from packets and curry sauce came from jars.
Going vegan meant that I started really learning about spices and cooking methods. And I made some interesting discoveries.
First, the real flavor in tacos is cumin, chili powder, and paprika. When it comes down to it, while the meat gave a particular texture, the dominant flavors were of the plant-based spices.
And the first time I made breakfast sausages with tempeh, I realized that sausage flavor was fennel seed more than anything else.
And it makes sense. Look at pork chops, bacon, and ham. They all come off the same animal, but they taste different based on the ways they’ve been flavored and cured.
Let’s take the ubiquitous bacon. It doesn’t come off of a pig’s belly tasting the same as it does on the Tremendous Twelve at Perkins.
After the flesh is removed from the animal, it’s cured with brown sugar and salt. It’s left uncovered until it forms a pellicle, which according to a bacon-making website is “a tacky, gooey layer that forms on the outside of the meat after curing.” Finally, it’s smoked with applewood, hickory, or mesquite.
People act like the meat version is natural and untouched while the plant-based version is fake, but both involve a process of seasoning. Personally, I’d rather have mine without the layer of pellicle.
If I want to add sugar, salt, and smoke to something like tempeh, mushrooms, or coconut flakes, I don’t feel like the animal industry owns that concept.
(The seitan bacon pictured above was made by Herbivorous Butcher, a vegan meat maker in Minnesota. At the top of this post, the seitan bacon was made by Upton’s Naturals in Chicago.)
Additionally, vegan meat has the added benefit in terms of what it’s missing – saturated fat and cholesterol, of course, but also gristle in burgers, blood pooling at the bottom of the plate, and tendons in chickens’ legs.
I used to get grossed out when blood would come out of a chicken’s thigh as I fried it. There’s none of that in a vegan fried chicken drumstick.
I would wager that most people outside of internet trolls and contrarians would feel more comfortable with lunch afterwards if their trip to the sausage factory involved watching fields of wheat getting processed into flour and then made into dough by my own two hands.
As opposed to riding away from a farm in a metal truck with a group of pigs, seeing them stunned and slit, cut into parts, put through a grinder, spices added, and then tossed into a frying pan.
Like most vegans that I know, I didn’t go vegan because I didn’t like the texture or taste of animal-based meat.
I went vegan because I didn’t want to contribute to violence and suffering. I went vegan because I think there’s a higher ethic than, “It tastes good.”
To continue with this series, in the next post I address this complaint regarding plant-based meat and non-dairy milk: “Vegans should come up with their own names for things. Their plant-based versions are not real.”
Allison
Thank you for articulating this thought with less rage than I ever could! Haha
Cadry
Ha, ha! My pleasure! Thanks for stopping by, Allison. 🙂
Sarah | Well and Full
This is such an amazing article!! I think you answered such a ubiquitous question in a way that was succinct and tactful, but still getting the point across. What you said about flavorings was on point- once I went vegan, I really thought about what I actually liked in a certain food, and almost always found that it was the seasoning or sauce. Which, ironically, is almost always plant based! Meat usually acts as a vehicle but there are so many better options out there!! 🙂
Therese
This is absolutely first-class reasoning. I’m going to make sure that I study the text so that I am properly armed for the next time I get this stupid question thrust at me. Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to your next entry
Louise
Brilliant post.
Whilst I actually don’t really like meat (I think I’m one of the very few veggies who doesn’t actually like bacon, or the texture of any meat whatsoever actually) there was always one flavour that I couldn’t pass up.. and that was chorizo.
It was such a revelation when I discovered that actually what I really loved was smoked paprika. So now my achilles heel can be sated with a spicy chickpea & sweet potato bake with loads of that smokey paprika flavour. x
Alina
That’s a great perspective, Cadry! When I first went vegan 2 years ago, I quickly realized that oftentimes what I missed wasn’t the animal-derived food itself but a certain situation in which I used to eat it. For example, I used to have a little ritual of going to a local bookstore that had a coffee/dessert corner. I ordered a slice of cheesecake, a cup of coffee, and read through random books and magazines for an hour of ‘me time’. Honestly, the cheesecake gave me stomach issues afterwards, but I kept ordering it because that was a part of my routine. Once I switched to being vegan, I found that skipping cheesecake felt kind of odd, especially at first, but at least my stomach didn’t hurt after my bookstore visits 🙂
This all being said, I think it’s totally ok to eat vegan versions of animal-derived foods, especially at first. Of course, it would have been great if that bookstore in Southern Alabama carried vegan cheesecake, but even without it, I made it through my transition period just fine. For those who miss animal foods – and who’s able to find vegan substitutes in their local stores and restaurants – that’s a great way to stick to their new compassionate eating routine.
Adam
Bravo! This has been the most eloquent and well thought out piece I’ve ever seen on this topic. Thank you for adding an arrow to my quiver when I am asked this foolish question by the animal eating set.
mandi
On this I have been asked as I sit eating an apple sage vegan sausage or a quinoa garlic burger if it tastes like meat…..after 14 years meat free I don’t honestly remember what meat tastes like, but for thr most part I tell people “no it tastes like (insert name of food I am eating), but it is good” so I don’t personally get why things have to “taste like meat” if it Is yummy and filling I am happy. I mean I eat spaghetti squash and it does NOT taste like pasta….but it is better for me and still quite yummy. Maybe I am an exception but I am ok with my veggie meats tasting well…like veggies.
4foodgroups & EatPlantsDaily
You nailed it! Perfect! I agree with everything you said. 🙂
Jemssix Ayala
I just got wrapped up in reading a few of your articles. While they do represent vegan and vegetarian life in a positive light, I feel like you missed an angle. If you are vegan because you do not believe in the mistreatment of animals ( a noble cause) and you would rather buy a pound of quinoa than a pound of beef that’s cool. But they are just two aisles down. So if you were to boycott meat why shop where it is sold. And be honest If you have ever shopped in a gourmet grocery store because it’s the only place where they have your favorite brand of veggie dogs, I’m talking to you. So in order to make a difference in the way animals are produced in this country you would have to shop at vegan only stores, farmers markets,or grow your own food. All delicious options. Having the means to do so everyday for the rest of your life however, does kinda sorta put you in the category of being “privileged”. Not trying to be a hater just calling it like i see it.
Cadry
Thanks for chiming in! I don’t know if you’ve read it, but I covered that issue in a post I wrote called, “Should Vegans Eat at Non-Vegan Restaurants?” It might be a post you’d enjoy checking out.
Robert Stanton
Great post – thanks Cadry! A friend put this up on my girlfriend’s Facebook wall after she posted something about some yummy vegan chicken and a trollish friend went on a rant about vegans eating “fake animals. This is very succinctly put and I’m going to repost it a LOT.
I’d also like to point out that the earliest definition of “meat” was “food, sustenance,” and that dates from the 9th century. The first time it meant specifically “animal flesh” was in the 14th century, about 500 years later, although admittedly it pretty much took over after that. “Milk” is slightly different, in that the animal mammary secretion has always been the primary meaning, but the meaning of a liquid from plants also goes back to the Old English period. Just a little historical footnote!
Dawn Raper
I never cared for balogna or hotdogs. I wouldn’t eat it unless it was totally charred & then I covered that with mustard! Now, after being vegan a little over 2 yrs, I LOVE♥ vegan hotdogs! I just thought you might be amused to hear that… 😉
LittleMy17
What an absolutely spectacular post! “I don’t have an ethical issue with grilled flavors, smoky flavors, chewy textures, or creamy textures.” YES!!!! Your most intelligently articulated, factually-worded post beautifully differentiates the subject of consumption of animal flesh vs. the concept of flavors and textures, and mirrors how so many of us feel. I wish that I could copy and paste it to all of the argumentative, defensive, contrarian postings out there that seem to feel that specific textures and flavors are to be reserved exclusively for the consumers of animal flesh and products, when in fact they are merely a part of a recipe. Bravo!
Christina
To have someone so eloquently express “why” feels like relief! I sway between vegetarian and vegan, with occasional boughts of omnivourism, but the tide is trending each year closer and closer toward the veggie side. My reason, compassion for animals, for Mama Gaia, and, although I am not a militant Veg when I am on the wagon, this is a frequent question which has always caused a bit of consternation when asked. This answer fits me! Thank You! :0)
~Christina
Really?
Normally, I think that a person’s food preference is one of those things that is personal because it is usually influenced by culture, comfort, and economics: things that no one should ever have to explain or defend to anyone else. But I think many of the replies to this article are coming from people who NEED to sensationalize what they eat. It’s not enough that you stop eating a certain way for your personal reasons; you have to have a platform; you need to be part of a movement; you need others to support your food philosophies. That’s when it becomes something disingenuous.
The idea that texture (something chewy with bite) can’t be found in vegetables and grains is absurd. It certainly can; it just will NOT be identical to the texture of mammalian flesh. And the justification for eating fake meat because what you “really” miss are the condiments is … laughable AND side-eye worthy. I’d have more respect for you if you called yourselves what you really are: nonmeat eaters. And there is a great difference between a vegan/vegetarian and a nonmeat eater. A vegan and vegetarian consume a diet largely of WHOLE vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes (you know, the stuff on their plates that you can look at and easily identify). A nonmeat eater doesn’t eat meat … NOR does he eat a lot of real plant food either. He eats a lot of plant-BASED, processed food that at the end of the day amounts to a lot of high salt, high carb, high chemical-laden junk food.
If you don’t know where I’m coming from, then consider this. If a typical day of eating for YOU looks like this, YOU ARE MERELY A NONMEAT EATER, rest assure: pancakes/waffles (whether toaster or from scratch), fake bacon, fake egg scramblers, veggie pizza (with scant vegetable toppings that wouldn’t even equal one FULL serving), nondairy frozen dessert, a plate of pasta with commercial spaghetti sauce and fake parmesan on top, garlic bread, a side garden salad, snacks of veggie puffs, crackers, and sweet treats between meals, and must-have coffee(s), soda, and smoothies. And I won’t even get into the hassle-free, nonmeat fake foods that you feed your small children (fake nuggets with dipping sauces, gold fish, cheerios, tater tots, nutella sandwiches … as long as it’s not meat, right? Wait, nutella contains hazel nuts, so it’s really healthy…). I see you guys everyday at work, in public, at my children’s schools. They tout the same things you guys are saying here and feel very pleased with themselves that they are convicted to not eating meat. Take an honest look at what you really eat everyday. I imagine that most of you aren’t as vegan as you wish you were.
Cadry
Hi,
For someone who claims that you’re usually pretty live and let live about the way that other people eat, your comment comes off as having a lot of hostility towards me, towards the commenters on this page, along with hostility towards random people at your work, in public, and at your children’s schools. It seems like you already have your mind made up about where you stand in terms of people who regard themselves as ethical vegans.
I don’t know why it would seem so inconceivable that a person might find the best part of eating a hot dog, for example, the sauerkraut and mustard on top. Most meat eaters would be disappointed if they were handed a plain hot dog with no bun and nothing on it. So if that is the case, then it’s not the hot dog alone that they’re craving. Who knows? Maybe it’s not the hot dog at all… Some people might enjoy it for the fluffy wheat-based bun. Some people may be into a crunchy pickle. Personally, I love sauerkraut and mustard. I’ll look for any excuse to eat them. If that’s not your experience of it, maybe you’re not as into sauerkraut as I am.
I don’t see a huge difference between taking whole foods like peanuts and grinding them down to peanut butter in my Vitamix versus taking whole grains, grinding it down to flour in my Vitamix, and then making crackers with it. Or I could use that flour and make seitan, and turn it into a veggie dog. Once we get to that point, why shouldn’t I also be able to just go to the store and buy a package of crackers or seitan made the same way that I make it at home with the same ingredients that I would use to make it at home?
I am not a parent, and so obviously I’m not feeding my own children. If I did, I imagine I’d make most things from scratch since that’s my current habit, and if I occasionally included convenience products in their diets, I wouldn’t feel bad about it. Most parents that I know – vegan or non-vegan – are busy people with busy lives. I certainly don’t hold it against them for not making everything from scratch. (I do know I wouldn’t be feeding them Nutella, however. It’s not vegan.)
Donald Watson, the person who coined the word “vegan” in 1944, defined it this way:
“Veganism is a way of living which excludes all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom, and includes a reverence for life.”
It didn’t have anything to do with whether or not I eat crackers. I didn’t go vegan because I never wanted to eat crackers. I went vegan because I didn’t want to cause suffering when I had the choice to do otherwise.
By the definition of the word by the person who created it, I am vegan. If you want to call me a “non meat eater” that’s certainly your prerogative.