This is something that’s been on my mind ever since a commenter pointed out that fake meats are also highly processed, but we seem to give those foods a “pass,” because they’re vegan. I think this is an excellent point and something worth exploring a bit more.
Vegan Doesn’t Always Equal Healthy
It’s tough to tackle the fake meat dilemma without taking a look at the whys of veganism in general. Many of us chose veganism because we care about our health and the environment, but there’s more to it. It’s about a cruelty-free diet that’s free from animal products.
I think the reason that we give fake meat a pass sometimes is that from an animal rights perspective, it is the best choice, processed or not. You can argue that there’s humanely raised meat out there, but as a vegan it’s hard to reconcile that. Sure the cow had a good life…until that slaughtering part.
That said, processed fake meat is not health food. In fact, faux meats have a pretty hefty carbon footprint. Richard Sayer, a reader over on Facebook also made an excellent point about fake meat and GMOs:
Watch out for soy-based meat substitutes. Unless they declare that they are not derived from genetically engineered sources, they most certainly are!
If you’re going to eat soy-based faux meats, organic is the way to go, since organic foods are not allowed to be genetically modified.
The Fake Meat Dilemma
When I posed the fake meat question to Facebook, you guys had a lot to say. The omnivores out there were pretty staunchly against faux meat, and I can totally understand where you guys were coming from. You don’t see an ethical dilemma when it comes to meat, as long as it’s not industrial meat.
A few vegan readers chimed in, as well, and they seemed to share my feelings about fake meat: it’s good as a transitional and as a sometimes food.
Giving up meat is hard, especially if you’re used to eating the standard American diet, and I don’t see a problem with occasionally indulging in a Tofurkey sausage if you’re mostly sticking to healthy, whole foods.
Jeannie also brought up an excellent point when she shared her lentil and rice veggie burger recipe: not all meat substitutes are processed. Her recipe is a great example of that. This burger is not trying to taste like a beef burger. Instead, it’s a patty that accentuates the delicious flavors of healthy rice, lentils, and veggies.
Fake meat is definitely a tricky topic, especially for vegans who are also committed to making eco-friendly food choices. I think that as long as you’re balancing the occasional Field Roast with a diet full of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, and whole grains, you’re probably doing just fine.
We had such a good discussion on Facebook, and I’d love to continue the conversation here! How do you guys feel about meat substitutes?
[...] not a huge fan of meat replacements, but after this breakthrough, I may have to [...]
[...] how to cook and to feed yourself. Sure, there are lots of vegan convenience foods out there, but fake meat products aren’t much better for you than the real deal, even if they are [...]
Off-topic, but just curious, hos is it so easy for so many to ignore killing and eating plants, but not animals? A lifeform is a lifeform. Most of the beef-cattle I’ve seen don’t have nearly the worries of a free-range cow: they always have regular meals, dont have to fear natural predators, have medical treatment, and when death comes, it is quick and as painless as it can be made, not at the hands of predators that terrify and eat the animal while it’s alive.
It’s not that far off-topic. For me, I guess, it’s about compassion. Some farm animals may live a decent life while they’re alive, but I feel like the killing them at the end part really negates anything you could do for it while it was alive. Sure, wild animals have predators, but farm animals face the same fate and are often just as afraid at the end of their lives. You also paint a very idyllic picture of farms, but the vast majority of our meat comes from factory farms (CAFOs), where the animals live in cramped, unsanitary conditions until we kill them.
There are also the environmental and social issues with raising animals for food. It’s incredibly inefficient from land- and water-use standpoints, and thanks to our population’s taste for meat, we’re cultivating more and land for animals while some people starve. We could be growing enough food for everyone if we took back that land and grew fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans etc.
I hope this answers your question!
It is all about pain… it is all about a nervous system. Plants as far as we know up to now do not have a brain to process sensations, in particular pain. About the beef-cattle lullaby, it is seems you never watched any documentary about slaugher houses.
@liz: I don’t think so!
[...] VeganEating Vegan: The Fake Meat Dilemma Food [...]
I make seitan myself; We eat it to add variety to our meals. Something I don’t hear mentioned very often is that vegan cooking is developing as a cuisine, and no art thrives in a vacuum. Dishes inspired by meat-based ones seem important to me in incorporating the art into the mainstream. It already draws heavily from Asian cooking, and the inclusion of native dishes may be less alienating to some. Maybe it will develop its own styles in time. I’m impressed by how much recipes have developed since my start in the 80s, and I think that’s one force that’s really helping the vegan cause.
Often, I think that the stringency of some vegans online is pushing ordinary people away from the diet.
That’s a really interesting point, Peter! I agree – many folks are more comfortable easing into things, and the vegan community isn’t always open to that overall.
I love the some of the soy vegan Italian Sausages, but as good as they taste, I quit eating them to a large degree because they are loaded with salt! Currently we save the vegan Italian Sausage for topping a vegan pizzas.
Yeah, I wish there were low salt versions! I’ve seen a few good recipes for making vegan sausage at home. It might be fun to come up with a low salt recipe. Though, I guess sausage is supposed to be a sometimes food, for omnivores too.