Are Meat Substitutes "Cheats"?

[Terje]

In a way I consider them cheating oneself a bit because it's usually not a very good way to go. If you crave something, like real meat for instance, it's probably a better way to let go of that craving by simply not have anything that reminds you of meat at all for a long time. You'll forget the taste eventually.

When I've been trying to do without dairy from time to time I have the most success when I simply find other alternatives that aren't similar but just as good in a different way. Instead of butter on your sandwich how about some really fine olive oil? Not the same thing at all but just as great if not even better. How about some home made humus? See what I mean?

I have colleagues who try to give up smoking and they go on gums and pills and whatnot, as long as it has nicotine in it. Thing is, they never seem to be able to actually quit. My mom quit cold turkey almost two years ago. After having smoked for nearly 40 years. The first couple of weeks were pretty rough but she got over it and is much further from starting to smoke again than my colleagues.

I want to point out that I don't consider quorn cheating in the sense described in the initial post. If that's what you want to eat instead of meat, why not huh? Personally I don't like it much. Perhaps I would think differently about it I did.

[Veggily]

Cheating?! The animals certainly didn't look like steak or whatever before they became meat. I can't make any sense out of calling it cheating to eat Quorn, etc.

[ATreeCalledLife]

I definitely don't see it as cheating. It's nice once and awhile to throw in some variety.

Like someone else said (forget who) being vegetarian is about not eating ANIMALS. There's nothing wrong with eating something that TASTES like meat (but isn't meat) unless you just generally dislike that taste.

This girl has no idea what she's talking about. And besides that, omnis can keep their opinions to themselves unless they're highly educated on veg*nism as far as I'm concerned.

[nikki_jo]

One of my friends brought this up to me...he said that it makes it seem like you're just vegan to make a statement. I disagree. I think it just means that I like the taste of something without wanting to make other creatures suffer for it. I totally just made vegan riblets yesterday, they were amazing, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go out and slaughter something to get the "authentic" taste.

[Identity_thief]

I don't really eat meat subsubsitutes, but they're certainly not "cheats".

Being vegan involves avoiding animals products and the only way you can "cheat" is by eating or using animal products.

[bluegrrrl79]

In a way I consider them cheating oneself a bit because it's usually not a very good way to go. If you crave something, like real meat for instance, it's probably a better way to let go of that craving by simply not have anything that reminds you of meat at all for a long time. You'll forget the taste eventually.

Why though? You think fake meat makes people crave meat more since it tastes similar? See I feel the opposite. I don't ever really crave meat at all cause I know almost any taste I want I can have.