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have you ever tricked an omni with food?

2K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  VeggieSince88 
#1 ·
Told them that what they were eating was actually an animal product when it really wasn't, and then they fell for it?
what was it?
I tricked my sissy once with tofutti sour cream on nachos. :D
 
#2 ·
Told them that what they were eating was actually an animal product when it really wasn't, and then they fell for it?
what was it?
I ROUTINELY fool omnivores without explicitly saying anything. Wait...I don't know how to explain this coherently. :) Okay, everyone who knows me knows I'm vegetarian. But whenever I have people over for a meal, I serve "normal" dishes that APPEAR to be the real deal. For example, one time when I was serving tacos, my niece passed the bowl containing the 'meat' taco filling to the person on my other side, saying, "we know YOU don't want this!" Then I said, "I don't buy, cook or serve anything I wouldn't eat." She had the MOST CONFUSED look on her face as I grabbed the 'meat' and started filling up my tacos. Finally someone else clued her in: "it must be a vegetarian meat alternative." (I use Morningstar Farms Veggie Crumbles for dishes like tacos. And it fools them every time!) I LOVE that we now have a plethora of GREAT faux meat products to choose from, unlike back when I went veg in 1988. Things were very different back then.

My grandsons had stated categorically [to their parents] that they do not like and would not eat veggie hot dogs, veggie pepperoni, veggie...whatever. But you know what? They eat them when they're here! Yep, they just gobble them right down. Because they don't know!

By the way, I use olive oil to replace the missing grease; veggie faux meat products are great, but they all tend to have the same problem: a lack of that wonderful, oily mouth feel that real meat has. So I replace that with olive oil. For example, veggie pepperoni slices--I put them in a bowl and pour olive oil over them, and let them soak for a few minutes before putting them on pizza; I drizzle the residual olive oil on the pizza. It's amazing!

I tricked my sissy once with tofutti sour cream on nachos. :D
Did you end up telling her?
 
#3 ·
Told them that what they were eating was actually an animal product when it really wasn't, and then they fell for it?
what was it?
I ROUTINELY fool omnivores without explicitly saying anything. Wait...I don't know how to explain this coherently.
Okay, everyone who knows me knows I'm vegetarian. But whenever I have people over for a meal, I serve "normal" dishes that APPEAR to be the real deal. For example, one time when I was serving tacos, my niece passed the bowl containing the 'meat' taco filling to the person on my other side, saying, "we know YOU don't want this!" Then I said, "I don't buy, cook or serve anything I wouldn't eat." She had the MOST CONFUSED look on her face as I grabbed the 'meat' and started filling up my tacos. Finally someone else clued her in: "it must be a vegetarian meat alternative." (I use Morningstar Farms Veggie Crumbles for dishes like tacos. And it fools them every time!) I LOVE that we now have a plethora of GREAT faux meat products to choose from, unlike back when I went veg in 1988. Things were very different back then.

My grandsons had stated categorically [to their parents] that they do not like and would not eat veggie hot dogs, veggie pepperoni, veggie...whatever. But you know what? They eat them when they're here! Yep, they just gobble them right down. Because they don't know!

By the way, I use olive oil to replace the missing grease; veggie faux meat products are great, but they all tend to have the same problem: a lack of that wonderful, oily mouth feel that real meat has. So I replace that with olive oil. For example, veggie pepperoni slices--I put them in a bowl and pour olive oil over them, and let them soak for a few minutes before putting them on pizza; I drizzle the residual olive oil on the pizza. It's amazing!

I tricked my sissy once with tofutti sour cream on nachos.
Did you end up telling her?
Yeah, she was like what no way that didn't taste any different
 
#7 ·
I'm finding these allegations so beyond bizarre!
I've always had, and liked, Boca, Morningstar and tried processed things like Tofutti sour cream, ice cream. I love Boca chik'n--but it didn't taste like chicken then, doesn't taste like chicken now. My son grew up with Morningstar grillers almost daily for a while. I didn't like them when I ate beef burgers, and they never tasted like beef burgers. The only 'faux' meat I DO think tastes like meat is Beyond Meat chicken strips--and so much I can't even bear to smell them.My son who still eats chicken on occasion also thinks they're very real, but loves them
No vegan hot dog, or sausage, is anything close to real.

Are you sure your friends aren't mocking you? Lots of vegan processed foods are very good, and most people I know do like veggie burgers and chik'n things, but I don't know ANYONE who thinks they're similar! I wouldn't like them at all!
 
#8 ·
My omni husband says he has a hard time tasting the difference between meat and some alternatives, like Linda McCartney sausages and the "pork fried rice" we ordered at a vegetarian restaurant. I think it must depend on how it's prepared and served. I can't remember the taste of meat, so I'm useless.
 
#10 ·
Nope - never fooled anyone but I frequently make vegetarian options that people prefer to the meat option. The mushroom, chestnut & lentil (vegan) pie is usually a winner as is my vegan bean chilli. Last night the rest of my lentil & chickpea dhal was snaffled up by my resident omni (after he'd eaten his own food) because apparently it tasted better.
I think a lot of people don't realise that the flavour in your food doesn't come from the meat - it comes from herbs, spices and vegetables. As a result they are often surprised that veggie food is so tasty.
 
#12 ·
I've never tried, mostly because I want my dinner parties to feature whole food plant based eating (and teach omnis that food can be delicious without animal products, fake or otherwise)

Also, I'd be concerned about the fact that someone might have a bad reaction to the soy and/or gluten that is used to make the fake meats. You'd have to know them well and know those aren't ingredients that will harm them.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I fool them all the time with vegan cakes and muffins and cookies! Also mashed potatoes (always made with butter and milk in my family), burritos and tacos too yes. chili, "chicken" burger (love you Gardein), stuffed bell pepper, bolognaise sauce etc. I mean fool is a big word my family know there are no animal products in my recipes. So it's more like "oh wow, you could never tell there is no butter in this" and "this pasta sauce really taste like the meat one". Overall just amazed that it's good without meat and real dairy which in my book counts!
 
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#15 ·
Imagine the outrage if omni's routinely 'tricked' their vegetarian friends/family. My wife does not eat eggs while I have no problem with people eating eggs in principle. I can only imagine how betrayed she would feel if I told her that piece of chocolate cake had no eggs when it really did -just because I wanted to show her how good eggs are and that there is nothing wrong with it according to me.

We have some friends that don't eat onions, garlic, and other tamasic foods. (tamasic is a Hindu classification for, among other things, food) It would be easy to assume they are just vegetarian or vegan, but they aren't as as many define it, and it would be insulting to deceptively serve them food that might offend their beliefs.

It is always best to be forthright in ones words and actions when in the service of others. This includes preparing a simple meal.
 
#18 ·
I think the lying issue has taken on a life of its own! There's no comparison between letting a meat-eater think they're eating an animal product-based dish when it's really veg*n, and lying to someone in order to trick them into consuming something they're AGAINST. In the former, we're not doing anything that can harm them psychologically, i.e., when they find out their spaghetti sauce contained vegetarian crumbles which they assumed to be ground beef, they're not going to go into shock at the horror of having eaten a plant-based product! On the other hand, a vegan who is tricked into eating cake that actually contains eggs very well might react very negatively when they find out they were tricked. Or tricking a veg*n into eating spaghetti sauce by lying to them that it's made with veggie crumbles, when in fact it's made with meat. THAT is horrible. No comparison between the two.

Note that I'm not talking about physical problems, such as soy or gluten allergies. I'm assuming that any problems of that nature were discussed PRIOR to offering the person food. I know that when I first moved back to California and started having family over for meals, I actually ASKED if anyone has any food allergies or if there's anything they strongly dislike and would prefer not to eat. Therefore, since then, I don't have to worry about anyone being allergic to anything I might use.
 
#19 ·
This 100% omnivores are not choosing not to eat vegetarian or vegan dishes for ethical reasons. You are not tricking some one into going against there beliefs you are simply opening their eyes to new food options. The two are not comparable you suggesting someone trick someone allergic into eating something is pretty far from the mark.

As for vegetarian foods that taste like meat superstore has a great line there burgers and scalopini stand out as some of the best. Even my husband really enjoyed the burgers and thought the scalopin actually tasted like chicken...
 
#20 · (Edited)
I think that mushrooms are wonderful, and I love cooking with them. I also know that a lot of people don't like mushrooms, either because of their texture, because they are fungi, or whatever other reason.

If someone asks me, "Are there mushrooms in that?", I would never dream of lying to them about it, and I would not cook a dish that contains mushrooms for anyone who has an aversion to them.

Lying to people about what's in their food is something that people do to small children (and I don't approve of it even then). It's saying, "I know better than you what you will like or not like." It's completely disrespectful. It may not be as "bad" as tricking someone into eating something that's against their ethical or religious beliefs, but it's still bad.

I personally would not want to be associated with someone who did that, and I certainly would not be friends with someone who has so little respect for me.

I would think that veg*ns, of all people, would be aware of how disrespectful it is to lie to someone about what is in their food, but, sadly, that does not seem to be the case.
 
#22 ·
I've overheard so many conversations about someones vegan friend serving faux meat and how "everyone there went along with it but, OMG, it was not good".
If everyone knows you don't eat meat why would anyone attempt to make sometime taste like meat?
The more things try to replicate meat the worse they taste. Things that simply take the things that meat is typically flavored with on the other hand, like smokey, peppery, savory, are delicious.

People don't like to be 'tricked' esp with food. Most will be mannerly about it however and not say anything (to you)
 
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