Why on earth do vegans want to eat mock meat?
That dreaded question!
You may be wondering, ‘which dreaded question’, as vegans are faced with a few of them! I’m talking about the ‘how can you be vegan and want to eat sausage?’ or ‘why are you vegan and craving faux duck?’ or ‘how can you bear the idea of eating something that represents parts of a dead animal?’
There are many shades of grey
From personal experience, I know how easy it can be to have an aversion to something, or have a strong opinion about something, and for that to be the premise for everything that follows. It can happen with anything from what clothes people should wear, what we shouldn’t eat, how children should be raised and so on.
In theory most of us know and accept that our experiences vary from those of others, which in turn effects the way we think, as well as, shaping what we like and dislike and what we’re able to tolerate. However, when faced with certain situations, it’s quite easy for that knowledge and acceptance to go out of the window, which can place us in dangerous territory.
Of course, one situation which comes up often, for vegetarians and vegans, is around the question of mock meat.
Some reasons for why people eat mock meat
Some people have never had meat before and don’t connect mock meat to the ‘real’ stuff. So for them, there’s no ‘horrid’ representation in their mind and therefore there should be no stigma or taboo around it.
Not everyone was vegetarian before going vegan. Some of those individuals, regardless of why they shifted to a vegan diet, may miss meat. Food can bring about different reactions, and they may be positive or negative. The connection and effect might be social, physical, or emotional. Depending on your personality or what you’re going through at the time, you may or may not be able to overcome the need for that connection. Eating mock meat helps many people stay vegan, filling a need, whether it be social, emotional, physical or something else.
Some people detest the idea of mock meat. For them, it represents meat and nothing but meat. They don't want to miss meat, but they do. Therefore, until they are able to ‘get over’ this desire, they’re making do with having mock meat, in the hope that it won’t last forever.
Not everyone goes vegan for the animals. Some people do it for health reasons, so for them, there’s no emotional connection to the animal or feelings around opposing killing animals for food. Therefore, eating mock meat, helps them eat in a similar way that they’re used to without sacrificing their health. The same can apply to those who go vegan because of the benefit to the environmental.
Do you eat mock meat?
What do you think of all this? Do you eat mock meat? If so, how do you feel about it? If not, why not? Get in touch using this contact form, or leave a comment under the article. I’d love to hear from you.
“A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use.
It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car, which would only reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy.”