Why do SOME vegetarians or vegans eat fake meat?

I am a vegan, and I don't eat meat mostly because I am against factory farming and the unethical treatment of animals which goes on in them, as well as for overall health reasons. Vegans/vegetarians have to be a little more creative with they way that they get protein, and when I first became vegan I had a lot of fun trying new recipes and foods. I really expanded my taste for different foods, and now I love a variety of different vegetables and fruits, but I still use things like tofu and tempeh in a lot of my dishes. Personally, I really enjoy the taste of all kinds of different foods and sometimes things like tofu really soak up spices and add protein to a meal, and I don't think of a "substitute for meat", just another ingredient. However, I know a lot of people who are vegetarian either for ethical or health reasons or a mixture of both, but still enjoy the taste of meat. It's normal and common for someone to forgo animal products but still crave the taste/texture of a burger. It's not so much the meat as the whole burger with cheese/tomatoes/dill/bun etc. Without some protein, it's just not the same experience. No one's exactly the same, but some vegetarians use things like tofu in dishes simply to add to the meal while others might still miss the texture of meat. To use your hypothetical example, someone who was living purely off of meat would probably be limited in the different meals they could make, and using a "vegetable substitution" might simply be a way to experience a different texture or taste. Hope that helped to answer your question!

Simple: I did not become a vegetarian because I dislike the taste and texture of meat. While I DO like vegetables, fruits, grains and beans, I ALSO like the taste and texture of meat. I just choose not to eat it for moral reasons.

So if I can get close to that taste and texture without the moral issues, what's the downside?

I don't base my diet around meat substitutes, but see no reason why I should avoid them completely. They're just one of many things that keep my diet varied and interesting.

PS I AM against fur. And I am NOT against synthetic fabrics, including faux fur, with the same pattern as certain animal pelts any more than I am against wearing a dress printed with the image of some rare flower. No animal is killed for the faux fur and no flower was picked for the dress. THAT is the point.

I eat fake meat. Everyone is veg*n for different reasons, and for me, the reason is the farming methods. I'm not ok with it. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the taste of meat. I love burgers, steaks, venison and chicken as much as the next person but I don't like the way it's produced. I wasn't brought up in a family that ate much meat anyway, so most of the meals I cook don't involve any sort of meat substitute. but occasionally I will crave a burger and have a quorn quarter pounder, or I will want a chicken dish so I use fake chicken pieces. Then it will satisfy any craving I might have for the taste or texture of meat.

The other main reason for being vegetarian (apart from health reasons and just not liking the taste) is for moral reasons - not wanting to harm any animals, or not agreeing with meat industry standards, stuff like that.

The only thing that matters to those types is where the product comes from and what the product is made out of. If it isn't made by killing an animal, it's ok. Even if it looks or tastes like meat.

It would depend on the reason why someone has become vegetarian or vegan. Some people do it for health reasons, others for environmental reasons, and then there's the people who do it for the animals. If you have a cholesterol problem, a vegan diet would suit you perfectly as there is no cholesterol in vegan food, including faux meats.

I personally hate the taste of meat so I avoid a lot of faux meats. Some aren't so close to the real thing, so I eat those on occasion. However, there might be people that love the taste of meat but don't believe in animal cruelty, so they eat faux meats. There's nothing wrong with that.

I don't actually know the origin of fake meats and the original "purpose" (other than the companies creating them making money, of course). I imagine veggie dogs and veggie burgers came before all the others. I have 2 possible explanations:

1. Perhaps it's easier for those who are switching from an omnivorous diet to a vegetarian diet to eat these rather than coming up with something from scratch. They may be used to eating hot dogs/burgers all the time so it's semi-familiar.

2. You can eat something like this with a group of friends who are eating meat hotdogs/burgers and not be too left out. I still recall having veggie dogs for "hot lunch" in elementary school.

I don't see the big deal with eating fake meats, other than them being heavily processed. I don't think it's a moral issue at all, it's just a shape and you know you aren't actually eating an animal.

Being a vegetarian is about not eating slaughter products. It's not about avoiding the flavors, textures, and dishes that originally contained slaughter products. I used to love Swedish meatballs in cream gravy. When I went vegetarian, it wasn't because I'd suddenly decided that I didn't want to eat savory, salty, soft, caramelized orbs of deliciousness swimming in an oniony, creamy sauce. It was because I didn't particularly like the far-reaching impact of CAFOs, nor was I particularly comfortable at the fact that I was eating bits of an animal's muscle. It had nothing to do with what I liked the taste of.

You could look at this another way: is eating low-fat about not eating fat, or about not eating foods that traditionally contain fat? The prevalence of low-fat snacks should be a hint. Now, obviously, if someone was eschewing cookies and yogurt, they wouldn't eat the low-fat versions. However, wanting to have less fat in your diet doesn't necessarily mean that you dislike the experience of eating fatty foods. It's reasonable to want to have something in their stead, and for that something to bear a resemblance to the original.

I've only met a couple of people who objected to faux meat on principle, and they were the ones for whom their image (as a vegetarian or vegan) was highly important. The vegetarians and vegans who care about the animals, the environment, communities, farmhands and slaughterhouse employees, etc, all had no problem eating stuff that was meat-free, even if it mimicked meat.

If someone went on an all-meat diet because they believed it was morally wrong to eat plants (which makes little sense, considering how many plants probably wind up going into the animals that make the meat), it wouldn't be unreasonable for them to seek out artificial plants and plant flavorings if they enjoyed the taste of vegetables. If they gave up veggies because they didn't like the taste or texture, then they wouldn't.

"I thought that being a vegetarian was about eating vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans, and liking it?"

What do you think fake meat is made out of? Typically, it's made out of beans and/or vegetables. I don't really understand what you're confused about. You said you understood why people who are vegetarian for health reasons would eat fake meat. People who are vegetarian for ethical reasons would be fine with eating fake meat since animals aren't killed to make them. Those are the major reasons people become vegetarian, so it would seem to make sense that most vegetarians would be okay with fake meat.

As a vegetarian, I would love to just eat straight from my garden, but I can't for many reasons, so I usually have to eat these foods. I actually make sure to buy stuff that DOESN'T taste like meat, but other people tend to disregard this. They think I feel deprived or something.

But anyway, on to your question, the fake meat companies mainly tend to be for vegetarians who can eat dairy and eggs and such. Most of the time a vegetarian isn't doing it for animal rights. Not all, but most, so it makes sense that vegetarian (not vegan) companies make meat-tasting food.

Now, vegans do it for animals, so it makes sense that they wouldn't want to eat anything that tastes remotely like meat so they stray from this stuff.

Another reason people buy fake meats are because of allergies and not wanting tainted meats or hormones or anything. They are not strict vegetarians, but just looking for a healthier alternative for say a meat hot dog that has god knows what in it.

I hope that word-vomit made sense. Lol

A lot of it is convenience. It makes the transition a lot easier, and allows people to eat in a manner they are comfortable with without actually having to make any adjustments. Veggie burgers exist for the same reason vegan cheese cake exists. It's hard to cut out foods that were once your favorite, and it's nice to have a suitable substitute. Granted, a lot of mock meats are gross and unhealthy, but a few of them are actually pretty good and good for you. I couldn't tell you if they actually taste like meat (probably not, since I like them) but it's familiar enough to fill the void. For a long time I refused to eat any of them, but after I gave them a shot I discovered I liked a few. And it makes eating with friends a lot easier. You don't feel like you need a whole separate meal if you're just changing one or two ingredients.

Edit: I forgot to mention that they should not be the basis of a diet, but rather an occasional indulgence.