This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger. Now, I love meat, but I decided to try the veggie burger from the cafeteria.
I like vegetarian food. This got me wondering. Why dont people try it more often? Why do people shrug of vegetarian food for meat?
I think its because the word "vegetarian" ha gotten synonymous with "Obnoxious fools" and that those options are only there for them.
Anyone else got any ideas?

I like vegetarian food. According to several of my friends, according to my blood type, I should be one. Most vegetarian stuff has tasted nasty for a long time, so that's what people assume it still tastes like.

And the whole obnoxious thing boils down to the truth behind an old joke: how do you know if a vegan is at your party? Don't worry, he'll let you know...

I've never had anything that was a vegetarian imitation of the real thing actually taste good in my mouth.

I'll eat a salad, but if I want a burger, I'm getting a burger.

 Seaward wrote:
I've never had anything that was a vegetarian imitation of the real thing actually taste good in my mouth.

I'll eat a salad, but if I want a burger, I'm getting a burger.

Pretty much this. I love salad, but if I want a burger, it's going to be meat. Usually cow, but I'd eat Bison if the opportunity arose.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger. Now, I love meat, but I decided to try the veggie burger from the cafeteria.
I like vegetarian food. This got me wondering. Why dont people try it more often? Why do people shrug of vegetarian food for meat?
I think its because the word "vegetarian" ha gotten synonymous with "Obnoxious fools" and that those options are only there for them.
Anyone else got any ideas?

Its a felony in Texas to consume vegetables.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I like a lot of vegetarian foods. I do like a fair variety of veggie patty products, especially those made with lots of mushrooms. I dare say I like more varieties of veggie burger than my vegetarian associates do. I'd stab my own mother for just about anything made with ground chickpeas. They can't even put bacon on them, the poor shlubs.

Really though Vegan food is where it gets gross. Once you've taken milk, butter, eggs, honey and anything that got within spitting distance of an animal suddenly your good options are limited to "Roasted Vegetables", "Potatoes" and "Fruit Pies". All fine choices mind you, but kind of narrow. Everything else just takes like a gooddamn pasty brick.

I've had veggie versions of burgers etc as my cousins are vegatarians.

While they are nice they aren't as nice as the real thing, that and some vegans can be really up in your face holier than thou about their choices in food which can drive people away from it

I have never been a big fan of vegetables, their texture, tastes, and smells often put me at odds with them, unless there was something really unhealthy accompanying them, this has led to years of cheeseburger and mini pizza abuse. Which accounts for most of my weight issues.

As someone that has worked at a camp where the normal food is so terrible, I asked for the vegetarian option because it meant I got to make my own food, 60% of the time the meat version is still better, it comes down to flavors, smells, and textures. I don't like my burgers or chicken wings to be gritty when I eat them (which has been my experiences with vegetarian options.

Also, the evil vegetarian hippies have yet to give me a suitable substitute to bacon.

 Alfndrate wrote:
I have never been a big fan of vegetables, their texture, tastes, and smells often put me at odds with them, unless there was something really unhealthy accompanying them, this has led to years of cheeseburger and mini pizza abuse. Which accounts for most of my weight issues.

As someone that has worked at a camp where the normal food is so terrible, I asked for the vegetarian option because it meant I got to make my own food, 60% of the time the meat version is still better, it comes down to flavors, smells, and textures. I don't like my burgers or chicken wings to be gritty when I eat them (which has been my experiences with vegetarian options.

Also, the evil vegetarian hippies have yet to give me a suitable substitute to bacon.

Try giving a shot looking up well rated vegetable recipes and making your own. I swear 90% of peoples dislike of vegetables (especially in america), comes from everyone and their mother having no idea how to cook them. At best you get a kind of drab-green mush, more often you get something that looks, smells and tastes like it was dredged from the bottom of bog.

How anyone could hate Broccoli (when it isn't turned limp, stinky and bitter by overcooking), is beyond me.

What do you mean by 'vegetarian meals'? Do you mean anything from Quorn to a salad? Or do you mean solely things that are vegeterianificated? Like veggie burgers and whatnot?

I like a nice salad every now and then, and I'm perfectly happy eating fruit and vegetables, but I don't eat stuff like veggie burgers or other such things because they taste awful. Similarly, my brother is lactose intolerant and has to eat goat's cheese and use goat's milk. He says it's nice, but I think the stuff tastes absolutely foul, and I'm lucky I can drink good ol' moo-moo milk.

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 Seaward wrote:
I've never had anything that was a vegetarian imitation of the real thing actually taste good in my mouth.

I'll eat a salad, but if I want a burger, I'm getting a burger.

Pretty much this. I love salad, but if I want a burger, it's going to be meat. Usually cow, but I'd eat Bison if the opportunity arose.

If you get the chance(and it's getting easier and easier), try Bison. It's all over the place here in Colorado and I find it tastes better than cow in every form.

As to the OP, some veggie burgers are good(my sister used to be vegetarian), but given the option, I'll take meat over it. The real deal tastes way better. Also, the dye in the ground beef substitute isn't very "attached" to the stuff, so it runs if you're mixing it into something(my stroganoff should never be that shade of brown).

 Avatar 720 wrote:
What do you mean by 'vegetarian meals'? Do you mean anything from Quorn to a salad? Or do you mean solely things that are vegeterianificated? Like veggie burgers and whatnot?

I like a nice salad every now and then, and I'm perfectly happy eating fruit and vegetables, but I don't eat stuff like veggie burgers or other such things because they taste awful. Similarly, my brother is lactose intolerant and has to eat goat's cheese and use goat's milk. He says it's nice, but I think the stuff tastes absolutely foul, and I'm lucky I can drink good ol' moo-moo milk.

Your brother is off his rocker, or you're missing something. Goat's milk has pretty much the same amount of lactose as cows milk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat . Pretty much all milk has lactose in it, it's just a mammal thing.

 Chongara wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:
I have never been a big fan of vegetables, their texture, tastes, and smells often put me at odds with them, unless there was something really unhealthy accompanying them, this has led to years of cheeseburger and mini pizza abuse. Which accounts for most of my weight issues.

As someone that has worked at a camp where the normal food is so terrible, I asked for the vegetarian option because it meant I got to make my own food, 60% of the time the meat version is still better, it comes down to flavors, smells, and textures. I don't like my burgers or chicken wings to be gritty when I eat them (which has been my experiences with vegetarian options.

Also, the evil vegetarian hippies have yet to give me a suitable substitute to bacon.

Try giving a shot looking up well rated vegetable recipes and making your own. I swear 90% of peoples dislike of vegetables (especially in america), comes from everyone and their mother having no idea how to cook them. At best you get a kind of drab-green mush, more often you get something that looks, smells and tastes like it was dredged from the bottom of bog.

Recently my father has had to go on some EXTREMELY intense dietary regimens due to his age and medical conditions, so after moving back in with my parents, vegetables are a bigger part of my diet, and they're growing on me. Like I still detest broccoli in almost every form, but last night we had Lemon and Herb Crusted fish a small bit of a pasta dish, and fresh broccoli florets. I ate far more than I normally do lol . They were cooked without butter, and just basically steamed with some aromatics to it didn't smell like gak. I took a small bite of one, and then added a little pepper, some smoked paprika, and a dash of salt. Probably one of the first times my parents have seen me eat vegetables and not hate it in a while...

Note: I love me some spinach in all of its forms (except canned, feth that), contrast that to when I was 10 and I almost puked at thanksgiving dinner because my cousin bet me 20 bucks I wouldn't eat some spinach. The donkey-cave admitted that he was trying to get me to eat the spinach, and the 20 bucks was my xmas gift...

I'm probably missing something, we just know that since he switched to goat's milk, he hasn't been having any issues, so meh.

 Chongara wrote:
I'd stab my own mother for just about anything made with ground chickpeas.

O.o Priorities man...most of us would choose a nice, bloody steak after offering up a motherly sacrifice. Chickpeas? Wha? Unless we're discussing garlic-lovers hummus. That stuff is the tits on pita bread.

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 Chongara wrote:
I'd stab my own mother for just about anything made with ground chickpeas.

O.o Priorities man...most of us would choose a nice, bloody steak after offering up a motherly sacrifice. Chickpeas? Wha? Unless we're discussing garlic-lovers hummus. That stuff is the tits on pita bread.

Are you sure about that? I believe it's still just hummus on pita bread... To the best of my knowledge, the hummus doesn't turn to mammaries when placed on pita bread.

Because they often don't taste nice? I don't eat meat but I do fish it's the healthy food option aswell as omnivores. Vegans and vegetarians have the flaw of lacking iron I think.

 Alfndrate wrote:

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 Chongara wrote:
I'd stab my own mother for just about anything made with ground chickpeas.

O.o Priorities man...most of us would choose a nice, bloody steak after offering up a motherly sacrifice. Chickpeas? Wha? Unless we're discussing garlic-lovers hummus. That stuff is the tits on pita bread.

Are you sure about that? I believe it's still just hummus on pita bread... To the best of my knowledge, the hummus doesn't turn to mammaries when placed on pita bread.

Obviously you've never tried it. Go. Try it. I'll wait. When you have garlic-lovers hummus on pita, you'll understand. Milk will abound.

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 Chongara wrote:
I'd stab my own mother for just about anything made with ground chickpeas.

O.o Priorities man...most of us would choose a nice, bloody steak after offering up a motherly sacrifice. Chickpeas? Wha? Unless we're discussing garlic-lovers hummus. That stuff is the tits on pita bread.

Are you sure about that? I believe it's still just hummus on pita bread... To the best of my knowledge, the hummus doesn't turn to mammaries when placed on pita bread.

Obviously you've never tried it. Go. Try it. I'll wait. When you have garlic-lovers hummus on pita, you'll understand. Milk will abound.

Awkward, but well played sir

I've had some killer vegetarian food. Dated a on the stricter side vegetarian while I was living in the People's Democratic Republic of California. She didn't get at me for eating meat but she did challenge me to do a veggie diet for two weeks. I tried it I really did... and there's some killer veggie food out there but bloody hell I needed a steak after that. I think us meat eating types can gain the primary taste benefit of the veggie diet simply by going towards "raw" foods. Fresh veggies and herbs, a minimal amount of modification and cooking etc.

My wife and I sometimes use meat substitutes - have to say that for the most part it is just not as good as actual meat. We've pretty much switched back to just using meat now.

I'm a proud carnivore...

But, I'll eat anything... and ditto on garlic hummus on pita bread!

 whembly wrote:
I'm a proud carnivore...

 whembly wrote:
But, I'll eat anything... and ditto on garlic hummus on pita bread!

There is a major disconnect between these two statements Whembly

Most of us understand that we are omnivores. Are bodies are adapted to eating both vegetable and animal material, getting the various nutrients and protiens our bodies need for healthy growth and life.
For those who go pure meat, scurvy (lack of vitamin C) comes on pretty fast. for those who go pure veggie (especially if they force that on their children), the lack of animal based protein inhibits brain development (sorry, despite all of the hoopla, soy based protein is not a viable substitute).

 Alfndrate wrote:

 whembly wrote:
I'm a proud carnivore...

 whembly wrote:
But, I'll eat anything... and ditto on garlic hummus on pita bread!

There is a major disconnect between these two statements Whembly

Yup... I'm a walking paradox.

Been accused of being Tyler Durdern recently... which.was.awesome!

hotsauceman1 wrote:This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger. Now, I love meat, but I decided to try the veggie burger from the cafeteria.
I like vegetarian food. This got me wondering. Why dont people try it more often? Why do people shrug of vegetarian food for meat?
I think its because the word "vegetarian" ha gotten synonymous with "Obnoxious fools" and that those options are only there for them.
Anyone else got any ideas?

I actually like a lot of vegetarian options... but the ones that are kidding themselves, such as tofu or veggie burgers are pathetic.

If I feel like eating a vegetarian meal, then go for it. But if you're going to eat a burger, eat a fething burger, already.

dkellyj wrote:
Most of us understand that we are omnivores. Are bodies are adapted to eating both vegetable and animal material, getting the various nutrients and protiens our bodies need for healthy growth and life.
For those who go pure meat, scurvy (lack of vitamin C) comes on pretty fast. for those who go pure veggie (especially if they force that on their children), the lack of animal based protein inhibits brain development (sorry, despite all of the hoopla, soy based protein is not a viable substitute).

Give me a grapefruit followed by coffee for breakfast (they don't work so well together), a salad with mixed greens, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, bean sprouts and grilled chicken with a creamy herb dressing for lunch, and a bloody steak and mashed potatoes for dinner with a glass of milk, and I'm one happy guy. All of the basic food groups? Yes. Meat, dairy, veggies, fruit and bread. Huh...it's all there. Just like it's supposed to be...

I like a good deal of "vegetarian" options. I love fruit, and occasionally salad.

I also love steak and sausages and burgers. I feel like I fulfill the dietary roles that evolution has prepared my teeth for.

Best vegetarian dish I've had are the Hindu Indian dishes...

Coconut curry... YUM!

 whembly wrote:
Best vegetarian dish I've had are the Hindu Indian dishes...

Coconut curry... YUM!

I will grant that foreign (i.e. not American) cultures tend to know how to prepare vegetables better... The local Indian restaurant down the street from work makes this awesome cauliflower dish that tastes and feels like a chicken nugget... I devour that gak...

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Now, I love meat.

You can't just softball them in like that.

I think its because the word "vegetarian" ha gotten synonymous with "Obnoxious fools" and that those options are only there for them.
Anyone else got any ideas?

/hits nail on head
And also because it often doesn't taste very good, although I think that has changed a lot in recent years.
My uncle Rod is a vegan, and it's really just obnoxious.

I like a lot of vegetarian dishes, but I am not a fan of meat-substitute kind of dishes.

I have eaten some things that include Tofu that are pretty tasty, but I have yet to find anything that includes Tofu specifically as a meat substitute that I like. Same with vegetable meat patties and things like that.

I find that vegetarian dishes from cultures that have historically eaten less meat can be very delicious though. Ethiopian, Indian, and Middle Eastern food have some outstanding vegetarian options that are full of flavor and deliciousness.

Vegetarian dishes can be great if they just realize that they are tasty vegetarian dishes. Vegetarian dishes that follow the whole "how can I make we pretend that there is meat in here when there isn't" usually turn out crappy I think.

Good quality fresh tofu is awesome if you know how to prepare it, but pretty pointless if not.

I don't see the point in pretend meat.

Plenty of "proper" vegetarian food is really nice.

We have tried them.

By and large, any food that has "I'm not meat, so eat me!" on it is going to taste bad.

 AustonT wrote:

/hits nail on head
And also because it often doesn't taste very good, although I think that has changed a lot in recent years.
My uncle Rod is a vegan, and it's really just obnoxious.

Honestly, it depends on the person. I've a friend who's Vegan, but I didn't know it until well after I met him because he's not a preachy vegan who attempts to force everyone else to be one. In fact, he's engaged to a non-Vegan and will cook non-Vegan dishes and meals, he just won't eat them. As a reward for being a non-pushy vegan, I always make sure there's a Vegan friendly option when I attend their Magic nights(I always bring snacks), be it some sort of Vegan friendly chips or non-gelatin based, non-dairy based candy.

Man makes a mean Tofu, too.

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 Chongara wrote:
I'd stab my own mother for just about anything made with ground chickpeas.

O.o Priorities man...most of us would choose a nice, bloody steak after offering up a motherly sacrifice. Chickpeas? Wha? Unless we're discussing garlic-lovers hummus. That stuff is the tits on pita bread.

To be honest, I'm not a huge steak person. It's OK, and once in a great while I really get in the mood for it, but I'm really more of a Pork person at heart. In fact beef in general ranks pretty far down on my scale for the most part, way after Pork, Seafood (fried whole-belly clams, anything with tentacles or an exoskeleton, yum!), Chicken and quite a few vegetables & fruits I like.

Sorry, Cows just aren't really my thing.While I do appreciate a nice burger, I'd probably take a patty-shaped felafel on a hamburger bun over a regular burger any day 9 days out of 10.

I've eaten vegetarian many times.


Oh, silly me. I meant herbivores. Same thing, right?

I can't eat most indian dishes due to the spice mix used (allergies) and I'm also allergic to coconut and many other nuts. This pretty much rules out many vege dishes.

I think a lot of it comes from the lack of good vegetables that were available when most of us were younger. Mass produced canned vegetables suck, but for the most part that's all there was when I was a kid. The freezing process has gotten a lot better and cheaper, not to mention that fresh vegetables are pretty easy to get your hands on now. I won't go as far as to say I'm a convert but for the past 10 years I've eaten my full allotment of vegetables just about every day.

You will rarely if ever find me choosing the vegie only option though. I like meet, its good. Meet substitutes pretty much suck, although I have met some decent ones.

Just thinking of those nasty greyish green canned peas form grade school makes me feel sick.

I simply prefer meat, I have never had a good vegetarian burger for instance.

I will happily eat vetegarian food though, a lot of it is really nice, but meat subtitutes really aren't.

dkellyj wrote:
Most of us understand that we are omnivores. Are bodies are adapted to eating both vegetable and animal material, getting the various nutrients and protiens our bodies need for healthy growth and life.
For those who go pure meat, scurvy (lack of vitamin C) comes on pretty fast. for those who go pure veggie (especially if they force that on their children), the lack of animal based protein inhibits brain development (sorry, despite all of the hoopla, soy based protein is not a viable substitute).

Pretty much this.

I've nothing against vegetarians, but most I've come across have the biggest superiority complexes I've ever encountered.

I'm happy to eat vegetarian (or even vegan) food, and generally find that the real vegetable route is nicer than the 'imitation meat' one

but I find it doesn't leave me satisfied for long, i feel hungry later and end up eating again (rinse and repeat if it's more vegetarian stuff)

so maybe healthier but less satisfying

My trouble with vegetarian/vegan options is that they are trying to replicate something that has existed forever in the form of meat, dairy whatever.

I love veg and will often cook a meal with no meat in it, but I do not like the "pretend" bit of it all. If it is meant to be a meat dish, put meat in it. If it is something meant to be without meat, then no meat.

Thinking this also turns a lot of people off to the idea.

 Shadowseer_Kim wrote:
My trouble with vegetarian/vegan options is that they are trying to replicate something that has existed forever in the form of meat, dairy whatever.

I love veg and will often cook a meal with no meat in it, but I do not like the "pretend" bit of it all. If it is meant to be a meat dish, put meat in it. If it is something meant to be without meat, then no meat.

Thinking this also turns a lot of people off to the idea.

If the food is good... people will eat it.

What turns off a lot of folks are the "holier than thou" folks preaching vegan/veggie lifestyle.

The best vegetarian food is the type that doesn't try to be something else. As others have said, there is nothing that can replace the taste of a burger if that's what you want.

The restaurant I work at has a farro risotto with mushrooms on the menu that will blow your fething mind, and it's totally vegetarian.

I appreciate the veggie dishes when I do not trust the place that prepared the food to be of good quality, I wont get food poisoning from a veggie dish that is for sure.

 SalamanderMarine wrote:
I appreciate the veggie dishes when I do not trust the place that prepared the food to be of good quality, I wont get food poisoning from a veggie dish that is for sure.

This is extremely untrue.

You can get all kinds of nasty things from unwashed vegetables, and a lot of food-borne illness comes from cross-contamination so if a kitchen is dirty or the cooks don't have good standards of hygiene you can get sick from anything that comes out of there.

1.) Never much cared for the taste of a lot of vegetarian meat substitutes, but but a lot of vegetarian dishes are pretty good. However, I can rarely eat them because...

2.) I am severely allergic to tree nuts and peanuts, and moderately allergic to legumes. So that pretty much rules out most vegetarian alternatives except soy, which I am not allergic to.

 Monster Rain wrote:

 SalamanderMarine wrote:
I appreciate the veggie dishes when I do not trust the place that prepared the food to be of good quality, I wont get food poisoning from a veggie dish that is for sure.

This is extremely untrue.

You can get all kinds of nasty things from unwashed vegetables, and a lot of food-borne illness comes from cross-contamination so if a kitchen is dirty or the cooks don't have good standards of hygiene you can get sick from anything that comes out of there.

Very true, but the time I had it I was concerned with undercooked chicken so the veggie option was a good option I think, if it was due to general hygiene standards and food safety practice then it would have made no difference admittedly.

My mom has been on a vegetarian-kick for several years. I don't feel particularly healthier than I was before, nor do I feel some inherent moral satisfaction from it.

I'm rather ambivalent about it. I'm perfectly happy eating vegetarian options, but I don't prefer them, and am immediately drawn to meat when I eat out. I love meat so much... that juicy, meaty taste melting in your mouth, and the reassuring firmness of it on your teeth... I'm getting hungry.

I don't choose a whole lot of veggies because they take up valuable slots in foc now maybe on a double I might

There are so many other options than a "meat alternative" i.e. a veggie burger, that make vegetarianism a better option. Hell, I even love tofu because it absorbs the flavor of whatever you put in it like a sponge. I think that if you want vegetarian options, the best route is to eat foods from different countries. Curry's, salads, pastas, breads, fruits, pastries.... omg the options are endless and delicious. But really, apart from the hormones, anti-biotics, and other chemicals pumped into our meats (in America), there isn't anything wrong with eating meat in your diet. But.. with anything, the closer to the sun in the food chain you eat - the more nutrients you receive. So eating a fresh, plant based diet is by far the healthiest option - and the most sustainable.

Really, an omnivorous diet is the healthiest option, since you get the goodness of fruit and vegetables as well as that of fish and meat.

Going to either extreme just serves to cut you off from the goodness of what you don't eat, and requires the use of vitamin supplements or food with all sorts of added things, to the point where it's less food with added vitamins and more vitamins with added food.

A completely plant-based diet might be more sustainable (so long as the staple plants can keep up with demand as well as being hardy enough to put up with extreme weather and shifts in weather patterns), but it's not the healthiest option at all.

 d-usa wrote:
I like a lot of vegetarian dishes, but I am not a fan of meat-substitute kind of dishes.

Yeah, this.

Vegetarian food works really well when it does its own thing, focuses on the freshness and it's own flavours. Some of the best pasta and curry dishes I've had were when I dated a vegetarian girl. And it wasn't until then that I realised a plate of fruits and salads with a bit of sauce wasn't just a decent substitute for a meal, but completely fething delicious.

But vegetarian food that takes a regular dish and replaces the meat with some kind of thing that's pretending to be meat - feth that.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Avatar 720 wrote:
Really, an omnivorous diet is the healthiest option, since you get the goodness of fruit and vegetables as well as that of fish and meat.

Ideally, sure. But in the modern world people go past omnivorous, and eat so much more red meat than our ancestors ever dreamed of that it's actually a serious health issue. Bowel cancer is a major killer of men, and it's directly tied to the amount of red meat in many people's diets.

As a result, vegetarians actually live longer on average.


All of which basically just means that the health issue is basically moot. If you want to live healthily, then you can live a lot more healthily than the average person does whether you include meat or you don't.

I watched a chef throw together a vegetarian curry a few weeks ago, and while I love mushrooms etc it just seemed so... incomplete without some chicken thighs in there. Despite being an utter carnivore, if it came down to it I'd probably prefer the veggie option to some of the mechanically recovered meat products that are out there; ultimately for me there's just little that can top a nice blue steak, or beef Wellington.

I enjoy the vegetarian options that are 'real'. My local pub makes an amazing salad with gingered apples, dried cranberries, goat's cheese, and almonds that I will get every time they have it. Conversely, I get zero enjoyment from a boca-burger, and will never eat one again.

So, basically, what everyone else has been saying.

I think folks are looking at this whole veggie burger thing wrong (including some of the folks making them).

They taste nothing like burgers so it's silly to really call them that, the only thing they have in common is the shape. Of course they're going to be disappointing if you go in expecting something that tastes like meat.

However, I think many stand on their own merits as "Patty-Shaped Vegetable Sandwiches with Cheese and Mushrooms", and should be advertised as such. After all we wouldn't begrudge a grilled cheese sandwich for not being a ham and cheese sandwich.

Two things simply going between bread, and being roughly the same shape isn't really any reason to approach them the same way.

 Chongara wrote:
I think folks are looking at this whole veggie burger thing wrong (including some of the folks making them).

They taste nothing like burgers so it's silly to really call them that, the only thing they have in common is the shape. Of course they're going to be disappointing if you go in expecting something that tastes like meat.

However, I think many stand on their own merits as "Patty-Shaped Vegetable Sandwiches with Cheese and Mushrooms", and should be advertised as such. After all we wouldn't begrudge a grilled cheese sandwich for not being a ham and cheese sandwich.

Two things simply going between bread, and being roughly the same shape isn't really any reason to approach them the same way.

That doesn't sound bad surprisingly, but there is still a weird texture to it, I'd rather place mushrooms (sauteed, fresh, w/e), some greens, maybe some onions, etc.. in between two slices of cheese and toasted with 2 slices of bread ala grilled cheese, but then again that goes with the fresh over meat substitute.

I've often gone for vegetarian options when I've been places I don't know simply because I like to know where my meat has come from. Generally, I know where I am with vegetarian food and know it will be at least tolerable if not quite pleasant. I'm not dedicated to eating ethically as such, but I don't like eating especially cheap looking meat or cuts of meat I'm not keen on. One place I went for a course a few years ago served particularly cheap sausages, the sort you get a bunch for about 20p. I gave them a miss thanks and went for the cheese and onion quiche.

That isn't the only reason I'll go veggie though, sometimes it just looks really tasty.

I eat quite a few vegetarian dishes, as my partner is a pescetarian (she eats seafood), but as she works in a cafe she is not averse to preparing and cooking meat, but usually if we are making something like fajitas or pasta I'll go veggie because it's easier than cooking two meals.

My main problem with vegetarianism is vegetarians. I'd say 70% of the vegetarians I've met in my life will pontificate about how their lifestyle is superior and how being an omnivore is as bad as clubbing baby seals to death with a sack made out of siberian tiger fur filled with orphaned kittens, which has led me to develop the ultimate (and incredibly infuriating response) to anyone who rags on me for eating meat:
I'm hungry and they are probably better off dead

I would try more vegetarian dishes, but my main problem with vegetarian food in restaurant/etc is that it either they are half-assed options (e.g. the standard 'vegetable lasagne') or they bulk out the dish with chick peas or lentils (or similar leguminous foodstuffs) and I just don't like the taste or texure, incidentally, this is also the problem my partner has as she also shares my loathing for chick peas/lentils/etc. Most of the time places just really don't put any effort into their vegetarian options

Egg and nut allergies means that most meat substitutes are actually deadly to me...

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger. Now, I love meat, but I decided to try the veggie burger from the cafeteria.
I like vegetarian food. This got me wondering. Why dont people try it more often? Why do people shrug of vegetarian food for meat?
I think its because the word "vegetarian" ha gotten synonymous with "Obnoxious fools" and that those options are only there for them.
Anyone else got any ideas?

I eat plenty of non animal based foods. I just had a carrot.

It took a while for manufacturers to figure out that vegetarians *don't* want stuff that tastes like meat. Nice vegetarian food is gorgeous.

And the things you can do with cheeses...oh my.

 Avatar 720 wrote:
Really, an omnivorous diet is the healthiest option, since you get the goodness of fruit and vegetables as well as that of fish and meat.

Going to either extreme just serves to cut you off from the goodness of what you don't eat, and requires the use of vitamin supplements or food with all sorts of added things, to the point where it's less food with added vitamins and more vitamins with added food.

A completely plant-based diet might be more sustainable (so long as the staple plants can keep up with demand as well as being hardy enough to put up with extreme weather and shifts in weather patterns), but it's not the healthiest option at all.

The Mayo Clinic would beg to differ.

Mayo Clinic


A completely vegetarian diet is viable, and far more sustainable than "extreme weather" animals..... I mean really, the animals we eat are fed vast amounts of corn we have to grow. It takes huge quantities of resources and space to grow a cow, pig, chicken, or turkey to be ready for slaughter, all of which are even more dependent on the weather - because their food is grown in a single place in the world - growing only 2 types of plants that deplete the earth of its resources and are not being cycled because it's not profitable to the farmers who have to buy into the system. Instead they simply just buy what the industry tells them because that's where the market is. They dump vast quantities of chemical fertilizer on ground that if it was cycled, wouldn't need it and buy GMO plants that have not been tested for safety and are even forced to destroy their own seed if it is not the company's. If you live in the midwest you would know, the US only grows two types of plants here. Corn, and Soy, which are made into feed, solvents, and high fructose syrups. Furthermore, meat's are literally chocked full of hormones, carry the pesticides of industrial farm feed, and other chemicals that are not regulated by the FDA. Unless you are buying locally, or from a CSA, there's a significant chance that the meat you eat in the US is not healthy for you or the environment. People wonder why cancer rates are skyrocketing in the US while they remain low in other parts of the world where farming is vastly different... the food we eat is a major reason, and our meat (as delicious as it is) is a massive reason.

^pure veggel propaganda. That clinic knows not of what it speaks. Also, peanuts are great protein and make an awesome snack, as do carrots and strawberries. And fruit salad in general.

There is an Indian restaurant I visit in Albany that has better veggie dishes than chicken dishes. Except the chili chicken. God, that's good. But cauliflower, potatoes and carrots in a coconut-curry sauce and steamed spinach/lentils? Oh man, so amazing. I'm not huge on lentils usually, I'll eat em, but they aren't special. This dish is great though. I could live off of it. Same w/ the veggies in coconut curry. Anyone in Albany, try out Shalimars. It's even a lunch buffet.

 ENOZONE wrote:

 Avatar 720 wrote:
Really, an omnivorous diet is the healthiest option, since you get the goodness of fruit and vegetables as well as that of fish and meat.

Going to either extreme just serves to cut you off from the goodness of what you don't eat, and requires the use of vitamin supplements or food with all sorts of added things, to the point where it's less food with added vitamins and more vitamins with added food.

A completely plant-based diet might be more sustainable (so long as the staple plants can keep up with demand as well as being hardy enough to put up with extreme weather and shifts in weather patterns), but it's not the healthiest option at all.

The Mayo Clinic would beg to differ.

Good for them? Doesn't make them right.

 ENOZONE wrote:

 Avatar 720 wrote:
Really, an omnivorous diet is the healthiest option, since you get the goodness of fruit and vegetables as well as that of fish and meat.

Going to either extreme just serves to cut you off from the goodness of what you don't eat, and requires the use of vitamin supplements or food with all sorts of added things, to the point where it's less food with added vitamins and more vitamins with added food.

A completely plant-based diet might be more sustainable (so long as the staple plants can keep up with demand as well as being hardy enough to put up with extreme weather and shifts in weather patterns), but it's not the healthiest option at all.

The Mayo Clinic would beg to differ.

I'm sure they would. Not that I'm more of an authority on diet or the body than the Mayo Clinic, but of my personal observations, the vegetarians I have known have shown approximately the same ratio of (fat or grossly underweight)/healthy to non-vegetarians.

As far as sustainable diets go, vegetarianism is only more sustainable because they won't take the Soylent Green option into serious account.

There's a reason farmers destroy their seed, it's because it's no good. In the case of GM it is often because terminator genes make it infertile this is true. But what isn't often pointed out is that normally grown seed isn't collected by farmers. This is because farmers and gardeners tend to grow F1 varieties which are a 50:50 mix of two varieties being cross bred. A box of seed will raise plants that are largely the same and have all the required balance of traits for yield, sweetness, disease resistance, etc. If you collect the seed from these plants that cross with each other, you get the F2 which will be a mix of seed with all different frequencies of different traits. Some will lose alleles for crop quality or disease resistance.

If you cast your mind back to school and recall Mendel's pea plant experiments, he cross bred two different varieties, the F1 produced were all tall plants with white flowers. When these were crossed with each other the F2 produced was a mixed bag of differently sized plants with various colours of flowers. Now imagine those various traits represent things like yield and fruit sweetness and you'll understand why farmers and gardeners don't use them.

 daedalus wrote:

 ENOZONE wrote:

 Avatar 720 wrote:
Really, an omnivorous diet is the healthiest option, since you get the goodness of fruit and vegetables as well as that of fish and meat.

Going to either extreme just serves to cut you off from the goodness of what you don't eat, and requires the use of vitamin supplements or food with all sorts of added things, to the point where it's less food with added vitamins and more vitamins with added food.

A completely plant-based diet might be more sustainable (so long as the staple plants can keep up with demand as well as being hardy enough to put up with extreme weather and shifts in weather patterns), but it's not the healthiest option at all.

The Mayo Clinic would beg to differ.

I'm sure they would. Not that I'm more of an authority on diet or the body than the Mayo Clinic, but of my personal observations, the vegetarians I have known have shown approximately the same ratio of (fat or grossly underweight)/healthy to non-vegetarians.

This is because being a fat is pretty much strictly a product of how many calories vs how many you consume, and it's not like being a vegeterian makes you excercise more. Utlimately for every high calorie food say a vegetarian doesn't eat say fried chicken, there is one they are eating like nuts, cheese or avocados. Hell a plate of nachos with guacamole and beans is perfectly vegetarian, it's also extremely fattening.

I'm vegetarian and I'm about 15 stone. I never understood why people assume vegetarians to be skinny and sickly...you know doritos and chocolate is all vegetarian, right?

 Chongara wrote:

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 Chongara wrote:
I'd stab my own mother for just about anything made with ground chickpeas.

O.o Priorities man...most of us would choose a nice, bloody steak after offering up a motherly sacrifice. Chickpeas? Wha? Unless we're discussing garlic-lovers hummus. That stuff is the tits on pita bread.

To be honest, I'm not a huge steak person. It's OK, and once in a great while I really get in the mood for it, but I'm really more of a Pork person at heart. In fact beef in general ranks pretty far down on my scale for the most part, way after Pork, Seafood (fried whole-belly clams, anything with tentacles or an exoskeleton, yum!), Chicken and quite a few vegetables & fruits I like.

Sorry, Cows just aren't really my thing.While I do appreciate a nice burger, I'd probably take a patty-shaped felafel on a hamburger bun over a regular burger any day 9 days out of 10.

Just out of curiosity Chongara, what region of the US are you from?? I ask not out of spite, but because I have found that people's tastes in food can depend on the region they grew up in... As in, most Texans will prefer beef, with a side of beef, and a side of baby beef, topped with beef.

Being from the Pacific Northwest, I LOOOOOOVE me some seafood, chicken and beef, with pork products rounding down the list (minus bacon of course)


To the OP, I think that most people have hit it on the head, the substitutes just do not sound appetizing to many people. I make on occasion, a really good Lentil and vegetable soup. There are plenty of vegetarian dishes out there that are not "substitute" foods, you just kinda have to look into different cook books and whatnot.

There aint much I dont eat.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

Just out of curiosity Chongara, what region of the US are you from?? I ask not out of spite, but because I have found that people's tastes in food can depend on the region they grew up in... As in, most Texans will prefer beef, with a side of beef, and a side of baby beef, topped with beef.

Ha. The "Whole Belly fried Clams" thing didn't give it away? I'm from New England, specifically MA. I really didn't think anyone ate the things else where in 'mercia. My buddy had a girlfriend from PA and she was shocked to learn that clams were even edible.

 Chongara wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

Just out of curiosity Chongara, what region of the US are you from?? I ask not out of spite, but because I have found that people's tastes in food can depend on the region they grew up in... As in, most Texans will prefer beef, with a side of beef, and a side of baby beef, topped with beef.

Ha. The "Whole Belly fried Clams" thing didn't give it away? I'm from New England, specifically MA. I really didn't think anyone ate the things else where in 'mercia. My buddy had a girlfriend from PA and she was shocked to learn that clams were even edible.

Really? I'm from Ohio and I knew they were edible lol.

 Chongara wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

Just out of curiosity Chongara, what region of the US are you from?? I ask not out of spite, but because I have found that people's tastes in food can depend on the region they grew up in... As in, most Texans will prefer beef, with a side of beef, and a side of baby beef, topped with beef.

Ha. The "Whole Belly fried Clams" thing didn't give it away? I'm from New England, specifically MA. I really didn't think anyone ate the things else where in 'mercia. My buddy had a girlfriend from PA and she was shocked to learn that clams were even edible.

Ahh... see, I know from being here in the South that Pork is HuUUGE, as apparently that is the only authorized meat for BBQ... I didn't want to assume you were from the south, but kinda did, since I also read the seafood, minus the clams thing

Hey now, I like meat as much as the next guy. But there are times when I'd like something different.

When I was at college, we had a "field day" sponsored by the school. It was a meet-and-greet with freshmen and advisors of clubs, etc. They offered burgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers. While waiting for burgers to cook up, I saw a fresh tray of veggie burgers sitting there. I grabbed a few, and they were awesome.

I still like veggie burgers.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 Chongara wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

Just out of curiosity Chongara, what region of the US are you from?? I ask not out of spite, but because I have found that people's tastes in food can depend on the region they grew up in... As in, most Texans will prefer beef, with a side of beef, and a side of baby beef, topped with beef.

Ha. The "Whole Belly fried Clams" thing didn't give it away? I'm from New England, specifically MA. I really didn't think anyone ate the things else where in 'mercia. My buddy had a girlfriend from PA and she was shocked to learn that clams were even edible.

Ahh... see, I know from being here in the South that Pork is HuUUGE, as apparently that is the only authorized meat for BBQ...

Hey, and they're right of course. Texas is off it it's rocker, beef is just a waste of smoke.

It's obvious, isn't it? Veggies are healthy, and here in 'Merica, we don't take too kindly to healthy food...

Actually from a health point of view (I don't know if this was brought up, I didn't really read the thread), meat is actually very important. There are a lot of vital proteins that the body needs but can't produce itself, and those proteins can be found in meat. It's possible to get them through vegetables, but you have to mix and match the right veggies to get the right proteins combinations. Simply put, meat is a shortcut to some essential nutrients.

 Locclo wrote:
It's obvious, isn't it? Veggies are healthy, and here in 'Merica, we don't take too kindly to healthy food...

Actually from a health point of view (I don't know if this was brought up, I didn't really read the thread), meat is actually very important. There are a lot of vital proteins that the body needs but can't produce itself, and those proteins can be found in meat. It's possible to get them through vegetables, but you have to mix and match the right veggies to get the right proteins combinations. Simply put, meat is a shortcut to some essential nutrients.

I think you're talking about vitamin D and L-something or another...

My ma is on vegan diet (health reason, not religiously) and she has to take supplements to fill in vitamin deficiencies.

You know, all the talk about curry in this thread...I'm going to go have myself some curried chicken with rice and steamed broccoli for dinner. Delicious and homemade. I'm not sharing!

Curry is awesome. When I first visited London I made a specific point of going out for curry and it did not disappoint.

My kid sister went veggie a few years ago, and in consequence my mom has added some vegetarian choices into her core stable of feast dishes. One of them is this absolutely insane veggie Channa Biryani. It's just killer.

...I do sometimes put some chicken in it, though.

 Chongara wrote:
I think folks are looking at this whole veggie burger thing wrong (including some of the folks making them).

They taste nothing like burgers so it's silly to really call them that, the only thing they have in common is the shape. Of course they're going to be disappointing if you go in expecting something that tastes like meat.

However, I think many stand on their own merits as "Patty-Shaped Vegetable Sandwiches with Cheese and Mushrooms", and should be advertised as such. After all we wouldn't begrudge a grilled cheese sandwich for not being a ham and cheese sandwich.

Two things simply going between bread, and being roughly the same shape isn't really any reason to approach them the same way.

I think the problem is more than expectation, though I agree that probably plays a part. To me its about what's good about vegetarian cuisine, and what's good about meat are basically different things. A hamburger is greasy salty and wonderful for it. But you try to make a veggie burger like that and it's just sad.

But a pan fried field mushroom with a bit of salad is beautiful, because it's bringing out what's best in the mushroom.


Or something, I'm certainly no chef.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 timetowaste85 wrote:
^pure veggel propaganda. That clinic knows not of what it speaks.

No, seriously vegetarian food is way more sustainable. There's really no debate possible on the issue.

I mean, we could probably feed 20 billion people quite easily if we just ate grain, rather than fed the grain to a cow and then ate the cow.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Testify wrote:
I'm vegetarian and I'm about 15 stone. I never understood why people assume vegetarians to be skinny and sickly...you know doritos and chocolate is all vegetarian, right?

When I dated a vegetarian I put on weight, because I ate so much more food just to feel full. Even if its a curry or a pasta I'll find I'll eat way more of it before I feel full.

There's definitely something to that idea that protein (ie meat) will stop you feeling hungry, but carbs or whatever else you can just keep going.

For me vegetarian food is really damn hit or miss, if i can i avoid it but my seven years of culinary training (2 years was professional) will not allow me to avoid it, I've made some killer Ratatouille before, and one thing that a friend of mine told me was a vegetarian shepherds pie..... yeah i heard that and almost barfed, then they told me that you pretty much substitute the beef with beans or lentils soaked in a gak load of beer and mix it with BBQ sauce. But in all honesty some decorative green bullgak will never be able to replace a good roast or wild game chilli (elk, moose or venison)

I'll eat vegetables/fruits in place of meat on a regular bases.

Though. like everything else I eat, I base it on taste.

If I eat a salad, it has to be made to my liking. Iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and ranch dressing is not a salad. It's what that over weight girl brings into work from January 1st to January 7th, then goes back to fried chicken.

Why? because its disgusting.

red leaf lettuce, spinach leaves, carrots, cucumbers, croutons, onions, mushrooms, olives, vine ripe tomatoes and home made dressing. Preferably raspberry vinaigrette.

A salad to me is iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, onions, cucumber, and maybe some egg if I want to make it an egg salad. Follow that up with a good quality balsamic vinaigrette and perhaps a dollop of mayo or salad cream.

Can also add pasta to it for a pasta salad, and prawns for a prawn pasta salad, maybe some cans of fish for other types. Not only is it a great salad, it's also a great base for other dishes.

I like a nice Bulgarian salad. Plum tomatoes and european-style cucumbers are the bulk, with some chopped green bell pepper and finely-diced shallots, a dressing of a little light oil and red wine vinegar (or balsamic), and some herb salt. Traditionally it's also got some feta cheese, which my wife loves, but I'm not partial to.

Serve with rakia.

 Chongara wrote:
After all we wouldn't begrudge a grilled cheese sandwich for not being a ham and cheese sandwich.

I have been thrown out of places for trying to yell grilled cheese into ham and cheese.

I dont mind veggie food really. Even as a fairly committed carnivore, I try to eat a veggie diet for one day a week. Its the curse of having regular Nutrition Courses as part of my job!

But that does not mean I don't crave a 16oz T-Bone with home cut fries and blue cheese sauce during my enforced once weekly meat abstinence, I just try not to think about it too much....

Everyone complains about preachy vegetarians but I don't buy it. I'm a vegetarian and I've met next-to-no self-righteous hippy vegan types.

On the contrary, it's rare to mention you're a vegetarian without prompting some insulting comment, if you're around people you don't know well.

-"No thanks, I'm a vegetarian."
-"What, why? You know you need protein! You'll starve yourself!"

-"I'll take a black bean burger."
-"Mmmmm, I love the way this bloody beef burger tastes! Nothin' beats dead baby cow!"

-"Can you make one of the pizzas a cheese? I'm a vegetarian."
-"Can you get a triple meat supreme too? I don't eat anything not made with dead animals."

It gets tiresome.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger.

How much protein was in that burger? As I'm actively working out, I try to have protein with every lunch and dinner and most breakfasts.

the color purple wrote:
Everyone complains about preachy vegetarians but I don't buy it. I'm a vegetarian and I've met next-to-no self-righteous hippy vegan types.

On the contrary, it's rare to mention you're a vegetarian without prompting some insulting comment, if you're around people you don't know well.

-"No thanks, I'm a vegetarian."
-"What, why? You know you need protein! You'll starve yourself!"

-"I'll take a black bean burger."
-"Mmmmm, I love the way this bloody beef burger tastes! Nothin' beats dead baby cow!"

-"Can you make one of the pizzas a cheese? I'm a vegetarian."
-"Can you get a triple meat supreme too? I don't eat anything not made with dead animals."

It gets tiresome.

This. Entirely this.

"Dead animals are so tasty omg!!!!"

Wow you're such a man. It's a wonder I can bench what you weigh and you can barely open a tin of beans, huh?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 kronk wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger.

How much protein was in that burger? As I'm actively working out, I try to have protein with every lunch and dinner and most breakfasts.

Depends. If it's a conventional veggie burger, feth all. But some (thinking Linda McCartney) are packed full of protein. As a vegetarian who works out, the protein content of vegetarian food is something of a speciality for me.

 Testify wrote:

Depends. If it's a conventional veggie burger, feth all. But some (thinking Linda McCartney) are packed full of protein. As a vegetarian who works out, the protein content of vegetarian food is something of a speciality for me.

That would be a reason for me not to try it, then. I know feth all about veggie burgers, and couldn't tell the difference between high protein and not.

I have also not met a self-righteous vegan, but know 4 personally. It's usually the other way around.

 kronk wrote:

 Testify wrote:

Depends. If it's a conventional veggie burger, feth all. But some (thinking Linda McCartney) are packed full of protein. As a vegetarian who works out, the protein content of vegetarian food is something of a speciality for me.

That would be a reason for me not to try it, then. I know feth all about veggie burgers, and couldn't tell the difference between high protein and not.

I have also not met a self-righteous vegan, but know 4 personally. It's usually the other way around.

Well to be honest if you're looking to pack in protein, relying on a good composition in your Veggie burger is going to be a crap shoot at best. Now, a heaping helping of something like Beans & Rice is going to be chock full of protein. It's also got an ass ton of starch and fiber, which is good for keep your blood sugar & energy levels stable which is good if you're going to be doing a lot of phsyical activity. Dirt Cheap, and easy to make in bulk too.

EDIT: Still you can just read the back of package for the item in question. It'll list the amount of protein per serving.

 Chongara wrote:
Still you can just read the back of package for the item in question. It'll list the amount of protein per serving.

Certainly. I recommend everyone read the back of all of their packaged food. So much sodium these days...

As to the context of my posts, the OP was talking about getting this at a cafeteria, which don't usually provide that kind of information. That said, I'll usually try anything once.

 kronk wrote:

 Testify wrote:

Depends. If it's a conventional veggie burger, feth all. But some (thinking Linda McCartney) are packed full of protein. As a vegetarian who works out, the protein content of vegetarian food is something of a speciality for me.

That would be a reason for me not to try it, then. I know feth all about veggie burgers, and couldn't tell the difference between high protein and not.

I have also not met a self-righteous vegan, but know 4 personally. It's usually the other way around.

I don't usually have burgers but sausages are a staple food of mine.

Each one is 100 calories and 10g of protein (mainly soy).

I really liked the spicy bean burger from burger king, and im a rare steak man.

If its tasty i will have it, not fussy, lifes serving dish is vast

Tried vegan for a bit for a "30 day challenge" - I lasted through it.

Ended up gaining a bit of extra body fat % and noticable strength loss in some of my heavier lifts. I like the idea and the disipline it instills, but I simply enjoy eating meat. It's easier for me to pound down chicken breasts and meat then blow $ on food. The loss of fish was too much as well. Mad props to people that upkeep the vegan lifestyle.

I just enjoy meat too much

 Auxellion wrote:
Tried vegan for a bit for a "30 day challenge" - I lasted through it.

Ended up gaining a bit of extra body fat % and noticable strength loss in some of my heavier lifts. I like the idea and the disipline it instills, but I simply enjoy eating meat. It's easier for me to pound down chicken breasts and meat then blow $ on food. The loss of fish was too much as well. Mad props to people that upkeep the vegan lifestyle.

I just enjoy meat too much

How do vegans get protein? You must have to eat a fething lot of beans and peanuts. Like, a lot.

I find it hard enough as a vegetarian so i'm usually lazy and just have whey protein (which vegans can't have). Though I did try some hemp protein at my old work, it's high in fibre but it tastes fething *awful*.

 Testify wrote:

 Auxellion wrote:
Tried vegan for a bit for a "30 day challenge" - I lasted through it.

Ended up gaining a bit of extra body fat % and noticable strength loss in some of my heavier lifts. I like the idea and the disipline it instills, but I simply enjoy eating meat. It's easier for me to pound down chicken breasts and meat then blow $ on food. The loss of fish was too much as well. Mad props to people that upkeep the vegan lifestyle.

I just enjoy meat too much

How do vegans get protein? You must have to eat a fething lot of beans and peanuts. Like, a lot.

I find it hard enough as a vegetarian so i'm usually lazy and just have whey protein (which vegans can't have). Though I did try some hemp protein at my old work, it's high in fibre but it tastes fething *awful*.

Almost as if you're sitting there chewing on twine?

I don;t try the Veggie option much because a lot of it is made usign Mushrooms as a major component to replace the beef. I can't stand the taste and texture of mushrooms. Therefore, it limits my meet replacement vegetarian options.

I feel I do try the veggie option, everyday.

Along with my meat, (fish, chicken, pork etc) I'll heap a gak ton of veg on my plate too. Roast potatoes are a special treat.

I have heard it called a 'balanced diet'.

 Mr. Burning wrote:
I feel I do try the veggie option, everyday.

Along with my meat, (fish, chicken, pork etc) I'll heap a gak ton of veg on my plate too. Roast potatoes are a special treat.

I have heard it called a 'balanced diet'.

Indeed. I find it hilarious when I glance around the cafeteria and see all the vegetarians with fried cheese & tartar on their plates thinking how much healthier they are eating compared to my steak, salad, and steamed mixed veggies.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And to add something relevant: For the past month and a half I've been following the "paleo" diet, which is sort of the reverse of vegetarianism.

The main deal is cutting all starch (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, corn) and dairy. My meals are meat + colored veggies and fruit. I've lost 8 kg so far - and two belt holes - with no muscle loss and my chronic inflammations and allergies are going down for the first time in years. Die in a fire, starch.

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 Chongara wrote:
I'd stab my own mother for just about anything made with ground chickpeas.

O.o Priorities man...most of us would choose a nice, bloody steak after offering up a motherly sacrifice. Chickpeas? Wha? Unless we're discussing garlic-lovers hummus. That stuff is the tits on pita bread.

If it didn't cry when it died I don't want to eat it. Meat is murder.....tasty tasty murder

Speaking of I think I need to call my mom up....

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger. Now, I love meat, but I decided to try the veggie burger from the cafeteria.
I like vegetarian food. This got me wondering. Why dont people try it more often? Why do people shrug of vegetarian food for meat?
I think its because the word "vegetarian" ha gotten synonymous with "Obnoxious fools" and that those options are only there for them.
Anyone else got any ideas?

As I need to keep both my blood sugar and cholesterol within tight bounds, carb-rich fruit/vegetables/bread/beans and cholesterol-rich dairy can only be consumed in very limited quantity. Lean meat (with garlic, onions, lemon pepper, crushed red pepper and a small amount of chili powder), however, is free game

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger. Now, I love meat, but I decided to try the veggie burger from the cafeteria.
I like vegetarian food. This got me wondering. Why dont people try it more often? Why do people shrug of vegetarian food for meat?
I think its because the word "vegetarian" ha gotten synonymous with "Obnoxious fools" and that those options are only there for them.
Anyone else got any ideas?

After the 10th or so vegetarian version of a meat dish, I decided that I didn't want to press my luck on what is essentially faked food since the only meat that I found to be close was Bocca Nuggets, which do taste and have the texture of chicken nuggets.

I love vegetarian dishes that aren't trying to be a non-meat version of a meat dish, it's the trying too hard ones that drive away meat eaters. A salad doesn't have to be labelled 'vegetarian' on a menu because it isn't a fake version of something else.

 snooggums wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
This is not a post about how vegetarian is better, just read it.
I just got done eating a delicious vegetarian burger. Now, I love meat, but I decided to try the veggie burger from the cafeteria.
I like vegetarian food. This got me wondering. Why dont people try it more often? Why do people shrug of vegetarian food for meat?
I think its because the word "vegetarian" ha gotten synonymous with "Obnoxious fools" and that those options are only there for them.
Anyone else got any ideas?

After the 10th or so vegetarian version of a meat dish, I decided that I didn't want to press my luck on what is essentially faked food since the only meat that I found to be close was Bocca Nuggets, which do taste and have the texture of chicken nuggets.

I love vegetarian dishes that aren't trying to be a non-meat version of a meat dish, it's the trying too hard ones that drive away meat eaters. A salad doesn't have to be labelled 'vegetarian' on a menu because it isn't a fake version of something else.

If you're praising boca nuggets or really any sort nugget in general, in the same statement you're decrying "Faked Food" I'm not sure how seriously I can take you.

I'm saying it is the only one close to the actual meat counterpart that it is supposed to replicate, where does the praise come in?

I will always prefer tofu dogs to normal hot dogs

 snooggums wrote:
I'm saying it is the only one close to the actual meat counterpart that it is supposed to replicate, where does the praise come in?

Nuggets in no way qualify as "Actual Meat" any more than "American Cheese" is actual cheese. I mean they're a product, a product that contains some nonzero amount of meat.. they exist, phsyically but that doesn't make them real by any stretch of the imagination.

Went out to dinner last night with my vegetarian sister, and she got a salad and a veggie burger. She says veggie burgers vary widely in quality; that boca are crap, morningstar are good, garden burger okay. I could swear she mentioned another brand as being excellent, but I am now totally blanking on the name.

 Rainbow Dash wrote:
I will always prefer tofu dogs to normal hot dogs

you..... Monster!

Honestly? I've tried vegetarian food. I like veggi burgers and tofu "meat". But there is one problem. Its not about the taste. Its about a feeling which rises up every time I bite. It feels WRONG, like betraying a old friend. This my friend is, why I stick with fish and meat , though I rather prefer fish.

I am a line cook i eat a stable diet don't eat to much of this or that when i want a salad my body lets me know if i want a little bit of red meat on the side i eat it. stick to a regular balance and dont eat fast food you will be fine. alternatives like falafal and peas and beans are awesome a giant refried bean or black bean burrito with some cheese or not is still awesome

 Bromsy wrote:

 Rainbow Dash wrote:
I will always prefer tofu dogs to normal hot dogs

you..... Monster!

It's not like regular hot dogs are exactly chock-full of meat, either. =P Unless you find some decent ones, most of them are water, salt, and mechanically recovered lord-knows-what.

Nathans 100% all beef hot dogs are where it's at. Still CHOCK full of sodium though :(

I have 0 problems with vegetarian dishes with two exceptions:

1. Anything pretending to be meat. Veggies, however delicious, will not have the taste and texture of meat. Stop trying.
2. Soy. The soy lobby in the US is ridiculous, to the point where people here consume far more soy than is actually healthy. Especially for women, excessive soy can strip the body of other vitamins and proteins. I also can't stand the texture of tofu. Bleh.

As to veggies in general, I heavily suggest if you have even the smallest amount of space that you try growing your own. I did a tomato garden this year for the first time. The store bought red ones are crap. Horrible, grainy, disgusting crap. All you need is the space for a single decent sized pot on a porch and you can know what a tomoato is really supposed to taste like.

I grew several varities of heirloom (Yellow Brandywine, Mr Stripey, Yellow Jubilee, Green Zebra [that I did not get to enjoy because the deer decimated my plants] and yellow pear. Delicious stuff.

Two reasons that I do not try more vegetarian options.

1) I have had chickenless nuggets and they were terrible.

2) Not eating meat is a choice, Eating meat is an instinct.


Warning video is NSFW Strong Language:

I don't mind vegetarian dishes, as long as I can add some meat to them.

We made a big batch of falefel the other night; two boxes + extra cilantro. We homemade the yogurt sauce too, with tahini and lemon and some fresh chopped thai chilis for extra zip. Had them on some nice fresh wraps. Pretty darn tasty.

Got another box of mix tonight at the store, although I think we'll try making it fresh at some point too.

I would never give up my meat eating diet, but there is plenty of good vegetarian foods out there that I will eat. A good meat dish>a good vegetarian dish>an ok meat dish>an ok vegetarian dish.