Plant-Based Meat Substitutes

It's amazing how people's subjective experiences can differ so much. Impossible and Beyond are good, but to me they are really, really, really different from meat, to the point that I don't even understand why people eat them: Vegetables are delicious. Why try and fail to make them similar to meat, and simultaneously make it harder to understand what is even contained in the thing you're eating?

"It tastes like meat" is a compelling pitch for the many people who used to enjoy eating meat but stopped in order to lead a less cruel lifestyle :)

As a vegetarian, the problem with Beyond Meat (and other such products) is that they're too close to the original. I'm a vegetarian; I don't want to eat meat. If what I'm eating tastes too close to meat, I begin doubting it. It has happened several times in the past where I've been served (real) meat when I explicitly asked for a non-meat version (e.g. "beef burrito" instead of "bean burrito", etc.)This is why I avoid Beyond Meat (and Impossible) p

During my life as a vegetarian/vegan I regularly consume “fake meat” products because they are simple to prepare and allow me to use recipes that are not vegetarian. For example, it’s extremely hard to find a good vegetarian burger — the beyond burger was a revelation the first time I tried it. I still like burgers, even though there are many wonderful vegetarian dishes. I didn’t stop eating meat because I don’t like the taste of meat.Imagine that many of your favourite dishes, those you

Do any vegetarians/vegans on HN want to chime in with their opinions about meat substitutes like Impossible and Beyond?Personally, I eat meat, but I don't take issue with people who don't, and I'm glad they have more and more options, many of which I enjoy myself. But I'm not a big fan of those substitutes. I'd rather have meat, or a more traditional vegetarian/vegan dish(even something like a black bean burger).

My thought is it's for people who are meat replacing rather than being vegetarian.I agree with you about so many foods to choose from.For me as a vegetarian it's an absurd thing wanting to eat something that tastes like animal but it's a taste thing so it's just a subjective view of mine.

Hmm.. I'm a vegatarian, once vegan, since let me count.. oh why does that matter at all?Taste like meat? Not at all, likely, don't remember, but I usually find them taste just nice, pea protein with spices, so what's the problem? Also what does thst have to do with how regular?I hope they don't go out of business, being concerned for animals and environment I think every alternative that some people enjoy is great.

I'm not a vegetarian and I eat meat almost daily.This resonates though. A lot of restaurants have vegetarian dishes prepared to taste sort of like meat (e.g. paneer tikka instead of chicken tikka etc.). It was telling that the reverse was never there. I never liked the trend but understood it since the vegetarians would like to enjoy the taste of the other food and this was a compromise. This seems to be next step in that evolution but from what I've read, the stuff is highly proces

I don't think it's super weird. I'm lowering my meat consumption by eating more non-meat, and I'm not particularly interested in things that try to fake being meat, when I do eat I prefer meat, not something pretending to be meat. Lots of vegan friends in my circle also complains about companies doing fake meat instead of doing better products not trying to imitate meat.

It really is not that complex to understand:You either love meat and won't touch these things with a 10 feet pole or you are vegetarian/vegan and usually take care of what you put in your body, meaning probably a limited amount of junk/processed food, meaning no fake meat substitutes.The market really isn't that big imho, there are already plenty of alternative to meat for most applications, which are cheaper, less processed and taste as good or betterMy gf is vegan,