ngl i'm tired of seeing this question over an over

the issue is not the food, it is how it is procured. replicated animal products does not replicate the exploitation, abuse, nor death of animals.

you did not make a fair comparison in your post. the issue with pedophilia is child abuse, the issue with lolita porn is replication of said abuse. what you are implying of veganism is that it would be like saying someone can’t get themselves off from regular porn because the result (finishing) is the same as when they get themselves off from child abuse. see how this sounds dumb now?

I don't eat anything with realistic skin, bones, tendons, beaks, claws, hooves, or sinew. But after you process protein, a patty, nugget, or sausage shape is a convenient and familiar way of presenting and consuming it. Let me know next time you see a flock of nuggets, herd of burgers, or a drove of sausages.

Because I'm feral. 

Also your comment about Lolita is more disgusting than food that looks like meat. Likening fake meat to a p3d0 is fkn wild. Please don't. 

I guess the same could be asked about why you occasionally eat honey?

I dunno man, it’s not like vegans don’t think animal products taste good or are enjoyable. It’s not about that at all. You still might have the itch for a steak or roast or chicken, and so you scratch it with imitation. Where’s the harm in that? The whole point is that there is none.

I think it's kind of the same reason a lot of people say they would never go vegan. Most of us were raised eating animal products and those meals can have sentimental and cultural value, even if you no longer want to contribute to the harm you once did with the "real thing". So we make replacements to satisfy a craving without doing any actual harm. It's usually about nostalgia and carrying on cultural traditions without needlessly contributing to animal harm.

Some of us vegans grew up as meat eaters and certain foods are just nostalgic to us. While I’m vegan for life for a multitude of reasons, my Black ass is gonna eat deep fried chicken-esque textured food and cheesy imitations whenever I get the chance within a healthy moderation. 😆 I don’t need a beak, feathers and feet to make it weirdly anatomic but getting that mouth feel without the death is pretty rewarding.

I immediately knew you were talking about the blood seitan when I saw the title, which was the post above this one 😆 Looks crazy but I’d prefer someone eat that 100% of the time versus eating cow flesh. I think the more non vegans see that they don’t have to give up EVERYTHING they are used to eating with a vegan diet, more of them will be inspired to make the switch or at least eat a few less animals than before. We have to take victories where we can.

“For the same reason people use dildos! Looks the same, feels the same, fills a hole & no hearts are broken in the process.”

some vegans, like me, just dont like animal products and dont consume vegan "cheese" or vegan "meat" or anything that resembles animal products.

Personally, I don't. I don't like to pretend that I'm eating an animal. That's gross and weird atp.

This is a question my boss asks me all the time, and it seems that she, and many people, just can't understand a person being vegan if they aren't aesthetically repulsed by meat and animal products.

They understand that its an ethical stance, that we're vegan because we take issue with the harm and exploitation of animals, but I think a lot of people understand and relate to that objection, but push it down and repress it because they like the taste of meat. As a result, when they meet a vegan person, they figure that that person, in order to truly follow through on their ethical objection to the procurement of animal products, must not like those animal products very much, otherwise it would be too hard to resist, right?

That's the sequence of assumptions that creates this recurring question. The answer to the question is simple: animal products do actually taste good, especially if you're raised eating them regularly. Burgers are delicious, sausage is delicious, cheese and steak and cheesesteaks and bone broth all taste good. I refuse to eat any of them because their production depends on reprehensible practices, so I eat the next best things: veggie burgers and plant-based sausage and fake cheese that feels like plastic and all kinds of other imitators, because the existence and accessibility of these products makes it easier for me to be vegan and still eat a variety of fun foods.

i didn’t go vegan because i don’t like the taste or texture of meat. do you really think this question hasn’t been asked a million times already? use the search function. 

Burgers don't look like animals. Neither do steaks, for that matter. It's just a shape that's convenient to cook & eat.

A) it doesn't resemble animals in any way. A burger doesn't look like a cow, bacon doesn't look like a pig, and nuggets look more like dinosaurs than chickens.

B) I love the way it tastes, but the way it gets to my plate is horrific. There's a very convenient way to change that journey to one that doesn't exploit animals and doesn't change the flavor or texture. So the question becomes, why wouldn't I like the option that gives me the same flavors and leaves the animals alone?

The honest answer for you is that food is one of many vehicles for culture.

I grew up taught to eat meat and went vegan. I liked steak, but I did not like how it was produced or the treatment of another conscious mammal like that.

It's not about it being gross or anything for me, although I might have an animal protein allergy. I honestly do not care if my plant-based burger "bleeds" or not, I care how it tastes and if it "hits right". Other people who do care have expressed to me that it's somewhat comforting to have a vegan version of a food that's as close as possible.

When I cook with a plant-based steak like those delicious mycelium steaks, I'm looking to replicate a taste, texture, and overall feel of a dish I remember and enjoy... just without the requisite suffering.

Why? Culture. Enjoyment.

Not everything has to be this big ethical/moral pointing of fingers like you're doing OP. If a lab figures out how to grow steak from ethically sourced cell cultures or someone figures out a 3D printed plant-based inch-thick steak, I'm going to fucking eat both of those suffering-free foods just the same. As long as I'm not allergic, heh.

For me my concern lies with the treatment of conscious animals under the aggregated human systems. People will likely always consume meat, that doesn't always have to be a statement of failure or complicity on our part. We represent massive drops in meat consumption personally and my exact style has omnivores who hang out with me get vegan food every so often.

I'm already vegan, so my personal impact is near-maximal. I can't make choices for others or make personal impact for them. All I can do, as I'm already vegan, is show the folk around me there's a different way to be.

I like to think of it as I work against the systems, not the people trapped in them like I was.

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I went vegan to reduce animal suffering. Not because eating animals is “icky”.

It’s easier to make the switch when the food looks and tastes like what I ate for the first 20+ years of my life.

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Most vegans weren’t born vegan. Most of them have decided to become vegan at some point in their lives. Because of that, many have experienced eating animals and may even have enjoyed it before realising how immoral it is.

That being said, imitating familiar flavours is not immoral as long as it does not involve harming other beings. Veganism is about reducing harm, not rejecting flavours.

Vegans don’t avoid meat because they hate the taste. They avoid it because they don’t want animals to be harmed. Plant-based versions allow them to enjoy familiar flavours and textures without the ethical cost.

Also, calling something a “steak” simply indicates the shape or the way it is prepared. It is usually accompanied by words like “vegan” or “cauliflower,” making it clear that no animals were involved.

I really don't know how to explain it better and can't help if it's still not clear...

People often crave foods they ate in childhood (i.e. comfort food). Many vegans, such as myself, didn’t become vegan until we were old enough to choose our own diets. Mock meats and such allow us to enjoy vegan versions of our comfort foods.

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