Quote from: Jamie D on March 21, 2012, 11:52:54 AM
I have the same sort of feelings about the electronic cigarettes.
I'm not a smoker, personally, but I can't figure out why a smoker would use a "faux ->-bleeped-<-."
One can buy processed vegan meat and unprocessed vegan meat just like they can buy processed animal meat and unprocessed animal meat. (I am using the word 'meat' in its original meaning of 'solid food' cf. 'sweetmeats', 'nutmeat', 'mincemeat'). As a general rule the unprocessed food is healthier than the processed. One could argue or whether unprocessed animal meat is healthier than processed vegan meat but let's leave that one aside. All other things being equal, getting your nutrients directly from plants (not going through an animal) is healthier and eating it in an unprocessed form is healthier.
That's the first issue. Other reasons why people consume (and by people I mean vegans and vegetarians) vegan meat is because: 1) they are transitioning from non-vegan to vegan and want the comfort of familiar textures; 2) they want to blend in at a restaurant, BBQ or other social gathering that involves food; 3) they have been vegan for a while but are lazy and just want something quick; 4) they may be on the road and haven't the access to cook for themselves. There are surely other reasons but you get the general idea.
Vegan meat is not 'fake' or 'faux', unless of course hotdogs are also considered 'fake' and 'faux'. Hotdogs and patties are not a naturally occuring food source and just like non-vegans wish to eat burgers and sausages made from animal meat so too do vegans wish to eat burgers and sausages made from plants.
Personally I don't buy processed vegan meat because it tends to be expensive and not available where I live anyway. To recreate those familiar meals from childhood we use things like minced TVP (texturized vegetable protein), tofu, seitan and beans. My wife makes amazing black-bean burgers with spicy-mango sauce. They are delicious and went down a storm with all our friends last summer, vegan and non-vegan alike.
So to answer some of your questions why vegans eat things like tofukery sandwiches, it's because we also like burgers and sausages and sandwiches. We just like them to be made out of plants.
