Today, I want to talk about vegan replacement foods, such as faux meats, plant based milks, cheeses made from nuts, etc. In fact, I’ve wanted to talk about this for a long time. If you’re looking for a quick summary of this post, the title says it all, really. But I think this is a topic that we don’t talk about much in the community. So let’s, right now. Because there’s surprisingly a lot to say. 

A bit of background

   If I’m being honest, I think this issue comes from a sort of disconnect in the vegan subcultures, if you will. And it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which vegan subgroups are at odds with each other, because there is overlap and exceptions. Essentially, this tangled mess is a disagreement and in my opinion, indicative of the many different kinds of vegans there truly are. (If you want to read more about different kinds of vegans, you can check out that post here.) 

   But in general, I will say this. Over the years, I’ve watched the general vibe of the vegan scene change greatly. Back in 2013, there was this huge craze of raw veganism, where if you were vegan, you probably at least considered going raw at some point or another, just because of the prevalence. In those days, we told each other constantly to carb up, eating mountainous plates of mangoes (or bananas), which eventually turned into rice with some daal…oh, but that’s another story anyway. 

   My point is, back then, whole foods was the way to go. (And raw, if you could help it.) Also, coincidentally, we didn’t really have any good vegan replacement foods. Like, at all. Now there are a couple reasons for this. I like to think we’ve made leaps and bounds in the area of vegan replacement food science. But if I’m being honest with myself, I really think it was the attitude of the people that held us back from making the cornucopia of vegan meats and cheeses that we’ve got today. People didn’t value the idea of a realistic vegan burger (etc). 

Modern anti-vegan meat sentiment

   And I see this attitude creep into the vegan scene sometimes today too. I would say, as a whole, it’s not as prevalent. Vegans these days are creating and funding better replacements all the time. We celebrate a really good, juicy burger, as long as nobody had to harm or use an animal to get it. But still, some people get weird and judgey about vegan replacement foods, especially if you’re eating them frequently. And I’d say this judgement mainly comes in three different flavors. 

“Eating vegan meats is still carnism”

   First, this thing where people say that eating vegan meats is still speciesist and bad and stuff. The argument basically boils down to the question “why would you want to simulate the experience of death on your plate?” And this is one I understand the visceral experience of. Having been vegan for a long time and coming from a culture where the vegan replacements were incredibly unrealistic, I sometimes experience discomfort at just how real some of these newer products can get. It’s not always glaringly obvious that you’re eating vegan food, which is great for the people who like non vegan food but still don’t want to contribute to the harm of animals. But as someone who got very used to being positive that this wasn’t (insert chosen animal product here), it can be very unnerving. 

   I’ll have times where I’ll make one of my loved ones try it. Someone who’s eaten whatever animal product much more recently than I have, to be sure that they can tell the difference. (Because after not eating animal products for so long, the memories are a little fuzzy on the specifics of the textures and flavors.) I want to be sure the restaurant didn’t mess up my order, and the better the replacements get, the less immediately clear that becomes. So I get being a little skeeved out about these new, uber realistic meats and cheeses (etc). And if you don’t want to eat them because it’s too realistic for you, totally. You do you. But I don’t think it follows to tell others not to eat them or to be judgmental of those who do. 

Defense for vegan doppelganger meals

   Veganism, as a practice, is about not participating in the slaughter, use and abuse of animals. And when you eat a vegan copycat food, no animal had to die or be harmed or used for it. It’s as simple as that. And if you’re still upset about it, I’m not sure what that has to do with veganism. In fact, with the growing interest in these vegan foods in people who aren’t vegan themselves, I would think that vegans across the board would be happy about this. A lot less animals are being killed for people’s penchant for heavy, greasy foods. That’s a win for the animals, and thus, should also be a win for the vegans. 

   And a lot of people who are against this will chime in here and say it’s about symbolism, right? “If you’re against animal cruelty, why would you want to put something that looks like it on your plate?” Yeah, okay, except people simulate stuff all the time that we’d be against in its real form. We watch horror movies, play shooting games, and fantasize about things that we’d never do in real life. As far as I’m concerned, vegan replacement foods are the same. We want a safe and respectful way to engage in the things we find pleasure in. 

   I don’t know that many people who went vegan because they didn’t like the taste of any animal foods. I certainly didn’t. Growing up, I really enjoyed any form of meat I was given. (It wasn’t common, because we didn’t have a lot of money. Meat is more expensive than a lot of people feel like admitting.) And for the most part, didn’t change after going vegan. Over the years, my tastes have changed. That’s true. I don’t know if I would like “real bacon” if I tried it today. It seems way too salty and greasy to enjoy like I used to. But I do still like eating a nice vegan hot dog or burger or grilled cheese from time to time. The flavor, the nostalgia, the specialness and the sense of social normalcy that I get from it is worth it. And none of that hurts the animals. 

Vegan Replacements are “transition foods”

   So here’s another one. Usually people won’t get super aggressive if this is their point, but it’s prevalent enough that I wanted to address it. This is definitely a carryover from what I’ll consider the olden days (not really, since the term vegan was coined in the 1940’s, but bear with me). This perspective that vegan replacement foods exist for the sole purpose of weaning you off the animal foods until you’re a full-grown vegan is just so old-fashioned.

That was the way it had to be, back a decade ago. The soy dogs and veggie burgers we had then were pretty much just a middle ground between plant foods and animal foods. They were more like the things you knew, but less like that weird vegan stuff you weren’t familiar with, so you’d eat them while you figured out what a vegan ate. But almost nobody would really want to eat that stuff long-term. It usually had flavor and texture problems, and yet it was still expensive. It was not a sustainable solution, and you knew it. So going vegan did take a nonsignificant amount of resolve. You’d decided to change yourself and your diet. And it was a big undertaking and yes, “journey”. 

   But these days, there’s not much need for this kind of thinking. Over the years, we’ve had more and more people who were vegan and said “Well, hey. I still like the taste of cheese. Let’s figure out how to make it so that I don’t have to miss it anymore.” And wow, what a win for veganism.

Because they said that, now we can say “I want to go vegan, but I don’t want to stop eating my favorite foods.” That is awesome, and I’m so grateful every time I have a delicious meal that looks like an animal food I used to enjoy, because I remember a time when that truly wasn’t possible. A time when “vegan nachos” meant chips with black beans, salsa, avocado and cilantro. (Which, by the way, is also delicious. For the record. But it’s not really nachos.) Back then, vegan pizza had no cheese (or gross, expensive, hard to find in a regular grocery store cheese, take your pick), and I had never tried a vegan lasagna. 

   And I could rave all day about the extra freedoms and creativities that this brings me in my meals. But in my opinion, the real win is about sustainability. These days, people who would never in a million years consider veganism can now look at it and say “maybe I could do this”. It doesn’t just have to be for the people who are willing to deprive themselves for the sake of the animals (and the planet). It can be for the people who care, but don’t want to have to change all that much. Now, with all of these alternatives, veganism as a whole is much more sustainable as a lifestyle choice. Who knows, maybe as time goes on they’ll eat less of these foods. But maybe they won’t. And that would still be a win for the animals. 

You’re not “really vegan” if you eat those things

   So the last one is the least substantial argument, and yet sometimes can be the most hurtful. This whole idea of not being a real vegan if you eat these vegan alternatives, especially regularly. I think it plays off of the first two arguments, with a little bit of a no true scotsman fallacy thrown in for good measure, and it sucks. Because obviously, people who are changing their lifestyle for the sake of the animals and planet want to be included in the group of people who are also doing the same thing. 

   But let me tell you something. The people who are doing this kind of weird gatekeeping are not the kind of people you want to be lumped in with anyway. No, really. For some people, nothing’s ever enough, and they will use anything to feel special and better than other people. Some people use veganism in this way. (If you want to read more about veganism and purity, check out this post all about it.) And some people, when veganism is not enough, have to look to more extreme things to get that hit of superiority. So maybe they’ll get fanatical about whole foods, or even raw foods. Just to assert themselves into an even more exclusive in-group. 

   I’m definitely not saying that everyone into veganism, whole foods, or raw foods is like this. They’re definitely not. But some people go into these things with these motivations. And these are the kinds of people that are best ignored, in my opinion. People who are looking for reasons they’re better than others will always find them and are very hard to dissuade, especially if you’re feeling insecure about your new journey as a vegan. It can be easy to feel defensive, which will only make the vain, self-important types feel more validated. Don’t be worried about what they’re saying. Focus on your path. If you came to veganism because you didn’t want an animal to be used and slaughtered on your behalf, then whether you eat vegan alternatives really doesn’t play into the equation at all. You know that. Stay true to your values.

Be your own kind of vegan

   Really and truly, it all comes down to this. Once we’re adults, no one can give us permission in life. Only consent and encouragement. And when it comes down to vegan replacement foods, there is no issue of consent. So eat them, if you want. Don’t let other people tell you what kind of vegan food you should and should not be eating. 

   I want to give a quick thank you to all of you out there who are working hard at making vegan food delicious. For yourself, your families, and for all of us out here in the world who get to try your food. The work you do helps the animals, as well as people’s perceptions of veganism on the whole. Sure, there will always be nay-sayers. But that’s simply more evidence of your success. Thank you very much.

Signed, 

A Hungry Vegan