My sister was a vegetarian for a couple years while we were growing up. She gave it up, but her vegetarianism introduced me to the fine world of meat substitute products.

I still buy and eat the soy hot dogs (not dogs) and the fake hamburger patties made with veggies. I like how they taste. Just today I bought some not dogs at the grocery store.

The fake cheese is terrible though.

Soy cheese is usually bad, and a lot of it contains milk protein (?).
Pizza Luce in Mpls has a KILLER ricotta substitute called Rinotta though. Locals, try it!

In the UK, nearly all cheese is veggie now anyway, even when it doesn't say so, whichis a good thing as substitute cheese does suck.

A lot of veggie food is great nowadays: over the years my girlfriend has moved to apoint very close to vegetarianism just because she has found that she prefers the veggie option.

And you cannot say no to chilli bean burgers, as that would be very wrong indeed!

I think the fake cheese is for vegans.

It is indeed. I think.

I've never tried the fake fish fingers, I'm rather dubious about them.

You would think so, but like I said, A LOT of soy cheese has milk protein in it. You need to read those labels closely. Counterintuitive, isn't it?

It's the Asian chutneys and stuff I nearly fall for. Things like chilli and cocnut chutney which has fish paste in it.

Ok, so this isn't the 'carnivore challenges veggie to be the most consistent person ever' comment... but... Meat substitutes. Veggie sausages. First of all, they taste like shit. Second of all, and, again, this isn't a challenge - why would a vegetarian (one who is commited to the cause of the vegetable) want a vegetarian version of a foodstuff that is a vehicle for the greatness of meat (sausage)?

Bean burgers are ace, and you can make a pretty decent chilli out of veggie mince... the question is more why are there veggie sausages if veggie sausages taste like utter shit?

I'm with you all the way on this. I have no desire to eat simulated meat, because I don't miss it. Some of that stuff is uper gross, esp, the hot dogs.
I do love veggie burgers, but they are similar in shape only in a lot of cases.

this thread is making me crave a big juicy grilled steak

Good, that's nice to hear (well, read, but you know what I mean). It's surprising how many vegetarians I've met will try and convince me that veggie sausages are 'just the same'. They're really, really not. I should know, I eat meat.

tofu dogs taste like chemical sludge

on the other hand there are these QUORN patties made from mushrooms that are quite tasty.

STEAK.

Now I'm craving a dead animal that I paid someone else who I will never meet to kill. Hmm. I think there's a pork pie in the fridge. Incidentally, I've lived on a farm for a bit, and killed a chicken. Wasn't fun, but I have at least assuaged veggies of one possible hypocrisy.

Not that I can remember precisely what real sausages etc taste like after solong, but I agree wholeheartedly. Some veggie versions taste awful, but some are very nice indeed. Most things by Cauldron are pretty nice.

there's a vegetarian fast food place in london that has vege burgers that are better than any meat burger i've ever tasted. but yeah, meat substitutes are lame.

Oh and we shall not forget vegetarian bacon.Tastes nice and feels and looks like a plastic strip.Vegetarians with meaty guilt anyone?

I had this plan to make meat substitutes for vegetables... lettuce made with bacon strips, cheese made with chicken, that kind of thing. It's a ridiculous idea, but if it works the other way round, I can't see why I shouldn't make a shitload from an irrational idea.

i have been a vegetarian for seven years now and i can't imagine it being different.. i never liked meat, so i was allowed to stop eating it when i was ten :) ive always been healthy, just some lung problems due to allergies, and i feel good.. i became a vegetarian because i don't like eating meat and because i dont want anything to be killed just to give me something i don't really need. i do eat milk and eggs though, because a cow naturally gives milk and a chicken lays eggs, it doesnt hurt or kills them. (of course you have these chicken farms with chickens in really small cages, just there to lay an egg everyday, but i don't eat those.. only eggs from chickens that can walk around freely :)

Kegmama,
Check out seitan. It's got protein, and has a nice meaty texture and all of that good stuff. I couldn't live with out it.

come to america. you'll get rich.

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on a separate yet tangentially related note, i just had a 1/2 lb burger and 2 fried eggs. oh yeah.... that's breakfast...