If they're using these fake-meat products to transition from an omnivore diet to a vegan diet, fine. But as you said the sheer amount of processing and travel involved in the fake meats and such, it's not helpful in any way.

If they really believe it's better for the animals, then own it and eat the real food that defines your vegan stance: vegetables, beans, fruits, and grains, not highly processed ready-made versions of those foods. Having a few go-to recipes for vegan burgers is one thing - maybe the combination of certain beans, veggies, and seasonings ground up into a mush that can be cooked on a grill has a great taste and texture. Eventually they need to own their diet choices in a less destructive way than buying ready made vegan products.

If there's anything I've learned over the years doing LC, you can't count on the commercially produced specialty products to be there forever. You can't even count on being able to find specialty ingredients for your favorite specialty treats forever.

The same thing will happen with the ultra-processed vegan foods - they're already changing the recipes for some of the vegan burgers.


This is part of it that I seriously doubt most of them even realize. They're so focused on "saving the animals" while eating foods that remind them of animal foods that they aren't really thinking about the fact that all those substitutes for animal products are far more environmentally detrimental than all the cow farts and burps in the world.