Ask the Editor

I've been trying new foods at a great vegan restaurant, and many of the "mock meat" items are so authentic, they taste just like the real thing. The other day I had barbeque chicken legs that had "skin" and everything! It was fantastic, but I felt guilty eating food that tasted just like the real thing, even though I know this is completely humane food. Do other vegans feel this way sometimes? – Chris

Dear Chris,

Yes, some vegans do feel guilty eating vegan mock meat dishes. It's normal to feel that way. My husband and I used to live near a wonderful vegan Chinese restaurant and one time we ordered a mock fish dish. It tasted so much like real fish that I was taken aback for a moment and felt like I shouldn't be eating it.

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Another time I overheard two women in a vegetarian café/natural foods store commenting about the mock chicken and duck salads that were being sampled in the grocery area. One woman said, "Why do vegetarians even want to eat something that tastes like chicken? I mean, if you want chicken, go eat chicken for Heaven's sake!" I felt compelled to butt in and said, "When someone stops eating animal products they usually do it for health or ethical reasons. It doesn't mean we no longer enjoy the taste of real chicken, it just means we choose not to let our taste buds decide what we will eat. I freely admit I enjoy the taste of burgers and roast chicken and steak, but not enough that I would actually eat an animal. So if a company wants to make a humane, mock version of those foods, then yes, I would be interested in eating them." The women understood the point I was trying to make and one of them said, "Yeah, I guess I never really considered that. I mean, if it tastes just like chicken but there's no actual chicken in it, I guess I too would prefer to eat that than eat a real chicken. It's gotta be healthier, right?"

It's okay to like the flavors you remember as tasting great. Being vegan doesn't mean we suddenly develop different taste buds. Your choice to eat mock versions of those flavors instead of the real thing is admirable. So don't feel guilty.

I always tell my non-vegan friends and family that it's not the barbecued chicken they are craving anyway, it's the sauce. I tell them if you had to eat boiled chicken with no flavoring at all you would be very turned off. They always agree.

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