[schnevets]

My wife is pescatarian, which has really lowered my consumption of meat. There is such a weird contrast between meat marketing and the actual use. With my reduced consumption, I am still sometimes pulled in by marketing: the masterfully grilled steak; the shawarma roasting on a spit; the artisanal burger with a delicate balance of ground beef, fat, sausage, and maybe one or two secret ingredients...

...but this expectation rarely meets the reality when I order a meat item. Modern consumers have high demands for consistency and convenience, and that usually means adjuncts, breading, blending, and other techniques to account for the uncertainties of agriculture. I think we are still generations away from indistinguishable lab meat, but there are so many advances that are ready for market.

I don't understand why the industry is so determined to R&D that "replaces" all animal consumption when more specific, modest goals (replacing the chicken nugget, replacing the pepperoni) would have a notable environmental improvement.

[dairylee]

> modest goals (replacing the chicken nugget, replacing the pepperoni)

Quorn have made 'Crispy Nuggets'[1] from funghi for decades. They're a great replacement for chicken nuggets and I feel like if someone ate them without realising they wouldn't question what they're eating.

1: https://www.quorn.co.uk/products/chicken-style-nuggets

[reaperducer]

My old boss gave me one of hers at lunch one day. I noticed instantly.

But I'm still of a mind that if you want to promote vegetarianism, make vegetable recipes taste better; don't make the vegetables imitate something they're not.

[schnevets]

I feel similarly, but when the thing being imitated is just breaded and fried "stuff" like a nugget, it seems like an inexpensive, tasty vegan filling should be simpler. Maybe the distinction is making a bite that is delicious, not necessarily something meat-like. If the nugget is good, you won't care if the filling is chicken, mozzarella, bean, or something else.

[reaperducer]

Yes. Exactly my point. Only better stated.

[coldpie]

If folks enjoy them, what's the harm? There's a brand of TVP-based taco "meat" (Fantastic World Foods) that I actually like better than beef. Perhaps your boss has fond memories related to chicken nuggets and wants to enjoy the nostalgia.

[hombre_fatal]

Maybe the purpose of these foods isn't to promote vegetarianism.

You're suggesting it's activism when it's just making a product for vegetarians who still enjoy the taste of meet from time to time.

[brnaftr361]

I don't even think it's necessarily the taste of meat, but rather having something that is as widely compatible with recipes as what it is intended to replace.

For instance, some of these replacement items can't be boiled as one might in making a soup. It makes it difficult to complete a meal without refactoring the whole thing in some cases.

Plain meat is pretty... From what I recall typically doesn't have much taste without several additives like salt, butter, herbs typically marinated... You can do all that with the replacements, typically.

[silicon2401]

> My wife is pescatarian

Not a judgment on your wife, but sharing for general awareness: I would eat land animals before eating fish again. You can read Outlaw Ocean for a quick look at how awful the seafood industry is. The seafood industry has everything from slavery, abuse, animal population decimation, and more, which is directly supported by anyone who eats seafood:

> Do you know if the fish on your plate is legal? A new study estimates that 20 to 32 percent of wild-caught seafood imported into the U.S. comes from illegal or "pirate" fishing

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/140409-il...

[bombcar]

It is entirely possible to avoid wild-caught fish and only eat farmed, which can have the advantage of sourcing from inside the country.

[spywaregorilla]

You'll find a lot of shit like this in many industries fwiw.

[schnevets]

Yeah, I'm a firm believer in moderation and not allowing perfection to get in the way of progress. So many decisions can be seen as immoral once examined under heavy scrutiny and choosing to be "vegetarian" instead of just "eating meat on special occasions" has a profoundly different impact on relationships and daily life.

My entire argument above was basically that an invisible hand removing meat from everyday products will be a greater win for the environment than expecting a segment of consumers to go completely vegan.