Where's the Meat? Vegan Substitutes Gain Popularity

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Do you find vegan meat substitutes unappealing? Adverse reactions to fake meat products are beginning to change as a diverse range of vegan products — such as meatless buffalo wings, dairy-free ice cream, and fake bacon — find their way onto supermarket shelves.

According to NPR's food blog, The Salt, vegan food is taking a turn for the tastier. Meat substitute companies are focusing more on the quality of their products and options are increasing.

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A database of U.S. products shows that 110 meat substitute products were introduced to grocery stores in 2010 and 2011. These added options are giving people who don't eat meat a lot more choices and increasing the likelihood that more people will go vegan in the future. In fact, a market research group called SymphonyIRI Group found that frozen meat substitute sales alone achieved a high of $267 million in 2011.

Better quality and diversified meat substitute options are also making the jobs of vegan and vegetarian animal rights activists easier. The Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) hopes to convince people to limit the amount of meat they consume. Typically the FARM uses graphic footage of the animal industries to persuade people to reduce meat consumption.

FARM's Michael Weber, while discussing reduced meat consumption and vegan substitutes, said, "People need to know it's going to be very convenient and palatable. If they don't think it's going to be enjoyable they won't do it." This year FARM will continue to promote a plant-based diet by giving out free vegan food at an event called the Great American Meatout.

Part of the reason people have been more willing to consume meat substitutes is improved flavor and texture. Meat substitute companies like Garden Protein International focus on making their fake meat more texturally close to real meat to achieve a similar chewiness. For example, Garden Protein International uses soy protein, wheat gluten, and grain flours to recreate that familiar texture.

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While some are simply eating more substitute meat products because they are beginning to taste better, others see fake meat as a way to solve problems associated with consuming real meat, such as animals' living conditions. Cookbook author Mark Bittman stated in an article on fake chicken for The New York Times that reducing people's consumption of meat wasn't always a viable option for improving animals' living conditions. However, now that better meat alternatives exist on the market, he sees fake meat as a way to decrease the scope of animal cruelty.

After tasting a fake chicken product produced by The Vegetarian Butcher, Bittman considered the fact that this "meat," which mimicked the texture of real shredded chicken, could easily replace the meat in a burrito or chicken nugget without notice. Bittman added that while serving a mass-produced meat substitute at a Chipotle or a Chick-fil-A may seem like a drastic change, Americans could actually be ready for this type of development. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, one third of people in the U.S. consume meals without meat "a significant amount of the time."

Have you tried meat substitutes? Do you think palatable fake meat will actually persuade people to reduce their meat consumption?

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