# How do you feel about vegetarian products made as ersatz animal based foods? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 1, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292 "2025-12-01T14:44:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/81 "2025-12-06T17:02:20Z")
I think upthread someone mentioned [Eleven Madison Park](https://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/stories/menu-update), a high-end Manhattan restaurant that in 2021 re-opened post-pandemic as an entirely vegan (what they call plant-based) restaurant. And then the following year, it won three Michelin stars. But this year, it added some non-vegan dishes, though it’s still offering vegan options. I was hoping they posted the menus online but the website says, “Due to the hyper-seasonal nature of our menu, all courses are subject to change. Therefore, we do not share our food menus online.” The New York Times [said](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/dining/eleven-madison-park-meat.html?unlocked_article_code=1.6k8.v2GR.yMWvj0WiIpV7&smid=url-share) (gift link) that it was difficult to get bookings for corporate events when the restaurant was purely plant-based, but that the new menu will “offer seven to nine courses for $365, and will largely be prepared without animal products. Diners will have a few opportunities along the way to opt for meat or seafood instead of vegetables.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2025, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/82 "2025-12-06T17:03:18Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > I wouldn’t expect a greek restaurant to make a bangin’ plant based gyro, it’s not what they do. Most gyro places that I’ve seen do, in fact, offer a falafel gyro. I guess that falafel is a slight way down the “processed to mimic meat” road, but it’s still a lot closer to chickpeas than it is to Impossible Burger. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/83 "2025-12-06T17:06:13Z")
Falafel sandwiches are great, but gyros they are not. Gyro refers to the rotisserie style of cooking the meat, and I don’t think it can be separated from the meat contents themselves. Falafel is also dry, lacks all of the fat of a good gyro meat, and just doesn’t hit the same. When you’re craving a gyro and someone gives you falafel in bread, you’ll punch them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/84 "2025-12-06T17:18:42Z")
I mean, if you define a “gyro” based on it containing a particular sort of meat in a particular way, then a “plant-based gyro” is something that simply can’t exist. But if you want a sandwich that’s made the same way as a gyro, with all the same toppings, then falafel will work fine. And a falafel not-a-gyro-but-similar sandwich will probably be better than an Impossible Meat not-a-gyro-but-similar sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/85 "2025-12-06T17:33:48Z")
I can’t argue with the semantic quibble of calling a plant-based “fake meat” gyro a gyro, but I can tell you, a falafel sandwich does not satisfy the gyro craving in the way that a fake meat gyro does. It’s just not the same, they’re two different foods. And this is what I’m trying to convey about the frustration of being a vegan or a vegetarian. You and a vegan can both get a falafel sandwich if you want, but you can get a gyro where a vegan cannot. You have that choice, while vegans either stop eating gyros (a food that may have some cultural or personal significance), or they eat fake meat alternatives. It’s really, really nice to have that fake meat option. And telling them that falafel sandwiches will “work fine” just ignores the reality that falafel sandwiches don’t taste the same. And actually, I take back what I said previously that falafel sandwiches are great. I’d never order one if I weren’t vegetarian. I love falafel, but putting it bread is just too much dry carby stuff in one bite. It crumbles and falls out because you have to squish it to fit in your mouth. Put my falafel on a plate with some hummus and veggies, please. Falafel sandwiches feel like a bone thrown to vegetarians. Problem is, they’re usually significantly cheaper than the falafel platter, and much easier to eat for a quick lunch. So I order them, but I don’t love them. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/86 "2025-12-06T17:44:20Z")
FWIW looking it up a bunch of Chicago area vegan restaurants have been closing lately. Mostly ones that did a lot of faux foods. Honestly not sure what to make of it. I think more of us are more willing to eat vegan and vegetarian food than ever while being omnivores. I am hoping that it is matched with better options at full fare places. Sad about Chicago Diner. Ate there in High School years and as a young adult. Did a few times in the few years too. > **[Chicago loses four vegan, vegetarian restaurants in eight days](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/chicago/news/chicago-loses-four-vegan-restaurants-in-just-eight-days/)** > > Kitchen 17, Native Foods, Chicago Raw, and The Chicago Diner are closing, a gut punch to the city that was awarded the most vegan-friendly of 2025. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/87 "2025-12-06T17:47:40Z")
Faux ground beef in tacos is great; I think it tastes exactly like the seasoning and it’s hard to tell the difference. Probably would be the same thing in chili, but I haven’t tried that. Impossible burgers are good enough. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/88 "2025-12-07T02:55:46Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Skip the vegan steak and lobster, go for the vegan T. rex and trilobite. Not sure what T. rex would taste like except maybe chicken. When I was in Costco the other day I had the epiphany that these are dinosaur-shaped nuggets made from dinosaurs. [![](https://i5.walmartimages.com/seo/Yummy-All-Natural-Dino-Buddies-Dinosaur-Shaped-Nuggets-48-oz-Fully-Cooked-Frozen_41312ea4-c450-49cb-81b2-be899e19838e.2c1a080605cbfe32b4675f6aa1ef28c3.jpeg) ](https://i5.walmartimages.com/seo/Yummy-All-Natural-Dino-Buddies-Dinosaur-Shaped-Nuggets-48-oz-Fully-Cooked-Frozen_41312ea4-c450-49cb-81b2-be899e19838e.2c1a080605cbfe32b4675f6aa1ef28c3.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/89 "2025-12-07T04:35:22Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > And actually, I take back what I said previously that falafel sandwiches are great. I’d never order one if I weren’t vegetarian. Huh. And i, whose friends tease me about being an obligate carnivore, quite like a good falafel sandwich. They usually come with a lot of fatty sauces. It’s true that i sometimes get the lamb kebab or the chicken schwarma, instead. But if the place has good falafel, i often choose it for the sandwich. Sadly, my current Arab place has mediocre falafel. I mostly get falafel in sandwiches, not in platters. Because it does kinda need all the sauces and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/90 "2025-12-07T14:32:53Z")
I usually throw a good heap of Jerusalem salad with some tahini on top into the pita with the falafel. The falafel should have a crunch that stands up to the moisture! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/91 "2025-12-07T18:43:40Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Not sure what T. rex would taste like except maybe chicken. When I was in Costco the other day I had the epiphany that these are dinosaur-shaped nuggets made from dinosaurs. At the Museum of the Rockies (Bozeman, MT; home of the T. rex), they didn’t have an indoor food place, but in the summer, they had a semi-permanent food truck just outside, and they served dinosaur nuggets, certified by Jack Horner as being made from real dinosaurs. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/92 "2025-12-12T12:46:45Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > You have that choice, while vegans either stop eating gyros (a food that may have some cultural or personal significance), or they eat fake meat alternatives. It’s really, really nice to have that fake meat option. I think this is the answer to the question in the OP. > [@DSeid](#): > > Who is the market for this stuff? Fake meats are designed to appeal to people who are avoiding meat for reasons other than culinary preference. For those with health or more likely ethical concerns about meat, but who like meat and miss it in their diet. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/93 "2025-12-12T13:06:07Z")
I’ve tried a lot of meat substitute products - in general, they were expensive, highly-packaged, rather highly-processed and frequently not especially nice. Mainstream/supermarket Vegan ‘cheese’ products being among the worst mainly because they are typically just a block of starchy set custard, with a sour flavour that is only vaguely cheese-like. I stopped reviewing these things because I found myself stuck in the crossfire between vocal vegans and also anti-vegan blowhards. Vegans were angry at me because they did not feel these things properly represented vegan food, and in some cases, angry because I was reviewing them in comparison to the animal-based things they purport to substitute for - some vegans felt this was unfair because - their point not mine - apparently if you haven’t eaten real cheese or bacon for years, then the fake versions of those things are much more convincing). Anti-vegans just kept making the same inane arguments and idiotic JAQing over and over - “If vegans don’t like meat, why do they want to eat something that resembles meat?” I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian and I’m probably never going to be. I am conscious that modern farming practices have some very bad aspects and I would like to be less responsible for those. I’ve reduced consumption of some things - especially processed meats - for the sake of my own health, but I am a member of an animal species that eats other animals. Vegan food that isn’t explicitly trying to mimic meat is almost universally nicer than the substitute stuff, but I can see how the substitutes might concievably help someone who wanted to go vegan, in the same way nicotine patches might help some people who want to give up smoking. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/94 "2025-12-12T13:18:27Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Faux ground beef in tacos is great This week for a Pot Luck dinner, we did fake ground beef (Beyond Beef) in walking tacos\*. It was universally hailed as a triumph, even for the one kid who said “Oh, it’s vegetarian…” and had to be given the evil eye by Mrs. Cheesesteak who said “I made it, you’re going to try it.” - For those not in the know, walking tacos are taco meat + toppings piled into a small bag of Fritos (or other chip) and eaten with a fork. It’s surprisingly satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/95 "2025-12-12T19:39:08Z")
I thought that was called a Frito Pie. Where I come from, a walking taco is usually more similar to a seven layer dip. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/96 "2025-12-12T19:44:48Z")
We had a work lunch in Little Rock with walking tacos. I was surprised that they sell Fritos bags specifically for walking tacos. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/97 "2025-12-13T02:07:19Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > walking tacos are taco meat + toppings piled into a small bag of Frito I’ve been thinking about this all day, and I still can’t decide if I’m deeply intrigued or utterly horrified… ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/98 "2025-12-13T02:33:10Z")
I’m trying to figure out why it’s called “walking tacos”. I’d think it would be easier to eat a pile of that on a plate, it on a bowl, while walking around a cocktail party than to juggle a bag of Fritos with stuff trying to fall out as you ate. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/99 "2025-12-13T03:06:32Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’d think it would be easier to eat a pile of that on a plate, it on a bowl, while walking around a cocktail party than to juggle a bag of Fritos with stuff trying to fall out as you ate. My understanding, from seeing them sold while visiting New Mexico, is that you’re holding the bag upright with one hand, while eating out of the bag with the other hand, while walking around on the street or at a fair. [![](https://www.fritolay.com/sites/fritolay.com/files/2025-05/fritos.png) ](https://www.fritolay.com/sites/fritolay.com/files/2025-05/fritos.png) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/DMH_frito_pie.jpg/500px-DMH_frito_pie.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/DMH_frito_pie.jpg/500px-DMH_frito_pie.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292/100 "2026-01-31T03:40:13Z")
Bumping to share this - > **[Processing level of plant-based foods: impact on cardiovascular health](https://www.inrae.fr/en/news/processing-level-plant-based-foods-impact-cardiovascular-health)** > > PRESS RELEASE - Consumption of plant-based products is associated with better cardiovascular health—provided they are of good nutritional quality and with little or no industrial processing. This is the finding of a research team from INRAE, Inserm,... > … adults whose diets were richer in plant-based products of higher nutritional quality (lower in fat, sugar, and salt) with little or no industrial processing had approximately a 40% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those whose diets were lower in such plant-based products and higher in animal-based ones[[3]](https://www.inrae.fr/en/news/processing-level-plant-based-foods-impact-cardiovascular-health#_ftn3). > > Adults whose diets were richer in plant-based products of higher nutritional quality but that were ultra-processed—such as industrial wholemeal breads, store-bought soups, ready-made pasta dishes, or commercially prepared salads with dressing—did not have a lower risk of cardiovascular risk compared to those whose diets were lower in such products and higher in animal-based foods. > > The risk of cardiovascular disease was approximately 40% higher among adults who consumed a large proportion of plant-based products that were both of lower nutritional quality and ultra-processed—such as crisps, fruit-based sweetened drinks or sodas made from plant extracts, chocolate-based sweets or confectionery, sugary breakfast cereals and savoury biscuits—compared to those whose diets were richer in plant-based products of good nutritional quality with little or no industrial processing. > > These results highlight the need to consider both the nutritional quality and the degree of processing and formulation of foods—alongside the plant-to-animal balance in the diet—in order to better assess the links between nutrition and cardiovascular health. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-vegetarian-products-made-as-ersatz-animal-based-foods/1025292.md?page=6)