Veggie Burgers

I like vegetables. I’m not a vegetarian, but there are definitely multiple days each week where I don’t eat meat at all, simply because my overall diet choices prioritize a lot of veggies, beans, etc. I get a lot of my protein from things like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, etc. (I mention this because encouraging “Meatless Mondays” is a great way to advocate for less meat consumption, as opposed to strict vegetarianism, if that’s your thing!)

While I don’t have any problem with going meatless, there’s one thing I strongly dislike: imitation meat. Not because I have a problem with the taste or whatever – some taste good and some don’t, just like any other food. I have a strong dislike of the concept.

If you don’t like something (like meat), you don’t have to imitate it to replace it! You don’t have to create a version of that thing that’s as close as you can make it. You can just not do that thing! You can just grill portobello mushrooms instead, or even create entirely different dishes. There are so many delicious things you can eat that aren’t meat! You don’t have to go through all the extra rigmarole just to imitate your adversaries.

Life is filled with “veggie burgers.” People’s attempts at duplicating a thing they don’t even like, just to appeal to people who do like it. But the people who like meat don’t want a thing that’s (in their eyes) almost like meat but worse. I’ve never seen a hardcore carnivore won over by a plant burger. But I’ve seen them absolutely demolish a pizza with peppers and onions on it, in a way that makes me feel strongly like they could live on just that for the rest of their lives.

The point is, if you think your different way is better, then stay different. Sell your ideas based on their own merits, not based on how closely they can come to the ideas you’re trying to defeat.