[Tina]

Are people who are vegetarians by choice rather than a doctor's orders offended by the vegetarian products on the market that imitate all of the aspects of real meat?

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Name : Tina, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 34, City : Orlando, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Mom, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Andrew]

I just think it's weird. I guess if you're a vegetarian for health reasons, maybe fake meat would have some appeal to you. But if you're vegetarian for ethical reasons, eating that stuff is just bizarre. It doesn't offend me, but it sure doesn't appeal to me, either.

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Name : Andrew, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 35, City : Huntington, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Reporter, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Crystal]

I cannot speak for all vegetarians, but I am not any more offended by ersatz "meat" than I am by fake fur. Meat substitutes are a great way to satisfy one's cravings for meat without having to eat the real thing.

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Name : Crystal, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 30's, City : Oakland, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Office manager, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Lizzy]

I'm not offended, and I don't think many vegetarians are. I think a lot of people assume that when people decide on a vegetarian lifestyle that they are disgusted by meat. But I've found that's generally not true. I loved meat when I became veggie 8 months ago, and I still have cravings.

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Name : Lizzy, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 19, City : Orlando, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[annonymous]

Meat-like products aren't offensive to me. In fact, when I introduced vegetarian meals to my family, these products made the transition easier. It was enough that we were changing our diet; these foodstuffs allowed me to prepare meals that in many ways resembled what my family was accustomed to eating. These items are pricey, though, and as I became comfortable and familiar with other foods, the inclination to substitute became unnecessary. My family members, besides my youngest and myself, still eat meat. When they feel like chicken or sausage, they prepare it themselves. We have a happy medium.

I, too, stopped eating meat for ethical and political reasons, as well as health. I respect others' food choices, and if meat production in this country were what I consider more humane, ethical and politically correct, I'd probably eat poultry and seafood ocassionally. If I lived in a culture where meat was a staple, and the culture revered life and was not wasteful, I wouldn't object to this sustenance. I've observed, too, that many non-vegetarians assume we are disgusted by meat for very simplisitic or idealistic reasons. Usually, our decisions were derived from a variety of factors.

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Name : annonymous, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 34, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, 

[SR28487]

The first time I tried a veggie hot dog, I nearly spit it across the room. It was too realistic for me. I see nothing wrong with eating meat analogs, though it does sort of perpetuate a belief that we need meat to feel full, be healthy, etc. - which goes against vegetarian belief, of course. I agree with Andrew: It is very bizarre. I still eat meat analogs sometimes, though. They're fast and easy to make, and they're also good for you. I'm obviously a fence-sitter on this one.

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Name : SR28487, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 21, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Student, 

[J.N.]

Ersatz meat has been around for as long as there have been ethical/religious vegetarians. Tofu, seitan (wheat gluten), tempeh ... these were all invented by Buddhist monks hundreds of years ago to replace meat in their diet. As for me, I grew up eating hot dogs, hamburger, chicken, etc.; even though I've been a strict vegetarian for eight years, I occasionally crave this sort of food, as it's what I'm accustomed to. Not to mention that it's simple to prepare and allows me to make many otherwise-impossible recipes. Having said that, though, I prefer a veggie-and-hummus sandwich any day!

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Name : J.N., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 27, City : Cincinnati, State : OH Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Robin]

I became a vegetarian six years ago for ethical/health reasons - not because I didn't like meat. I used to love meat. I thought it was wonderful when I found soy meat products, and I eat them frequently. However, some of the new ones are so similar to real meat that they can make me sort of sick because I associate that smell and flavor with death.

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Name : Robin, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 26, City : Tempe, State : AZ Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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