Mock meat considered vegetarian?

[Equinox]

As the title suggests, what is your take on this?

I feel guilty whenever I eat dishes prepared with mock meat due to its identical resemblance with its 'real' counterpart. Most of them are soy-based but are they in accordance with Hindu vegetarianism?

[devotee]

Namaste Equinox,

As the title suggests, what is your take on this?
?

The answer is "Yes". If you are feeling guilty then "No".

OM

[Tāṇḍava]

As the title suggests, what is your take on this?

I feel guilty whenever I eat dishes prepared with mock meat due to its identical resemblance with its 'real' counterpart. Most of them are soy-based but are they in accordance with Hindu vegetarianism?

I have now doubt that "mock meat" is vegetarian from the point of ahimsa, which must be the primary concern from a Hindu point of view. From the view of ayurveda I think most meat substitutes may be tamastic food. It is often highly processed and has many synthetic chemical flavourings and colourings.

I do eat meat substitutes, but from a health point of view I try to eat fresh pulses regularly too.

[Maya3]

You can definitely it them. They can be really tasty.

But as Tandava said, they are very processed and if you look at the list of ingredients there is a long list of unpronounceables.

It's better to eat things like Tempeh or Seitan. It's a bit processed too, but it does not a lot of weird ingredients.

But if you mostly eat natural proteins, then I think your body can handle the processed fake meat now and them. At least that's my philosophy.

Maya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Mock meat is just the remnants (among many other things) that converts and wannabes are unwilling to give up. Why not cross the bridge?

Aum Namasivaya

[Maya3]

Vannakkam: Mock meat is just the remnants (among many other things) that converts and wannabes are unwilling to give up. Why not cross the bridge?

Aum Namasivaya

Um.. I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years, I'm not a wannabe.

Maya

[Tāṇḍava]

Vannakkam: Mock meat is just the remnants (among many other things) that converts and wannabes are unwilling to give up. Why not cross the bridge?

Aum Namasivaya

In my case wife and daughter! I can certainly sympathise with my wife on busy days when she just wants to bung some veggie sausages in the oven!

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Anyone is free to eat fake meat. What is expressed here are opinions. it is my honest opinion that there is so much delicious vegetarian food in Indian culture and elsewhere (Greek, Chinese, Italian, Ukrainian etc.) that fake meat is just totally unnecessary. All the other foods mentioned above are tastier, healthier, fresher, and just as readily available.

I have eaten it, not at home, but mostly as a guest in houses where the host was not familiar with much variety of cuisine outside of meat.

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Um.. I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years, I'm not a wannabe.

Maya

Vannakkam: I wasn't referring to vegetarianism, nor to you in particular. It was a generalisation.

Aum Namasivaya

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste Equinox,

The answer is "Yes". If you are feeling guilty then "No".

OM

Vannakkam Devotee: Can you even by this stuff in India?

Aum Namasivaya