Rubenerd

Happy Sunday! How you going? Enjoying your breakfast roll with bacon and egg? Great, more power to you! Some of us are eating a similar roll, but with this great facon that this vegetarian company makes.

Unfortunately, this is often perceived as an affront. Or worse, it results in people asking why one would bother. I’ve maintained these deliberately obtuse people have all the facts to know why a vegetarian or pescetarian may eat fake meat, but the question keeps coming up.

So for those who are still puzzled, here are some reasons to choose from. Some people…

• eat what they want to eat;
• don’t/can’t eat meat, but they can eat mock meat;
• used to eat meat and miss the taste;
• still want to engage in social activities like BBQs;
• use mock meat as a stepping stone to wean off eating meat;
• don’t eat real meat over environmental or ethical concerns;
• think mock meat tastes delicious.

There are really only two responses to this. Some mock meat is so heavily processed that it’s unhealthy; but there are plenty of healthy ones. And certain Buddhist traditions tolerate mock meat but claim they detract from what they see as a moral life; this stance does not present a moral issue for me.

I hope that clears up any confusion. Further inquiries will result in Merlin Mann’s “yeah, well why am I not a potted fern?” response.