Mind Your (Fake) Meat

I’m not a vegan, but I’ve bought meat alternatives before. I remember the first time I purchased some Beyond Meat Burgers, I googled every unrecognizable ingredient.

People made comments about these foods being highly processed, but I ignored them. I’ve gotten a kick out of how closely some pretend meats resemble the real thing. And I still know which of my grocery store’s nuggets contain the best chicken-less chicken.

I’ve never had Daily Harvest’s products, but this article about an ingredient found in some of their recalled items provided a real wake up call.

In my experience, if you’re really craving meat’s taste and texture, there are plenty of recipes for suitable substitutes containing natural ingredients. They may not taste exactly like the real thing. But some are hearty enough that you won’t miss much.

A part of me feels like there’s a lesson in here about craving a counterfeit version of something so badly that you ignore the most important risk of all: Fakes can have flaws. And some of them can be quite serious.

One of the most satisfying faux meat recipes I’ve ever tasted involved lentils that had been boiled, and then sautéed with spices. It wasn’t anything complicated. But it was delicious. And ultimately, I think it’s important to know that the food you eat is safe.

When in doubt, make your own fake meat.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.