My step-dad once asked me, "Why do vegetarians and vegans work so hard to make non-animal food look and taste exactly like animal food? It doesn't make any sense!" When you think about it, he makes a good point.
On the other hand, maybe that's what people need to transition from a largely animal-based diet to a plant-based diet. Or, maybe they're healthier alternatives for those trying to adapt a healthier lifestyle. Boca burgers, mock chicken filets, Tofurkey, Fakin' Bakin' and veggie dogs flood the marketplace as soy-based alternatives to meat products. And yes, step-dad, you're absolutely right - this is a wonderful example of how vegetarian food companies are trying very hard to replace meat products with meat-look-alikes.
I have several thoughts on this. First, I believe these products are excellent for people who may be on a low-fat diet or are starting to dabble in vegetarianism. Soy meat replacements are generally not, however, staples in a vegetarian or vegan household. Personally I still eat these things - on occasion. My boys don't particularly care for garden burgers or veggie burgers, but they love the veggie hot dogs. On a rare occasion, as a treat, we will incorporate a soy-based non-meat product into a meal, but not very often. Instead of a Boca burger, I would much rather have a grilled portabello mushroom. Instead of soy-based pepperoni, I top my pizza with roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. Most long-term vegetarians and vegans feel the same way. These products certainly have their place, including reducing all of the resources necessary to produce the equivalent animal product - but I don't believe they should be used as a regular part of anyone's diet. They are still highly processed and, as you will see, may or may not be healthy as they are definitely NOT whole foods.
The health benefits of soy, particularly processed soy, are highly debated. Some feel (and I tend to agree with them) that processed soy is not a healthy staple of a plant-based diet. Some research suggests, albeit inconclusive, that consuming soy products regularly may lead to increased risk of breast cancer in women, decreased brain function in men, and abnormal development in infants. Opponents of soy point out that (with the exception of edamame) soy cannot be consumed directly from nature - it must be fermented or highly processed before eaten. Of course, there are a number of benefits to soy as well, including its low-calorie/high protein content, increase in cardiovascular function, and appearance of reducing menopause symptoms. The decision to incorporate soy into your diet is a personal one, but I encourage you to research the positives - and negatives - to make a decision for yourself and your family. Personally, we eat soy, but in moderation.
There are many who believe that being vegetarian means you eat tofu with every meal. This couldn't be further from the truth! Granted, pressed tofu does make a good meat replacement (such as homemade breaded tofu nuggets), but quite frankly I would cook whole foods over tofu any day of the week. I purchase tofu and use it regularly, but as a condiment, not a main course. Nothing beats silken tofu when it comes to making a creamy sauce or dressing. Tofu is also perfect for making non-dairy cheeses. I do use textured vegetable protein (TVP) in many dishes where ground beef might normally be used, but aside from that, whole foods is the way to go in our home.
So what exactly is a whole food? A whole food is one that looks as close as possible to how you would find it in nature. Extreme example: a jar of strawberry jam is closer to a whole food than a container of strawberry flavored milk powder, but the jam is still not a whole food because it doesn't really look much like the strawberry you see growing on the vine. It's the same case with rice - brown rice is closer to how you would find it in nature than white rice (having been stripped of all its nutrients). Cooking lentils for tacos (whole food) is much healthier than TVP (not a whole food), and so on. You get the idea.
Back to the original question, then - why do vegetarians try to make everything look and taste like meat? Well, my answer is, we don't. Yes, there are plenty of meat-looking-alternatives on the market, but they probably don't make up the foundations of most vegetarian or vegan diets. At least, not when you look at the "whole" picture. :o)
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