I'm not sure about these companies, in terms of getting massive uptake of meat alternatives they seem fine. However their product is heavily processed food, with ingredients you don't really need to be eating and massively marked up in prices. Other than marketing, what are you really gaining over a 3rd world diet of rice and beans/lentils.
Hey you could even prepare your own dinner from a selection of fresh vegetables and fruit (and if you're feeling absolutely crazy you could add a few eggs, milk, meat, fish or grains).
This seems like it solves a couple of problems and ignores/creates a whole load more. People who are content eating all their meals from McDonalds etc have their own issues, most of which can't be fixed by meat substitues.
>what are you really gaining over a 3rd world diet of rice and beans/lentils.
The working class doesn't want to eat beans/lentils they want to eat McDonalds and Taco Bell. This way we can swap out the meat and force them to eat meat substitute for the supposed greater good and eventually save money and the environment while we do it.
They're already being sold turkey meat when they order pork in some stores (Subway in particular does this) so what does it matter if it's just all switched out for artificial meat.
"The working class doesn't want to eat beans/lentils they want to eat McDonalds and Taco Bell"
Is suppose this is the bit I don't get. In the UK I feel like the working class see McDonalds as a "treat", which they might have once a week and the kids will get a toy or an ice cream.
It's way way cheaper to spend the 10-20 pounds I'd spend for 3 or 4 meals from McDonald's on real food. I could easily make a good roast dinner with dessert or similar meal for the whole family for that kind of money. It just feels like laziness to me, which we're all guilty of and I'd probably be even more guilty of if I had less free time and poorer living conditions.
I'd still argue that working class don't "want" to eat at McDonald's on a regular basis, not in Europe anyway.
Hey you could even prepare your own dinner from a selection of fresh vegetables and fruit (and if you're feeling absolutely crazy you could add a few eggs, milk, meat, fish or grains).
This seems like it solves a couple of problems and ignores/creates a whole load more. People who are content eating all their meals from McDonalds etc have their own issues, most of which can't be fixed by meat substitues.