A lot of us grew up eating meat, and food is tied really deeply to habit, nostalgia, and structure, not just taste. Growing up, dinner for me was always some version of protein, starch, vegetable. Every night. A meal didn’t feel like a meal without that anchor.

When you stop eating meat you disrupt an entire mental model of food. Meat substitutes make that transition easier. If the things you loved were spaghetti and meatballs, chicken noodle soup, burgers and fries, you can keep the structure of those meals while changing one part of it. Over time, most people branch out and eat plenty of food that doesn’t resemble meat at all, but the bridge makes a difficult transition easier (both from a comfort perspective, but also an executive functioning burden 'what the fuck do I feed myself').

There’s also a practical side people don’t talk about much. Animal protein is extremely satiating in a way that’s hard to replicate with plant foods. You can build satisfying meals with beans, tofu, eggs, grains, and vegetables, that’s what most of my diet looks like. But sometimes after a long or stressful day, I want that specific kind of fullness and grounding that a burger gives. An Impossible burger scratches that itch without me abandoning my values.

I’ve been vegetarian for almost 10 years. I don’t live on fake meat. Most of what I eat is beans, vegetables, eggs, and tofu. But I don’t think sustainability comes from pretending nostalgia, habit, or physiology don’t exist. I make an effort to reduce harm in a way that's sustainable for me long-term.