Good for you -- or is it?

[bixaorellana]

Hampton Creek Foods is a new company which has made a plant-based non-egg "egg". It has an attractive website and a great deal of positive press. I had to get to the bottom of page 4 of the google hits on the company before I found an article with reservations -- and those were excessively mild. (it was written by the "happiness editor" at Greatist, after all)

Here is a little more info on supposedly healthful replacement foods.

It's impossible to argue against the negative aspects of wasteful, filthy, and cruel animal farming, but is this really the correct path away from it?

My two biggest reservations about this sort of food are a) it does nothing to re-educate people about poor eating habits, simply telling them that they can have their cakes & eat them too; and b) what are the effects, long- and short-term, of ingesting lab-created "foods"?

How do you all feel about this?

[Deleted]

The reality of the explanation isn't as scary as what comes to mind from the name of it -- at first I thought it was some product to fry for breakfast or make an omelette out of. If it's just something to stir into a cake mix, big deal.

[joanne28]

I agree with your reservations, Bixa, particularly the part of re-educating people with poor eating habits.

I'm tired of all these things about food - I have mental fatigue. I can't keep up with the latest trends/research so I do what I want. Common sense dictates moderation, eating lots of fresh fruit & veg, cutting down fat, salt and processed foods. I can't be bothered with the rest now.

[bixaorellana]

I have to agree with you about the info overload on how to eat. It would be different if yesterday's food boogyman didn't so often turn out not to be a baddy, or sometimes even a white hat (wine, coffee, etc.)

[Deleted]

I was rereading this and was wondering what the main "replacement product" that I consume is. I would imagine that it is soy milk, but it isn't really a replacement but an alternative. The only bad thing that I can remember about soy milk is that some lunatic vegan style parents sometimes think that it is interchangeable with animal milk in the nutrition of babies and small children. This can be a near fatal mistake.

[lagatta]

Egg replacements are nothing new. They are important for people with egg allergies - such protein allergies can be dangerous and even fatal.

Fortunately, I can eat real eggs. I'm sure eating a greasy "Full English" breakfast, or its North American equivalent, every day would be unhealthy for many reasons, but most people can eat some eggs. Just been looking at David Lebovitz's take on Shakshuka (Chakchouka). Mmmm.

[htmb]

My middle granddaughter is highly allergic to eggs (and dairy), so we must carry epipens with us at all times. Even allergen-to-skin contact causes swelling and irritation. Some children outgrow allergies and we are hoping this will be the case for her, particularly since she's already overcome a few other food allergies.

We keep a box of egg replacement on hand mainly for times when we are celebrating some event with cake, such as a birthday. The main ingredients in our egg replacement powder are potato starch and tapioca.

[Deleted]

I was apparently allergic to orange juice in my toddler years, but I got over it very quickly.

[kerouac2]

This example of ecological "terrorism" is unfortunately too well done because they copied the company's logo and packaging so well. I'm sure that most people didn't even notice it.

"Genetically manipulated chicken" "44 days of suffering" "abnormally rapid growth"
Even the nutriscore becomes the "cruel score"