Funny that this question came up... I have pointed out to non-veg eaters more than once how odd it is, that people generally need to make animal parts into nice neat geometrical shapes (so it looks like a tofu cutlet!) before it seems appetizing to humans... The pig's shoulder isn't sold with skin & fur on, with tendons visible & shattered bone showing:  it's processed into nice neat strips, that look suspiciously like tempeh! In it's original post-slaughter shape, meat is just not appetizing to humans at all... since biologically (teeth, stomach acids, intestines, etc.) we aren't set up to be carnivores!

I think patties, nuggets, etc. are convenient shapes for humans to hold, dip, eat in the car, etc, so it makes sense that they were invented (for many types of food). But sometimes, vegan food looks like what it came from: beans, tomatoes, avocados, etc. all look like food, in their own right, unprocessed-- unlike animal flesh... so to me, this question is posed somewhat backwards. The interesting thing to me is how meat-packaging companies know that meat will always look more appealing to people if it's processed to look less like parts of an animal.

It's nice to have discussions with folks from lots of viewpoints... thanks for asking with an open mind, & being interested in the responses!

this is an interesting point of view :D

I likey.

But I'd say the reason it's shaped and made the way it is, is for function.  You want to eat some protein on a sandwich or bread, well then it functions best as a patty or as slices.  You know?

And most vegetarians/vegans don't go veg because they ever hated the taste of or functionality of meat in dishes... it is usually because of ethics, environment, or health.

Plus I think good tasting foods that are comforting can make it a lot easier on people to do the RIGHT thing (avoid animal products)

But I think a lot of veg's tend to stray from the meat substitutes more so with experience, anyway.  I think meat substitutes are probably used on a more frequent basis by new veggies and/or for the purpose of pleasing an omnivorous audience. 

I don't eat meat substitutes very often... but I tend to include them in dishes when I'm cooking for people other than myself.  It just tends to make the dish more "real" to omnis and such, they're more willing to eat something that resembles meat, than a bowl full of veggies (sad but true)

Plus as yummy as most meat substitutes can be, I still can taste and see the difference between those and real animal products.  I actually HATED burgers and ground beef before going veg, but I thoroughly enjoy soy burgers or black bean burgers.... cause it doesn't taste like greasy, gross dead cow.