--- title: "This Is the Biggest Thanksgiving Ever for Fake Meat" description: "This Thanksgiving, families across the country will be roasting Tofurkys, Field Roasts, and other fake meat in addition to genuine turkeys." date: "2018-11-22" modified: "2018-11-22" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/fake-meat-thanksgiving" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "fake meat" - "Memphis Meats" - "thanksgiving" - "tofurky" --- # This Is the Biggest Thanksgiving Ever for Fake Meat ![This Thanksgiving, families across the country will be roasting Torfurkys, Field Roasts and other fake meat in addition to genuine turkeys.]() *\Image: Tofurky\* ## Fake Meat This Thanksgiving, families across the country will oven-roast Tofurkys, Field Roasts, and other fake meats in addition to — or instead of — genuine turkeys. That's according to *MarketWatch*, which [reports that]() there will be more plant-based meat substitutes at holiday feasts this holiday season than any previous year. It cites a [Nielsen report]() that found that meat substitute sales grew 6.1 percent this year, to $555 million — yet another sign that Americans' diets are shifting toward meat alternatives. ## Pro-Earth Protein A [*Fortune* profile]() of Tofurky's growing meatless empire breaks down the factors that are driving buyers towards meatless goods. There are ethical concerns about the treatment of animals, naturally, but the profile also identified concerns about health and the impact of farming on the environment as factors that are pushing American shoppers toward plant-based meat substitutes. "That’s not a fad," Walmart's Chase Worthen, who helps the company decide what vegetarian goods to stock in its stores, told the business magazine. "It’s a trend that’s here to stay." ## Future Outlook In addition to these clever simulacrums made out of soy and other plant-based proteins, there's a specter on the horizon that could further upend Americans' relationship with protein: meat substitutes that are grown from animal cells in a lab. *MarketWatch* pointed to [a report]() by food consultancy Baum and Whiteman that predicted lab-grown meats, like those made by Memphis Meats and Future Meat Technologies, will be a key food trend in 2019. If that report is right, Thanksgiving might never be the same again. **READ MORE:** [Tofurky Wants to Save the World, One Thanksgiving Roast at a Time. It's Now Sold 5 Million]() \[*Fortune*\] ***More on fake meat: [You’ve Heard of Fake Meat. How About Fake Fish?]()*** ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()