If the idea of eating something that you are not used to scares you, you might want to prepare yourself before reading on.
We have seen, cringed, and got over so many strange foods and food combinations in the past year that we thought nothing could shock us anymore - yet here we are once again.
On Monday, a picture of “beetroot boerewors” went viral on social media. It divided many, with most remarking that people are trying so hard to eat clean, that they keep coming up with ways of suppressing their meat cravings with vegetable “meat” disguises, all in the name of healthy eating.
The “beetroot boerewors” that has been making the rounds is diced beetroot that has been stuffed in sausage casings.
The picture was posted by Twitter user @SOWETO_food with the caption: “We love trying out new recipes and today we have: Beetroot Wors. #HealthyEating.”
A lot of people responded with fury, outraged at why would one want a “beetroot wors”.
We love trying out new recipes and today we have :Beetroot Wors #HealthyEating pic.twitter.com/VqQ9LU4lLe
— SOWETO FOOD & LIFESTYLE (@SOWETO_food) August 30, 2021
“Is the beetroot made to taste like wors or does the wors taste like beetroot? Also, do you fry it the same way you cook wors? Can you eat this with pap?” questioned @Ke_Nna_Lebohang.
AsinaMari wrote: “This is how you create psychopaths, imagine the trauma and trust issues you get from eating a wors and finding it tasting nothing like meat…just beetroot!”
Another user, @Siwosh wrote: “I think you’re trying to ruin vegetables for everyone, this and the green ”wors“ you've posted before is a crime against vegetables. You’re making good vegetables look bad.”
Last year, the same food blog posted a “green boerewors” which was made of green herbs and vegetables that have been stuffed in sausage casings.
How to make green boerewors #recipe #HealthyEating pic.twitter.com/KIx6ZmBjI5
— SOWETO FOOD & LIFESTYLE (@SOWETO_food) November 16, 2020
Experts agree that more people are adopting vegetarian and plant-based lifestyles as their awareness of healthier dietary options and their cognisance of appreciating life in general increases. A local registered dietitian, Jessica Kotlowitz explained that these diets have been proven to help with weight loss, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, lower risk of certain cancers, and prevent and treat heart disease and diabetes.
Kotlowitz said the popularity of this eating plan may be attributed to social media.
“Millennials are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and are leading the way in conscious consumerism, especially with regards to food production,” said Kotlowitz.