IF only meat weren’t so delicious!

Sure, meat may pave the way to a heart attack. Yes, factory farms torture animals. Indeed, producing a single hamburger patty requires more water than two weeks of showers. But for those of us who are weak willed, there’s nothing like a juicy burger.

Ah, but that’s changing.

A revolution is unfolding in the food world, resulting in the first alternatives to meat that taste like the real thing. Veggie burgers used to seem like a blend of tofu and cardboard, but in the last few years food scientists have come up with first-rate faux chicken strips and beef crumbles.

It will be a while before we’re fooled by a fake sirloin steak, but scientists think they’ll eventually get there. And before long you’ll walk down the meat aisle of your supermarket and see plant-based “meat,” even leaking “blood.”

These meat alternatives could end up being cheaper than real meat. Buyers won’t just be vegans but also carnivores simply looking for healthy, sustainable, cheap food.