This article is a bit dated from 2011. I wonder if things have changed since then. Not because people are more honest but because the landscape of vegetarian products have improved. From what I've heard and read, the substitute meat and cheese products have improved enough that in blind tests, some people have been fooled. That's a big difference from even 5 years ago. Also, places like Costco are selling more vegan and organic food in the past couple years. People must be eating enough of it for it to be profitable. I've heard that Chao cheese substitute is really good. Ben and Jerry's have non-dairy ice creams that are going over well. Those are really new. I've heard good things about Field Roast fake meat products. It's probably a lot easier to be vegetarian than it was even 5 years ago, if you don't have to forgo the taste of foods that you're familiar with.
Yes, you're right. I forgot to mention restaurants. I've been watching a lot of youtube videos of people from all over going to vegetarian or vegan restaurants that are opening up everywhere. The food looks pretty good. Vegetarian pizza, burgers and hot dogs. Same convenience food but just without the meat. Some big name chefs have converted over too, so that adds to the variety of gourmet vegetarian and vegan food at restaurants.