Are plant-based meats healthy? Nutrients, Advantages, Disadvantages

You may have noticed that plant-based meats are becoming more common. These are products made from plant-based ingredients that can be used in recipes that traditionally use meat, making them vegan or vegetarian.

As someone on a plant-based diet, I can attest that many non-meat alternatives can be used just like meat. For example, there are meatless burgers, hot dogs, bacon, ground meat, meatballs, and even deli chips.

Many of these are so varied and delicious that people who don’t necessarily eat a plant-based diet like to eat them.

Despite their popularity, you may be wondering if plant-based meat alternatives are healthy.

This article explores the nutritional value of some of the most commonly used plant-based meat substitutes, as well as the pros and cons to consider.

Types of plant-based meat substitutes

Today, more and more plant-based meat alternatives are available. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular strains.

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Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. With its rich flavor and chewy texture, it’s perfect for stir-fries, sandwiches, stews, and pasta dishes.

Nutritionally, seitan is a high-protein, plant-based meat substitute. It also usually contains small amounts of iron, calcium and potassium.

Impossible Burger provides a range of micronutrients. For example, a meatloaf provides 50% zinc, 130% vitamin B12, and 25% iron.

Jackfruit

Jackfruit is a large tropical fruit that grows in parts of Asia, Africa and South America. It has a thick, green, bumpy outer skin and a soft, fibrous interior that contains edible seeds.

Due to its texture and mild flavor, jackfruit pulp is often used in place of meat dishes such as pork. For example, I like to add simple jackfruit to the slow cooker with BBQ sauce and onions for sandwiches.

Compared to other plant-based meat alternatives, jackfruit is low in calories and contains no high amounts of protein or fat. However, it does provide some fiber and small amounts of micronutrients such as iron, potassium, and calcium.

Soybeans

Soy is a legume and one of the original plant-based meat substitutes. Soy foods tend to be bland in flavor and have a variety of textures, making them ideal for many traditional meat dishes.

Soy-based foods include the following popular alternatives:

• Soybeans.
  Soy beans, also known as edamame, are a great addition to stir-fries. You can also cook them and eat them as a snack.
• Tofu.
  A sponge cake made from soybeans and water, the tofu can be pressed, cut and boiled. You can use it in stir-fries or salads, slice it up on sandwiches, or crumble it up and cook it with vegetables (similar to what some people do with scrambled eggs).
• Tempeh. This is a fermented soy product sold in long chunks. Tempeh works great when thinly sliced ​​and added to stir-fries or crumbled for use in stews, peppers, tacos, or sloppy joes.
• Soy meat substitute.
  Some more processed plant-based meat substitutes, such as B. premade veggie burgers, use soy protein in recipes.

Summary

There are more plant-based meat alternatives today than ever before. The most common of these are gluten, jackfruit, soy products, and prepackaged products that mimic traditional meats, such as those under the Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat brands.

Nutrition content of plant-based meat substitutes

The following is a comparison chart of the essential nutrients for the above plant-based meat substitutes.

Nutrition information provided is for single servings and sizes may vary by product and brand, as shown below.

	Calories	Protein (grams)	Total Fat (grams)	Saturated Fat (g)	Total Carbohydrates (grams)	Fiber (grams)	Sodium (mg)
Seitan, 100 g (4 oz) slices	141	25	2.3	0	6	1.2	447
Beyond Burger, 113g patty	230	20	14	5	7	2	390
Impossible Burger, 113g patty	240	19	14	8	9	3	370
Jackfruit, 100 g (3.5 oz)	33	1.3	0	0	6.7	4	20
Tofu, 100 g (3.5 oz)	49	4.4	2.2	0	1.1	0	16

Summary

Among popular meat substitutes, Seitan, Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger are the highest in sodium, protein and calories. The latter two are generally higher in saturated fat. Jackfruit and tofu are low in calories and sodium, and contain no saturated fat.

Advantages of plant-based meat substitutes

Some of the major benefits of eating plant-based meat alternatives are subjective, as many people choose to consume them for a variety of personal reasons.

For example, I eat plant-based meat alternatives because they are more in line with my personal ethics than meat.

Eating plants means I do not support industrial animal husbandry or its impact on animal welfare, the environment and public health.

In addition, some plant-based meats lack heart-healthy nutrients that some people may wish to limit, such as saturated fat and sodium — although levels vary by product.

In recent years, studies have shown that high consumption of processed and red meat increases the risk of certain types of cancer, especially colon and breast cancer.

On the other hand, most Western diets are deficient in important nutrients, such as fiber, which are known to reduce the risk of various chronic diseases.

Because plants are the only natural source of fiber, adopting a holistic plant-based diet is an easy way to increase your fiber intake, in addition to getting more vitamins, minerals, and compounds that further protect your health.

Another advantage of plant-based meats is that many of them have a similar flavor, texture, and versatility to meat, making them ideal for people who don’t want to eat animal products.

Summary

Many people prefer plant-based meat alternatives because of their attitudes toward animal welfare and the environment. Some meat substitutes also lack certain nutrients that some people want to limit, such as: B. Saturated fat and sodium.

Disadvantages of plant-based meat substitutes

While plant-based meat alternatives have many benefits, there are also some disadvantages to consider.

For example, not all plant-based meats are created equal.

Some highly processed products, such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger, have as much total and saturated fat as meat products. A burger has even more sodium than a beef patty, which may be bad for your heart.

In addition, many packaged meat substitutes contain other ingredients that some people do not want to eat, such as refined oils, modified cornstarch, dextrose, or added sugars.

The best way to avoid the ingredients you worry about is to read the ingredient list for each packaged plant-based meat substitute.

Finally, while tofu is cheap, other plant-based meat substitutes can be more expensive per serving.

Summary

Not all plant-based meat substitutes are naturally healthy. Some still contain high amounts of saturated fat and sodium, as well as other ingredients you may want to avoid. Also, some more processed options can be quite expensive.

What is the healthiest plant-based meat substitute?

As with all foods, the healthiest choices of plant-based meat substitutes are those that you can get as close to their original intact form as possible.

For example, soy foods like jackfruit pulp or tofu are significantly less processed than products like Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger.

This does not mean that other plant-based meat alternatives are also not suitable for an overall healthy diet. Despite being more processed, Impossible and Beyond Burger are good sources of plant-based protein. They’re arguably a healthier option than fast-food burgers.

When choosing plant-based meat alternatives, it’s best to choose foods like jackfruit and soy, and keep less highly processed foods in your diet.

Remember that you can use legumes like beans, peas, and lentils in place of meat in many recipes. Not only are these inexpensive, they’re packed with beneficial nutrients, and they’re easy to incorporate into homemade veggie burgers, peppers, soups, stews, tacos, and salads.

Summary

The healthiest way to enjoy plant-based meat alternatives is to choose least-processed foods most of the time, such as whole soy foods, jackfruit, and beans, and to avoid prepackaged burgers and other meat alternatives

Final result

Today, more and more plant-based meat alternatives are available. Many of them are so delicious and readily available that even non-plant-based people enjoy eating them.

When it comes to nutrition, many more processed meat alternatives are not necessarily healthy options. For example, they tend to be high in sodium and saturated fat.

While I recommend sticking with less processed meat alternatives (like gluten and whole soy) in most situations, sometimes foods like the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger can be included as part of an overall healthy diet.