Is Plant-Based Meat the Real Deal or All Hype?
You see plant-based burgers on the menu everywhere. I wanted to look at what drove such a big rise in them and see whether or not it's a healthier choice.
Is Plant-Based Meat the Real Deal or All Hype?
Walk into a fast-food chain these days and there's likely a plant-based burger on the menu. A few years back, beyond-meats and Impossible Foods appeared, seemingly, out of thin air and are now being sold at every restaurant and grocery store. I wanted to look into why this has become a trending topic in the food space and if these products are actually good for us.
Why it became popular
A few reasons. First, I think a lot more people now care about the welfare of animals and about the environment, and the livestock industry uses large amounts of land and water and generates greenhouse gases, with 14.5 percent of global emissions being from animal products, meaning the plant-based burger that tastes like beef without a cow is definitely better for the environment than a regular one.
Second, plant-based burgers still taste good, and they have a similar texture to the beef ones. The newer options compared to regular veggie burgers do actually look bloody (the red dye is made using beet juice) and feel similar to that of ground beef, which made it appealing not only to vegetarians, but people who didn't know they wanted a burger substitute either.
Are they actually more healthy?
This is where it gets a little more complicated. Plant-based burgers don't have cholesterol and many have lower amounts of saturated fat, which is good for your heart. However, they are still considered ultra-processed foods. In a Beyond Burger patty, for example, there are about 5 grams of saturated fat and almost 400 mg of sodium, and that is the same as a standard beef patty. So, they aren't really healthy.
As a recent Harvard Health report states, "A burger made with black beans or a lentil patty is generally more nutritious than a plant-based burger designed to emulate meat. The beans and lentils are whole foods, with the natural fibre they provide and no added preservatives, flavors, or colorings." So if plant-based meats are not the healthiest, the healthiest option may be to just eat plant-based foods.
My thoughts
I'm still a fan of these plant-based burgers, but primarily for environmental rather than nutritional reasons. I think the biggest benefit is that if this allows someone to eat one less beef burger a week, that would be good for the world. But I wouldn't want to eat these every day and think it's healthy. Ultimately, I think the most impactful change one can make in one's eating habits is to eat less meat and consume more whole plant-based foods like beans, lentils, vegetables, and fruit.