In the last decade, the market for meatless meat has exploded. Back in the old days, aka the ’90s, vegetarians basically had to choose between salted, pressed cardboard and soft, mushy cardboard as alternatives to meat. Today, however, plant-based meats, especially ground beef and plant-based burgers, literally bleed for our attention. but they are all fake meats you too healthy and tasty? I reached out to nutritionists to weigh in on what to look for and what to avoid when buying plant-based meat.
First of all, it is crucial to remember that fake meat brands and companies are in the market for different reasons. “Some are designed to appeal to meat lovers as a plant-based alternative, with the look and feel of real meat,” she tells Mic Maddie Pasquariello, a registered dietitian in Brooklyn. These are products like the Impossible Burger or the Beyond Burger, which are meant to mimic the meat-eating experience as closely as possible. Others are simply designed to be healthy alternatives to meat and don’t necessarily taste like meat, cook like meat, or even look like meat, Pasquariello explains.
So when shopping for plant-based meat alternatives, you should first consider what you want from fake meat. Do you want it to look and taste like animal meat, be a good source of protein and other nutrients, be good for the environmentor some combination?
The best meat imposters are also often the most processed.
If you’re trying to find the most meat-like experience, Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger are the best, and they have the added benefit of be greener than most real meat, Dana Ellis Hunnes, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles, assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and author of Recipe for survival: what you can do to live a healthier and more environmentally friendly life, he tells Mike. “The Beyond and Impossible burgers taste good, but they are higher in processed products that are also higher in saturated fat,” he says. That doesn’t mean they’re bad for you, but Hunnes recommends that you don’t make them an everyday staple.
Plant-based meat made from whole foods is more nutritious.
“Typically, the most nutritious plant-based meat you’ll find is going to be one made with whole, simple ingredients,” says Pasquariello. She recommends reading labels to make sure what you’re buying contains fiber, protein and limited additives.
And, Hunnes notes, you should be especially vigilant about sodium and fat content. “[Plant-based meats] they are still a highly processed food and often have a lot of added sodium and, depending on the brand, a lot of saturated fat,” he explains.
If you are not educated on how to read food labelsPasquariello has some tips. “Try to look for plant-based meat alternatives that contain at least 8-10g protein per serving (or more; some offer more than 20-30g), with at least 5g fiber per serving and 300mg sodium or less per serving. ” she says.
But don’t just focus on the nutritional content; Look at the ingredients too. “Ingredients that sound like real food tend to be less processed and healthier than those that are highly processed and unrecognizable,” says Hunnes.
Plant-based meats recommended by nutritionists can be surprising.
One of Pasquariello’s favorites is a black bean burger made by the brand. real vegetables. “These contain a lot of protein, as well as fiber, and they have no saturated fat. The ingredient list is super simple, and they are high in vitamin A and magnesium, while being relatively low in sodium, which means a lot of bang for your buck,” she says. While they may be a relatively unknown option, a quick search reveals that they are in the refrigerated section of several grocery stores, as well as some online marketplaces.
Hunnes likes it. Dr. Praeger’s Perfect Burgers better because they contain recognizable ingredients and have a healthier nutritional profile than many processed foods. In fact, many of the dozens of dietitians I contacted for this article said that these veggie burgers are their favorite, citing the good balance of flavor and nutrition. Frankly, I was surprised by this; I have been a vegetarian for decades and never tried them. The packaging looks a bit medical and I’m always wary of products packaged with a doctor’s name: dr atkin tones – but it just goes to show that you can’t judge a burger by its cover.
You probably shouldn’t be eating plant-based meat every day.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you shouldn’t eat meat at every meal, even if it’s plant-based. “It would be hard to say that any vegan meat burger is a ‘healthy’ food,” says Hunnes. “Most of them are it is not a healthy food, nor are they necessarily intended to be health foods. They are a humane and environmentally friendly food, and as a vegan myself, from those two perspectives, I recommend vegan meats as a ‘treat’ food or a once-a-week food, rather than an all-you-can-eat food. days, but animal meats shouldn’t be an everyday food either.”
