What a time to follow a plant based diet. not only can you find Impossible Chicken NuggetsAlong with the cult-favorite Mandarin Chicken at Trader Joe’s, you can also take your standard sub further through Subway’s. Beyond the meatball sub. Brands like Chipotle have even developed their own plant-based brand. meat substitutes (their “chorizo” is made with spices pea protein).
It’s no wonder these restaurants continue to add meat alternatives to their menus: 24% of Americans say they’re trying to eat more vegetal proteinaccording to the 2021 Food and Health Survey of the International Food Information Council (IFIC)). That same survey found that nearly two-thirds of respondents (65 percent) had already eaten items “that attempt to mimic the taste and texture of animal protein but are made only from plant-based products” in the previous year.
Simulated meat doesn’t stop at, well, meat. One of The top food trends predicted by the Food Network for 2022 was plant-based fish, citing documentaries such as chasing thunder, which analyzes the impact of illegal fishing on people and the environment. Beef, long thought to be the biggest burden in the animal feed production space, now sadly has some competition: Farmed catfish, along with beef, generate the most of greenhouse gas emissions in production, according to a 2018 report published in the journal. Frontiers in Ecology and Environment.
To keep up with the demand, food brands have sprung up to fill the void with animal-free alternatives to their fish dishes. Plant-Based Seafood Sales jumped 23 percent in 2020and that market share and the range of available products continues to grow.
The question remains: are plant-based seafood better for you and the environment?
What exactly is plant-based shellfish?
“Plant-based shellfish essentially mimics the taste, texture, and appearance of traditional shellfish, but typically only contains vegan ingredients,” explains Michelle Hyman, RD, a registered dietitian at Simple solutions to lose weight In New York.
Now you can find fishless tuna, crab cakes, shrimp, caviar, fish sticks, fish burgers, breaded fish fillets and more, which are often made from soy products, algae, yeast, vegetables, starches, condiments and oils. And coming soon: cell-based (i.e. lab-grown, rather than plant-based) sushi-grade fish from wild type.
What types of plant-based seafood are available?
The ingredient list of many seafood alternatives often includes pea protein isolate (for protein), seaweed (for umami flavor), and/or wheat protein (to mimic the texture of shellfish and add more protein). Some recipes also incorporate algae oil for a dose of Omega 3—heart-healthy fats that, along with protein, make regular seafood a perennial favorite of dieticians.
Known plant-based brands like Garden and beautiful hillin addition to fake fish-focused ones that include Sophie’s kitchen and caviareveryone has cast their hooks into plant-based shellfish.
To compare the texture and taste to its conventional counterparts, we tried Gardein’s Mini cr’b cakesthat are wheat and soy based, plus Good Catch’s plant-based fish sticksthat have those same ingredients plus some chickpeas in the mix, just like the ones at Sophie’s Kitchen’s Plant-Based Shrimp.
With lots of seasonings and breading, and thanks to fryer freshness, these plant-based seafood options taste a lot like the real thing.
That said, more “naked” plant-based facsimiles of tuna and shrimp may be harder for manufacturers to master the flavor and texture, because they can’t fake it with other elements like breading. But caviar it is quite successful with regular caviar, and they are not the only ones; upscale restaurants like New York City’s Eleven Madison Park and Los Angeles’s PYT have dabbled in vegan caviar service.
What are the pros and cons of plant-based seafood?
The average American consumes about 16 pounds of shellfish per year, according to the National Fisheries Institute, with shrimp, salmon, canned tuna, tilapia and haddock topping the charts. With Americans so keen to add heart-healthy fish in their dietsAnd because we have such a predilection for these most popular varieties of seafood, a whopping 34 percent of fisheries are now overexploited, according to the Sustainable Fishing from the University of Washington division. This means that the species’ rate of elimination is faster than the rate at which it can reproduce, thus putting the species at greater risk of extinction.
Since plant-based formulations are (obviously) made with plants rather than real shellfish, the introduction of these fake fish products may help turn the tide on overfishing.
However, it’s not entirely fair to think of this as a one-for-one exchange, he adds. Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN., a Dobbs Ferry, New York-based nutrition expert and author of The smoothie plan—especially when it comes to nutrition.
“The biggest ‘pro’ of eating plant-based seafood is that you don’t have to worry if you’re eating an overfished species. However, you don’t get the same nutritional benefit as eating real shellfish,” says Largeman-Roth. “It is well documented that eating more seafood—the The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fatty fish per week.—helps protect our hearts and reduces the risk of dying. The same cannot be said for these analogs.”
This is because shellfish are naturally rich in shellfish derivatives. Omega 3, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Everyone Omega 3 They’re heart healthy, right? But fake fish is often supplemented with plant-based omega-3s, in the form of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which are less easily absorbed and utilized by the body. (You may see this reported in studies since EPA and DHA are more “bioavailable”).
“Fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, contain DHA and EPA forms of omega-3 fatty acids. Even if plant-based shellfish did contain omega-3s, it would be the ALA version, which is not the same thing. The human body’s ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA is very limited,” explains Hyman.
Anyone with allergies or intolerances to soy or wheat will be out of luck trying most of the plant-based seafood products on the market today, says Largeman-Roth. However, they are a boon for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone looking to help reduce their consumption of animal products.
Hyman also suggests keeping an eye out for protein (often lower than their real seafood competitors), as well as saturated fats and sodium (often higher than its true seafood competitors) on plant-based seafood nutrition facts panels.
“I consider plant-based seafood to be similar to bacon, sausage, and hot dogs in terms of being ultraprocessed and most of the time, high in sodium. Plant-based alternatives provide fewer grams of protein per serving than their traditional seafood counterparts, and the type of protein they contain sometimes has a lower biological value,” says Hyman.
Unless her customers avoid animal products altogether, Largeman-Roth advises them to stick to real fish, which is low in pollutants Like the ones of safe catch. (The Environmental Defense Fund has a useful tool to help you compare the sustainability and safety of all the top seafood selections).
“I tried the ‘tuna’ cans and they just didn’t do it for me. When I eat shellfish, I try to choose wild Alaskan shellfish because it is wild-caught and has few contaminants. I like to know who I am eat something that is healthy for my brain and heart, and it turns out it’s delicious too,” says Largeman-Roth. “I prefer to balance my seafood intake by eating lots of produce, rather than plant-based seafood.”
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The bottom line
There are environmental benefits to eating less meat and seafood, so if greenhouse gas emissions are a priority, feel free to try plant-based seafood. But just like an Impossible Burger is not going to be as high in protein and low in additives as a grass fed beef patty raised on a local farm, keep in mind that these fake fish products should be seen as a treat, a way to mix up your usual routine, rather than a basic in your diet.
“Plant-based versions of animal proteins, including plant-based seafood, are now so widely available that it’s easy to become dependent on them for convenience,” says Hyman. “Plant-based seafood is a very interesting concept. However, if someone chooses it because they think it is healthier than traditional shellfish or other vegetable foodthey may want to reconsider.”
There are plenty of less processed, more nutritious plant-based proteins that she would recommend instead, such as beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds, and ideally, we would be mixing up our plate and including all of the above.
“It’s important to eat a varied and well-balanced diet,” adds Hyman. “If you are concerned about the environment, you may also want to consider buying sustainable seafood. Look for the labels ‘Marine Stewardship Council Certified’ or ‘Best Aquaculture Practices’.”
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