Are Meat Alternatives Good For You?

A Few Facts about Meat Alternatives.

There is nothing new about plant-based food. The Chinese have been making tofu from soy beans for about 2000 years and they have also been producing seitan (wheat gluten) from the 6th century.

These days there is a huge selection of meat alternatives in our supermarkets. And this industry continues to grow. Approximately 885 million vegetable and plant-based products were sold in 2017. However, this number rose to 1.5 billion in 2020.

Furthermore, according to Statista, 26% of the Generation Z say they are not eating meat.

So, it looks like these products are here to stay.

Are Meat Alternatives Good for You?

Some research indicate that meat-free alternatives tend to be lower in fat and cholesterol, (including saturated and trans fats,) and they contain higher amounts of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

One study suggests if only 3% of daily energy intake from processed red meat was replaced with plant based sources, then the risk of mortality could be reduced by 12%.

What’s Wrong with Eating Meat Alternatives?

These foods can be lower in iron, zinc, vitamin B12 than meat and sometimes, they are similar to junk food because they could have high levels of salt and saturated fat. They can also have a lower protein quality and could be low in certain essential amino acids, if plant proteins are not combined. However, protein deficiency is rare in developed countries.

Tips on How to Include Meat Alternatives in a Healthy Diet.

• Eat them with other good protein sources like legumes, nuts and seeds.
• Include whole grains and vegetables.
• If it is possible, try to eat the products which are low in saturated fat and salt.
• You could consider taking supplements like vitamin B12 or iron.

I have always been quite adventurous with my food. I tried meat alternatives out of curiosity and I noticed they were cheaper than meat. At first, they tasted a bit bland. Over time, I noticed that they improved exponentially and I genuinely enjoy them these days. I think they are a great place to start if you are considering vegetarianism/veganism. Also, even though it took a while, I got use to cooking and eating tofu and will write about this food in my next post.

Thank-you for reading.

Rachel xx

Sources: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com, http://www.sciencedirect.com, http://www.eatingwell.com