Are Plant-Based Meat Substitutes Actually Healthy?

Many people seem to think these meat alternatives are unhealthy because they are processed. Is this true? Let’s find out.

People are looking more and more to plant-based meat substitutes for a number of reasons, including improvement in health, animal welfare conditions and environmental concerns. The demand for plant-based alternatives is clearly rising. At the same time, there are concerns about the nutritional quality of these alternatives. Many avid meat eaters are quick to claim that these foods are nothing more than unhealthy processed junk.

Are plant-based alternatives like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat truly nutritious substitutes?

The answer is yes, according to new research funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It found the imitation meats to be a good source of fiber, folate and iron while containing substantially lower amounts of saturated fat than ground beef. Also absent from plant-based options was an increased risk for cancer. Numerous studies have linked to the consumption of meat, especially red meat and processed meat, to a higher risk for several types of cancer.

However, the results weren’t all positive. The plant-based alternatives typically contained less protein, zinc, and Vitamin B12. Many of the products also contained high amounts of sodium.

Here's the good news. Because of the way they are developed, the formulations of these plant-based products could be changed to help include the nutrients they are lacking—like being fortified with B12—and to lower the sodium levels. As you are shopping, just make sure to read the nutrition label on the back and make sure it aligns with your health needs.

So, what can we conclude from all of this?

First, I think it is important to point something out. Nothing is black and white. Humans love to simplify things, but the true reality is that things are quite often much more nuanced and complex.

Clearly there are some obvious benefits to such items as Beyond Meat and the Impossible burger. These aren’t the only plant-based meat alternatives out there though and despite still being healthier overall than meat, they are more processed and less healthy than other items such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, jackfruit beans, etc.

It’s best to think of these items as products that are helpful when first converting to a plant-based diet. They aren’t the best vegan options out there, but they do offer familiarity for people new to the lifestyle.

At the end of the day, vegan food is a lot like “normal” food. Meat is unhealthy, no doubt about it. But it’s also important to recognize that not all of it is the same. For example, a person who regularly consumes a few small portions of fresh fish per week would experience vastly different health implications than someone who consumes bacon regularly. I’m not saying that eating fish is healthy, but it is comparably “healthier” than eating bacon and hot dogs every day.

The same can be said with vegan options. Overall, numerous studies have shown a plant-based diet to be healthier than eating meat. But that doesn’t mean that we should all eat Impossible burgers and Oreos at every meal. No matter what your views, it is important to eat a balanced diet so that you can reap the benefits of a variety of food sources.

It’s also important that we clear up some of the misconceptions around “processed” food. The reason many meat-eaters criticize these alternatives is because they are “processed” and “unnatural.” But what does that term actually mean? I think they are referring to the fact that it is made using a bunch of ingredients. Meat is touted as being a much more natural and unprocessed option.

But isn’t meat processed? Aren’t the animals literally sent to processing plants after being slaughtered? They are also typically injected with hormones, antibiotics, steroids, and countless other fillers. They’re artificially bred into existence by humans and kept confined in tight, unclean quarters for all of their lives before being killed after only living a small fraction of their lives. What exactly is “natural” about that? That might be a good question to ask the next time someone says how natural their cheeseburger is.

To wrap things up, a plant-based diet is optimal and overall, these alternatives are healthier than the meat products they are intended to substitute. But we also should be careful to read nutrition labels and incorporate a variety of foods into our diet.

An impossible burger is better for you than a beef burger. But it’s also worse for you than tofu and a salad. Furthermore, gas is natural, but you still shouldn’t drink it. As a society we need to get away from such simple-minded terms and comparisons and learn to see the nuances in things.