A Description of Plant-Based Meats

Plant-based meats are becoming quite popular, offering a number of advantages such as promoting a reduction in red meat consumption, enhancing health, containing more fiber, and being environmentally friendly.

FREMONT, CA: Unlike animal meat, plant-based meats are made from soy, grains, yeasts, or other plants. There are vegan and vegetarian alternatives to animal flesh, such as hamburgers, chicken, sausages, chicken nuggets, tuna, shrimp, salmon, turkey, and roasts. They may also be referred to as "fake" meats, "meat alternatives," or "vegan meats."

How Are Plant-Based Meats Made? Soy and wheat gluten are both high in protein and produce meat-like textures without imparting much flavor. One should read the label on a plant-based meat product if they have celiac disease or are gluten sensitive.

Besides soy and gluten, other common ingredients in plant-based meats include peas and pea protein, lentils, beans, potato starch, eggs, nuts and seeds, mushrooms, and vegetables.

Plant-based meats are vegan, aren't they?

Plant-based meats are vegetarian but not necessarily vegan. Vegans must check the label for the full list of ingredients before consuming them.

Plant-based meats have a number of health benefits, including:

Today, plant-based meats come in quite a variety of nutritional facts and ingredients. As a general rule, avoiding animal products in favor of plant foods has the following health benefits:

Cardiovascular disease prevention

Inflammation is reduced

Cancer prevention

Regularizing the bowels

Supporting weight loss and improving weight management

Cholesterol reduction

Hypertension and blood pressure reduction

Controlling blood sugar levels

Plant-based meat's downsides are:

In most plant-based meats, vegan or vegetarian sources of protein are used so that consumers still receive the protein benefits associated with real meat. However, plant-based meat may still contain less total protein and more carbohydrates than animal meat. Furthermore, plant-based meats lack vitamin B12, a nutrient essential for energy production. In some vegan meats, vitamin B12 is fortified, but consumers should consider this when assessing their nutrient requirements. In addition to iron and zinc, some better plant-based meats are also fortified with these nutrients.

Healthy Plant-Based Meat Choices: The ingredients label and nutrition facts will help consumers decide which plant-based meats to consume. Looking for plant-based meats that provide no more than 20 percent of the daily recommended sodium limit, which is 2,300 mg is necessary. Consumers should also look for low-saturated fat and real food ingredients like organic soy, peas, vital wheat gluten, seeds, and vegetables. When possible, fiber, protein, and vitamin B12 should be high. Aiming for at least 3-5 grams of fiber per serving, 9 grams of protein, and 20 percent DV of vitamin B12 is crucial unless consumers already take a supplement. Sugar, hydrogenated oils, and artificial ingredients should be avoided at all costs.