The shelves are full of meat substitutes, from burgers to bacon and chicken. Ideal if you do not want to eat or eat less meat. But how healthy are they really?
Most meat substitutes have soybeans or other legumes as the main raw material. Because they contain a lot of vegetable proteins, the texture resembles real meat. With the addition of, for example, wheat gluten, chickpeas or egg, a vegetable meat substitute is created after processing that comes even closer. Soy contains phytoestrogens that are similar to the female hormone estrogen. There are claims that you should not eat too much of these plant hormones. However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has not identified any unhealthy side effects.
Most meat substitutes contain a lot of vegetable proteins and are therefore an excellent alternative to meat. They help keep your arteries fit because they lower your LDL cholesterol. A healthy choice, you might say. But there are also drawbacks. Meat substitutes often contain a lot of salt. Sometimes as much as 2 grams per 100 grams, while you should not get more than 6 grams per day. Also watch out for additives (just like real meat, by the way). This certainly applies to vegetable-based meat substitutes. They contain little protein and need a lot of additions and processing to be seasoned. Meat substitutes often contain less saturated fat than animal meat.
A good meat substitute contains protein (more than 20% of the energy), iron (more than 0.8 milligrams per 100 grams), vitamin B1 (more than 0.06 milligrams per 100 grams) and/or vitamin B12 (0.24 micrograms per 100 grams). Note that not every meat substitute contains vitamin B12. Therefore, vary with different types. Vegetarians can also get B12 from dairy and eggs. Do you eat vegan? Then you can also opt for vitamin B12 supplements. (Source:Nutrition Center)
If you regularly opt for a meat substitute, you are doing well when it comes to animal welfare. But do you also contribute to a better environment? That really depends on how a meat substitute is made and what is in it. For example, a lot of CO2 is released during the processing of soy from South America.
Nearly 100 billion tons of CO2 could be removed from the atmosphere if rich countries switch to a plant-based diet. That is what two researchers at Leiden University write in the journal Nature Food. Now a lot of meat and dairy is eaten in rich countries. Worldwide, this takes up 80 percent of agricultural land. Eating meat and dairy also causes more CO2 emissions than eating vegetables. Beef is especially polluting. Ruminants emit an average of 62 grams of CO2 per gram of meat. In comparison:with legumes that is only 0.25 grams of CO2 per gram of protein. "If half of the people in richer countries eat half as much meat, that is a huge opportunity for the climate," the researchers say.
Read also:7 common mistakes when you start with a plant-based diet
More inspiration? Then read Happy by Carolina van Dorenmalen (Kosmos Publishers, ISBN 9789021583686)
