How healthy are all those meat substitutes, really?
Good for the environment: definitely. Eating meat simply isn’t very sustainable. But how good are those meat substitutes actually for your body? Magazine Quest investigated, and the result is shocking: most meat substitutes are so highly processed that you’re better off leaving them alone.
Healthy meat substitutes? Think again…
Making meat from plants is quite an art. Because how on earth do you make smoked sausages or filet américain from plants? Quest investigated. To turn soy protein or pea protein into attractive pieces of meat substitute, these ingredients are mixed under high pressure with water, binding agents, oil and coloring agents. Sausages are then made from the mixture by pressing it through a tube. Quite a lot of work, and the more ingredients are processed, the less good they generally are for you. All that processing causes nutrients to be lost.
Healthy meat?
The comparison with real meat is difficult. People who eat a lot of red meat are more likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be caused solely by the meat: perhaps they also eat more unhealthy products. Moreover, meat also contains nutrients that are good for you, such as iron, protein and vitamins.
Beans, then
The magazine’s recommendation: if you want to eat vegetarian, it’s better to open a can of beans than fry up a meat substitute.
Also read:
- Recipe: broad bean dip
- Albert Heijn launches its own brand of vegetarian chicken breast
- Snackspert’s week: Jumbo’s vegetarian frikandel roll gets a solid four stars
Source: Quest
