Some people refrain from eating meat and animal products in all their forms, while others do not like eating them and try to look for alternatives to them, but, are meat substitutes really useful?
Meat substitutes offer a plant-based alternative to animal protein, which can make eating vegetarian easier for some, but obtaining sufficient amounts of whole protein is often a reason why people reject the idea of relying on plants.
Myths abound that without animal protein it is impossible to build and maintain muscles or that you will not be able to achieve the peak of your athletic performance. While there are excellent plant-based sources of protein such as legumes, nuts and seeds, meat substitutes provide a source of complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids we need, which is another reason why many people choose to eat meat substitutes.
Nutritionist Dr. Federica Amati tells Life Science: "Yes, often meat substitutes may offer the same benefit, especially those designed to be high in protein," she adds, "It is worth noting that plants also offer complete proteins, so meat substitutes are not necessary if we replace animal protein with a variety of plant proteins per meal."
What is in meat substitutes?
Meat substitutes contain a variety of ingredients to achieve a meat-like texture or flavor, common ingredients include:
- Tight plant protein, often pea protein.
- Protein based on legumes, often soy protein or lentils.
- Seitan, a protein made of "gluten" wheat protein.
- The fungus-based protein Fusarium venenatum, is a single-cell fungus that ferments glucose.
- Yeast extract, used as a flavor to achieve a meat-like taste and after smoked or charred for some meat substitutes.
- Beet juice, often used as a color.
- Nutrient immunization, many meat substitutes contain vitamin B12 and iron, which meat eaters often get from animal sources.
What are the pros and cons of meat substitutes?
Pros
Reduces red meat intake
A study in the Journal of Internal Medicine showed that reducing your consumption of red meat can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and increase longevity.
More sustainable in production
Some alternatives to meat, such as fungal proteins, usually take a small amount of space to produce, when compared to the land used to raise livestock and the land used to produce feed for them, their production is less likely to affect the environment.
Negatives
Intensive Processing
Meat substitutes generally undergo a lot of processing to achieve meat-like texture and flavor, however, some meat, including sausages and bacon, can also be processed intensively, so this is not necessarily limited to meat substitutes.
Less friendly for those with food intolerance
If you cannot process soybeans or wheat, you may find it difficult to get meat substitutes that suit your needs.
Are meat substitutes useful for you?
Meat substitutes can provide a suitable source of protein for those who eat plant-based meals, Amati prefers mixing plant-based protein sources to make sure you consume whole proteins, rather than relying heavily on meat substitutes.
Amati says:
- "There are three main categories of meat substitutes, those made using whole pulses and beans to produce a product similar to meat products (such as bean burgers)
- and those that use plant protein extracts to produce meat-like food (such as pea protein sausages and fungus-based mince)
- and finally the latest innovations of lab-grown meat and synthetic meat, which technically are not vegan because they contain animal cells ".
Meat substitutes are often supported by vitamin B12, according to a study in the journal Nutrients, this is a nutrient we generally get from animal sources because we can't make it in our bodies, if you rely on plant-based sources of protein you may need to add vitamin B12 to your diet.