Are plant-based meat substitutes actually good for us?
The message is loud and clear. We must eat less meat to save the planet and protect our health. But what if the plant-based meat substitutes available in our supermarkets fail to deliver enough protein to sustain us?
A recent report by Safefood Ireland (Vegetarian meat substitutes: Products available in supermarkets on the island of Ireland and consumer behaviours and perceptions) examined the nutritional content of 354 of these products and found that 28% are not an adequate source of protein, which means they shouldn’t be regarded as meat substitutes at all.
Not long ago, this might not have made headlines. Meat-free products were far from mainstream, consisting of a few Quorn products in the freezer section of the supermarket. Now, meat-free burgers, sausages, and mince are everywhere.
Celebrities and influencers have led the way in convincing us to try a plant-based diet. Rosanna Davison, Beyonce, and Bill Clinton are just a few who have spoken publicly about why they no longer eat meat.
Science backs up their claims. A 2019 study published by the John Hopkins School of Health in America found eating more plants and less meat reduced the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure by 16%.
Another study published in the same year by the EAT Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, and Health highlighted that meat consumption needed to be halved if greenhouse gas emissions were to be reduced.
Savvy food producers are catering for the increasing number of consumers who are curbing their meat consumption in response to this growing body of research. In 2019, Bord Bia reported that vegan was the third fastest-growing, on-pack claim for food and drink launches.
It's this development is that prompted Safefood’s research. “Vegan foods are no longer niche,” says Joana Caldeira Fernandes da Silva, chief specialist in nutrition at Safefood. “There are lots of ready-to-eat vegan products out there.”
Safefood wanted to find out why people were eating these products. “Do people perceive them as healthier because they are meat free and how healthy are they really?” says da Silva. “We looked at their nutritional profiles to investigate.”
Safefood interviewed 802 people and of those who ate meat substitute products, 41% ate them at least once a week, with 7% eating them daily. Their top three reasons for doing so were because they thought these products were healthier (33%), they liked the taste (21%), and environmental concerns (15%).
From a nutrition point of view, a food must meet certain criteria for it to be recognised as a significant provider of protein in the diet. If the percentage of energy that comes from protein ranges from 12% to 19%, it is regarded as 'a source of protein'. If that percentage is 20% or more, it is regarded as 'high in protein'. If foods do not meet either of these thresholds, they are not significant providers of protein.
In Safefood’s survey of 354 meat substitute products, 23% were a source of protein. Some 49% were high in protein, and the remaining 28% were neither a source of nor high in protein.
“This is a problem if people rely on these foods to replace meat protein in their diets,” says da Silva.
Protein is a vital nutrient. “It’s essential for so many body functions,” says dietitian Paul Mee. “It helps produce hormones which send messages to different parts of the body, enzymes for digestion, and antibodies for the immune system. It’s a structural component in cells and we need it to build and repair muscle.”
The amount we need depends on our age, body composition, and exercise levels. “The guideline is 0.83gram per kilogram of body weight per day, that’s 50g to 60g for the average person,” says Mee. “Children and adolescents need more as they are building muscles and older people too as they want to maintain muscle mass.”
Protein is found in meat, fish, dairy products, nuts and seeds, legumes like lentils and beans, and wholegrains such as oats, wheat, and quinoa. “According to the food pyramid, we need two servings of these a day to meet our protein needs,” says Mee.
A plant-based diet makes this slightly more complicated. “Animal proteins contain all nine essential amino acids but only some plant proteins like tofu do,” says Mee. “This means you have to mix and match plant sources to get all the essential amino acids. But this isn’t a problem for vegans who plan their meals carefully.”
Dr Alan Desmond, a consultant gastroenterologist and author of , says there no need for concern. “A healthy and varied vegetarian diet consisting of wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds will give your body the protein and amino acids your body needs to thrive,” he says.
As part of the research he did for his book, Dr Desmond looked at the diets of some of the world’s healthiest people, including those living along the Mediterranean. “They eat a predominantly whole-food plant-based diet and consume between 70 and 80g of protein a day,” he says.
One reason why 28% of meat substitute products not qualifying as a source of protein, says da Silva, is the addition of ingredients to make their consistency and texture more like meat. “If they add potato, they may not add extra protein to balance the nutritional content.”
However, while these foods may not measure up to meat in terms of protein content, they can offer other nutritional benefits. 80% were a source of fibre, which means they contain at least 3g of fibre per 100g.
“This is a definite advantage,” says Mee. “Nine out of ten of us are low in fibre and would benefit from eating more plant proteins to remedy this.”
She hastens to add that she does not recommend eating ready meals in order to do so. “The highly processed nature of some of these foods is worrying and I would always recommend a natural unrefined diet,” she says. “Why eat any of the mind-boggling range of burgers, sausages, and so-called meat alternatives when it’s so easy to cook a can of beans? And economical too.”
She certainly does not recommend meat-substitute products for children. “The emphasis in a child’s diet should be on less processed food with lots of diversity,” she says. “Peas, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds provide a good nutrient profile without being over processed or containing any of the additives often found in these pre-prepared vegan products.”
Da Silva agrees. “If you think about it: a sausage roll is a sausage roll, whether it contains meat or not,” she says. “Like all processed food, it should be limited to once or twice a week.”
Cost is a factor when it comes to food and most meat-free products fare well when compared on price. For example, Tesco sells 500g of Quorn mince for €3.75 versus €4.00 for 554g of beef mince.
Familiarity is another concern. “For people new to a plant-based diet, these foods may look the same as the burgers and sausages they are used to eating,” says Dr Desmond. “They can act as gateway products to vegetarianism and veganism, which is a good thing. But we definitely don’t need them for protein. I built the main meals in my book from the healthiest plant-based ingredients in the supermarket – ingredients like tofu and chickpeas - and those recipes offer an average of 25g of protein per serving, all without using a single meat substitute.”
Convenience is a priority too. “People have busy lives, and the attraction of these products is that they are ready to eat,” says da Silva. “But we don’t expect anyone to soak beans overnight. They come in a can and there are lots of easy recipes for cooking them on our website.
Safefood’s remit is to provide customers with facts so they can then make informed decisions about what they eat. “We don’t want to put anyone off eating plant-based foods,” says da Silva. “In fact, we’re encouraging them to. It’s just that if they’re eating meat substitute products, we advise them to read the label and to choose the healthiest options – ones that are high in protein and low in saturated fat and salt.”
Stay away from products that have too many processed ingredients, says Mee. "Instead, choose ones that contain fruits and vegetables along with good protein alternatives such as a mixture of different legumes, nuts, and seeds.
"Look beyond the buzzwords of plant-based this and meat-free that, and simply read the label."
For more information on what constitutes a balanced vegan diet, see exa.mn/SafefoodVegetarian
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