VEGAN MEAT: THE ALTERNATIVES

 So what is plant based meat? According to an article by Stray Dog Institute (2021) plant based meats are products that are made to mimic animal flesh but are only made of ingredients obtained from plants. This doesn’t go for all vegan products only the ones that are an alternative for animal meat such as bacon, burgers, and chicken.

As the vegan market increases so do the options of their meat free option such as:

·      Veggie burgers/Beyond Burger plant based patties

·      BBQ Jackfruit

·      Tofu

·      Plant based sausages

·      Plant based chicken

·      Fish free tuna

·      Plant based bacon

Due to their high protein and fibre content, it means that consumers who are choosing to make the swap are not missing out too much on the nutrients they need to keep fit. Although only a small population of the UK are vegan, there has been a slow rise of consumers deciding to flip their diets. It is suggested that of a survey of 2000 people only 2% were vegan in 2020 with a small rise of 1% in 2021 (Long, 2022). This is only expected to rise with the range of options that are becoming available to the consumer. Long (2022) also states “One in five Brits say they would go vegan if the circumstances were right”. From this we can only assume that with time more people will be willing to try more vegan products in their diet or switch their diet completely!

What to look for in plant based alternatives… When looking for a plant based alternative it is important to look at the information as many products contain processed ingredients which may cause an issue for people with allergies or intolerances. If you’re a gym goer or just want to maintain a healthy diet it is also important that you look for the protein within the meat free products. Alternatives that are made with soy isolates and wheat gluten has the highest percentage of protein (Savage and Carroll, 2022).

So what are the benefits to veganism? As discussed in my previous blog there are many benefits to veganism such as helping act on climate change by reducing the number of animals being slaughtered for meat. More specifically cows which give off greenhouse gases that release CO2 into the atmosphere. Secondly veganism can also promote weight loss and reduce your risk of heart disease (Rush, no date).

However, there are some downsides to veganism, one of which being some side effects can include anaemia and disruptions within the hormone production later causing more health risks for the individual. It is important that when swapping diets to veganism that there are plenty of proteins as it can cause B12 deficiencies if not! (Adereyko, 2020).