Although there is a perception that plant-based meats, produced by companies such as Beyond Beef and Impossible Foods, are automatically healthier than their traditional counterparts, this perception isn’t necessarily correct. The term “plant-based”, although appealing to consumers, doesn’t tell the full story about these kinds of meat. Plant-based means just that: Impossible Burger patties aren’t made of chopped-up vegetables, they’re made of manipulated soy proteins, a far cry from actual veggie burgers.
Far be it from me to incite public outcry at the idea of artificial intervention into the food we eat; GMOs, for example, are increasingly important given our ever-growing population. But it is relevant to acknowledge the health detriments that tend to come with processed foods: namely, greater amounts of sodium and fat and fewer healthy nutrients. A Beyond Burger, for example, has over five times the amount of sodium that an ordinary beef burger does. Figures like this make sense: in the absence of real animal cells, imitation meat companies must use laundry lists of chemical additives to approximate the flavor. Chemicals aren’t inherently bad, of course, but it is important to keep track of what one puts in one’s body.
On the other hand, and it is a fairly large other hand, plant-based meats are far better for the environment than natural ones. A study by the University of Michigan found that a Beyond Burger “generates 90% less greenhouse gas emissions, requires 46% less energy, has >99% less impact on water scarcity and 93% less impact on land use than [the same amount] of U.S. beef.” That’s a lot of numbers, guys. Plus, even though fake meat sometimes contains certain unhealthy ingredients, it also often has higher amounts of healthy nutrients, such as potassium and fiber.
When it comes down to it, neither real meat nor the plant-based kind can be, at least at the moment, perfectly healthy. It all comes down to understanding the actual benefits and drawbacks of each type, which can vary by company, and finding the right balance based on health, taste, and environmental considerations.
