Is fake meat healthy? Dr Christian Jessen spills the beans

Veggie burger

by Dr Christian Jessen |
Updated on

After research found that vegan burgers, bangers and mince can be too salty, Dr Christian Jessen says we need to beware veggie junk food

I applaud anyone who gives up meat for animal rights reasons, but if you’re doing it to be healthier, be very careful what you eat.

Action on Salt found that more than a quarter of meat-substitutes exceed salt targets. That’s because when trying to emulate another food, manufacturers often pump it full of salt, sugar or binding agents to make it taste and feel right.

The saltiest food was a fake smoked bacon – two rashers provide 15 per cent of your daily salt allowance – and I doubt anyone just has two. Most veggie burgers were saltier than meat ones, too. I understand people shunning meat for ethical reasons, but if they do it by eating fake meats, that could damage their health.

Dr Christian
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Fake bacon rashers also have too much fat and contain highly processed carbs like cornstarch. Meat substitutes often contain rehydrated or reconstituted ingredients, too. Meaty or not, eating processed food once a week is fine, but if it’s the main part of your diet, you’re not eating well. I have helped endless obese vegetarians and vegans because they eat mountains of starchy, stodgy beige food.

The key to a good diet is to cook with as much colour and variety as possible, but that seems hard so people use convenience foods. For spag bol or burgers use soya mince, or finely chopped mushrooms, for curries chunky aubergine or tofu can replace chicken, and beans or chick peas add protein.

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Veggie options on menus always seem to be a goat’s cheese tart or a mushroom stroganoff, which must be pretty uninspiring. You’d be better off going to places that automatically have good vegan dishes like Indian, Middle Eastern, Mexican or Thai. Vegan junk food joints are popping up, using a processed gluten called seitan to make fake fried chicken. Sandwiching that in a white bun, with a splodge of sugary ketchup and a side of fries is vegan, but not healthy.

“Fake meat” also often lacks nutrients you would get from the meat equivalent, so deficiencies are common among vegans. It’s very hard to get enough B12, but you can’t function without it, and plant-based iron is hard to absorb, so I advise daily supplements of both. Don’t fall into a food rut; keep your diet varied. Fake bacon and mock fried chicken are vegan, but they’re still junk food.

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