Catherine Ko, MS, RD, CDE In the pursuit of a predominantly plant-based diet, wholesome/natural protein sources fall along the lines of beans, nuts, and soy. However, in the last few years, there has been a lot of attention given to Beyond Meat, Impossible Burgers and the new plant-based meat alternatives that seem to be debuting every week. Restaurants have heard their customers and are creating meat-equivalent menu items, utilizing these products, to positive reviews. Success has not come without it’s share of controversy. It all boils down to the million dollar question: “Is a meat substitute better for you?”
PROS:
- It is a plant-based alternative to traditional meat sources, derived mainly from soybeans or peas.
- It is lower in saturated fat content. This is the type of fat that is associated with most diseases.
- It is more eco-friendly and easier on the environment.
CONS:
- It is highly processed. A steak usually has 1 ingredient, while Beyond Meat has 18.
- It is higher in sodium content.
- Health and environment benefits are not confirmed.
I think that at the end of the day, it is impossible (no pun) to pick everything apart and embrace it with absolutely no doubts. My recommendation is to pick one single most important reason that enables you to start/follow/choose a plant-based diet. Ignore all of the background noise that the media is feeding you and focus on the reasoning to embrace plant-based alternatives. We acknowledge that there is not a clear winner, when it comes down to a meat substitute.
It doesn’t matter whether you choose to be part-time vegetarian, full-time pescatarian, embrace a “Meatless Monday” or indulge in a weekend of veganism. You could try alternative meat dishes for your own health, because you want to lose weight, religious reasons, your love of the Earth or a multitude of other reasons that are all valid. There’s no wrong answer to this decision. The important part is dedicating yourself to going meatless and sticking with it!
There’s no reason to think of meat alternatives as a replacement to every single beef dish. Think of this as an exotic treat and use it occasionally. Incorporating meatless alternatives to your diet creates variety and hopefully increases your appreciation of food, in general. Instead of constantly comparing the alternatives to traditional meat, learn to appreciate the alternatives as it is. The most important takeaway is that today, YOU chose to eat a plant-based meal. That, in itself, is a victory.
Speaking of ideas – growing up, my favorite type of dish to cook was gooey sauce over rice. There is nothing more appetizing and comforting to me, than seeing the shiny, glutenous gooey looking sauce over some steamed rice. Below is a quick, but simple Beyond Meat over rice recipe that’s been re-invented for your daily burger substitute. Hopefully, this will help you hang on to one more plant-based meal!
For people with diabetes – the meat/sauce has low carb, portion out the rice
For people with high cholesterol – do try this meat alternative as a way to cut down red meat intake
For people with chronic kidney disease – plant-based protein is much more friendly than any animal meat
For weight gain – add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil in the sauce
