Plant-based meat: Just a pricey lifestyle choice?

Plant-based meats which are considered substitutes for animal meats are actually processed and industrially manufactured products. Its market is growing by the day. The global estimated value of the plant-based meat market is a staggering USD 5 billion currently. North America is the hub for the plant-based meat market.

Excessive consumption of animal-based meat may result in diet-related diseases such as obesity, type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Plant based meats have their own advantages and disadvantages. Plant-based meats are used in making foods like burgers, sausages, ham, chicken nuggets, fish fingers and meatballs.  Most of the meat substitutes in the market include proteins from plant origins. It has soy, green peas, jack fruit, wheat gluten, legumes, beans, vegetable proteins, nuts and seeds.

Ingredients in plant-based meats include seitan, jackfruit, coconut oil, veg protein extract, beet juice, soy or other legumes, wheat, yeasts, other plants., and premade products that mimic traditional meats.

Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. It has a savory flavor and chewy texture that works well in stir-fry, sandwiches, stews, and pasta dishes.

Jackfruit flesh, because of its texture and mild flavor, is often used in place of meat dishes such as pulled pork. Jackfruit is low in calories and doesn’t have much protein or fat compared to other plant-based meat alternatives. However, it does offer some fiber and a small number of micronutrients, such as iron, potassium, and calcium.

A curry made of plant-based meat (image credit: gooddot)

Soy is a legume and one of the original plant-based meat alternatives. Soy-based foods tend to have a mild flavor and versatile texture that make them ideal for use in many traditionally meat-based dishes.

There are various health benefits associated with plant-based products, about which consumers are getting more aware recently. Plant-based meat is uneconomical when compared to animal-based meat, which is likely to impact its growth in price-sensitive markets such as India, China, and South Africa.

As with any food, the healthiest options among plant-based meat alternatives are the ones you can eat as close to their original form as possible. Not all plant-based meat alternatives are inherently healthy. Some still contain large amounts of saturated fat and sodium, as well as other ingredients you may want to avoid. The key is to eat them in moderation. Additionally, some of the more processed options can be fairly expensive.

Plant-based meat products contain nutritional benefits similar to that of animal meat. Manufacturers try to make the meat substitutes similar to meat in terms of texture, color, flavor, and taste. However, most consumers are disappointed by the taste and variety of meat substitutes.