How Healthy Are the New Plant-Based 'Fake Meats'?
The answer is yes, according to new research funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It found the imitation meats to be a good source of fiber, folate and iron while containing less saturated fat than ground beef. But the researchers said they also have less protein, zinc and vitamin B12  and lots of salt. "Switching from ground beef to a plant-based ground beef alternative product can be a healthy choice in some ways," said lead researcher Lisa Harnack, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, in Minneapolis. Her advice: Read the Nutrition Facts label and choose a product that best matches your health and nutrition goals. For example, if you're limiting sodium to control high blood pressure, steer clear of products that are high in salt, Harnack said. "If you're watching saturated fat intake for heart health, read the label to make sure you're choosing a product that is low in saturated fat," she said. "A few products contain as much or nearly as much saturated fat as ground beef." For the study, Harnack's team used a University of Minnesota food and nutrient database that includes 37 plant-based ground beef alternative products made by nine food companies. The products analyzed are from Amy's Kitchen, Inc.; Beyond Meat; Conagra, Inc.; Impossible Foods Inc.; Kellogg NA Co.; Kraft Foods, Inc.; Marlow Foods Ltd.; Tofurky; and Worthington. Although these plant-based products can be healthy alternatives to beef, Harnack hopes their manufacturers will make them even healthier by keeping salt to a minimum. "Food companies should work to optimize the nutritional quality of their products, especially with respect to the amount of salt and other sodium-containing ingredients used in formulating veggie burgers and other plant-based ground beef alternative products," Harnack said. Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Health in New York City, reviewed the findings.