Meat vs plant-based meat

There's been a lot of talk about how people should be changing over to eating only plant-based meats. Some so-called "experts" say the plant-based meats are better for people because it's lower in saturated fats and cholesterol than real meat. They go on to say the reduction in these two things will lead to less obesity and heart disease, but is this really true? To know, we must turn to the scientists as the people who know, or at least should know, the most about the topic.

Here are a few statements from highly reputable sources:
- Although plant-based meats have some benefits, they "may also contain unhealthy ingredients such as high amounts of sodium and unhealthy fats" [1].
- These products "lack nutritional quality being low in protein and rich in sodium and fats" [2].
- This statement is from one source, but backed other similar studies. "The research, involving 89 adults at risk for type 2 diabetes, found no significant heart health benefits of plant-based meat diets over those including animal meat, challenging the notion that these alternatives offer the same advantages as whole plant-based diets" [3].

Summary: Although people may get a slight benefit from eating these products, they still won't provide enough to be able to state as fact that these products are any better for people than is real meat. So instead of insisting people eat fake "meat", most of the people who are backing this product in diets should instead be promoting a fully vegetarian diet.

Let me start this next section by saying companies that sell these products shouldn't be allowed to market their products as meat. The labels stating "Meat made from plants" is simply ridiculous. Meat can't be made from plants just as plants can't be made from meat. I don't have to be a scientist to figure that out. One such company, the Impossible brand, sells fake beef and chicken. The "beef" contains no beef and the "chicken" contains no chicken. The same applies to any other brand on the market. Here are the ingredients, in the order of their content, for Impossible brand burger patties: water, plant protein (20% soy), sunflower oil, coconut oil, thickener (INS 461), glutamic acid, natural flavors, cultured dextrose, modified starch, yeast extract, soy Leghemoglobin (genetically modified), salt, antioxidant (INS 3076), and assorted vitamins.

Do you know what's in actual ground beef? Beef.

I've had some of my friends who are health nuts tell me I shouldn't eat or drink anything that contains ingredients I can't pronounce or is genetically modified. Well, they can't pronounce Leghemoglobin and it's genetically modified, yet these same people are eating plant-based meat. They'll insist it's healthier even though a lot of scientists and dieticians say otherwise. I don't know about other people, but I'm sticking to real meat I can buy that's marked with one simple ingredient and contains no antibiotics. The best way to reduce obesity and heart or other health problems that may be caused by eating too much real meat is to stop eating so much.

So if the health-related benefits aren't really as high as some people who promote plant-based meat say, why are they so eager for everyone to start eating it? It has nothing to with health and everything to do with the environment. Whether or not they agree about the presence or lack of health benefits, sources such as The Good Food Institute, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnolgy News, the National Institute of Health (NIH), and many others make sure they let everyone know the main benefit of eliminating real meat is the benefit to the environment. This is especially true when they point out that getting rid of cows will lower the amount of methane being released into the environment by cattle and so help stop climate change. If you believe this, by all means enjoy your fake meat.

I'm not saying people shouldn't eat what they choose. If anyone prefers plant-based meat for any reason, I hope they enjoy their meal. If they prefer real meat, the same applies. As for me, I don't see any benefit of not eating real meat in moderation and don't believe all the climate hype, so I'm going to go eat a real hamburger.


1. "Plant-based 'meat' not necessarily healthy"; Harvard School of Public Health.
2. The National Institute of Health.
3. "Are plant-based meat substitutes really better for the heart than meat options?"; Medical News Today; Paul Ian Cross, PhD; 4 /12/2024.