Just for the health of it, try to find an alternative to faux meat
I've said before that I don't like faux meat.
Honestly, if I wanted to eat meat, I wouldn't be a vegetarian. I don't miss meat so I don't need to replace it with something that resembles meat. But some of you probably would like a burger occasionally or have a recipe that calls for chorizo that sounds really good.
That's why the substitutes are out there. And they are becoming more and more popular...even many fast food places are serving "impossible" burgers and other fake meat meals.
A lot of people say they eat the meat substitute purely to replace the flesh that was formerly in their diets, while others say they choose it to blend in with their non-vegetarian friends. And, still others say they choose to eat the fake stuff because it's healthier.
But is the fake meat any better for you than the real thing? Should you just stick to the vegetables and forget about the fake meat?
Honestly, if I wanted to eat meat, I wouldn't be a vegetarian. I don't miss meat so I don't need to replace it with something that resembles meat. But some of you probably would like a burger occasionally or have a recipe that calls for chorizo that sounds really good.That's why the substitutes are out there. And they are becoming more and more popular...even many fast food places are serving "impossible" burgers and other fake meat meals.
A lot of people say they eat the meat substitute purely to replace the flesh that was formerly in their diets, while others say they choose it to blend in with their non-vegetarian friends. And, still others say they choose to eat the fake stuff because it's healthier.
But is the fake meat any better for you than the real thing? Should you just stick to the vegetables and forget about the fake meat?
Salt
The salt content of meat replacement is sometimes on par with meat. An Impossible Whopper at Burger King has 1,240g of sodium. It's meat counterpart has only 980g. The Impossible Slider at White Castle has 590g of sodium and the Original Slider has 380g.
I mean, you shouldn't be surprised. Meat replacements aren't exactly known for their deliciousness...you need to salt them up to make them taste good.
Fat and Calories
That Impossible Whopper we talked about before...630 calories and 34g of fat in that one, which is 30 fewer calories and 5 fewer grams of fat than the "real" thing. Is that so much of a difference? The Impossible Slider has 210 calories and 11g of fat. And in the Original slider there are 250 calories and 13g of fat...not much difference.
Eating too much saturated or trans fat can raise your cholesterol, which can, in turn, increase your risk of cardio-vascular and other diseases. Do you really need a burger -- a fake burger, at that -- that much?
None of this is to say that you should go back to consuming meat. Don't do that. Just keep in mind that faux meat may not be the healthiest choice to add to your diet.
Meat is an even worse choice
The World Health Organization announced in 2015 that red meat is considered a Group 2 carcinogen that "probably caused cancer in humans". Red meat is linked to colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancers. Processed meat was named a Group 1 carcinogen, which means that it is directly linked to cancer -- such as colorectal and stomach cancer -- in humans.
Those who consume meat are also 1,000 times more likely to suffer from heart disease than those who eat a plant-based diet.
Meat-free fast food, however, is still fast food with some of the same health risks.
There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options out there. If you don't need a faux meat fix, find another option.
