Study finds meat substitutes are often healthier than comparable meat products

The report used Netherlands Nutrition Centre criteria to compare 130 vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes with 41 animal reference products

A report released by ProVeg Netherlands on 5 September 2023, titled, “How healthy are meat substitutes? Analysis of the nutritional value of meat substitutes compared to animal meat products“, found that meat substitutes are often a healthier choice than the meat products they replace.

ProVeg Netherlands analysed the nutritional composition of meat substitutes from Dutch supermarkets and compared them to animal meat. The report compared 130 vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes with 41 animal reference products based on criteria set by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.

On average, the plant-based products contained less saturated fat, fewer calories and significantly more dietary fibre. In addition, they had a similar percentage of calories from protein. This indicates that, in terms of the risk for lifestyle diseases, meat substitutes often have a slightly better composition than animal meat, especially red and processed meat.

Main results

  • Plant-based burgers, mince meat, meatballs, sausage and bacon received a better average score than animal meat when tested against the criteria of the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Shawarma and nuggets showed similar scores for both plant-based and animal products. Animal meat only scored better in the categories of chicken chunks, chicken fillet and schnitzel.
  • Of the meat substitutes examined, 85% met the protein criterion for meat substitutes, while 88% of the animal reference products met this standard.
  • On average, all categories of meat substitutes contained sufficient iron and vitamin B12, even when non-fortified products were included in the calculation.
  • 33% of the meat substitutes examined successfully met all of the criteria outlined by the Nutrition Centre for meat substitutes concerning the risk of lifestyle diseases, including salt, sugar and saturated fat content. In contrast, only 17% of the animal reference products met these criteria.

Fair comparison

Criticism of the health aspects of meat substitutes has been on the rise, notably due to concerns about elevated salt levels in some products. Previous studies have shown that only a small proportion of Dutch meat substitutes meet all the national criteria. ProVeg’s analysis complements these studies and provides a broader context by including a comparison with traditional meat products.

Martine Van Haperen, nutrition and health expert at ProVeg, said, With this study, we wanted to make a fair comparison by not only testing meat substitutes against the national criteria, but also contrasting them with the products they replace.

When making food choices, consumers are not only concerned with health and nutrition, but also taste. They like to eat their favourite traditional dishes, like sausage stew or eggs and bacon. Salty and fatty flavours are essential to the experience of eating these products.

It is obvious that meat substitute manufacturers will not be able to make a plant-based product with the same salty, fatty taste that simultaneously meets all the national health criteria. That is why our report compares the plant-based substitutes with similar animal meat products.

It turned out that meat substitutes often have a slightly better nutritional composition. So as a consumer, opting for a meat substitute over a processed animal meat product generally does not entail a compromise in terms of health.

Big differences between meat substitutes

The research shows that there are major differences in health between different types of meat substitutes, just like there are between different types of meat products. This means that it is necessary to check individual products to find out which meat substitutes are the healthiest. Most healthy meat substitutes can be found in the categories that replace unprocessed animal meat, such as vegan chicken and mince meat. In categories where the animal meat is very salty and contains a lot of saturated fat, such as (smoked) sausage, burgers and bacon, the meat substitutes are also usually not healthy according to the national criteria, although they often have a better composition than the animal meat products.

As with animal meat, too high a salt content is the main reason why many meat substitutes do not meet all the national criteria. Meat substitutes are on average less salty than processed meat, but saltier than unprocessed meat.

Useful Nutrients

There have been claims that meat substitutes cannot sufficiently replace the nutritional value of animal meat. Of the plant-based products included in the analysis, 85% met the protein criterion for meat substitutes of the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, versus 88% of the animal reference products. 55% of the substitutes were fortified with iron and vitamin B12. The fortified products usually contained considerably more added iron and vitamin B12 than the national criteria. As a result, the meat substitutes on average contained enough of both nutrients, even if the non-fortified meat substitutes were included in the calculation.

If consumers incorporate both fortified and non-fortified meat substitutes into their diet, their average intake of iron and vitamin B12 meets the criteria set for meat substitutes. Nevertheless, it would of course be better if even more meat substitutes were fortified with iron and vitamin B12, so that the nutritional value would correspond more closely with that of meatsaid Van Haperen.

Processed food

Due to the increasing attention to the health risks of ultra-processed food, the question is sometimes raised as to whether meat substitutes made from processed plant proteins are a healthy alternative to animal meat.

According to the current definition, meat substitutes are considered to be ultra-processed, but it doesn’t make sense to lump them together with products such as sweets or crisps. Just like with animal meat, there are healthy and less healthy products. The degree of processing is not in itself a sufficient indication as to whether or not meat substitutes are healthysaid Van Haperen.

Meat substitutes make meat reduction easier

The share of animal proteins in the diet of the average Dutch person has fallen in recent years from 61% to 58%. The government has set the goal that 50% of the consumed proteins should be plant-based by 2030. If the current trend continues, that percentage will not be reached.

This much-needed change in our diet is very difficult to achieve, even among consumers who are aware of the benefits of eating more plant-based foods. Meat substitutes such as plant-based minced meat, chicken chunks and burgers make it easier for consumers to reduce their meat consumptionsaid Van Haperen.

Meat substitutes are becoming increasingly affordable. According to previous research by ProVeg Netherlands, some variants are now even cheaper than the cheapest animal meat.

With the growing consumption of meat substitutes, it is crucial that they not only offer good nutritional value but also ideally present a healthier alternative to animal meatsaid Van Haperen.

For questions, please contact Martine van Haperen at martine.van.haperen@proveg.com

Notes to Editors

For media inquiries, please contact Jillian LaBruzzo at media@proveg.org

Read the full report here: “How healthy are meat substitutes? Analysis of the nutritional value of meat substitutes compared to animal meat products”

About the report

This study compared the nutritional value of 130 meat substitutes available in Dutch supermarkets with 41 animal reference products. The nutritional information for meat substitutes was derived from the packaging, while the nutritional values for reference products were sourced from the Dutch Nutrient Database (NEVO).

The product categories studied were minced meat, burgers, meatballs, chicken pieces, chicken fillet, schnitzel, nuggets, sausage, bacon and shawarma. Vegetable burgers, tofu, tempeh and seitan were omitted because there is no direct animal equivalent to which they can be compared. The study included all private label and name brand meat substitutes that fall into the aforementioned product categories and are available at Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl, Aldi, Plus and Ekoplaza supermarkets.

ProVeg has consulted the Netherlands Nutrition Center and the Dutch Consumers’ Association in developing the methodology. The Netherlands Nutrition Center has also provided feedback on the draft report.

About ProVeg International

ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.

Quelle: ProVeg