Plant-based Meat versus Beef

The New York Times published the story, Plant-Based 'Meats' Catch On in the Pandemic back in May. On the surface, eating plant burgers seems like an excellent idea for the planet, better for animals, and better for your body. That is what the food industry wants you to think.

Plant-based meats are a response to the consumers' interest in the environment and healthier eating. As with every other significant change in consumer interest, the industry develops new products to fulfill the demand (for a sobering look at the food industry, and how it manipulates consumers, take a peak at the book Salt, Sugar, and Fat by Michael Moss).

Recently, the price of plant-based meats has been on par with traditional beef, convincing many to give the new product a try. Fast food restaurants, including Burger King, Hardees, and KFC, all have jumped on board. You'll only see more of these products. The market for plant-based meats will grow at an annual rate of 7.9% through 2024. The plant-based meat industry will be worth $21 billion in 2025.

People assume that since these products are plant-based, they are healthier than meat. They're not. Although I'm a proponent of a whole plant-based diet, plant-based meats are ultra processed. The ingredients include fats, starch, binders, artificial colors, preservatives, and more. Impossible adds Soy Leghemoglobin to its product to give it an animal-like meat color. The safety and FDA approval of leghemoglobin were controversial. I'm wary of anything heme related not found in natural foods given the recent literature associating heme pathways and aging. Yes, soy leghemoglobin might be safe to eat. Still, there are significant financial conflicts of interest in play. The approval of soy leghemoglobin reminds me of Aspartame (but that will be an entry for another day). The primary driver of food companies is their bottom line, not the health and wellness of their customers. When huge emerging markets are looming (as with Aspartame in the 80's or plant-based meats today), consumer beware.

So what's better for you: a plant-based burger or grass-fed, ethically raised beef patty? The jury is still out. If it's me, I'll choose the real meat.