Fake meat alternatives may contain more salt, fat and calories than their real counterparts, analysis shows.
MailOnline found that some fake bacon products can be almost five times saltier than a large portion of McDonald’s fries.
Just 100g of Lardons plant-based This Is’t Bacon contains 3.8g of salt.
Our research found that real bacon has only 2.8g for the same amount.
A large portion of McDonald’s fries, famous for their salty flavors, contain 0.82 g of salt.
MailOnline’s audit of dozens of vegan meat sold at Tesco comes after actor Martin Freeman revealed he stopped being vegetarian after 38 years because meat substitute products are “very, very processed”.
The Sherlock star, 52, admitted that now he’s back to eating meat, he could finally enjoy the “food of the gods” – pork pies and Scotch eggs.
Chief dietitian and BDA spokesperson Dr Duane Mellor said: “You should not assume that just because something is meat-free that it is a healthier option than the meat alternative.”
At the end of the day, a meatless sausage pie or bun is still a sausage pie or bun.
‘In the case of meatless products, such as minced vegetable or soy meat, these do not usually have a high salt content and are not highly processed.
“But many meatless sausages, for example, may contain the same or more salt than their meat counterparts.”
A Beyond Meat plant-based burger contains more fat per 100g (19g) than a regular Aberdeen Angus beef burger (17.3g), according to our audit of more than 90 meat-free products.
Some meatless chicken alternatives contain almost double the calories and a staggering 10 times the fat.
For example, a Vivera Plant Chicken Breast contains 203 calories and 16g of fat per 100g.
In 100 g of Richmond Vegan Pieceless Flavored Roasted Chicken there are 1.5 g of salt, 4.6 g of fat and 143 calories.
In comparison, a regular chicken breast has 106 calories per 100g. It contains 1.1 g of fat and 0.15 g of salt before being cooked or seasoned.
In terms of calories, Birds Eye Green Cuisine Chicken Free Southern Fried Grills (318) had 50 more per 100g than its meat version Birds Eye Southern Fried Chicken (268).
The average woman is recommended to consume 2,000 each day to maintain a healthy weight and the typical man is recommended 2,500.
As for fish, Vivera Plant Salmon Style Fillets contain 203 calories and 16 g of fat per 100 g, which is very similar to the real thing. In 100 g of salmon fillet there are 209 calories and 12 g of fat.
When it comes to battered fish, the nutritional information suggests it’s better to eat an actual fillet.
Birds Eye Green Cuisine Fishless Breaded Fillets contain 250 calories, 12g of fat and 1.2g of salt per 100g. While bird’s eye battered fish fillets contain 243 calories and 1.2 g of salt per 100 g, they contain slightly more fat, 14 g.
A plant-based burger from Beyond Meat contains 252 calories, 5.6 g of saturated fat and 0.75 g of salt per 100 g.
Meanwhile, raw, Tesco Finest Aberdeen Angus Beef Burgers contain 259 calories, 7.3g saturated fat and 0.84g salt per 100g.
A McDonald’s beef burger contains even fewer calories (186 calories).
A third of our daily energy should come from fat, but the majority should be unsaturated, according to the BDA. Adults should consume about 70 g of fat per day if you are a woman and 90 g if you are a man.
Adults should consume no more than 30 g of saturated fat.
If the total fat of a product is more than 17.5 g per 100 g, it is considered high in fat and more than 5 g of saturated fat is also considered high.
When it comes to battered fish, the nutritional information suggests it’s better to eat an actual fillet.
Most sausages are high in fat and salt, whether they are meatless or not.
A Beyond Meat plant-based sausage contains 223 calories per 100g, 15g of fat and 1.15g of salt. Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages contain 1.6 g of salt per 100 g, but only 155 calories and 5.6 g of fat.
In comparison, Tesco Finest pork sausages have 308 calories, contain 25.3g of fat and 1.27g of salt per 100g.
Like sausages, most bacon products are also high in salt.
Richmond Vegan Meatless Striped Bacon has 178 calories and contains 10g of fat and 2.8g of salt per 100g.
Adults should consume less than 6g of salt a day, according to the NHS.
If you’re looking to improve your diet as a vegetarian or vegan, Dr. Mellor suggests adding beans and lentils, as well as minced vegetables, to your meals.
He said: “It’s often because of why people eat meat-free alternatives, as simply swapping a less healthy option for a meat-free alternative is unlikely to improve your diet.”
“However, a carefully planned meat-free diet that includes minced vegetables and other products in moderation along with other nutritious and naturally meat-free foods, such as beans and lentils, can help create a healthy diet for most people. “.
A Tesco spokesperson said: ‘The health of our customers is incredibly important to us and we are always looking for ways to improve our recipes.
‘We have worked hard to reduce the salt and fat content in our own brand foods, including meat alternatives, without compromising quality, taste or enjoyment.
“We passionately believe that healthy, sustainably produced food should be accessible to everyone, which is why we offer a wide selection of healthy options across our product range, allowing our customers to choose healthier options, with or without meat.” .