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Eating a meatless burger may not be healthier than the real thing, food experts say.
In fact, those who opt for ultra-processed plant-based products, including sausages, bacon, and vegan “fake meat” burgers, as well as pies and fries, could have a 15 percent increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
At least, that’s according to the analysis of the diets of more than 118,000 participants, published in the renowned medical journal The Lancet.
But just because a plant-based product is UPF doesn’t mean it’s inherently bad for your health, dietitians say.
Here, MailOnline breaks down which plant-based UPF products are actually good for you and which ones you should consider.
Scientists found that opting for ultra-processed plant products, such as vegan sausages, burgers intended to replace foods of animal origin, as well as cakes and chips, is linked to a 15 percent increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
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A ‘plant-based’ label doesn’t mean it’s healthy…
Full of fat, salt and loaded with sugar, UPFs have long been vilified for increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
However, not all UPFs can be grouped into the same group.
Plant-based UPFs include vegan burgers, sausage rolls and breaded “chicken”, as well as vegan minced meat.
But many brands of vegan baked beans, supermarket bread, cheese, and cakes and chips are also plant-based and UPF.
By definition, UPF are foods that have undergone various modifications to extend their shelf life or make them more attractive to the consumer, or sometimes both.
An easy sign that a food might be UPF is if it contains ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen cupboard, product reviewers say, such as unrecognizable dyes, sweeteners and preservatives.
Another clue is the amount of fat, salt and sugar hidden inside each package, and UPFs often contain high amounts.
If you’re eating a vegan sausage roll, chances are it’s no better for you than its meat equivalent.
“If it looks unhealthy, it probably is,” Dr Duane Mellor, dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, told MailOnline.
He points out that if something has been fried and covered in puff pastry, it is unhealthy and probably contains a lot of saturated fat and salt, regardless of whether it is vegan or UPF.
Rob Hobson, Healthspan registered nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Life, urges people to check labels, as plant-based UPFs “differ quite a bit.”
“I think most people assume that all plant-based food options are healthy, but many can contain a lot of salt, sugar and saturated fat in the same way as animal products,” she told MailOnline.
“You can also check the label on the front of the package to check how much salt, sugar and saturated fat is in the produce to help you choose a healthy food,” he added.
For example, a Greggs sausage roll contains 22g of fat, 13g of saturated fat and 1.6g of salt.
And a Greggs vegan sausage roll is only slightly better, containing 18g of fat, 8.7g of saturated fat and 1.8g of salt.
Any food with more than 5g of heart-healthy saturated fat is considered “high in saturated fat,” so it should be consumed in moderation.
The NHS advises that men eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day and women should consume no more than 20g.
…but you can eat fake meat that is good for you
However, not all fake meat is harmful to your health, even if it is rated UPF.
Many quorn and pea protein products, although UPF, can be a good addition to a balanced, low-fat diet, experts say.
“In general, minced meat or simple pieces that can be thrown into a stir-fry are low-salt and low-fat options and there is nothing to worry about,” Dr. Mellor said.
Hobson agrees that sticking to simple pieces of fake meat, such as Quorn, can be a cheap source of plant protein that is also low in salt, fat and sugar.
He said: ‘Quorn would be classed as UPF, but not because of the processing involved in producing it from mushrooms, but because it contains other ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen, such as firming agents (calcium chloride and acetate) and barley malt extract. . .
‘I wouldn’t discourage people from eating Quorn because I think it’s a really quick and easy source of plant protein, as well as containing a great source of fiber and minerals such as zinc. Quorn also doesn’t contain much salt, saturated fat or sugar.
An easy sign that a food might be UPF is if it contains ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen cupboard, such as unrecognizable dyes, sweeteners, and preservatives. Another clue is the amount of fat, salt and sugar hidden inside each package, and UPFs usually contain high amounts.
For example, per 75g serving of Quorn style chicken pieces, it only contains 2g of fat, 0.5g of saturated fat and only 0.44g of salt.
However, once covered in breadcrumbs, puff pastry, or fried, it is not as healthy.
Quorn Crispy Nuggets contain more than three times the fat of a regular piece of Quorn, with 6.4g of fat, 0.6g of saturated fat and 0.90g of salt.
Hobson said: “Some Quorn products are much more processed, such as nuggets, sausages and scotch eggs, so I would stick to minced meat or chunks that can be used to make healthy dishes and eat less of other Quorn products. spectrum”.
Yes, baked beans are UPF… but they are healthy
Some of the healthiest plant-based meat substitutes, which are classified as UPF, are made with pea protein or lentils or nuts.
Products containing these ingredients are more likely to be nutritious and a good source of fiber, experts say.
“Healthy foods are more likely to have higher amounts of fiber, so look for ingredients like beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds and, of course, vegetables,” Hobson said.
‘These ingredients are also likely to provide you with other nutrients in your food, including minerals such as magnesium, zinc and iron. What differentiates them from other UPFs is this nutrient profile,” he added.
Bean toast made with a can of beans and supermarket bread is another example of plant-based UPF that is not particularly harmful to your health.
In fact, the easy and cheap dinner contains fiber, protein, amino acids and calcium.
‘Baked beans and supermarket bread are UPF, but they are not unhealthy foods. “There’s a lot of stigma about pre-made bread, but it’s a healthy food,” Dr. Mellor said.
“Many people rely on these foods as a budget meal, so I don’t think it’s very helpful to make them feel unhealthy by eating them,” Mr Hobson added.
‘They are UPF because they contain modified starches and “extracts” of spices and herbs; The no-sugar-added variety also contains artificial sweeteners.
‘However, I would say that they are healthier UPF as they contain very good sources of fiber from the beans used and this is a nutrient that people do not consume enough in their diet.
“The fiber and protein in these foods also help control blood sugar levels.”
Bean toast made with a can of beans and supermarket bread is another example of plant-based UPF that is not particularly harmful to your health.
Should you really worry about additives?
If something contains unrecognizable dyes, sweeteners, and preservatives, it is most likely a UPF.
“Some contain more additives than others, such as vegan cheese, which is often made with coconut oil and contains things like modified starches, thickeners and colorants whose names you may not recognize,” warns Mr Hobson.
‘Some fake meats may contain protein isolates, maltodextrin, thickeners such as guar gum, and artificial flavorings to give them a smoky flavor. If you are trying to avoid additives, then these are not the foods for you,” he added.
However, not all unrecognizable ingredients that you can’t find in your kitchen cupboard are necessarily bad for you.
Plant-based UPFs fortified with B12, calcium, iron and protein provide more nutrition than plant-based products made with jackfruit, for example, which do not contain the same nutrients as meat, explains Dr. Mellor.
He said: ‘If you add things like B12, it can sound really scary if you call it cyanocobalamin, but that’s just its chemical name. Potassium iodide may also have been added.
“Therefore, some plant-based products are not harmful to health because they are UPF, but because they are not nutritionally equivalent to meat.”
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