This food category is booming, so we asked the experts whether or not it belongs on your grill. Here’s their advice.
The sights, sounds, and smells of summer are in full swing. Weekend barbecues are the perfect excuse to gather with friends and family to enjoy the fruits of the warm weather season. While the tradition of cooking out is a familiar one, the options for what to throw on the grill are expanding rapidly, thanks to the plant-based meat boom. In fact, a 2022 industry report reveals the plant-based meat segment is expected to hit a whopping $24.8 billion by the year 2030.
Plant-based burgers, sausages, and hot dogs are made to look, taste, and have the texture of their meat counterparts, which is why they often appear at barbecues in disguise. There are plant-based chicken wings, jackfruit in the style of shredded pork, and veggie-forward options like portobello mushroom burgers. Beans, lentils, and assorted vegetables can also be formed into patties to create a flavorful vegetarian option. The list goes on.
So do plant-based meats achieve the taste of the tried-and-true hamburger or sausage? “Most plant-based meats are designed to have the texture and taste of real meat; some accomplish this perfectly and others not quite as much,” Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, RD, a senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, tells DailyOM. “If that is one aspect you are looking for in plant-based meat, then you may want to try a few different brands and see which you prefer.”
But first, here are a few things to consider before you fire up your grill.
What Are Plant-Based Meats Made Of?
Plant-based meats are generally derived from pea protein, wheat protein, or soy protein, but it turns out that not all plant-based meats are equal from a nutritional standpoint. Sarah Skovran, RDN, a licensed dietitian, tells DailyOM, “A plant-based meat product that is designed to taste and feel like meat is probably somewhat similar in nutritional profile to actual meat.” Red meat tends to be high in saturated fat, which is a major contributor to higher cholesterol levels, and some vegetarian substitutions are as well, while other picks, particularly if they’re made primarily from a blend of vegetables and whole grains pressed together, will be high in many essential vitamins and minerals, and most likely far lower in the percentage of saturated fat.
Interested in learning more? Check out 21-Day Plant-Based Plan for a Lighter, Happier YOU!
What to Look for in Plant-Based Meat and What to Avoid
Because some plant-based meats can be heavily processed, it’s always a good idea to read the packaging before settling on one to make the star of your plate. Skovran suggests eyeballing labels for trans fats or the word “hydrogenated” in the ingredients. If you have any food allergies, make sure to look for those allergens on the list, or animal products, like eggs, if you’re a vegan. Products made of seitan (a wheat protein) should be avoided if you have a gluten allergy or intolerance.
Dr. Hunnes encourages people to choose options with recognizable ingredients. For instance, if the plant-based meat includes pea protein, legumes, and grains, it is likely less processed and therefore healthier than varieties with ingredients you’ve never heard of and are hard to pronounce. (She’s a fan of Dr. Praeger’s Perfect Burger because of its nutritional profile.)
DJ Mazzoni, a certified dietitian/nutritionist and a registered dietitian for a cardiac rehab facility, says, “I would recommend avoiding products with a sodium content above 400 milligrams per serving or [too much] added sugar.” Be cautious with “natural flavors” or “artificial flavors” when you can, because, the expert explains, “these are broad category descriptors which don’t list the actual chemical compounds used, and there is some medical research suggesting that these compounds may be harmful to human health.”
Natural flavors, for example, aren’t exactly that. They’re allowed to contain additives such as synthetic solvents, preservatives, emulsifiers, and carriers (though certified organic products follow more stringent rules).
Breaking Up With Beef: the Health and Environmental Benefits of Going Meatless
According to a Gallup poll, about 1 in 4 Americans are making an effort to eat less meat. Plant-based connoisseurs are giving these alternatives a try with animal welfare in mind, as well as an eye toward overall health and food sustainability.
“Plant-based diets are associated with lower incidence of chronic disease, most notably those related to the heart and to GI function,” Skovran says. “Those [diets] that are high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains show the greatest impact.”
Whether you’re trying out a vegetarian lifestyle or simply want to cut back on animal protein consumption, Mazzoni says that meat-substitute products may help you adhere to your goals.
“If you’ve eaten meat products your whole life, there is likely a psychological response to these foods that can be hard to fully break from,” he says. “From a health perspective, it doesn’t matter whether people eat foods made to imitate meat or eat more ‘veggie-forward’ foods; all that matters is the ingredients in the formulation. Seek whole-food ingredients without harmful additives.”
How the Patties Stack Up
Hunnes considers plant-based meat an environmentally friendly and humane option that she, as a vegan, occasionally enjoys. Though plant-based burgers consisting of ground beans, grains, and veggies are usually a healthy choice, the plant-based burgers that are more processed are probably best as a sometimes food instead of a daily option.
DailyOM took a look at some popular plant-based burger brands. One, a soy-based burger that truly mimics the look, feel, taste, and even sizzle of beef, is 240 calories and contains 19 grams of protein, 370 milligrams of sodium (so under Mazzoni’s suggested maximum of 400), and 0 percent trans fat, but does have 40 percent of an adult’s daily recommended saturated fat. A different vegan burger, also made with soy as its main ingredient, is 80 calories and contains 0 percent trans fat, 0 percent saturated fat, and 14 g of protein. However, it clocks 440 mg of sodium per patty and does not resemble real beef in its look or taste. Finally, a 4-ounce beef burger has approximately 284 calories, 17 g of fat (including 33 percent of an adult’s recommended daily intake of saturated fat, and about 1 g of trans fat), 82 mg of sodium, and 29 g of protein.
With this in mind, if you want to choose a plant-based meat substitute for a barbecue, enjoy! Just know that those made with legumes and grains are likely the healthier alternative, though they don’t mirror the look and feel of meat the same way as some of the other swaps do. (If you have the time and interest, you can always make your own.)
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, plant-based meat products are a good choice for those who want to reduce their meat consumption for health, environmental, and animal welfare reasons and add more vegetarian options to their next barbecue. “A lot of people don't try plant-based eating because they love their meat,” says Hunnes, “and so having an alternative that still gives them that flavor and texture is a good thing.”
