In April 2020, the Daily Mail taste-tested various meat-alternative products. I thought it would be interesting to look at these individual products and provide you with some insight into what they contain.
From the list above, you can see that there are pros and cons to all of the "fake meat" products, for example, some may be low in sugar but high in fat or salt.
From my perspective as a nutritionist, I believe that nothing can beat cooking your own meals and having as much control as possible as to what you are feeding your body. However, I understand that life has its challenges and that eating pre-prepared foods has its place for many of us.
I hope this short blog has given you 'food for thought' (pardon the pun), to think about what food manufacturers put into the products they produce for our consumption. Read the ingredients list and the nutrition labels - some handy tips on how to do this can be viewed on the British Heart Foundation's website.
References:
1. Walsh, S. (2001). What Every Vegan Should Know About Vitamin B12 [Online]. Available from: https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/vitamin-b12/what-every-vegan-should-know-about-vitamin-b12
2. Plataforma SINC (2012). Fried food risks: Toxic aldehydes detected in reheated oil [Online]. ScienceDaily. Available from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120222093508.htm
3. Matthews, L. (2020). Why Glyphosate is Dangerous, and How to Avoid Eating it [Online]. Gene Food. Available from: https://www.mygenefood.com/blog/why-glyphosate-is-dangerous-and-how-to-avoid-eating-it/
4. NHS (2018). The vegetarian diet [Online]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegetarian-diet/
5. Peng et al. (2015). Effects of cooking method, cooking oil, and food type on aldehyde emissions in cooking oil fumes [Online]. Available from: doi.org.10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.10.045
6. Sainsburys (n.d.). Leading the way on sustainable palm oil [Online]. Available from: https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/making-a-difference/our-values/our-stories/2017/leading-the-way-on-sustainable-palm-oil