Vegan meat is everywhere, with western companies branching out and local companies popping up worldwide. The plant based meat alternatives are supposed to be better for the climate and for your body, but is that really true?

Here we are talking about fake meats, plant based alternatives to be exact. The companies producing them say they are going to replace meat entirely. But they've also been slammed for being just as junky, ultra-processed or just a bad rip-off of ‘real’ meat. So what's the deal with all of these? Are they actually better for our body and better for the planet? 

Meat alternatives are not new to the world but before all of these high-tech innovations, different cultures have had their own meat alternatives for centuries because it was cheaper or for religious reasons. Then came the “veggie” burgers - patties made out of vegetables that tasted like vegetables. So they were not designed to mimic the taste of meat. The new generation of “fake meats” revolutionized the market by trying to appeal to meat-eaters. 

So how do plants become this much like meat?  Well it's hard to get details from the manufacturers. But most products start with concentrated or isolated soy, pea or wheat protein. The products on the market also have oils added in as well as minerals, spices, colourants and binders. Taste isn't the only reason these products are flying off the shelves. It's because they taste similar, while supposedly being so much better for the planet. So is that actually true? 

Plant based substitutes do have substantially lower environmental footprints than conventional farmed beef. But these plant based substitutes have slightly higher impact than the non-processed plant foods that you're comparing to. 

Plant based substitutes of meat are found to be more healthier according to various studies. But this can actually vary widely depending on which product you look at. Meaning you do need to read the fine print to make sure your substitute is healthier. But one thing is for sure : meat can contain antibiotics, alternatives don't. There's been one more controversial point and that is how processed these products are and whether that makes them unhealthy. Studies show that eating processed meat can be linked to cancer, heart disease or diabetes.

So if you compare plant-based burgers to beef burgers directly, these are healthier. If you really want a burger, and you have the choice - why not take the one that is better for the planet. Although the taste might not completely fool us yet.. pretty close. Any replaced meat is a win for the environment.