A vegan burger isn’t ideal for just vegetarians or vegans. Many people choose veganism to help sustain the environment and for animal conservation.
Vegan meat is also seen as a healthy alternative to red meat and other foods. But how healthy are vegan burgers? Such a perfect-sounding solution to healthy living and conservationism couldn’t possibly exist – could it?
Below are five things you should probably know before you opt for vegan burgers. Read on to learn more about vegan meat and its benefits.
1. Veggie and Vegan Burgers Aren’t the Same
Both veggie and vegan burgers are made of vegetables. A “real” veggie burger contains fresh, non-processed vegetables and a binder to hold the patty together.
A vegan burger has “vegan meat,” which scientists create inside laboratories. The vegan counterpart extracts starch and proteins from plants. These ingredients combine to create a patty similar in texture to meat.
The Impossible Burger brand adds an ingredient called Heme or soy leghemoglobin. Leghemoglobin is why Impossible Burgers look and feel so much like real meat.
2. A Vegan Burger Is No Substitute for Vegetables
Vegan or plant-based meat does contain dietary fiber but lacks a lot of nutrients compared to regular vegetables. For example, processed produce – like canned string beans – often has less nutritional value.
Generally, vegetables are healthier than red meat. But a “true” veggie burger is more nutritious than a vegan one. Eating regular vegetables is still important.
3. Vegan Meat is Nutritionally Comparable to Real Meat
Many people consume meat for their high-protein diet. If you want environmental conservation and a rich protein diet, consider meatless burgers instead.
Meatless brands like Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger get their proteins from soy and (the latter) peas. Both of these brands also add vitamin B12 to their recipes.
Vitamin B12 can be more difficult for vegetarians to attain due to not eating meat. Your body must have B12 because it contributes to nerve health and helps prevent megaloblastic anemia.
4. Plant-Based Meat May Be Healthier Than Real Meat
A vegan burger isn’t overwhelmingly more healthy than a real one. However, there are enough benefits that many prefer vegan meat.
For starters, a beef patty contains more saturated fat than a vegan one. A simple way to look at this is: saturated fats are plain bad, and unsaturated fats can be more beneficial.
Vegan meat has much more unsaturated fats than saturated. We’re not saying a vegan burger is free of saturated fats, but there’s less than real meat.
5. Plant-Based Meat Isn’t Perfect
Vegan meat takes a lot of time and effort to synthesize. This is why you typically pay a lot for plant-based food. Vegan meat also still contains saturated fats.
Unfortunately, saturated fats give plant-based meat its texture. It may take some time before researchers can completely get rid of it. Some people may suffer allergies from the legume content as well.
Reactions to the soy or pea content are rare, but still something to look out for.
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If you’re looking for a nutritious, environmentally beneficial alternative to regular meat patties, a vegan burger is the healthy alternative. Vegan meat can complement a high-protein diet.
Certain brands can also mimic true meat quite closely. If you’re a vegan and looking for the best burger you’ll ever have, try one of our Impossible burgers.
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