Meat substitutes - chemical products or useful alternatives?

According to a survey 6% of the UK population had a vegetarian diet in 2022. More and more Brits are opting for a meat-free diet. As a result the range and variety of meat substitute products is also increasing. Frequently asked questions are: What do meat substitutes actually consist of? Which ones are there and are they healthy? We will clarify and show you which alternatives are available and what you should bear in mind.

Meat substitutes are meat-free alternatives to animal meat. They consist of a vegetable base such as soya beans, wheat, sweet lupine or peas. These are processed into products by various processes. But be careful: some meat substitutes still contain animal components such as chicken protein for binding. Processed meat substitutes in particular, fake meat in the form of meat-free sausage, minced meat or schnitzel, often contain animal ingredients.

Especially from a meat eater’s perspective, the question often comes up why people give up meat and then eat meat-like products. Abstaining from meat is often linked to a heightened awareness of the environment and animal welfare. You don’t want to do without, so you find healthy alternatives that suit you. Meat substitutes facilitate the transition to a vegan or vegetarian diet and the reduction of animal products in existing omnivorous diets. Diversity in the diet should be maintained in order to ensure the intake of important nutrients.  Not only weight, but also blood pressure and cholesterol values can benefit from a change.

We will share with you our top 5 meat substitutes and tell you what’s in them, what nutrients they contain, and if there’s anything that you should be aware of.

Tofu is made from soybeans and water. The beans are pressed and filtered with water, resulting in soy milk. With the addition of coagulants, such as magnesium chloride and calcium sulfate, the latter flakes out. The result is soy protein, which is pressed to form a solid soy block. Natural tofu can be further smoked or seasoned in various ways.

This meat alternative is not only vegan, but also low in calories, rich in high-quality vegetable protein and unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, tofu contains a lot of iron, which should be paid special attention to in a free-range diet. However, unfermented soy is rich in lectins and phytic acids. These are attributed to an attack of the intestinal wall and a restriction in the absorption of minerals. The findings on soy consumption are very inconsistent and range from harmful to our health and beneficial. Therefore, attention should be paid to the amount consumed and priority should be given to fermented meat substitutes from soy, provided that this is the primary source of protein. Click here to find out more about soya.

This meat substitute product consists almost entirely of soybeans or sweet lupine seeds. In addition, there is apple cider vinegar and the Rhizopus fungi. But don’t worry – you won’t get sick from them! During production, the starting products are boiled, dried and then inoculated with the starter culture and then packaged. The product ferments and is thus a probiotic meat substitute product. Fermentation refers to the microbiological degradation of the substances contained by living bacteria and fungi. Probiotic foods contain microorganisms, which in sufficient quantities contribute to a healthy intestine. During the fermentation process, they reduce the proportion of lectins and phytic acids. Also, this meat substitute product is low in calories, carbohydrates and fat. The high proportion of protein with all essential amino acids and the limiting amino acid lysine is special. Tempeh contains many B vitamins, calcium, iron and antioxidants. Another bonus of this nutrient bomb: it is also vegan-, lactose- and gluten-free.

The next meat substitute product of our top five is seitan. For this, wheat flour is rinsed with water until all the starch is removed. Wheat protein – so-called gluten – remains over. This is the water-insoluble gluten protein of wheat. Subsequently, it can often be further processed as schnitzel or sausages with a few other ingredients. In addition, it is quite easy to make it yourself. Seitan as a meat substitute is the winner among meat substitutes with 30 grams of protein per 100 grams. Due to its low fat and carbohydrate content, it is low in calories, but also has a low nutrient density and a low fibre content. In its taste, seitan is rather bland, which is why it is advisable to season or marinate it. A warning to all people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease: although this meat substitute is vegan and lactose-free, it is pure gluten.

A fruit that has it all! Jackfruit is the largest and heaviest tree fruit in the world. It is used as a meat substitute in it’s unripe state. It has a green color on the outside and a white color on the inside. The texture is similar to chicken meat and tastes neutral to slightly sour. It should not be eaten raw, as it is then difficult to digest. The unripe jackfruit is available chopped up in bags or pieces in canned brine. The exotic fruit from southern India, Sri Lanka or Thailand does not need to be shaped with additives, but can itself be easily processed into burgers and cutlets or used as an ingredient in curry. This meat substitute product is also low in calories with just 30 calories per 100 grams and is therefore ideal for losing weight! It also contains a lot of fibre, vitamin C, beta-carotene, magnesium and potassium. However, it barely contains any protein or iron. Those who want to include jackfruit in their dishes should therefore make sure to supplement legumes as a source of protein.

The last alternative on our list is meat-free mince. This meat substitute product is mostly soy-based. Depending on the manufacturer, it contains ingredients such as drinking water, soy protein isolate and concentrate, as well as various vegetable oils. But the list of ingredients also includes lots of additives such as flavourings, stabilisers and flavour enhancers. To achieve a meat-like consistency, this meat substitute product is heavily processed. Therefore, its nutritional values are very different from largely unprocessed alternatives. The fat content is very variable, of which a high proportion is saturated fatty acids. These can have a negative effect on weight and the cardiovascular system if consumed in excess. Compared to ground beef, meat-free ground beef contains fewer calories, more fibre due to its vegetable base and a similarly high protein content. However, you should note that the biological value of vegetable protein is lower. If you would like to know more about this, please read our Coach article on the subject.

Meat substitutes are often criticised by opponents. One claim you might hear is that meat alternative products are imported, whereas meat comes from the local area. Or, that a lot of water must be used for plants to grow. However, this is not entirely true! 80 per cent of soy imports are used as feed in industrial animal fattening. Soy from organic and European cultivation is therefore harmless. In addition, 1400 to 1800 litres of water are used to grow one kilogram of soy. A kilogram of pork, on the other hand, requires up to 6000 litres of water.

Sweet lupins and wheat only have short transport distances because they are grown in Germany. You should always look for regional cultivation with organic certification. In this way, environmentally harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilisers can be excluded from fields. It is interesting to note that wheat causes more than twice the CO2 emissions than soy meat.

Jackfruit is also far more ecological as a meat substitute product than animal products. This reaches us by ship instead of by plane, which is much kinder to the climate. Nevertheless, you should prefer organic goods, as the manufacturers pay attention to sustainability in transport and processing. Unlike animals, which produce methane, trees bring oxygen to the meat alternative. Cultivation also produces hardly any CO2 emissions.

So you see: meat substitutes are far more ecological than we think and better for the climate. Compared to meat, the use of land and water and, in the case of regional cultivation, the greenhouse gas emissions are also lower. According to Öko-Institut e.V., a 1:1 replacement of meat with soy-based meat substitutes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 31 per cent.

So you should make sure that…

• Regional cultivation is the aim
• The transport routes are not too far
• Organic cultivation is generally to be preferred

You’re probably wondering now whether meat substitutes are not only better for the climate, but also for you. Here we answer with a very clear “yes”. If the alternatives have a low degree of processing, they provide you with health-related added value. Due to their low fat content, high content of fibre, nutrients and high-quality vegetable protein, they have a positive effect on your weight, heart health and physical performance. On the other hand, it must be made clear that negative health effects are mainly due to red and highly processed meat. White meat from poultry could not be proven in studies to have significant consequences such as cardiovascular diseases or type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, the consumption of meat should be reduced. The recommendation of the NHS is a maximum of 490 grams per week. Even though many Brits are increasingly eating less or no meat, a signficantly high consumption is still common. Meat substitutes can make it easier to switch to a meat-free or lower-meat diet. Nevertheless, a nutrient-rich and varied diet can be guaranteed. To increase the intake of protein, you can simply combine two sources of protein together.

For more processed meat alternatives, it is worth looking at the list of ingredients. Natural flavours and non-chemical additives are harmless. Caution should be exercised when there is a long list of ingredients with artificial flavours, additives, flavour enhancers or thickeners. Also, these meat substitutes often have a higher fat, salt and sugar content and excessive intake of salt can increase blood pressure. The NHS recommends 6 grams of salt a day.  Many unhealthy fatty acids increase the risk of coronary heart disease and can promote diabetes and obesity. Especially in vegan mince, it is noticeable  due to increased levels of saturated petroleum hydrocarbons (MOSH) that enter the food through coconut oil or lubricating oils during production and transitions from recycled paper packaging.

You can safely incorporate meat substitutes into your daily diet. Tofu, tempeh, or jackfruit are especially suitable for a nutritious and balanced diet. You don’t have to do without anything, you do something good for the environment and you can continue to enjoy a wide variety of foods. You can eat heavily processed products occasionally and look at the ingredients list beforehand. But as we all well know, it’s the quantity you need to be aware of.

Since every body is different, there is no one-answer-fits-all here. A different meat alternative may be suitable for everyone, depending on their individual tolerances. However, unprocessed products do have a better combination of nutrients than processed ones. If you consider the ecological impact, then the most suitable products are those which require the shortest transport routes, use the least water during production, or favour organic cultivation.

Above all, levels of iron, vitamin B12 and protein may be lower in a meat-free diet. Vitamin B12 should be supplemented, as this is only found in animal-based foods. Iron is found in many green leafy vegetables. These should be consumed in combination with vitamin C, as the oxalic acid in green vegetables can inhibit its absorption. Legumes are also a valuable source. Protein intake can be increased by consuming a combination of protein-rich foods. Additionally, care should be taken to ensure a sufficient intake of omega-3 fatty acids, for example from algae, iodine from enriched table salt, and selenium from Brazil nuts.

Those who only eat junk-food and drink sugary drinks won’t be any healthier in the long-run, even on a meat-free diet. On the contrary, you are more likely to develop deficiencies. However, many vegetarians and vegans have a heightened awareness of their health. They eat less processed and more wholemeal foods, fruits and vegetables. This has a positive effect on their cardio-vascular system, weight and blood lipid values. Consequently, they are generally healthy long-term and less prone to diet-associated illnesses, such as type-2 diabetes. However, people who follow plant-based diets, with the occasional consumption of white meat, can achieve the same effects.

1. Öko-Institut e.V. (2020): Umweltwirkungen Fleisch- und Fleischersatzprodukte, last accessed 27.03.2023
2. Proveg international (2023): Anzahl der vegan, vegetarisch und flexitarisch lebenden Menschen in Deutschland, last accessed on 27.03.2023