Plant-based meats have been decried as unhealthy due to their ultra-processed categorisation; still, available research suggests that consuming ultra-processed plant-based meat does not pose a risk of multimorbidity. In a recent study, among UPF subgroups, artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages, and animal-based ultra-processed foods posed the most notable risks, while plant-based animal alternatives and ultra-processed products such as breads and cereals were not. Additionally, the strongest available scientific evidence suggests that many of the processing methods used to produce plant-based meat can enhance its nutritional composition — such as increasing protein availability in legumes. However, it is important to acknowledge the variation in nutrition content among plant-based meat products (as in many food categories).
In this section, we will more closely examine the available research on plant-based meats and health. We will also dig into why the broad categorisation of all plant-based meats into the same group as candy and soft drinks is an oversimplification.
Simply put, not all plant-based meats or ultra-processed foods are created equal.
Here are five key takeaways:
1) Plant-based vs. animal meat
- Compared to the animal meat they’re replacing, plant-based products often come out on top nutritionally.
Omnivores and flexitarians often utilise plant-based meats to reduce animal meat consumption. Compared to meat, plant-based meat analogues have been shown to be significantly lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than their animal counterparts, and unlike animal products, are an excellent source of dietary fibre. Fibre is a dietary necessity severely lacking in global diets (95% of Americans are fibre deficient).
In a 2021 comparative study, 40% of meat products were classified as ‘less healthy’ compared to 14% of plant-based meat alternatives; similarly, 46% of meat products were considered high in total fat, saturated fat, or salt compared to just 20% of plant-based meat options.
In another study (2020), a randomised control trial found that replacing conventional meat with plant-based meat (Beyond Meat funded this study) was associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
While plant-based meat often comes out on top, variations within the plant-based and conventional meat categories require acknowledgement.
For example, in a 2023 study, 75% of unprocessed animal meat products achieved an A or B rating (most favourable scores) on the Nutri-Score scale. In comparison, 68% of plant-based meat alternatives received A or B scores, indicating a viable and comparative nutritional replacement to unprocessed animal meat. Only 43% of processed animal meats were rated as A or B, underscoring the nutritional drawbacks commonly associated with processed meat products.
In the same study, 17% of plant-based meats, 13% of unprocessed meats, and 35% of processed animal-based foods were in Nutri-Score categories D or E (least healthy).
- Consumers who choose plant-based meat reduce their intake of a product that potentially comes with environmental, health, and moral baggage.
People who choose to eat plant-based meat instead of animal meat may be motivated by other factors beyond nutrition. For example, when comparing a plant-based vs. factory-farmed beef burger — there are wide-reaching implications that extend beyond an ingredient list.
The widespread use of hormones in animal rearing, bacteria-infested feedlots, excessive antibiotic use, and human and animal rights abuses in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) raise serious concerns. These issues are compounded by the health risks linked to red meat, classified as a carcinogen and the potential health effects of residual antibiotics in commercially available beef. Moreover, the use of hormones in the US beef industry has significantly altered cow physiology.
2) Ingredients Matter: Some plant-based products are inherently less healthy than others; keep an eye on sodium content especially.
In a 2021 study, plant-based meat substitutes with ingredients like legumes (peas, soy) appeared more nutritionally adequate than other substitutes (such as plant-based cereal-focused products). Several studies, including a recent study published by Proveg International, have cited high sodium as having potential health impacts. In a 2021 study, ¾ of plant-based meat alternatives did not meet the United Kingdom’s national sodium standards. However, it still depends on the context. For example, if you’re replacing animal meat with plant-based meat, you might still be better off — as this study revealed that ready-sliced plant-based meat has lower sodium content than conventional cured meats. A recent study (2023) found that, generally, processed meats contained marginally more salt than plant-based alternatives. An exception was noted for meat salami, which was 1.8 times greater in mean salt content than plant-based meat alternatives.
3) Processing ≠ Nutrition
While levels of processing may be an easy way to distinguish foods from each other, digging into the nutritional content of food is key. It’s possible that Nova is better at categorising some foods as unhealthy than others.
For example, in a 2023 study on plant-based meat and dairy, most of the plant-based products categorised as ultra-processed (Nova 4) scored A and B on the Nutri-score scale (37.7% and 24%, respectively), indicating high nutritional quality.
However, among ultra-processed animal-based products, far fewer were categorised as nutritionally sound, with only 9.08% allocated to category A and 19.5% to category B on the Nutriscale.
Overall, this study showed that most plant-based meat aligned with Nutri-Score categories A, B (most healthy) and C (middle category). It is important to note that cheese alternatives were often in D or E Nutri-Score, which is aligned with other studies.
4) Plant-based meat is not a monolith
In multiple studies, nutrition in plant-based meat varied widely across the category. For example, in a comparison study (2021), one plant-based burger scored a C on the Nutri-score scale (pea-based burger) and two others scored B’s (soy burger/mycoprotein burger). In another study (2022), plant-based steaks showed significantly higher protein, lower energy, fats and salt contents, and better Nutri-Scores than the other analogues.
Some plant-based meats differ even among brands in terms of their health and/or nutrition. Both Beyond Meat’s Steak product and Impossible Foods Lean Beef Lite product have received American Heart Association Heart-Healthy Certifications.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that ‘plant-based’ refers to a broad category, not a uniform group, and preparation and nutrition content should be considered. Consuming large amounts of deep-fried foods is generally not recommended for health reasons, whether they are plant-based or animal-based – a deep-fried plant-based nugget is still a deep-fried nugget after all. That being said, consuming these foods in the context of a balanced and varied diet does not appear to pose any major risks.
It is about quality and quantity, not category.
5) And what about all those processed/chemical ingredients?
Ingredients like methylcellulose, soy protein isolate, and xanthan gum are common ingredients used in so many of the foods we eat every day (including breads, cereals, as well as in plant-based foods) to improve texture, increase protein content, and enhance mouthfeel — these ingredients, along with many others, are listed in the above section.
Most ingredients in plant-based meat are considered safe for consumption, even in larger quantities. However, some ingredients such as Propylene Glycol, Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP), and Erythrosine have been linked to harmful side effects. We were interested in learning more about these ingredients due to their potential health implications. Despite being frequently mentioned by organisations like the Center For Consumer Freedom in warnings about plant-based meat, it’s important to note that very few plant-based products contain these ingredients.
For example, this poster titled ‘BLT? How about TBHQ-LT?’ infers that TBHQ is a common ingredient in plant-based foods. But on the Clean Food Facts website, only one product is listed to have TBHQ as an ingredient (Morningstar Farms Bacon).
Propylene Glycol is found in two products (both canned Loma Linda sausages) and STPP is in three products from Morningstar Farms. Erythrosine is found in four products, two of them the same Loma Linda sausages that contain propylene glycol. That said, maltodextrin, which has some health implications as listed in our ingredient research, is a fairly common ingredient in plant-based meats.
We have provided a comprehensive list of ingredients found in plant-based foods as well as their descriptions and research about their health impacts in the above Q&A.
6) An alternative to UPF? A case for ‘Ultra-Formulated’
UPF categorisation, despite its many interpretations, may be appealing due to its apparent simplicity — namely that a whole food = a ‘good’ food or that ‘food with many ingredients/ processed food = ‘bad’. However, as we’ve explored, the Nova system does not allow for much-needed nuance. Is there a better way?
A recent 2022 study suggests that a food product’s “formulation” may better indicate its healthiness than its “processing.”
In the research, processing refers to the methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food products. In contrast, formulation refers to the specific ingredients chosen and their proportions in a food product, including additives such as colouring agents, flavours, sugars, fats, and salt, which can lead to overconsumption.
The authors argue that the term “ultra-processing” places too much emphasis on processing rather than the product’s formulation. For example, infant formula (which lands in Nova 4) is considered safe and nutritious and can sustain babies when breast milk is unavailable. Additionally, they suggest that dismissing ultra‐processed foods because of their processing rather than their unhealthy formulation could undermine public acceptance of processing as essential for developing nutritious foods that are affordable, sustainable, safe from foodborne illness, and easily stored and transported.
In a comparison table, the authors explore a food processing-formulation matrix utilising the United States MyPlate guidelines, noting that foods that are considered healthy or unhealthy occur all over the matrix, whereby the prevalence of unhealthy foods increases with the degree of processing, and specifically, with the degree of formulation. The formulation, they argue, is often a conscientious choice to make foods more palatable and attractive and often includes the addition of sugar (or other caloric sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup), saturated fats, and salt.
Image: Food Processing/Formulation Matrix, Levine and Ubbink, 2022
Regarding plant-based meats, the authors recognise concerns about some formulations containing high salt and saturated fats. Still, they acknowledge that there is no reason they cannot be formulated with acceptable amounts of salt, saturated fats, and high protein and fibre content to fit a healthy diet.
