Is Plant-Based Meat Healthy? You Bet It Is, According to All the Latest Research

A Eurocentric review of health studies has shown that plant-based meat has multi-pronged health benefits, despite their association with ultra-processed foods.

Poor diets are responsible for nearly a million deaths in Europe every year, and are the largest driver of cardiovascular disease. At the same time, there’s an emerging phenomenon of a “double burden” of malnutrition, where obesity coincides with undernutrition.

While the underconsumption of whole grains and legumes is the biggest driver for diet-related illnesses in the continent – pointing to a need for increased intake of whole plants – the overconsumption of red and processed meats is a key factor too.

Vegan meat analogues present a solution to the problem for meat-eaters. They’re already better for the climate, help boost food security, reduce pandemic risks, and counter antimicrobial resistance – but in most parts of the world now, health trumps everything when it comes to choosing food today.

Here, plant-based meats have been dealt a tough hand. Despite being nutritionally superior on many fronts to animal protein, minus the health issues, they’ve been tarred with the same brush as ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

Yes, most plant-based meat is ultra-processed. But no, ultra-processed doesn’t automatically translate to bad-for-you. To illustrate that, alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe compiled data from the latest research around meat alternatives and health – and the results demonstrate their outsized potential for better nutrition and wellbeing.

For example, these products could reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and, consequently, heart disease, lower the risk of bowel cancer, enhance gut health, and help maintain a healthy weight.

“We urgently need more tasty, affordable options to help reduce the current overconsumption of processed meat – which is doing a lot of harm to our health and the planet,” said Amy Williams, nutrition lead at GFI Europe. “Innovative products like plant-based meat and dairy, alongside traditional whole foods such as beans, will both have important roles in achieving this.”

How plant-based meat fares on the nutrition scale

GFI Europe’s health analysis explored the nutritional differences between conventional meat and plant-based versions from four European countries, across various formats.

In almost every category – from burgers to sausages to chicken nuggets – plant-based meat products are lower in calories, the overconsumption of which is one of the main causes of obesity.

Similarly, vegan meats contain a much greater amount of fibre than their animal-based counterparts (where any small amount of fibre comes from plant-based ingredients). A high fibre intake is linked to a healthy gut and microbiome – an increasingly important aspect in health conversations – and a reduction in inflammation and cardiovascular disease.

When it comes to protein, some sausages and strips/shawarmas have a higher concentration for plant-based versions, but overall, conventional meat has slightly more protein per 100g. That said, plant-based meat is on par with animal proteins in terms of the percentage of calories from protein across all but one category (fillets). With at least 20% of calories coming from protein, vegan alternatives comfortably meet the EU definition of high-protein foods.

But do plant-based products contain complete proteins? It depends. Soy and quinoa contain all the essential amino acids, but for products not using these, a blend of ingredients – such as wheat and pea protein – can help achieve an optimal amino acid profile.

Meanwhile, across every format, animal proteins have more saturated fat than plant-based meat, and the difference is often significant. That said, there are large variations in terms of sodium levels, although vegan meats tend to have slightly more salt content.

Overcoming the challenges of UPFs and fortification

For plant-based meat, one of the greatest potential areas for maximising the health dividends of plant-based meat, however, are micronutrients. These products offer a simple way to provide key micronutrients that may sometimes be lacking in whole foods – the way they’re made can add important nutrients and make others more bioavailable (or easier for the body to process).

But several challenges remain. Fortification with nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, calcium or omega-3s can be expensive, and fortified food can’t be certified as organic (even though animal meat can). The growing focus on shorter ingredient lists, meanwhile, can penalise products with a higher nutritional value, where some additional ingredients are micronutrients.

The focus on cleaner labels has dovetailed with concern around UPFs, but GFI Europe’s report is further proof that the level of processing doesn’t dictate how healthy a food is. Its analysis of macronutrient studies shows that conventional processed meat ticks seven of the eight boxes in common UPF definitions, including high calories, fat and salt, convenience, low fibre, big ingredient lists, and the fact that it can’t be made in a normal kitchen.

Despite the nutritional benefits, plant-based meat saw a decline in volume by 3.2% in Europe between 2022 and 2023, with the UPF debate a major contributor to this shift. So how can these products overcome this slump?

GFI Europe says governments and investors need to back R&D efforts to better optimise the health potential of plant-based meats across several focus areas. These should focus on next-gen products that optimise nutrient bioavailability, improve functionality, and broaden the range of available options, as well as on novel processing technologies to better maintain or boost the nutritional value.

The diversification of ingredient crops and expansion of breeding specifically for use in plant-based meat is important too. This would improve the functionality of raw ingredients, cut the number of processing steps and ingredients, and allow protein crops to be grown locally.

As for manufacturers, it’s imperative to better communicate the health benefits of their products so consumers can understand how to incorporate plant-based meat into a healthy and balanced diet. They’re also encouraged to innovate and further improve the nutritional quality of their offerings through measures like salt reduction and micronutrient fortification.