Reasons to try plant based meat alternatives this world vegan day

Did you know that many people buying plant-based meats are meat-eaters? Founder of Beyond Meat, Ethan Brown, claims that 93% of people purchasing the increasingly popular Beyond Burgers are not vegan or vegetarian. 

It's clear to see that many more people are interested in meat-free alternatives in recent years. Companies have been focusing more on the taste, texture and nutrition of vegan products, which has attracted the attention of not only vegans and vegetarians, but meat-eaters too. Whether folks simply enjoy the taste or are trying to eat more sustainably, plant-based alternatives are booming right now.

Flexitarians (individuals that are occasionally vegetarian) make up around 13% of the UK’s population, and vegans are around 3%, so you can imagine that both of these demographics combined can have quite an impact on the food industry.

Even popular fast-food chains have taken notice of the high demand as restaurants like Burger King and Nandos now both offer vegan meat options (which are pretty delicious, by the way). 

Whatever has drawn your attention towards plant-based alternatives, whether it’s health, the planet, or the animals, you are one of many. However, if you’re currently on the fence, allow me to encourage you to come over to the green side. 

Veggie burgers aren’t made strictly of veggies anymore. Instead, burgers are made from other plant-derived foods that mimic the taste and texture of meat, such as soybeans or potato protein. Despite this, vegan alternatives continue to be packed with nutrients. For example, THIS Isn’t Bacon has roughly 30g of protein in the whole packet yet is still low in fat and sugar.

Skipping one serving of beef every Monday for a year saves the equivalent emissions to driving 348 miles in a car. As well as causing fewer emissions, vegan food requires less land to produce. Therefore, a diet rich in vegan foods is undoubtedly a great option if you want to lessen your impact on the planet. 

Popular products such as the Beyond Burger and Heura are so close to the real thing that many meat-eaters substitute animal meat for the vegan version. I’ve had to double-check with servers when eating vegan meat alternatives sometimes because they taste so convincing!

There’s a lot of dangerous ingredients lurking in meat that comes from factory farms. For example, antibiotics are used as a growth promoter and disease prevention in farm animals, putting humans at risk of antibiotic resistance. In addition to antibiotics, hormones are found in meat too. Processed meats such as bacon and hot dogs have been listed as Group 1 carcinogens and therefore are capable of causing cancer. 

Thanks to the rise in vegan diets, there are countless vegan alternatives on the market right now. When I first went vegan, I struggled to find vegan options wherever I went; however, now, I struggle to keep up with the new products and brands!

Plant-based meat is more ethical than animal-derived products because a living creature did not have to die to create it. Unfortunately, modern-day farming practices can be callous to both animals and people. Slaughterhouse workers suffer physical injuries, and PTSD yet they’re still paid undesirably. Farm animals are often kept in terrible conditions and treated poorly. No diet is perfect, but surely the one that doesn’t involve eating animals is the better option?

Many meat alternatives are made from seitan or soy, both of which are excellent sources of protein. For example, there is 21.1g of protein in 100g of The Meatless Farm Co. mince. There’s also plenty of protein in plant foods like legumes and even certain greens.