Second of three parts
The first part is available at thevoice.us/plant-based-meat-options-increasing-exponentially
Here is the continuation of the Food Revolution Network article submitted by Ocean Robbins on plant-based meat options.
“Inspired by health, ethical, and environmental concerns, more individuals are eating plant-based foods and plant-based meat alternatives.
“Though Eurasian and Indian cultures have been eating vegetable patties for a long time (think Indian pakoras and Middle Eastern falafel), the first commercial veggie burger is thought to have been created in London in the early 1980s. Around the same time, Paul Wenner innovated the gardenburger, which was served in his Oregon vegetarian restaurant.
“If you just look at the ingredients list, you’ll see that veggie burgers appear to contain some good ingredients. They use plant-based protein, typically from peas, beans, lentils, soy, or gluten, in place of animal tissue. And while some of these protein sources may have their own problems, they don’t trigger the particular health, environmental, and ethical concerns that come with animal meat. Veggie burgers contain fiber, even if in small quantities. The Impossible and Beyond Burgers provide three and two grams of fiber per burger, respectively, which isn’t great, but is still more than beef, which contains no fiber whatsoever.
“On the other hand, many commercially-prepared veggie burgers have some not-so-good qualities too. They’re highly processed foods and typically are high in sodium, which could be a problem for people with high blood pressure. Many brands use refined oils, saturated fats, ‘natural’ flavors, sugar, genetically-modified ingredients, and other less healthy additives. Many veggie burgers contain potential allergens, like soy, wheat, and nuts, as well as cheese or milk proteins if they’re vegetarian but not vegan. And there are some times ethical concerns, too, such as Impossible Burger’s choice to test its plant-based heme source (leghemoglobin) on animals. Impossible Burger is full of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and glyphosate.
“There are many veggie burgers available today, but most of them fall into a few main categories based on their protein source:
“1. Pea Protein-Based (e.g., Beyond Burger, Dr. Praeger’s All American Veggie Burger)
“Pros: Most of the pea-based burgers are non-GMO. And peas have tremendous health benefits. Research shows that they are high in phytochemicals, antioxidants, important micronutrients like selenium, folate, and fiber. Peas may have anticancer, cholesterol-lowering, and prebiotic properties that are good for your gut. Pea protein doesn’t offer the same nutrition as whole peas, but it still has some good things to offer. It contains all nine essential amino acids. It’s a great source of iron and branched-chain amino acids — especially arginine, leucine, isoleucine and valine — which are good for muscle strength and heart health. Additionally, pea protein is one of the most easily-digested plant proteins.
“Cons: Isolated pea protein extracted in a factory doesn’t retain many of the healthy qualities of the original pea. Pea protein burgers often have some less healthy ingredients in the mix, too. You can find refined oils in the Beyond Burger (non-GMO canola oil and refined coconut oil) and Dr. Praeger’s burgers (avocado oil). Many pea protein burgers have natural flavors listed on their ingredient list, which is an generic term that could mean just about anything…
“2. Soy Protein-Based (e.g., Impossible Burger, Gardein, Boca)
Pros: The soy protein burgers offer a fair amount of iron. In fact, while Boca and Gardein contain around 10% of your daily value, the Impossible Burger actually provides 25% — which is more than a beef burger.
“Cons: Since the vast majority of soy grown today is genetically-modified, it’s possible that these burgers contain GMOs (look for a non-GMO certification if this concerns you). The Impossible Burger recently changed its recipe to use GMO soy and actually tested 11 times higher for glyphosate (the primary active ingredient in Roundup) than the Beyond Burger. Soy protein burgers often use refined oils. You’ll find sunflower and coconut oil in the Impossible Burger, canola oil in Gardein, and corn oil in the Boca Burger. Natural flavors are popular in these burgers, too, as well as other additives you might be looking to avoid. For instance, the Impossible Burger contains cultured dextrose and modified food starch (which may be GMO). The Boca Burger contains caramel color (which may be carcinogenic), and Gardein uses added sugars.”
Continued at thevoice.us/plant-based-burger-still-help-health-planet-animals