Tasty Talk

The Rise of Plant-Based Products

In recent years, the demand for plant-based foods has surged. Grocery store sales are growing three times as fast as overall food sales. In the United States alone, plant-based foods are a $7.4 billion market, but make up only 1% of the country’s retail meat market.

While plant-based meat products were designed for vegetarian consumers, it is actually flexitarians that created its considerable market growth. As a result, research shows that 98% of people who buy plant-based meat also buy conventional meat. Even though they do not completely give up meat, flexitarians choose plant-based options with concern for their health, the environment, or animal protection in mind.

Over the last decade, there has been an explosion of innovation, due to a sense of urgency to develop plantbased meats. This urgency comes from the concerns about food security, sustainability, and the environmental and public health impacts of industrial animal agriculture. Food security affects over 42 million people in the United States. Identifiable food-security problems include hunger, malnutrition, obesity, inadequate food storage, low crop yields, poor sanitation, and related political instability. Current insecurity comes from a rise in inflation, disruptions in supply lines, and pandemic relief measures being revoked, like the Child Tax Credit. In addition, due to animal welfare and health benefits, there has been an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gases. Since animal agriculture is considered a major contributor to global warming, consuming fewer animal products has seemingly become a solution.

Research studies show that consuming legumes, nuts, and other plant foods instead of red meat can lower mortality and chronic disease risk. It is not possible to draw the same conclusions with processed meats made with purified soy or pea protein. Plantbased foods have the misconception of being healthier than meat. Just because the label states “vegan,” “plant based,” or anything else similar does not automatically equal healthier. A great example is donuts – no matter what diet the donut follows, a donut is still a donut and should be eaten in moderation. In addition, all plant-based foods are technically processed. The ingredient mixture of plant-based foods must undergo processing to make it feel and taste like meat. Highly processed foods often contain added fat, salt, and sugar.

However, there are alternatives that are a nutritionally better option. This is why it is essential to know brands, products, and ingredients. Reading ingredient and nutrition labels can help determine if the plant-based product is a better alternative than meat products. Choosing products that are less processed will help encourage good health. Of course, the best alternative to animal meat will always be vegetables, nuts, grains, and other natural nonmeat foods. N