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likely to be less processed than faux meat, and to have very little saturated fat. Otherwise, since there currently seems to be no clear winner in the nutritional contest of meat vs. highly processed plant-based alternatives, choose based on what matters most to you, Wolfe says, whether it’s the environment, sodium intake, cholesterol or something else. As you weigh your options, remember to factor in sodium-heavy condiments and side dishes that you plan to enjoy with your burger. Marinade, barbecue sauce, cheese, pickles and fries can compound nutritional damage, so “think about the meal as a whole when you create it,” Wolfe advises. “Meat mimickers or meatless alternatives ... can be good for people who might want to take steps toward a plant-based diet,” Wolfe says. “But there’s no health halo” around these products. “Anything highly processed should just be eaten on occasion ... not three times a week.” Indeed, “these products are not perfect, but they’re a step in the right direction,” Behan says. NH Visit the online version of this story to find recipes for black bean or tofu burgers.
Up next: Lab-grown meat File this under “Uh, waiter? There’s a chicken wing in my petri dish.”
Just as we’re trying to get our collective heads around the notion of milk made from oats, and sausages and burgers that don’t contain any meat, scientists are busily concocting lab-grown “cultured” meat by nourishing animal cells in a lab, coaxing them to grow into future steak, sausage, chicken nuggets and more. The same principles are also being applied to seafood. Cultured meat raises hope on a number of fronts, including the potential to ease world hunger and spare countless animals that would otherwise be raised for industrial agriculture, and it bodes well for the environment, as it generates less greenhouse-gas emissions and uses less land and water than commercial meat production does. Consumers hoping to try lab-grown meat will have to be patient because cultured meat products are not yet widely commercially available. Vegetarians should note that unlike meat imitators such as Impossible Meat and Beyond Meat products, lab-grown meat is not plant-based but is, in fact, meat.
SEEKING NH’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST
Since 2003, NH Business Review’s Business Excellence Awards have honored the best and the brightest leaders in the state’s business community with awards presented in eight different categories for both small and large businesses.
Submit a nomination by Aug. 14 at nhbr.com/bea/ nhmagazine.com | June 2020
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