How healthy/unhealthy are fake meats?

Hi everyone,

I have a very simple question which will likely generate much longer answers (I'm hoping so anyway!) 

How healthy/unhealthy are fake meats like Boca burgers, tofurky, soy hot dogs, etc.?

I recently heard from someone that they are extremely processed and very bad for you, and I was so surprised but not sure whether or not to believe it.

thanks!

I try to stay away from most of the processed stuff in general.  In my experience, the one time I bought Boca burgers they were just bad.  It didn't taste quite as bad as it smelled, but in order to eat them (and feed them to my husband) I had to throw on cheese and a bunch of condiments.

As far as healthy/unhealthy goes, I didn't bother reading the ingredients, but I still would rather just eat something that I can easily identify.  I don't need a burger/hot dog type thing that badly.

I try to stay away from them as they are processed, full of chemicals, generally high in sodium, etc. and often are not vegan so contain dairy/eggs.

However if you eat them seldomly I think you are OK - definitely better than eating the real thing.  Just don't eat them every day or with every meal.  I usually try to eat these things no more than once per week.

Everything in moderation!  :)

I think... like a lot of foods.... the raw materials in these products are reasonably healthy.  But once anything has been processed, refined, extruded, preserved, coloured, flavoured, packaged and given a long shelf-life.... it rather loses a lot of its original nutrition value and intrinsic health properties.  

Having recently read a good rule of thumb as to what distinguishes a 'food' from a 'food-like product'... i.e. anything with more than five ingredients..... I'd rather take a whole bean and turn it into something myself than trust too much to the engineering skills of the food industry.

a lot of people on this site are against any processed foods in general... these are processed foods... if this is something that bothers you you might want to limit or not eat them.... however, i don't have a problem with them.... i've eaten them probably at least once everyday... sometimes 3 times a day... i've been a vegetarian almost 15 years now, so i've eaten them quite a bit i guess you could say!  i dont' think the salt content is too high.. if your predisposed to issues with sodium then i'd really watch it, but considering eating them 1-3 times a day unless i have a "bad" day and end up with soup or other processed foods or whatever my sodium intake has been fine.... i know there is some research going on with the type of soy used to make these foods (i think it's considered tvp), but this is something i'd have to look into further as well as weight the benefits and the risks.  i've heard them highly recommended as "healthier" alternatives to meat for people looking to improve their health and lose weight.  i personally, have no health problems and i love the taste of them.  there's different kinds. you can't try one burger cooked one way and declare you dont' like any of them.  sorry, but i probably wouldn't be a vegetarian if these products weren't around so i'm going to keep eating them.  i've been eating them less in general lately (more so to save money and watching my weight so trying new meals) but i don't see a problem with them.

 

First, have to agree on the boca burgers, or any 'fake meat' that tries to taste like meat. Yuck. The ones that don't try to mimic meat flavor are much tastier, although of course they don't taste like meat, they taste like vegetables, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Anyway, if you're worried about food processed with chemicals, organic meat-free patties are available. Try your local Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.

Also, if you're vegan, do read the ingredients. Egg whites are a popular binder in these foods, and a lot of them have cheese in them for flavor.

Lastly, there is some evidence that eating lots and lots and lots of soy, as some vegetarians have recently, could be detrimental.  Mix up your proteins; get soy, other beans, lentils, and nuts in occasionally.  Even if you remove all animal products from your diet, variety is key.

Everyone complains too much.  Their good.  Not bad.  Look around you even the American fruits are injected their starting to look fake and unnatural.

Eh, I treat them like junk food.  They're a rare "treat" to be enjoyed once in a while.  I don't think they're the devil or anything, I just wouldn't eat them every day.  I much prefer my own cooking anyway.

I like to bring a veggie patty to school with me- I warm it up and throw it across a bed of spinach. I don't think any of them taste like meat and I like it that way!  I just use them for convenience- I think that's the only real 'processed' thing I eat.

It's not "fake meat", it's just soy usually, or a mix of vegetables, and there's nothing wrong with that...I think they're very good. high in sodium like all other packaged food, but there are reduced sodium ones. and anyway the sodium is not a big deal unless you have an already existing health problem that requires you to limit it. OR if all you eat all day is high in salt. for most people it's just fine.

Thanks everyone!

I think I will try them; so far I have yet to find ones that I like a lot. Most seem just okay to me. If I can't find any I really like, I'd rather just make my own food.

I like Morningstar Farms best.  I found their "bacon" to be highly addictive.  I even had a hard time keeping my meat eating mother away from it.  I also really like their buffalo wings.  And mini corn dogs.  Trying not to eat it so much anymore, as I'm going to try the transition to becoming vegan, and those, unfortunately, are not. 

I think it's the soy protein isolate that may be the 'bad' in these products. Do some research on it.