Are vegetable meat substitutes good for me?

Question

Obviously those vegetable meat patties are probably better than eating actual meat. But are they as good as eating vegetables, or even close? Is the kind that Subway has good for me? I actually like them a lot. In other words, is this stuff just "not as bad as meat" or are they "actually beneficial"?

(btw I'm not vegetarian, just trying to maybe eat more veggies.)

Answer 1

The prepackaged meat analogs are great conveinence foods and usually pretty tasty. However, I don't think they are as good as eating whole foods. In terms of "not as bad" or "actually beneficial" from a health (instead of ethical) perspective it depends on what meat you are comparing it to.

Some concerns with fake meat:

1. Extremely processed and can have lots of sodium and preservatives in them.
2. Many people are concerned about soy. If you google "soy danger" you will find a bazillion sites filled with people's fear of soy. The concerns they express really only apply to unfermented soy (so shoyu, tempeh....traditional preparations are stilll healthy). Things like hydrolyzed soy protein, etc. are really not healthy. (Note, Im not one of those crazy soy fear mongers, but I feel that unfermented soy products are often processed in a way that make them not that great to eat, especially given the alternatives like yummy yummy tempeh)

So....if you compare a over processed soy burger to a steak wrapped in bacon it is "not as bad as meat". From a health perspective though, eating an oily, wild caught, low Hg fish like salmon might actually be healthier (dont get mad at me, I said from a health POV)

You can buy burger mix at home and control what goes in or perhaps buy bean based veggie burgers which would probably be less processed.

Finally, they aren't going to kill you in moderation. They aren't beneficial, but eating a few isn't going to do any harm. If that is all you eat, it is probably not healthy. You want to balance convenience foods with whole foods like the ever so healthy dark leafy

Answer 2

The answer to your question is not as simple as you might expect. This is because of wide variety of companies making vegetarian meat substitutes, with different ingredients and production methods. The more processed a food is, the less healthy it becomes. So, as veggie bacon, ham, chicken, etc., are all processed to create that meaty effect, they would be the least healthy of all (although, not necessarily unhealthy). Any artificial colours or flavours, or preservatives will drop the healthiness as well.
Here is the inside scoop on Subway's veggie patty:

VegiMax ingredients: Vegetables (mushroom, water chestnuts, onions, carrots, green and red bell peppers, black olives), textured vegetable protein (soy protein consentrate, wheat gluten), egg whites, cooked brown rice, rolled oats, corn oil, calcium caseinate, soy sauce (water, soybeans, salt,wheat) Contains 2% or less of the following: onion powder, cornstarch, salt, hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat protein, sucrose, soy protein isolate, spices, garlic powder, dextrose, jalapeno pepper powder, celery extract.

VegiMax nutritional information: Calories 390, Protein (g) 24, Carbohydrates (g) 56, Sugar 7, Fat (g) 8, Sat. Fat (g) 1.5, Cholesterol (mg) 10, Sodium (mg) 1030, Dietary Fiber (g) 7.

It is very healthy, indeed. And, yes - they are delicious!

When it comes to the food value of veggies, fresher is always better because all the beneficial enzymes are still alive and vibrant and the vitamins and minerals are all at their highest. But a lot of meat substitutes are still very, very healthy.
However, the best kind of meat substitutes are those you make yourself. You can find amazing recipes for all kinds of them on websites such as fatfreevegan.com. Just google "meat substitute recipe" or "veggie meat recipe" and see what you get.

Good luck!

Answer 3

It's better for you than eating the actual meat, but not as good as eating whole veggies. That said, if you like the taste of meat, there's nothing wrong with having analogues. Just look for the ones with the fewest ingredients and ones you can pronounce. And check the nutritional labels for ones that are lower in fat and sodium. Amy's makes great veggie burgers with no crummy fillers. Tofurkey sausages and deli slices are also fairly low in sodium and fat.

Answer 4

Actually Beneficial

I answered your other question too. If you're a meat eater, then you don't have many problems with proteins but if you dislike eatting meat or have beliefs to let animals live... =] then they're a good source of protein.

They're also a good blend of vegetables. Many kinds have lots of vegetables ground into the burger. For people who dislike veggies this is a good alternative. You can't really taste the veggies and get a good helping. I enjoy sauces, lettuce, tomato, and more on mine.

=] Hope my post here and on your other question was helpful!

Answer 5

those veggie burgers are better for you than eating meat, but like everyone has said it highly processed so your losing some benefits of eating regular veggies. my advice to you is go to your grocery store and just start trying different veggies. when making a meal try to include some form of a veg with it. just get a healthy variety and you'll be fine

Answer 6

Hello, i am a vegetarian and i love all of those "fake meat" substitues. The ones at the grocery stores are very good for you. They're usually made from soy which will give you your protein and the ones with the veges in there are also good for you. Just maybe read some of the lables and watch for too much salt. And i mean if you're a vegetarian you're prbly getting a lot of veges anyway right!? BK has a great vege burger!

Answer 7

Well i dont like veggi patties so i just eat stuff like soy, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, canola oil and, especially, hempseed and flaxseed because they are really healthy!

When i go to subway i get Veggie Delite™ it only has Standard vegetables. It is really good and healthy. It is a delightfully crunchy combination of garden fresh lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, olives and pickles and your choice of fat-free condiments served on freshly baked bread. It’s like a salad sandwich.

Answer 8

Fresh vegetables are always much better than cooked vegetable as the vitamins are mostly gone when fully cooked.

I don't know what you mean by bad because meat is good for you, especially chicken and fish. Even beef in moderate amounts per week.

Answer 9

I used to work with people who are vegetarians. Still good friends with them.

We had a hot dog lunch at work and vegetarian sausages were provided. I had one with one of the vegetarian guys and I was surprised at how nice it was. Although processed, it seemed to lack the false taste that you get with Frankfurts.

Overall, vegetarian substitutes are fine.

Answer 10

unless you make those 'veggie burgers' yourself then no. it's processed food. "not as bad as meat." why substitute, just avoid.