A recent report, offers an in-depth analysis of 71 distinct plant-based protein alternatives. It evaluates their nutritional, environmental, and pricing credentials, making comparisons not only to meat but also among various plant-based options.
The study categorizes these products into three main groups: new generation plant-based meat alternatives (including brands like Beyond Meat, THIS, Quorn, Linda McCartney, and Vivera), processed traditional plant-based meat alternatives (such as tofu, tempeh, and seitan), and less processed alternatives like beans and grains.
Researchers found that all plant-based meat alternatives significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water use compared to meat. Additionally, these alternatives provide fewer calories, lower saturated fat, and higher fiber content on average when juxtaposed with meat products.
While processed plant-based meat alternatives are only slightly lower in protein compared to meat, they do fall under the study’s definition of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Notably, they contain 18% more salt than meat and three times the salt content of traditional plant-based alternatives.
The Food Foundation highlights that less processed alternative proteins yield better outcomes regarding health and environmental considerations. They exhibit lower levels of saturated fat, calories, and salt, along with the highest fiber content across all product categories.
From a cost perspective, consumers face a premium for highly processed plant-based alternatives. Notably, the new generation category is 73% more expensive per 100g than the meat category, while the traditional plant-based alternatives are 38% pricier.
‘Huge variety of plant-based options’
Rebecca Tobi, senior business and investor engagement manager at The Food Foundation, commented on the findings, noting that amidst growing concerns about the healthiness of plant-based foods, the report unveils a “huge variety of options” for consumers seeking to reduce meat consumption.
“While plant-based alternatives that mimic the taste of meat can play a really useful role in helping people to shift towards more plant-rich diets and come with significant environmental benefits, alternative sources of protein to meat such as beans perform strongly compared to both meat and other plant-based meat alternatives,” Tobi elaborated.
“They are also the most affordable alternative to meat by quite some way. There is a huge opportunity in the UK to get people eating more beans, as an affordable, healthy, and sustainable alternative protein source. They’re a win-win-win for environmental, health, and equity outcomes.”
Sofia Condes, director of investor outreach at the FAIRR Initiative, believes this report helps “shine a light” on the potential health and environmental trade-offs involved in adopting a plant-based diet.
Condes emphasized, “We recognise that country-level analysis and guidance such as this one focused on the UK market is instrumental in supporting investors, policymakers, corporates, and consumers.”
Finally, SDG2 Advocacy Hub CEO Paul Newnham highlighted the Beans is How campaign, which aims to double global bean consumption by 2028, drawing upon findings from reports like the one from The Food Foundation.
“Beans are a simple, affordable climate smart solution to our nutritional, health, and environmental challenges, and there’s huge potential for us to grow and eat more beans,” Newnham explained.
“Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen increasing numbers of chefs championing beans in their work and on menus. Given their versatility and use in so many different cuisines, we’re excited to see more people waking up to the power of beans.”
