GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Vegan and vegetarian foods are a popular food trend, and consumer interest in meat substitutes is growing. But are they as good for you as they claim to be? Registered Dietitian Sara Nychypor from Mercy Health offers advice on making good product choices.
Pros for choosing a meat substitute:
- Intention to eat more plant based foods
- Perceived health benefit
- Food safety
- Environmental sustainability
Cons for choosing a meat substitute:
- Foods commonly used in meat substitutes lack B12 vitamin
- Expense – many meat substitute products are 3-4x more expensive
- Some are highly processed products
- Significantly higher in sodium content
- May be just as much fat and saturated fat (or more) than beef
What should you do?
- Read labels carefully, choose products that are lower in fat and sodium if possible
- Make your own plant-based burgers or a patty that is a mixture of meat and plants.
Half Veggie Burgers
Ingredients
3 cups cooked lentils
1 cup finely chopped bell pepper or other vegetable (perhaps zucchini or carrots)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg (optional)
Dash of salt and pepper
Directions
- Roughly mash the lentils with the back of a spoon. Mix lentils, vegetable and beef in a large bowl. If you're grilling, the addition of egg with help keep patties from crumbling.
- Season with salt and pepper and form into 8 patties.
- Cook on flattop or grill. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments.
Vegan Mushroom Bean Burger
Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp cumin
¾ cup fresh mushrooms, diced small
1 (15oz) can pinto beans
1 tsp parsley
¼ tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Directions
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add in green onion, cumin and mushrooms.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and combine.
- Shape into patties about one inch thick.
- Cook on a flattop or grill. If grilling you may need a binder: eggs, wheat germ or oats work well.
Spicy Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup whole wheat (or all purpose) flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup salsa
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic
¼ tsp salt
Directions
- Place beans in a food processor and process them until smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, salsa, cumin, garlic and salt. Process until well combined.
- Spoon mixture into 8 balls on a large plate and refrigerate for 1-4 hours prior to cooking.
- Cook on a flattop or grill.
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