Beyond Meat Alternatives: The Benefits and Risks of New Lab Grown "Meats"

New plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products are popping up every week, it seems, and while this is a saving grace for the animals they’re saving, it may not be the silver bullet for health that some are expecting it to be. 

If there’s money to be made….

Oftentimes when a movement makes its way into the mainstream, some of its tenets and terms are exploited (usually for monetary reasons). So it’s no surprise that marketers and new companies are popping up ready to add “plant-based” to their repertoire in order to cash in on the recent craze. 

I've even seen 'plant-based' used to sell diapers. I'm all for chemical free and as natural as possible (especially when it comes to our kids) but many times it's obvious when brands are just hopping on the bandwagon, hoping you won't look past the front of the box. 

Food by any other name

What we’re seeing with a lot of the meat and dairy alternatives is a ton of processing (I know, you didn’t see that coming 😉). Think of these foods the same way you’d think of frozen pizzas or fast food - to be consumed sparingly if you’re hoping to support your long-term health. These are by no means nutrient-dense alternatives and are just another category of convenience foods that can fill in the gaps on a busy week, but shouldn't be counted on as part of your health plan. 

'Plant-based’ on a packaged or processed food does not equate healthy, good for you, beneficial, or nutrient-dense. The term is not regulated and so long as a company can point to the label and say that at least 2 of the ingredients were once plants then it qualifies as ‘plant-based’. I don’t know about you but that sounds like a pretty loose rule to me! 

The rule of thumb? Stick to those foods that don’t need packaging to contain all their ingredients (whole foods 😉) or fancy marketing to sell them. Produce doesn't have a publicist yet, but its health benefits sell themselves once you move to a more whole food, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle! 

In warmth and wellness,
Emma