Twenty years ago, it would be difficult to find one shop that sells oat milk. But today, becoming vegan has never been easier, and manufacturers are recreating almost every dish you can imagine.
The entire supermarket corridor has been dedicated to plant-based products, from vegan cheese to meat-free burgers to non-dairy ice cream.
However, while lyrically advocating the health benefits of cutting out animal foods, experts are increasingly warning about the lack of nutrients in many vegan items.
To accomplish the impossible task of making reliable alternatives to bland vegetables and tofu, food manufacturers often use unhealthy oils, starches and other ingredients high in saturated fats, sugar and salt. Need to stuff. Often, they are higher in calories and less important nutrients than animal-based products.
MailOnline has collated some of the worst criminals, according to the country’s leading experts.
What should a balanced diet look like?
According to NHS, the diet should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.
• Eat different fruits and vegetables at least 5 times daily.All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables are counted
• A diet based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, peeled Big baked potatoes
• Have some dairy products or dairy alternatives (such as soy beverages) to choose low-fat and low-sugar options
• Eat legumes, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (contains two parts of the fish each week, one of which must be oily)
• Select unsaturated oils and spreads and consume small amounts
• Drink 6-8 glasses / glass of water daily
• Adults should consume less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat (for women) or 30g (for men) per day.
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
Sausage and bacon
The number of vegans living in the UK today is higher than ever, and the temperatures have been hot for the past few weeks, with thousands of meatless sausages and burgers being fried on barbecues nationwide.
However, while vegan sausages and bacon tend to be low in fat, they can contain more salt and sugar than meat choices and are often deficient in the important vitamins found in the real thing.
Dr. Duane Mellor, a nutritionist at Aston School of Medicine in Birmingham, believes that vegan products are healthy, but checks the label and says, “Just because something is plant-based, it’s healthy. It is important to note that “it is not always the case.”
“Check for salt, and unlike meat, many vegan meat substitutes do not contain the same levels of iron and vitamin B12 that are essential for health, and blood cells and nerves are functioning normally. Remember, “Dr. Meller added.
Vegan sausages and bacon are usually made from soy and wheat protein or pea protein.
However, unlike meat, these forms of protein are low in essential amino acids needed for healthy bone, tissue repair, and nutrient absorption.
Studies have shown that the body absorbs about 2 percent less protein from vegan alternatives than real meat.
It is a product with salt added to the original taste like meat, which makes the best use of the juiciness and taste of animal fat.
Experts also warn that the vegan version can also be high in trans fat. Trans fat is the type of fat that raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol, which is the most detrimental to heart health.
Like the original meat, vegan alternatives also include plant-based oils such as coconut and palm, which can contain high levels of saturated fat.
These oils can also increase levels of bad cholesterol.
However, lean and processed meats are also high in saturated fat, and eating too much increases the risk of bowel cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Cooked food
Supper buyers may think that a vegetable-based cooked meal is healthier than one stuffed with processed meats.
However, it is often more salty than similar versions made of beef, chicken and pork, and is already very salty and can contain twice as much sugar as the meat-based version.
Too much sodium in your diet can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Professor Gunter Kunul, a nutrition and food science expert at the University of Reading, told Mail Online that no matter what ingredients they contain, vegan options don’t have the “same nutritional ingredient” unless they are enhanced.
“I don’t know if all consumers remember that eating vegan meat substitutes could reduce their consumption of iron and vitamin B12,” he said.
Iron is needed to make red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. Too little iron in the liver, lean meats, and beans can lead to anemia.
B12 is also needed to make red blood cells, keep the nervous system healthy, and absorb energy from food. It is naturally found only in animal foods such as meat, fish, milk and cheese. Like iron, if you don’t eat enough, it can lead to anemia.
Action on Salt’s campaign manager, Sonia Pombo, wrote on MailOnline that the “plant-based” or “vegan” label puts the product on some ready-made meals because they contain “excessive amounts of hidden salt.” It’s important to know that you don’t consider it “healthy.” And saturated fat “.
“This is why shoppers need to see essential and clear front-line nutritional information to make genuine, informed and healthy choices easier,” she said. “Too much salt raises blood pressure, which is a major cause of stroke and heart disease.”
cheese
For many, the hardest part of becoming vegan is giving up cheese.
Manufacturers are desperate to reproduce the creamy taste and moist texture of cheese without the use of dairy products.
However, according to nutritionist Richard Hoffman, like other vegan versions, plant-based cheese alternatives are “nearly nutritious.”
Plant-based cheeses use starch and vegetable oils such as coconut oil and palm oil as the main ingredients to make them look real.
The intestines break down starch into sugar, and too much can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Despite claiming that coconut oil is healthy, vegetable oil is “worse,” Hoffman of the University of Hertfordshire said in a conversation.
Lauric acid, the main type of saturated fat in coconut oil, boosts levels of “bad cholesterol,” known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke over time.
Only 30g of coconut oil-based vegan cheese can contain one-third of a person’s daily saturated fat allowance. Real cheese is also high in saturated fat, but it has nothing to do with the high risk of heart disease.
Scientists believe this may be due to the fact that the naturally occurring saturated fats in cheese are not absorbed by the body compared to oil and meat.
Those who eat vegan cheese may also miss the nutritional benefits of dairy cheeses that naturally contain protein, calcium, iodine, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Manufacturers need to add these nutrients to vegan cheese for consumers to get the same benefits. Not all do so, Hoffman said.
Yogurt
Yogurt is one of the best foods for slim people who want a rich, low-calorie diet. The dairy-free version allows vegans to participate in the action.
Traditional products are a rich source of proteins and vitamins such as calcium, vitamin D, and zinc, but vegan alternatives do not naturally contain many of these compounds and may not be fortified with them. Often.
Plant-based yogurt, usually made from fermented soy or coconut milk, contains only one-tenth the protein of regular yogurt, doubles the calories, and is packed with saturated fat.
One pot can hold as much as 10 grams of saturated fat — half the women’s and one-third of the recommended daily intake for men. Eating too much increases the level of bad cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
And like the dairy-based version, some vegan yogurts are made with artificial colors and sweeteners.
However, it tends to add probiotics, live bacteria, and yeast that are thought to enhance intestinal bacteria, such as Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which improve digestion.
Dr. Carmen Piernas, a researcher and nutritionist at Oxford University, told MailOnline that many dairy-free versions may be sugar-rich, but some brands offer healthier alternatives. He said he was offering.
Donuts and other sweet treats
Dressing in a sweet treat doesn’t hurt much.
However, experts warned that despite the vegan brand, plant-based donuts and chocolate do not offer additional nutritional benefits.
The vegan version of the popular sweets in the UK often contains the same calories, sugar and salt as the traditional version. And Dr. Hoffman told MailOnline that plant-based snacks are “mostly super-processed foods.”
Food processing involves normal cooking techniques such as roasting and boiling, while super-processed foods are usually made from cheaper ingredients such as vegetable oils, starches and sugars, combined with artificial colors and flavors. I am.
This is a “concern” because of the strong association between junk food and “an increased risk of obesity and all kinds of chronic illnesses, including heart disease and cancer,” Dr. Hoffman said.
This is believed to be due to its low nutritional value, coupled with high levels of sugar, fat and trans fat.
“Another important point is that research on the health benefits of eating a vegan diet comes from vegans who eat almost all foods, including vegetables, fruits, and legumes,” says Dr. Hoffman. I did.
He added: “There is a new generation of vegans who eat a lot of super-processed foods as part of their vegan diet, which can significantly reduce the health of their vegan diet.”
He said this is a “concern” because of the strong association between junk food and “an increased risk of obesity and all kinds of chronic illnesses, including heart disease and cancer.”
ice cream
Plant-based ice cream can contain up to one-third of sugar to enhance the taste, while containing half the protein of a milk-based scoop.
One standard vegan ice cream cone can contain up to 16g sugar and 2g protein on average compared to the original version of 11g sugar and 1.6g protein.
Also, the original cookie dough ice cream tub contains as much as 19g of protein, while the vegan option contains only 9g.
The vegan version may be packed with more saturated fat if it is made with coconut milk instead of milk.
Professor Gunter said that foods that are almost entirely consumed for sweet luxury tend to fall into the category of no nutritional benefits.
He also warned that they increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and other illnesses.
However, it is important to remember that occasional indulgence in sweet treats can bring broader health benefits by improving mood, Professor Gunter said.
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