We looked at 700 plant-based foods to see how healthy they really are. Here’s what we found


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YesPhotographers/Shutterstock



If you’re thinking about buying plant-based foods, a trip to the supermarket can leave you bewildered.

There are plant-based burgers, sausages and mince. The fridges are loaded with non-dairy milk, cheese and yoghurt. Then there are the tins of beans and packets of tofu.



But how much is actually healthy?

Our nutritional audit of more than 700 plant-based foods for sale in Australian supermarkets has just been published. We found some products are so high in salt or saturated fat, we’d struggle to call them “healthy”.

We took (several) trips to the supermarket​


In 2022, we visited two of each of four major supermarket retailers across Melbourne to collect information on the available range of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products.



We took pictures of the products and their nutrition labels.

We then analysed the nutrition information on the packaging of more than 700 of these products. This included 236 meat substitutes, 169 legumes and pulses, 50 baked beans, 157 dairy milk substitutes, 52 cheese substitutes and 40 non-dairy yoghurts.

Plant-based meats were surprisingly salty​


We found a wide range of plant-based meats for sale. So, it’s not surprising we found large variations in their nutrition content.

Sodium, found in added salt and which contributes to high blood pressure, was our greatest concern.



The sodium content varied from 1 milligram per 100 grams in products such as tofu, to 2,000mg per 100g in items such as plant-based mince products.

This means we could eat our entire daily recommended sodium intake in just one bowl of plant-based mince.



An audit of 66 plant-based meat products in Australian supermarkets conducted in 2014 found sodium ranged from 316mg in legume-based products to 640mg in tofu products, per 100g. In a 2019 audit of 137 products, the range was up to 1,200mg per 100g.

In other words, the results of our audit seems to show a consistent trend of plant-based meats getting saltier.

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Looking for plant-based meat? Check the label for the sodium content. Michael Vi/Shutterstock


What about plant-based milks?​


Some 70% of the plant-based milks we audited were fortified with calcium, a nutrient important for bone health.



This is good news as a 2019-2020 audit of 115 plant-based milks from Melbourne and Sydney found only 43% of plant-based milks were fortified with calcium.

Of the fortified milks in our audit, almost three-quarters (73%) contained the recommended amount of calcium – at least 100mg per 100mL.

We also looked at the saturated fat content of plant-based milks.

Coconut-based milks had on average up to six times higher saturated fat content than almond, oat or soy milks.



Previous audits also found coconut-based milks were much higher in saturated fat than all other categories of milks.

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Some plant-based milks were healthier than others. TY Lim/Shutterstock


A first look at cheese and yoghurt alternatives​


Our audit is the first study to identify the range of cheese and yoghurt alternatives available in Australian supermarkets.

Calcium was only labelled on a third of plant-based yoghurts, and only 20% of supermarket options met the recommended 100mg of calcium per 100g.



For plant-based cheeses, most (92%) were not fortified with calcium. Their sodium content varied from 390mg to 1,400mg per 100g, and saturated fat ranged from 0g to 28g per 100g.

So, what should we consider when shopping?​


As a general principle, try to choose whole plant foods, such as unprocessed legumes, beans or tofu. These foods are packed with vitamins and minerals. They’re also high in dietary fibre, which is good for your gut health and keeps you fuller for longer.



If opting for a processed plant-based food, here are five tips for choosing a healthier option.

1. Watch the sodium

Plant-based meat alternatives can be high in sodium, so look for products that have around 150-250mg sodium per 100g.

2. Pick canned beans and legumes



Canned chickpeas, lentils and beans can be healthy and low-cost additions to many meals. Where you can, choose canned varieties with no added salt, especially when buying baked beans.

3. Add herbs and spices to your tofu

Tofu can be a great alternative to meat. Check the label and pick the option with the highest calcium content. We found flavoured tofu was higher in salt and sugar content than minimally processed tofu. So it’s best to pick an unflavoured option and add your own flavours with spices and herbs.

4. Check the calcium



When choosing a non-dairy alternative to milk, such as those made from soy, oat, or rice, check it is fortified with calcium. A good alternative to traditional dairy will have at least 100mg of calcium per 100g.

5. Watch for saturated fat

If looking for a lower saturated fat option, almond, soy, rice and oat varieties of milk and yoghurt alternatives have much lower saturated fat content than coconut options. Pick those with less than 3g per 100g.

This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by , Laura Marchese, PhD Student at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Katherine Livingstone, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University

 
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If I wanted to be a cow I'd say MOOOOO. I'd also love to know how you milk an almond or oat flake and yesterday's news floored me when the know-alls now say "don't feed your small child "COW'S MILK" .What the hell do they think humans have lived on for centuries? Heaven save me from today;s brains trust.
 
We were vegan for 3 years. Lost a fair bit of weight, but the miracle of lower blood pressure and cholesterol didn't happen. We enjoyed it, there was plenty of variety in our diet.
Anything that is a processed food is generally not good for you. Keep it simple. Anyway I began to feel like I was missing some nutrients, maybe I'm not as good a cook as I thought 🤷.
So we have left that diet mostly behind now, except for dairy. The big BS machine of the dairy industry pushing the amounts that we apparently need still doesn't sit right with me.
 
Oh good grief here we go again. On the band wagon of salt, saturated fat are bad and you can absorb calcium from fake foods. Nothing wrong with salt. We will die without it. Will die with large amounts of sugar too. Saturated fats are what we need. Seed oils are the issue. I've done semi carnivore long enough to know it is fine and I don't touch fake foods. Most of them have a list of ingredients a mile long. Just junk that makes you sick then they sell you the fixes by way of drugs
 
We were vegan for 3 years. Lost a fair bit of weight, but the miracle of lower blood pressure and cholesterol didn't happen. We enjoyed it, there was plenty of variety in our diet.
Anything that is a processed food is generally not good for you. Keep it simple. Anyway I began to feel like I was missing some nutrients, maybe I'm not as good a cook as I thought 🤷.
So we have left that diet mostly behind now, except for dairy. The big BS machine of the dairy industry pushing the amounts that we apparently need still doesn't sit right with me.
Yeah you can take or leave diary. I found out it's best to buy un homogenised dairy. We don't get raw milk in this country which is sad. I am pretty much carnivore but have cream in coffee. Biggest issue with the cream is most of it is thickened with carrageenan which is red seaweed and it's processed and my gut hates it. I think you could eat less meat if you were brought up on only fresh foods. So many of us went for the junk before we realised it was junk and are paying the price now. Our son has issues with dairy and joint pain. Most likely the casein and lactose
 
I`m a Vegetarian. Don`t have a problem of buying meat or cooking it for Family, Friends etc. I have never like meat, even as a kid. Had to eat it. But this plant based so call `meat, cheese etc, has more chemicals and additives than those so called Beef burgers from certain take away places. If you don`t want to eat meat, don`t, but why eat pretend meat and cheese.
 
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Oh good grief here we go again. On the band wagon of salt, saturated fat are bad and you can absorb calcium from fake foods. Nothing wrong with salt. We will die without it. Will die with large amounts of sugar too. Saturated fats are what we need. Seed oils are the issue. I've done semi carnivore long enough to know it is fine and I don't touch fake foods. Most of them have a list of ingredients a mile long. Just junk that makes you sick then they sell you the fixes by way of drugs
Mostly agree but good salt, haven’t bought regular cheap salt ever I think.
only good sea salt & herb salt, a bit of river salt for it’s flakiness.
vegetable oil is the worst, especially soya. I could go on but will spare you.
But then, don’t start me on fake or 3D printed meat 🤮🤮🤮
The burger above in the photo might look like meat but seriously unhealthy,
old fashioned plant based is a different story but now it’s like those companies want to slowly kill off their customers.
No wonder there are so many very young cancer patients in hospitals and
people are dying so young.
 
Beyond me why vegetarians would want to eat fake meat. What's wrong with actual vegetables, plus all the vegetarians I've known make homemade vegetable curry, or lentils etc. Hare Krishnas and Seventh Day Adventist people know how to make tasty vegetarian meals minus fake stuff.
 
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Beyond me why vegetarians would want to eat fake meat. What's wrong with actual vegetables, plus all the vegetarians I've known make homemade vegetable curry, or lentils etc. Hare Krishnas and Seventh Day Adventist people know how to make tasty vegetarian meals minus fake stuff.
My daughter was a vegetarian for maybe 7 years and I learnt to make some amazing dishes using lentils and vegetables. Never did she eat the pretend meat.
I heard that it's actually bad for you.

I wonder who actually did the research on the article? It doesn't say, was it SDC ?
 

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