Fake Meat vs. 100% Grass-Fed Beef: Nutrition

Proponents of new plant-based meats claim, in addition to being more environmentally-friendly, that they boast more health benefits than meat. But, is this true?
We hear this message over and over again…
“Swap out red meat for plant-based proteins to live longer”
Like you, we want to make the healthiest choices we can for our health and our family’s, and as Nutritional Therapy Practitioners we base these choices off of a combination of the best available research, our training, knowledge of health experts we respect, and common sense (i.e. what has stood the test of time?).
Despite articles and studies on the importance of including meat in a healthy diet, and the discovery that there is weak evidence against eating meat, this advice still persists.
Now, with the explosion of meat substitutes on the market—plant-based substances formulated to look and taste like real meat—the push to replace our regular burger with one of these alternatives is stronger than ever.
Let's look at a couple examples, in particular, which have garnered the most attention: The Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger. Two products formulated to mimic beef closely in taste and texture (down to the fake blood!). These companies claim that, nutritionally, their products are similar to beef, only with less saturated fat, and that they add in micronutrients to mimic beef’s profile. So, basically, it's beef but without the “health risks”.
If this is true, let’s look at where these products differ from our 100% grass-fed beef!
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