What are plant-based alternatives?
Here at Seedlings, we obviously love a good vegan meat or cheese! But, we know that the idea of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives can be polarizing. Vegans and omnivores alike have a wide range of opinions on their role and purpose in a plant-based meal or diet. We’ll dive into some of the most common vegan meat and cheese alternatives and the questions people often ask about them.
Let’s start with tackling meat!
When asked to name a vegan meat alternative, tofu may come to mind. In our opinion, though, tofu is its own lovely entity. Like its nutty and hearty cousin, tempeh, we do not see these soy products as trying to “be meat” per se - they are more in their own category and have been around a long time in a range of cuisines.
Nowadays, it is possible to find lots of plant-based products that are trying to be their own thing, rather than just approximate the taste and feel of meat. Many of these nifty products are made with whole foods and are minimally processed. You can find carrot “lox”, tomato “tuna”, mushroom “chicken”, and date “salami”, just to name a few. While they may share the name of a meat product for simplicity’s sake, they stand in their own wonderful plant-based glory!
There are, of course, products that do try to more closely mimic actual meat. While soy proteins are still used, many companies are experimenting with different forms of plant-based binders and proteins. One common ingredient, present in some of the major plant-based meat products, is pea protein - a versatile protein and a crop that can help regenerate soil. Another common alternative is vital wheat protein, AKA gluten or seitan. Like tofu, the use of vital wheat protein can be traced back for centuries - it was used as a meat alternative for Buddhists! While versatile and easy to make, products made with vital wheat protein are a no-no for those with gluten intolerance/sensitivity and celiac disease. Want to learn more about plant-based meats? Check out the Good Food Institute for lots of cool info.
You also may have heard some rumblings about lab-grown meat. Also known as cultivated meat, this meat is actually made from animal cells. Different types of cells are taken from the animal and then grown in a lab to produce real animal meat. While the end product is animal meat, it takes many problematic factors of the meat industry out of the equation - extensive land and water use, animal cruelty, high greenhouse gas emissions, etc. While we are all for meat without the meat, we understand the cultural demand for animal products around the world and how hard it can be to change those ingrained eating habits. So, we are curious to see how this budding method of meat production could ultimately reduce animal cruelty and environmental degradation without requiring large swaths of people to forego animal-derived meat.
Ah, cheese!
Vegan cheese has come a long way in a short amount of time. Larger companies will still often use potato and/or corn starches along with a mix of coconut oil and/or canola oil as their main ingredients to keep costs low. These are generally the types of vegan cheeses that may be described as “plasticy” - they typically offer little in terms of taste, but often conveniently melt more like dairy-based products.
Artisanal vegan cheeses, alternatively, are generally made from nut milks - typically cashew and almond - and also often include coconut oil to provide fattiness. These types of vegan cheeses provide a much tastier experience! A major issue with these cheeses, though, is that they contain tree nuts - a common allergen. There are some companies working with hemp, sunflower seeds and other pulses/legumes to provide a high quality, tasty product that is safe for those with nut allergies.
We have also seen a move toward more traditional cheese making methods! Check out FÆRM, for example. They are using science to recreate the best parts of cheese, without the need for dairy. Many small cheese makers are also “cave aging” their cheeses - allowing fermentation to do its thing and create beautiful natural rinds. (Now, these “caves” are not really caves, but rooms with cave-like conditions that provide the right environment for the cheese to happily age.)
Common Questions
Are plant-based alternatives really healthier than meat?
Oof - this is a complex question, and one that deserves some air time. In many ways, plant-based alternatives are not claiming to be “health foods” - lots of these alternatives are not low-calorie, low-fat, or low-sodium foods, and they do not purport to be. For example, the cheeses we carry taste yummy largely because they are fatty!
When we say that plant-based alternatives can be “healthier” than meat, we must examine the benefits that they can provide that meat or dairy products largely do not.
Fiber: Fiber is an incredibly essential carbohydrate that regulates our bodies in all sorts of ways - from our blood sugar to our digestive tract. Because vegan meats and vegan cheeses are often made from ingredients like nuts, fruits, and vegetables, plant-based alternatives can and often do contain fiber!
Cholesterol: Naturally, fruits and veggies are completely free of cholesterol. However, it is important to note that coconut oil can cause cholesterol to rise (both the “good” and “bad” type!), and it is being used more commonly as a source of fat in processed vegan products. So, make sure to check ingredients if you are looking for a low-cholesterol plant-based cheese or meat alternative.
Protein: Not all proteins are created equal. In fact, animal protein is much harder on our bodies than plant-based proteins. Higher levels of animal protein intake are associated with several health issues including certain cancers and heart disease.
In addition, meat purchased from grocery stores can often contain added ingredients. Chicken and pork are injected with a concoction of “plumping” solution. Farm-raised salmon are dyed a specific pink to maximize profits. And, remember, anything that animal eats, you ultimately eat, too - including hormones and antibiotics. Meat producers can easily - and legally - hide or mask these ingredients from the consumer.
By design, Americans love their dairy products. It is not an accident that “Got Milk” ads and “Extra Cheesy” products are part of our collective consciousness. In fact, the government has a hand in making sure that dairy in the form of milk or cheese is a part of our daily diet - from the food pyramid to school lunches to that extra cheesy Dominos pizza. But, dairy isn’t necessary for our bodies. There is little nutritional value in dairy - proteins from plants are easier for us to break down, there are better sources of calcium, and products are fortified with vitamin D (it doesn’t naturally occur in milk, for example).
Moreover, it is hard to get around the fact that cow’s milk is not easy on the human body. Most people in the world are lactose-intolerant. Countries with high dairy consumption have higher rates of hip fractures. And, most simply, milk is designed to provide a high-calorie diet to a baby animal so it can quickly mature into an adult animal; that is to say, cow’s milk is designed to grow a cow, a much larger animal with higher calorie needs than a human. Interestingly, we are also the only animal that A) drinks another animal’s milk and B) continues to drink that breast milk into adulthood.
Don’t ingredients for vegan meats and vegan cheese use a lot of water?
This is a question that we get asked frequently - and the answer is a bit slippery (pun intended)!
The meat and dairy industries have a vested interest in keeping the conversation focused on the water required to grow things like, let’s say, cashews and almonds instead of cows. With interest growing in plant-based alternatives, they stand to lose quite a bit if people start transitioning away from dairy milk and animal meat.
Now, it is certainly true that industrial farming practices of agricultural products for human consumption are wasteful and detrimental to the environment - it is just that they are on the whole less wasteful and detrimental than the meat industry in terms of volume. And, in the United States in particular, large scale farming is often operating purely for the meat industry - that is to say, the crops being grown are primarily going to feed animals raised for meat, not humans. For example, alfalfa and corn are some of the thirstiest crops grown in the US, but these crops by and large are not going to feed people. Instead, they are being primarily used to feed animals, and therefore can be collectively considered as part of the meat production industry.
And, in regards to water, we must truly examine what the fishing industry has done to our oceans. If we are being comprehensive in our consideration of the “water issue” (beyond just drinking water), commercial fishing is disastrous. Entire ecosystems are irrevocably damaged due to overfishing. Even in places that attempt to curb commercial fishing, illegal practices such as blast fishing not only contaminate water but kill off coral reefs and create tons (literally) of unusable bycatch.
Can I get enough protein without meat and dairy?
Why yes, yes you can - and you do! Protein is in everything - and those eating a plant-based diet do get enough protein without even having to worry about it! Protein deficiency is typically only a cause of concern in relation to broader issues of malnutrition - if you have access to enough calories, it is highly unlikely you will develop a protein deficiency. In fact, it is more common that people suffer from an overabundance of protein, rather than a lack of it. As we’ve noted above, dairy and meat protein is hard on our bodies - and you also have to consider the nutritional value of your protein sources. Are they heavy in saturated fats, for example? Are they a source of fiber, too?
And, you can feel full! People often think that high protein meals make them feel satisfied or full. However, fibrous foods help your body feel and stay satiated longer and have a lower caloric density.