Already present in the fresh supermarket shelves, meatless products should take up a little more space in the stalls with the arrival of the first factory of the start-up Beyond Meat and their flagship product, the steak "beyond meat", on European soil.
For nutritionist Patrick Sérog, eating less meat is a good thing, but you have to be careful what you choose instead. And especially watch the composition of these guaranteed meat-free products and scrutinize the amount of fat.
Are you a meatless steak consumer among your patients?
PATRICK SÉROG. Not massively but, yes, there are. These are mainly women, who want to reduce their consumption of meat and are looking for an alternative. Basically, we come back to the ancestral trend, in which meat was not an everyday dish.
When you eat a vegetable steak, what do you eat?
The composition of these foods is very variable and my patients are a bit confused. In these ranges there are at least 45 different products, with various names, not really codified. And inside, there is generally soy, often wheat, but also broccoli, tomato, onions ... Finally, the amount of fat, salt, protein, is very different from a recipe to the other. Difficult to navigate!
What should you watch out for if you buy them?
You have to look at the label. If the fat level is higher than the protein level, it means that you are essentially eating fat. It is not a good product. As an indication, in a beef steak there are 8 g of animal proteins, and little fat, except in the rib steak.
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Does it feed well?
Wheat or soy proteins, associated with legumes, provide a lot of protein, but they are not the same as animal proteins. They also contain less saturated fatty acids than meat, but they do not meet the body's needs for iron and vitamin B12. Everything is a question of balance: the body needs both, therefore a varied diet.
Is it a good idea to eat less meat?
Absolutely! Meat, like all foods, is not bad in itself. The problem is excess. In the 14 meals of the week, it is not reasonable to consume noon and evening! You must also eat fish, legumes, eggs ... If you decide not to touch meat, but consume eggs and dairy products, the needs of the body will be met. If you are vegan, then you will need to supplement your diet to avoid deficiencies.