California Bowl with vegetable aiguillettes delivered by Pokawa restaurants, Heura imitation poultry cutlets, Herta vegetable Knacky, Findus pea steak… Vegetarian imitations of meat are gaining ground.
Driven by health and environmental concerns, more and more French people are reducing their consumption of animal flesh.
However, are plant substitutes interesting?
"Yes, but only on condition that you choose them well because not all have qualities", explains Dr. Arnaud Cocaul, nutritionist doctor and co-author of "Vegetarian without deficiencies" published by Albin Michel editions.
Are these products as nutritious as their meat counterparts?
Dr COCAUL.
Some manufacturers have made a lot of progress over the past few years.
They offer imitation meat whose protein levels are close to those of meat - around 20% - with a good balance of essential amino acids.
These
no meat
often contain soy protein, but also peas or lupine, and not just cereals.
But beware: if some restaurateurs and artisans develop substitutes that replace meat advantageously, those sold in supermarkets are not always very healthy.
Read also Here are the first vegetable steaks made in France
What are they mainly criticized for?
Their salt content and their caloric intake are sometimes too high, with significant additions of fat so that the product is more melting in the mouth. It is therefore necessary to be vigilant in the supermarket and carefully decipher the labels of the products. Those enriched with rapeseed or flaxseed oil are acceptable because they contain omega-3, good fatty acids that counteract inflammation in the body. On the other hand, those with sunflower oil are to be avoided insofar as they provide too much fatty acids which stoke inflammation (omega-6). In addition, to be textured a bit like meat and evoke its flavor, industrial imitation meat are ultra-processed products packed with additives. From a health point of view, it is always better to favor brands with the shortest ingredient list.The longer it is, the more suspect the product.
What then do you recommend to fans of veggie alternatives?
These vegetable recipes bring reassurance to people who wish to switch to vegetarianism but remain nostalgic for meat.
Why not from time to time for troubleshooting or just for fun, but they should not be put on the menu too often: once a week at most.
Nothing beats home-made.
When you reduce or ban meat, your best bet is to learn to eat differently.
To have sufficient and balanced protein intake, it is necessary to combine cereals (rice, buckwheat, etc.) and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, etc.) during the same meal, or even cereals and dairy products.
