Vegan fast food no healthier than a meat burger or sausage roll (2024)

FAQs

Is a vegan burger healthier than a meat burger? ›

A veggie burger, when compared with a beef burger, may contain: More fiber. Fewer calories. Less saturated fat.

Recent research challenges the perceived health benefits of vegan fast food alternatives. This study, spanning fast food chains in Australia, Canada, Poland, the UK, and the US, reveals that plant-based options such as burgers, wraps, and pizzas offer no significant health advantages over their meat counterparts.

A vegan sausage roll is not much better than the meat version. It has 303 calories, only marginally less than the original, which has 329 calories. The vegan option has less fat (18g v 22g) but more sugar (0.7g) compared with none in the meat version).

The truth is, probably not. Plant-based sausages sold in supermarkets are likely to have just as much salt as their meat counterparts, so they're unlikely to make it onto a list of health-foods. However, vegan sausages are likely to have considerably less saturated fat making them a healthier option overall.

Vegetarians and vegans typically have lower body mass index, serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and blood pressure than comparable regular meat-eaters, as well as lower bone mineral density.

“While we found plant-based meat products were generally healthier than their processed meat equivalents, healthier alternatives would still be lean unprocessed meats and legumes, beans and falafel.” Plant-based meats, or meat analogues, are designed to mimic meat products and act as a substitute for meat protein.

Taking stock. The account presented above shows that vegan diets can fulfil all the nutritional requirements that are needed to support good health. Nutrients that present particular concerns are vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids as few vegan foods that are currently used for human consumption contain these.

At the end of the day, plant-based burgers — at least the ones that most faithfully replicate meat — are going to fall into the same "indulgent" category as their animal-derived counterpart: For the health-conscious, they're probably not going to be a five-times-a-week meal, at least not right now.

The truth is, just because something is vegan, doesn't mean it's healthy. There are plenty of nutritious vegan foods out there (find out more about those by following our guide to a whole foods, plant-based diet), but French fries and nuggets usually aren't among them.

Sausage rolls are a tasty savoury snack, perfect for morning or afternoon teas or shared lunches, but can be high in sodium and saturated fat.

Are sausage rolls junk food? ›

Although sausage rolls aren't the healthiest choice of food I wouldn't say that it's necessarily bad for you. If your diet consists mostly of sausage rolls then you may consider them “bad for you” when you become very overweight with high cholesterol and a host of other serious health problems.

A filling of onion and wheat protein, Rosemary, Thyme ,Oregano, Garlic and Mushroom. Wrapped in a golden flaky puff pastry, with a light parsley topping. Allergens - For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in CAPITALS.

Beans and Legumes

Cooked legumes such as beans, chickpeas, and lentils can be swapped for a lot of ground beef recipes. Buying canned or dried beans instead of meat can also save you money. In addition to protein, beans, and legumes are packed with health-beneficial fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Because of the fat and sodium content of sausage, it is not the healthiest choice at mealtime. If you're trying to improve your eating habits for improved health, there are other meats and non-meat protein sources that provide better nutrition.

As some plant-based meat and mock meat products are created to replicate animal meat, they may undergo more processing. This leads to a high content of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.

The Impossible Burger can be a sustainable alternative to regular burgers and does contain higher amounts of several important nutrients, including vitamin B12, folate, and thiamine (3, 4 , 5 ). However, the Impossible Burger contains more sodium than regular ground beef and is lower in some vitamins and minerals.

“Compared to a meat-based burger, Beyond and Impossible contain roughly the same amount of saturated fat and more sodium,” she says, both of which, when over-consumed, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.