Meatless Meat Phenomenon

Expat Living contributor CATHIE HEARNS shares her views on the meatless meat phenomenon.

- Cathie Hearns

There are many reasons why people may choose to turn their backs on eating animals – cruelty, reducing carbon emissions and better health all come to mind.

The numbers who are actually doing this, though, remain quite low in places: for instance, vegans and vegetarians make up just three percent of the US population. In order to get a better foothold in the carnivore market, the meatless meat industry has turned to products that not only look and taste like the real deal but also give a reason why one should make the switch: it’s healthier for the environment.

To this end, some of the fake meat burger patties, with their realistic texture and “bloodiness”, appear to have got it right – certainly on the aesthetics. As the verdict on taste may be somewhat more subjective, let’s take a quick look at what they’re made of and how much better for your health and the planet they might be.

With Americans consuming an average of 2.4 burgers a day (around 50 billion a year) we will use the meatless burger patty as the basis for comparison.

# Ingredients