What’s the latest on meat free products?

How can meat consumption affect heart disease risk?

Red meat is usually higher in saturated fat than poultry (e.g. chicken and turkey) and seafood. Eating more saturated fat is linked with higher LDL “bad” cholesterol levels and higher risk of heart disease.

The Heart Foundation recommends limiting red meat to less than 350g of cooked red meat each week. A palm size portion of meat would weigh about 125g, meaning you could have 2-3 of these portions per week.

Poultry with skin on (e.g. charcoal chicken) or thigh meat is higher in saturated fat than breast meat which is considered “lean” or low fat. Eating less red meat and poultry helps leave room for you to eat more nutritious plant-based foods such as vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and legumes.

Seafood is naturally low in saturated fat and instead has polyunsaturated fat (healthy fat). Polyunsaturated fats can reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol and increase HDL “good” cholesterol. Having higher levels of HDL and lower levels of LDL cholesterol is protective against heart disease. The best sources of polyunsaturated fat are oily fish e.g. salmon, sardines, mackeral, and tuna.

Where do plant proteins/meat free products fit?

Over recent years it has become more common for people to follow plant-based diets e.g. vegetarian or vegan. We are seeing more meat-free products available in supermarkets because of this.

The most common types of plant protein in meat-free products are pea protein, soy protein and mycoprotein. Mycoprotein is a type of protein that comes from a fungus (like mushroom). Unlike animal meat, each of these plant proteins contain fibre. Fibre helps us feel fuller for longer, maintain good digestion and plays a role in managing cholesterol levels.

It is common for these meat-free products to be highly processed, high in saturated fat and high in sodium. For this reason, label reading is important. Choose products with sodium under 400mg per 100g, saturated fat under 2g per 100g and higher fibre content. Below is a nutrition comparison of 100g of beef mince, Quorn mince and V2 mince.

Understand more about label reading here.

While meat-free products can help add variety or increase satisfaction if you still enjoy the taste/texture of meat, it's not necessary to include meat-free products when following a vegetarian or vegan diet.

There are many other sources of vegetarian protein such as:

• Eggs
• Tofu
• Legumes e.g. chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans etc.
• Tempeh

The latest research

There was a study published in January from the UK which compared cholesterol levels in a group of people who ate meat and a group who replaced one serve of meat with a meat-free product each day. The study used Quorn products as the meat-free alternative (which contain mycoprotein).

At the end of 4 weeks there was a 10% reduction in LDL cholesterol and 6% reduction in total cholesterol for the group eating Quorn products. There was no change in cholesterol levels for the group eating animal meat. Neither group was using medication to lower cholesterol.
Quorn products are lower in saturated fat (than red meat) and provide fibre.

Results showed that daily intake of saturated fat wasn’t much different between groups. Researchers think that the higher fibre intake (extra 13g per day) in the meat-free group was the reason for lower cholesterol.

Where to from here?

Following a diet that is lower in saturated fat and sodium and higher in fibre can help with managing cholesterol levels and blood pressure and reduce overall heart disease risk. A higher fibre diet is also beneficial for diabetes management as it helps to stabilise blood glucose levels and reduce glucose spikes after eating. It is not necessary to remove meat from your diet altogether but having a couple of vegetarian meals each week using legumes or Quorn products is one strategy that could support you in eating more fibre and reducing saturated fat intake.

Don’t forget that fruits, vegetables and wholegrains are also great sources of fibre and it is recommended to include these in your diet every day.

For tailored nutrition advice you can speak to one of our expert diabetes dietitians working in the new Diabetes Victoria Clinic. To find out more or book an appointment call  1300 153 123 or visit the website for more information.