Did you know that Japanese monks came up with vegan meat or mock meat? Buddhist monks in Japan developed this alternative when they decided to shift to a plant-based diet. Another form of vegan meat — Seitan — a wheat-based protein discovered by Chinese cooks in 535 BC, was a popular meat substitute for years.
That means vegan meat has been having its moment for a while now! Long before Shahrukh Khan took to Twitter to promote Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh’s new vegan meat brand. This plant-based alternative mimics the taste and texture of meat. If you’ve switched to a vegan diet but miss a juicy hamburger — you’ll find a fine selection of vegan meat burgers. Well, if this piqued your interest, let’s talk more about vegan meat and why you should try it out.
Source: @iamsrk/Twitter
A research paper by Oxford University states that if you cut meat and dairy from your diet, you can significantly cut down your carbon footprint from food by 73%.
What is Vegan Meat?
Vegan meat is made from plant-based derivatives like soy, tofu, wheat gluten, or jackfruit. The vegan meat advancement is so phenomenal that globally some labs are producing cell-based or lab-cultured vegan meat. All forms of vegan meat appear and feel like traditional meat. Ingredients like yeast, onion, garlic, and different oils lend a meat-like texture and aroma. While it’s healthier than meat because of less cholesterol and sodium contents, vegan meat is still processed and considered less wholesome than vegetables.
If you’ve visited a vegan restaurant, the chances are that you’ve tried vegan meat. There are now vegan substitutes for sausages, seafood (even caviar — would you believe?), turkey and more.
Why Vegan Meat?
“A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use, and water use.”
- Joseph Poore, Researcher at Oxford University
The environmental impact of animal agriculture is not limited to the greenhouse gas footprint alone. Animal agriculture farms have occupied several wild forest areas across the world. The entire cycle of producing and transporting harms the environment; for instance, the waste produced by farm factories directly flows into the closest water sources, contaminating them. Besides, when animals are raised for food, those specific farm factories function differently and lead to further environmental crises. They produce toxic gasses like methane and ammonia, which can be lethal for those living on these farms.
Source: One Green Planet
Farm factories also feed more food and use excessive antibiotics and chemicals to fatten up these animals. And let us not forget that marine life is at risk, too; as we speak, several marine species are going extinct. Good Food Institute is a non-profit initiative promoting alternative meat consumption; it states that globally the meat consumption is the highest at the moment, and it’s only going to double by 2050. Apart from impacting the environment negatively, it is likely to heighten the risk of zoonotic diseases too.
Vegan meat is one of the ways to mitigate this situation. A research paper by Oxford University states that if you cut meat and dairy from your diet, you can significantly cut down your carbon footprint from food by 73%. While that’s an excellent reason to include vegan meats in the diet, the fact that vegan meat has more protein and less cholesterol, fat, and calories makes it a switch worth thinking about.
Are You Asking Us to Quit Meat Altogether?
Not really. We get it — meat is delicious, and nothing lifts the mood like a juicy burger or a plate of chicken biryani. But we can consider making fair choices periodically, reduce meat consumption, and place one in two orders to the closest vegan restaurant. Check out recipes from popular vegan YouTubers like Yeung Man Cooking and Peaceful Cuisine if you love to cook. We’ve tried some, and they were, well, killer!
For those keen on trying vegan meat, you may head over to a plant-based store in your city. They usually stock up vegan meat varieties from different brands; online stores like GoodDot, Vvegano, Hello Tempayy, and Alt Mart deliver across India. Why don’t you give them a shot and tell us what you think?
