“I try to encourage people to shift to plant protein. I think that’s the No. 1 thing that people can do in their lifetime to positively impact climate change.” Ethan Brown, Founder Beyond Meat

Many companies are entering the plant-based meat business, and sales are booming. But is vegan meat healthy? And what about all the other plant-based products targeting meat-eaters? What does "plant-based" actually mean?

Simply put, plant-based is now the buzz-word for health, and marketers have seized the moment. But plant-based doesn't always equal healthy.

In today’s episode, we break down the nutrition and ingredients from the two best-selling plant-based meat companies, Beyond Meat & Impossible Foods.

“Every living plant or animal cell contains heme. From a food standpoint, what matters is that heme catalyzes very specific types of chemical reactions that transform abundant, simple nutrients into this explosion of hundreds of diverse volatile odorant molecules. When you experience them together, they add up unmistakably to the smell and taste of meat.” Pat Brown, Impossible Foods Founder

Their vegan meats have become so popular they are now available in dozens of chain restaurants ranging from Burger King to Kentucky Fried Chicken.

While plant-based meat has taken the world by storm, most consumers fueling this market don’t know what they are eating. All they know is that it is an animal meat alternative and better for the environment.

Now let's get back to the question. Is vegan meat healthy?

What about the ingredients?

Every plant-based meat has different components, some healthier than others.

The brands who are capturing the imagination of people -- and I’m not going to name these brands because I’m afraid I will be associated with the critique of it,” Mackey told CNBC Make It, “but some of these that are extremely popular now that are taking the world by storm, if you look at the ingredients, they are super, highly processed foods.” John Mackey, Co-Founder Whole Foods

In an ideal world, we would only eat whole foods. But, that often doesn’t fit our lifestyle. But, before you eat another plant-based burger, know what you are eating. I strongly encourage you to look at a label or research online to get a full picture of the food you are consuming.

In addition, we also discuss which food chains are offering complete vegan versions of those fast-food plant-based burgers now available everywhere.

Thanks for listening to Podcast #68: Is Vegan Meat Healthy and for being part of our healthy community.

If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please let me know by leaving a review on iTunes.

You can find show notes at Ordinary Vegan.

Today’s podcast is sponsored by Ordinary Vegan Organic CBD Oil made from Hemp. Unfortunately, we live in stressful times, and stress often depletes our endocannabinoid receptors that produce serotonin or protects us from pain.

Experts are still trying to fully understand the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). But so far, we know it plays a role in regulating a range of functions and processes, including sleep, pain, inflammation, mood, appetite, and memory.

Experts aren’t entirely sure how CBD interacts with the ECS, but many believe it works by preventing endocannabinoids from being broken down. CBD also enhances those receptors.

I chose to create my Ordinary Vegan CBD so that you could always purchase a safe and reliable vegan brand. I hope it can help you.

Til next time.

Resources: Eater.com

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