Background/Objectives
More consumers are opting for plant-based (PB) products for health and environmental reasons. This has driven an increase in availability and variety of PB convenience foods(Reference Alcorta1). This study assesses whether PB products provide a nutritional and affordable alternative to standard (animal-based) products.
Methods
A comparison of the nutrient content and price of PB convenience foods and equivalent standard products was completed for ten UK supermarkets. Data was collected per 100 g for four categories; pizza, ready-meals, sausages and burgers.
Results
Overall, PB products were lower in energy (−53 kcal), fat (−3.5 g), saturated fat (−2.6 g) and protein (−8.2 g), but higher in carbohydrate (6.7 g), fibre (2.8 g) and cost (£ 0.27) than standard products. In contrast, the salt content was similar between (0.83 ± 0.70 g and 0.76 ± 0.44 g) products.
Discussion / Conclusion
The lower energy and saturated fat content of PB products, combined with greater quantities of fibre could be beneficial for management of obesity and non-communicable diseases(Reference Bechthold2). Furthermore, replacing processed meat with PB alternatives containing fibre could potentially help reduce bowel cancer risk(Reference Gianfredi3), however PB products are currently less affordable. According to UK food labelling guidelines(4), salt levels for both product types would be categorised as medium and therefore should be consumed in moderation.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
