Many meat replacement products are junky

They’re heavily processed and contain a lot of questionable ingredients: genetically modified soy, canola oil, sunflower oil, yeast extract, unspecified “flavors,” modified food starch—the list goes on. Processed foods are never a great choice; eating foods closer to their natural state is always better. “Plant-based” is one of those terms that’s been hijacked for commercial reasons, in this case, by the faux-meat industry. It’s meaningless (if you wanted to, you could call Twinkies “plant-based”). If you eat meat replacements, find those with as few ingredients as possible, and no canola oil or GMOs. Impossible Burgers, in the current formulation,contain a lot of ingredients you shouldn’t be consuming.

Choosing healthy is important

The field is growing, and there will be more and more options, so read up, choose carefully, and don’t fool yourself about what you’re eating. Faux meat may be better than CAFO meat, but even the best options are heavily processed, so it’s not going to be as good as the clean grass-fed, grass-finished meat you buy from a great source and cook at home—or a nice bowl of homemade lentils. Apply the same rules across the board: Eat whole foods, and be really skeptical about anything processed, especially products with a “healthy alternative” veneer.

This is an excerpt taken from my book, The New Rules of Aging Well – Artisan, October 2020.