Many vegan substitute foods are ultra-processed and not as healthy as we think, according to a leading dietician.
It follows suggestions by Newstalk presenter Sinead Ryan in her latest column that many vegan substitutes contain extra additives, emulsifiers and agents.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning dietician Sarah Keogh said vegans and vegetarians should read the ingredients carefully when choosing plant-based alternatives.
She said there is a wide variety of vegan alternatives on the market.
"There's so many different kinds, ranging from things that have minimal processing and good nutrition through to what would be categorised as ultra-processed foods," she said.
"It's such a broad category that you couldn't do a whole sweep and say, 'Yes they're all unhealthy or healthy'.
"So, if people are using them it's really good to a look at ingredient lists and actual content, particularly for things like protein which is usually what these products are trying to replace."
'Degree of processing'
Ms Keogh said by definition most vegan options are ultra-processed as they are made to look like something else.
"We get very excited about the term 'ultra-processed' - not all ultra-processed foods are automatically bad for you," she said.
"It does come down to the degree of processing.
"When we do look at a lot of alternatives... you are going to see more things like additives, colouring, binding agents, emulsifiers, those kind of things".
Lack of protein
A Safefood report in 2021 found that 25% of processed vegetarian meat-substitute products like vegetable burgers, sausages and mince are not a source of or high in protein.
The research looked at the nutritional content of 354 plant-based meat-substitute products on sale in Irish supermarkets.
It also found that among those who purchase these products, one-in-three did so because they perceived them to be 'healthy/better for you.'
Ms Keogh said a separate study in Spain found that 43% of products they analysed had egg in them.
"There's no actual legal definition in terms of vegan for products," she said.
"Depending on what someone is trying to do just read your ingredients carefully with that."
Checks and balances
Asked if a vegan diet is healthier Ms Keogh said you need to have checks and balances with it.
"What we do see is lower levels of heart disease, because the saturated fat levels go down," she said.
"But we do see issues around bone health, around things like hip fractures and bone density".
Ms Keogh added that people following a plant-based diet can get protein from beans and lentils without the need to go for ultra-processed options.
