Eating this ultra-processed food may be good for you and the planet, experts say – CTV
July 21, 2025
Plant-based meats have an image problem.
It’s not flavor or appearance. Look-alike beef burgers, chicken-like nuggets and faux pork sausages often cook like meat — some even bleed and sizzle in the pan — and are tasty enough to be gobbled up by climate-conscious carnivores.
It’s not their role in saving the planet. According to the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting alternative proteins, replacing a beef burger with a plant-based patty can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 98 per cent and land use by up to 97 per cent.
Yet after an initial surge of consumer interest, the alt-protein market in the United States has recently slowed, according to some estimates. Why the sudden sour taste?
“Doctors and dietitians are reluctant to consider alternative proteins when advising patients on nutrition because they view these foods as ultra-processed,” said nutrition scientist Roberta Alessandrini, director of the Dietary Guidelines Initiative at PAN International — Physicians Association for Nutrition — in Zurich, Switzerland.
“Yet if carefully chosen, these foods can be a valid and helpful way to shift toward more plant-forward diets, which are good for people and the planet,” said Alessandrini, coauthor of a new report on plant-based meats by PAN International and the Good Food Institute.
