Is Plant-based Fake Meat Actually Bad for You?

Vegan style imitation meats are making their way into all kinds of restaurants lately, but are these fake foods actually good for you? This year so far, over 9000 restaurants nationwide had either included some kind of non-meat meat into their menu's thanks to companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible foods. But just like vaping, the effects of long term consumption have not been fully realized.

Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have come under increased scrutiny over how their products are made. The companies use genetically modified yeast to produce the soy leghemoglobin, or “heme,” that gives its burger a meat-like flavor. Earlier this year, the World Health Organization said that eating heme has been linked with the formation of carcinogens in the gut.

John Mackey, CEO and cofounder of Whole Foods told CNBC, “If you look at the ingredients, they are super-highly processed foods. I don’t think eating highly processed foods is healthy. I think people thrive on eating whole foods...As for health, I will not endorse that, and that is about as big a criticism that I will do in public.”

As the founder of company in DIRECT competition with Miracle Meats, I can see how Mackey can seem a little biased on the issue, but he does have a point. The more chemicals you put into something just to make it edible, the less 'healthy' that something will be.

So if you're looking for a healthier way to go meatless, you might want to try tofu or some other soy-based alternatives instead.