Meat analogues: nutrients and environmental impact
Most meat analogues have a reduced impact on the environment compared with their meat counterparts, based either on mass or on protein content. These comparisons, however, provide quite a narrow viewpoint, as meat analogues can have other nutritional benefits (e.g. fibre) or drawbacks (e.g. salt) compared with meat. To make a valuable comparison, the full nutritional spectrum and sustainability should be investigated. The
optimisation software Optimeal is a good tool for doing this. Simultaneous investigation of both the environmental impact and the nutritional profile of meat analogues can be of help when developing future-proof meat analogues with a favourable sustainability and health profile.