Consumer Reports reveals ranking of 32 plant-based meat alternatives
As plant-based meat offerings continue to grow in popularity from fast-food locations to the grocery store's frozen aisle, some products have outshined the competition.
"Good Morning America" exclusively unveiled Consumer Reports' top picks for meat alternatives that ranked 32 products based on taste and health profile.
The top three meat-free products were Beyond Meat, Boca All American Veggie Burgers and Impossible Foods burger patties.
"According to a nationally representative survey by Consumer Reports, 53% of Americans say they want to eat less meat and more vegetables," Consumer Reports Deputy Editor Brian Vines said. "[Nineteen percent] of people in a 2020 nationwide survey by Mattson, a food research firm, cited 'too many ingredients I can’t pronounce' as a reason to take a pass."
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Maya Feller told "GMA" that meat substitutes "tend to have lower saturated fat and more fiber, but that's because they're made from plants." She continued, "sometimes they have more added salt -- and you want to be mindful of that."
The ingredients in an Impossible Burger, for example, contain soy, water and nutrients, plus binders to make it stick together, as well as heme -- a plant-based liquid that makes the ingredients taste and feel more like beef.
Consumer Reports also ranked chicken nuggets, with Quorn and Impossible nuggets taking the top spots, with their crispy exterior, good flavor and texture.
The "Meat Lovers' Guide to Plant-Based Meat" also weighed in on breakfast sausage alternatives, and Beyond Meat and Morning Star came out on top in that category.
