Vegetarian isn’t always healthier

by | Nov 23, 2018 | 2018, Additive Free Reviews, What To Watch Out For | 2 comments

Vegetarian isn't always healthier

Vegetarian isn’t always healthier 

I was recently reviewing a LOT of vegan / vegetarian options in the supermarket the other day. It was astounding to see how this market has expanded and flourished. These products are premium priced and I expect attract premium profits!

It made me sad though.

What was astounding to see was the amount of ultra processed fake meat!

These products are some of THE MOST highly processed options that you will find in the supermarket.

Of all the vegan / vegetarian options that were on the shelf, I wouldn’t have touched 95% of them. 

I know there are many reasons behind the choice of veganism or vegetarianism. I expect for most there is the perception that it is a healthier option. After reviewing these products they are definitely not healthy options!
 
The supermarket shelves that cater to vegans and vegetarians are adorned with products such as:
– Quorn
– Hotdogs
– Veggie burgers
– Look-a-like cheese
– Mayonnaise
– Frostings
 

When you flip the packets and read the ingredients list….it is seriously scary to see what is in them!

I recommend that you skip the fake meat, fake cheese…. choose REAL FOOD.

Load your plate with whole foods, unprocessed foods. Not poor quality substitutes that contain preservatives, flavours, highly processed soy ingredients.

Over the last few years I have had so many people contact me to please review this range. They wanted to know was this real food. Would I recommend it for vegetarians. I have a LONG LIST of products to review and blog about that I hadn’t got to it yet.  As a result of my time in the supermarkets recently, I was able to see the vegan / vegetarian range. I was astounded at what these manufacturers were putting in their food.

These options were some of the WORST products I have seen on the supermarket shelves. I have reviewed thousands and thousands and thousands of products….There is no way I would put this into my body…I will take you through the reasons why.  Please note: there are some great vegan/ vegetarian manufacturers out there that are doing the right thing. That are providing wholesome real food options. You need to find them and reward them!

Today, we are going to look at one of the Quorn products. From the amount of shelf space dedicated to the Quorn brand I take this to mean this is a popular brand among vegetarians. 

There are a few things you need to know! 

Let’s look at their Sausage roll ingredients:

Wheat flour (calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin)
Mycoprotein TM
Water
Vegetable oil
Seasoning (textured wheat protein (wheat, gluten, firming agent 516), preservative 223))
Salt
Free range egg white powder
Whey powder (from milk)
Wheat flour (calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin)
Yeast extract
Dextrose
Thickener (pectins)
Dried onion
Herbs
 Sunflower oil
 Barley malt extract
 Yeast
 Acidity regulator (503)
 White pepper extract
 Herb extract
 Colour 172
 Onion
 Canola oil

What an ingredient list! It is so hard to see the real food amongst these ingredients!

We get energy from our food…..most of the ingredients in this product are lifeles!
 
Which ingredients would you eat from this list? The ingredients that look like real food to me are:
 
– Water
 
– Salt
 
– Dried onion
 
– Herbs
 
– Onion
 
What does that say to you….?
 

I hear you asking, what is Mycoprotein anyway??? 

The first big warning bell….it is a TRADEMARKED ingredient. Can you tell me the last time you say real food that required a TRADEMARK?
 
Hmmm…no….there is no trademark, because it comes from nature…
 

If you see trademarked products put the product back on the shelf. Your body doesn’t recognise trademarked ingredients. 

The packaging states:
 
“Quorn foods are made using Mycoprotein TM, from a nutritious member of the fungi/mould family similar to that found in blue cheese. Some individuals may not tolerate this and experience an adverse reaction”
 
Do you find this statement interesting?
 
There has been controversy surrounding what Mycorprotein is.
 
The packaging used to give the impression that it was a mushroom based product. After a class action, this was changed to the statement you now see. The labels needed to be changed to state that Mycoprotein is from the mould family (not mushroom). Do you see what is happening here…
 
This company is trying to find a way to market its food. Yet it isn’t food. To make an association with something that people will eat. As a result of many complaints about this product, the manufactures have to declare that this product is made from mould. The next attempt is to liken it to the mould found in blue cheese….
 

I recommend that if you are sensitive to additives, you AVOID these types of products. If you are sensitive to MOULD you definitely should avoid these products.

The Mycorprotein Org states that the only side effect which may occur after eating Quorn products is:
 
“in common with other fibre containing foods some flatulence may develop in susceptible individuals – this generally only occurs after the first few times of eating the products and soon disappears.
 
A quick search on the internet will show that there are many other symptoms that people have experienced from ingesting this:
 
– rashes
 
– asthma
 
– abdominal pain.
 
– nausea
 
– vomiting
 
– diarrhoea
 
– hives
 
– difficulty breathing
 
– anaphylactic reactions
 
Two deaths were linked to Quorn.
 
So back to what is Mycoprotein?
 

It is a meat substitute that is made from a vat grown fungus: Fusarium venenatum.

Do you know the word venenatum means venomous (hmmm…why do I want to put this in my body? Will my body even recognise it as food and know what to do with it?)
 
This mould is grown with the help of glucose, ozygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, vitamins, minerals and other undisclosed ingredients. When the right volume has been achieved then eggs and seasoning are added. This is then cooked, made into chunks and then frozen. It ends up looking like meat.
 
What is it?  It’s not food.  It is an ultra processed FAKE MEAT made in a laboratory. 
 
The manufacturers will say that a reaction is exceptionally rare. The Centre for Science in the Public Interest have heard from more than 2000 consumers in Europe, the US and Australia / New Zealand who suffered reactions to Quorn. 
 

I would expect that our community of sensitive individuals would have a high rate of sensitivity.

This is a far cry from clean eating….
 
If you are vegetarian and want to be healthy…
 

How about filling your sausage roll with vegetables and lots of them!

 
You know what they are, how they occur in nature and your body can recognise them as food. You can google and find lots of amazing vegetarian sausage rolls. You typically will find that they have ingredients such as: onions, nuts, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs, vegetables(!), herbs and spices.  Real food that your body will thank you for and love!
 
There are many ultra processed fake meats hitting the supermarket shelves…
 

You need to ask the following questions….

Do I know what that ingredient is?
 
Can I go buy it or grow it myself?
 
Will my body recognise it as food?
 
How long is the ingredient list?
 
How many real food ingredients are in the list – on balance is it worth eating?
 
I understand the desire to avoid meat based products on the ground of animal cruelty and environmental impact and the multitude of other reasons.  However, I urge you to consider what you are actually putting into your body….
 
Is it real food…
 
if you are vegetarian…fill your body with lots of amazing fresh fruits and vegetables….lovely food full of life, energy and vitality…not this product made in a lab.

Reward the manufacturers that care about you and your health first and their profits second.

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2 Comments

  1. Cath
    Cath on December 4, 2018 at 10:49 pm

    Why don t you compare sausage from wollies to vegetarian sausage made from tofu? Processed sausage rolls even carnivore one are processed. All of them.

    Reply
    • Additive Free Kids
      Additive Free Kids on December 5, 2018 at 5:16 am

      Hi Cath

      Yes I completely agree that they are highly processed too. However, they would have more real food content than these (which says a lot).

      Frankie

      Reply

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