Meat Alternative

Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps

What these are made from matters more than the fact they replace meat.

Stage by stage

Intake (Chewing breaks the texture): The engineered fibrous texture is broken up by chewing.
Stomach (Protein digestion begins): Acid and enzymes open the protein matrix; the fungal cell wall of mycoprotein largely resists this.
Small intestine (Amino acids absorbed): Protein is absorbed as amino acids; any intact fibre passes on to the colon.
Muscle (Protein synthesis): Amino acids support muscle repair, with completeness depending on whether the base is soy, wheat, pea or fungal.

Time to effect

Hours: Protein is absorbed within a few hours; differences in fullness between fibre-bearing and fibre-stripped bases appear during the meal itself.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

209 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — very high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

3.2 kg CO2e and 149 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Tofu" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £11 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Protein
Dietary fibre
Zinc

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 157
Protein: 18.8g
Carbohydrate: 3.4g
of which sugars: 0g
Fat: 5.6g
of which saturated: 1.2g
Fibre: 7.7g
Sodium: 233mg

Food vs. supplement

Not a substitute for protein powder or for a B12 supplement. The fibre and the wider mineral content are what the food form adds; B12 is the one thing only fortification or an animal source supplies.

Kitchen tip

Cook hot and dry. These products hold little water or rendering fat, so browning is the only route to the flavour meat gets from its own fat.

Common myth

“Meat alternatives are all much the same, and all healthier than meat.” In reality: The base ingredient changes almost everything. Mycoprotein carries real fibre, isolated soy or pea protein carries none, and legume-vegetable versions are often mostly starch with modest protein. Sodium is high across the category and B12 is absent unless added.