How to choose the healthiest plant-based meat
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Whether you’re trying to eat less meat or you’re a vegetarian or vegan, having a plant-based meal once (or a few times) a week is always a good thing.
Research shows that eating a mostly plant-based diet can help reduce inflammation, boost immunity and benefit your overall health in so many ways, including lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
But there are so many plant-based meats out there, it can be hard to choose. We asked Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN, who recently worked with Beyond Meat to reformulate their products to ensure they’re a healthy choice, what to pay attention to on the label when picking a plant-based meat.
Look for heart-healthy oils
Check the nutrition facts label and look for no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving.
“One of the reasons to choose a plant-based product is that meat can be high in saturated fat, which is the artery-clogging fat that can raise your cholesterol,” Bauer explained.
“You want your source of protein, and your overall meal, to be low in saturated fat.”
Another ingredient to look for is the type of oil that’s being used. “Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, but avocado and olive oil are the kings of the healthy oils,” Bauer said.
Pay attention to protein
Meat or poultry is usually the main protein source of a meal, so if you’re swapping that out, you want to make sure what you’re eating instead is a good source of protein.
“When you think about animal protein, it’s about 7 grams of protein per ounce, so you want something in the ballpark of 20 grams of protein per 3-ounce serving,” Bauer said.
Keep tabs on salt
Packaged foods are a big source of sodium in our diets, and overall, we should be watching our intake, aiming to have less than 2,300 mg of sodium daily.
“Remember, a lot of the time, a plant-based meat comes pre-seasoned,” she said.
And you want to leave room for salt in the other foods and condiments that accompany your meal.
So, the lower the sodium content, the better; ideally, the plant-based product you choose has under 400 mg of sodium per serving.
Be on the lookout for added sugar
Sugar content is listed under the “Total Carbohydrates” section on the nutrition facts panel. Added sugar content is listed under “Total Sugar,” and it should be zero.
“You might get some natural sugar from rice, or if the product contains pomegranates or beets for color,” Bauer said. “Sometimes it’s used for flavoring, but ideally this isn’t the place you should be getting added sugar.”
Less is more on an ingredients list, but sometimes more is an asset, depending on what those ingredients are, Bauer said.
For example, it’s good to have a diversity of plant proteins such as yellow pea protein, red lentil protein and fava bean protein.
Also, make sure there are no artificial colors or dyes. You want to see fruit and vegetable juices or extracts listed for color.
Better Homes and Gardens is a magazine and website devoted to ideas and improvement projects for your home and garden, plus recipes and entertaining ideas. Online at bhg.com.
© 2026 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
