2024-02-17 17:04:15
After the publication of a study comparing the two types of burgers, Florence Foucaut explains to BFMTV.com why the vegetarian version is not necessarily better for your health.
Between the vegetarian burger and its counterpart containing meat, it is understood: the environmental impact of the first is much lower than that of the second. But between a burger with meat from a fast-food brand and its vegetarian equivalent, we might also believe that the latter is lower in calories and healthier. An idea undermined by a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Poznan, in Poland.
To achieve this result, Mikolaj Kaminski and his team compared the meals offered by fifty fast-food brands located in five different countries: Australia, Canada, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States. “Our study shows that vegetarian options are not synonymous with lower calorie intake, which consumers are not necessarily aware of,” summarizes Mikolaj Kaminski.
Sugar and fat
Interviewed by BFMTV.com, Florence Foucaut, a dietician working in Paris, helps us understand why the difference between the burger containing meat and its vegetarian version is not as obvious as one might think.
Veggie burgers can even be higher in calories because they often contain additives “to give a little more flavor.” These additives can be sugar, an obvious source of calories, but also fat. “Certainly the fat is vegetable, but here once more, the fat provides calories,” underlines Florence Foucaut.
In addition to these caloric intakes, burgers containing plant-based steak may lack certain nutrients. Everything here depends on the composition of said steak.
“Vegetable steaks made from legumes will be richer in iron than plant-based steaks made from soy,” explains the dietitian. “On the other hand, the protein quality of a soy steak may be better than a legume-based steak.”
Fast food, no more than once or twice a week
Compared to its meat equivalent, the vegetarian burger will also have a lower iodine content. “We also have no presence of vitamin B12 since vitamin B12 is only present in products of animal origin,” adds Florence Foucaut.
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Even if you want to eat a vegetarian burger that is “very good” or even “excellent for your health”, the dietitian advises eating one that is homemade. “It’s quite easy to make a soy steak starting from a soy milk base, adding seaweed to have a source of iodine and possibly seeds,” she explains. Without forgetting to surround this steak with good quality bread.
Ideally, whether a burger from a fast-food brand contains meat or not, it is recommended to limit its consumption to “once or twice a week maximum” in order to limit its intake of sugars and nutrients. fats.
Marie Ramaugé with Vincent Gautier
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