A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Products Marketed as Plant-Based Across the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada Using Online Nutrition Information

Abstract

BackgroundThe food industry is responding to a rising demand for plant-based foods by developing and marketing an ever-wider range of vegan and vegetarian products under the banner of “plant-based.” Understanding the nutritional properties of these products is critical. ObjectivesTo assess the number, meal type, and nutritional content of products marketed as plant-based (MaPB) from the perspective of the consumer across multiple sectors in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. MethodsAn online search for products MaPB was performed across supermarkets, restaurants, food manufacturers, and plant-based meal delivery companies in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada using the terms: “vegan,” “vegetarian,” and “plant-based.” Online nutrition data were extracted, and whole meals that comprised >50% of ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds were identified. The nutritional content of dishes MaPB in restaurants was also directly compared with meat-containing dishes. ResultsFurther, 3488 unique products were identified, of which 962 were whole meals and 1137 were a replacement for the main protein component in a meal, including 771 meat alternatives. Across all sectors, 45% of whole meals had >15-g protein, 70% had <10% kcal from saturated fat; 29% had >10-g fiber per meal, and 86% had <1000 mg sodium. At restaurants, 1507 meat-containing dishes were identified and compared with 191 vegetarian and 81 vegan dishes. The meat-containing dishes were higher in protein [35.4 g (24.0–51.4)] compared with vegetarian [19.0 g (13.0–26.1)] and vegan [16.2 g (10.5–23.2) dishes (P < 0.001)]. The vegan dishes were low in saturated fat and sodium (SFA: 6.3 g ± 6.4, Sodium: 800 mg (545.0–1410.0) compared with both meat [SFA: 11.6 g ± 10.0; Sodium: 1280 mg (820.0–1952.0)] and vegetarian [SFA: 9.4 g ± 7.6; Sodium: 1011 mg (603.0–1560.0)] options (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). ConclusionsProducts MaPB tend to have lower concentrations of saturated fat and sodium than their meat-containing counterparts, but improvements are needed to optimize their nutritional composition.