Plant-based diets are gaining prominence as an increasing number of individuals adopt vegan or vegetarian lifestyles for health and ethical considerations. In response to this rising demand, numerous restaurants exclusively offering plant-based and vegetarian options are emerging. While these establishments may appear to promote health by serving solely vegan and vegetarian cuisine, the reality is more complex. A study published in the journal Nutrients indicates that not all plant-based meals are necessarily healthy.

Risks in plant-based restaurants

The researchers conducted an evaluation of the menus from 561 restaurants across 37 countries, encompassing both vegan and vegetarian (VEG) establishments as well as omnivore (OMNI) restaurants that offer a variety of plant-based and meat-based dishes.

The results of the study were significant. A considerable proportion of plant-based meals featured unhealthy ingredients, including refined grains such as white rice, white flour buns, and refined pasta. This was observed in 40% of OMNI restaurants and 38% of VEG establishments.

Additionally, fried foods were prevalent in VEG restaurants, occurring 28% more frequently than in OMNI venues. Many dishes also contained saturated fats derived from coconut oil and palm oil.

Only a mere 2% of the restaurants achieved a perfect health score, indicating that the majority of plant-based meals offered in these establishments contained at least one unhealthy element, such as refined grains or saturated fats. Furthermore, 14-27% of the restaurants studied provided very few genuinely healthy plant-based options.

The necessity for transparency

The initial perception of plant-based foods is that they are inherently healthy, which is a misconception. Many speciality vegetarian restaurants promote themselves as health-oriented by excluding meat; however, their offerings do not always align with health standards. The presence of plant-based ingredients does not automatically equate to a healthier choice.

The researchers called for enhanced nutritional transparency, advocating for the disclosure of comprehensive nutritional information regarding their dishes, enabling customers to make well-informed choices.

While plant-based eating is often linked to wellness, the findings of this study revealed the less favourable aspects of plant-based meals in restaurants. These meals frequently contain unhealthy components such as refined grains, fried foods, and saturated fats. This serves as a crucial reminder for consumers to be more aware and to demand transparency and genuinely healthy plant-based options.

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