The biggest criticism against the vegan diet is that some claim it lacks the nutritional value of an omnivorous diet, but one company is changing that narrative with nutritionally comparable plant-based meat.
Slovenia-based startup Juicy Marbles just released a plant-based whole cut pork called Pork-ish. It is a 6.4-ounce plant-based pork that is priced at $10 per product and is the first whole cut pork on the market.
Juicy Marbles is already known for its vegan marbled steaks, boned ribs, and beef tenderloins. Earlier this year, it also added Lamb-ish to its offerings. It prides itself on making versatile meat replacements that can be cooked whole, shredded, chunked, or sliced so it can be used in a variety of dishes, instead of sticking to one cut.
While any kind of diet can easily lack nutritional value, it is true that some vegan replacements do not match up to their animal counterpart, such as when companies use konjac root in place of calamari or white fish.
"Mimicking real cuts too closely can limit their perceived versatility in the kitchen," Juicy Marbles co-founder Luka Sinček shared with VegNews. "That's why we went deliberately ambiguous with Meaty Meat's shape. We wanted to give our customers more freedom while shifting the perception of plant-based whole cuts in general."
Sinček added, "By focusing only on what people love most about Juicy Marbles — meaty texture and flavor and nothing else — we hope we can give people permission to experiment with whole cuts in all kinds of recipes."
Pork-ish is an advancement of its current clean-label recipe, called Marble 3.0, that prioritizes denser nutritional profiles over simply trying to mimic the texture and taste of animal meat.
Co-founder and R&D chief Maj Hrovat told VegNews, "We've always been frustrated by how light plant-based 'alternatives' can be on essential nutrients, like protein, iron, and B12. Beyond taste and texture, people want nutritionally sensible food that helps them reach their daily nutrition goals and that they can cook for their families with confidence."
"If we want plant-based meats to be a viable alternative," Hrovat continued, "they have to get close to matching the nutritional profile of meat — with a sensible ingredients list. Marble 3.0 is our cleanest, most nutritious recipe yet, and will be our standard going forward."
Vegan diets are already associated with lower body weight as well as better overall health. Lower blood pressure, higher fiber intake, and lower cholesterol are just some benefits of a vegan diet. Veganuary studies have also shown that once people started incorporating more plants and eating less meat, their craving for meat lowered drastically.
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The health benefits 🥗 The plant-based meat market is on track to reach $21.81 billion by 2030. Considering that those who prioritize a vegan diet end up producing 75% less planet-warming pollution than those who eat an omnivorous diet, nutritionally-dense meat replacements can make a significant environmental impact.
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