Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

Sliced Bread

BBC

Health & Fitness

4.6 • 634 Ratings

🗓️ 1 May 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You may have heard health warnings around too much red or processed meat, and considered trying a plant based meat alternative as one of your midweek meals instead. But after looking at the ingredients on the packet and spotting salt, additives and flavourings, wondered if they really are the healthier choice?

That?s exactly what listener Graham did, as he hunted for an alternative to his beloved sausage ? and found that the plant based versions all seemed to be heavily processed. He's asking, are they really better for us? And are they better for the environment too?

The information and prices in this episode were correct at the time of recording.

All our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807

PRODUCERS: KATE HOLDSWORTH AND GREG FOOT

RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, podcast fan.
0:03.0	Consider this your invite to the UK's biggest podcasting party.
0:06.7	We're heading to Sheffield from the 4th to the 6th of July
0:09.0	for the BBC Sounds Fringe at the Crossed Wires Festival.
0:12.8	We'll be joined by some of the biggest names in podcasting,
0:15.3	including Sarah Cox, Charlie Hedges, Russell Kane,
0:18.4	and some bloke called Greg James doing his Radio 4 show called Rewinder.
0:23.2	You can watch live shows of your favourite podcasts, and the best part is free.
0:28.0	To book your free tickets, go to crossedwires. Live, forward slash fringe.
0:34.4	BBC Sounds, music, Radio, podcasts.
0:45.0	Hello, I'm Greg Foote, and welcome to the BBC Radio 4 series that investigates the wonder products promising to make you happier, healthier or greener. Each episode, I run one of your suggested
0:50.0	wonder products through the evidence mill to find out if it is indeed the best thing since sliced
0:54.7	bread or marketing BS. And today's suggestion comes from Graham Glover from Congleton in
1:00.2	Cheshire. Welcome to the studio, Graham. It's pleasure. Tell us the wonder product that you would
1:04.2	like us to investigate today. Well, a while ago, I heard on the radio that processed foods such as
1:10.2	sausages, bacon and ham were bad for your health.
1:13.4	They can help you to develop cancer, heart disease, diabetes.
1:18.4	And me and my wife were both 70. We've got beautiful grandchildren and we want to stick around as long as possible.
1:23.7	So we thought we'd dip our toes in the water and try some vegetarian sausages.
1:28.3	Are you a fan of sausages?
1:29.3	I do like sausages, yeah, they're very versatile.
1:31.3	You can barbecue them, fried them, grill them, put them in the oven.
	...

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