Protein is important as it’s one of the key nutritional components of maintaining a healthy body composition. 

Over the last 3 months I’ve been looking into and trying some meat free alternatives. 

Whilst I have been aware of ‘Quorn’ products, having not tried them for a few years did give me an outdated opinion on their suitability as a meat alternative.

Quorn is made up from a source of protein called ‘Mycoprotein’. And the following description is taken directly from their website; 

Mycoprotein is a source of protein that is high in fibre and low in saturated fat. To make mycoprotein, we don’t start with livestock, we take a natural, nutritious fungus that grows in the soil. This fungus is known as Fusarium venenatum.

We then use the age-old process of fermentation – the same process used to create bread, beer and yoghurt – to grow mycoprotein. And because producing mycoprotein uses 90% less land and water than producing some animal protein sources[1], it is a great example of a more sustainable and nutritious protein source for a growing global population.

I assumed that quorn products were derived from a soya source. A source of protein I personally avoid because of the associated potential side effects. 

If you want to read more about soy and health visit this article.

Anyway, my increased awareness of this meat alternative has been welcomed as it allows for more variety in my eating whilst still following a relatively high protein diet. 

Whilst it has been acknowledged that future research that focuses on the long term clinical benefits of consuming a diet containing mycoprotein is warranted, mycoprotein is a nutritional and environmentally friendly alternative to meat products and still affirms its role in a healthful diet [REF1] 

REFERENCES

1.  LINK