Vegetarian Meat Substitutes
Article Outline
If you haven't tried a veggie burger recently, you might be surprised. In terms of flavor, meat substitutes such as veggie burgers, veggie dogs, and vegetarian chicken products have come a long way in the past decade. No longer on the fringes of the health-food industry, these products are available at most large grocery store chains. They are undeniably convenient to prepare, and they offer, for vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike, a lower-fat, higher-fiber alternative to meat products.
But are they appropriate for the population with chronic kidney disease? Most of these products are soy-based, and lack the high protein content of their meat counterparts. In theory, this could make them more appealing to patients with chronic kidney disease who are not undergoing dialysis. The basic no-frills vegetarian products (those that do not contain “spicy” or barbecue seasonings, extra cheese, or breading) are similar to meat products in terms of potassium and phosphorus content (Table 1). As expected, most are also significantly lower than meat in terms of fat and saturated fat.
Table 1. Meat Analogue Nutrient Content
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Trans Fat | Potassium | Phosphorus | Sodium | Fiber | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | ||||||||
| 60 | 6 g | 0.5 g | 0 g | 205 mg | 290 mg | 150 mg | 1 g | |
| 60 | 2 g | 4.5 g | 0 g | 15 mg | 21 mg | 230 mg | 1 g | |
| 80 | 9 g | 3 g | 0 g | 50 mg | 52 mg | 300 mg | 2 g | |
| 80 | 10 g | 3 g | 0 g | 120 mg | 107 mg | 260 mg | 1 g | |
| 60 | 7 g | 2.5 g | 0 g | 102 mg | 110 mg | 280 mg | 2 g | |
| 70 | 8 g | 3 g | 0 g | 80 mg | 56 mg | 330 mg | 2 g | |
| 80 | 9 g | 3 g | 0 g | 100 mg | 95 mg | 280 mg | 2 g | |
| 45 | 5 g | 2.5 g | 0 g | 60 mg | 80 mg | 270 mg | 2 g | |
| Burgers | ||||||||
| 130 | 15 g | 6 g | 0 g | 130 mg | 124 mg | 260 mg | 2 g | |
| 100 | 7 g | 6 g | 0 g | 260 mg | 155 mg | 220 mg | 1 g | |
| 120 | 10 g | 6 g | 0 g | 130 mg | 150 mg | 400 mg | 3 g | |
| 120 | 10 g | 6 g | 0 g | 290 mg | 110 mg | 280 mg | 3 g | |
| 120 | 11 g | 4 g | 0 g | 250 mg | 56 mg | 350 mg | 4 g | |
| 100 | 7 g | 4 g | 0 g | 260 mg | 150 mg | 490 mg | 2 g | |
| 70 | 13 g | .5 g | 0 g | 220 mg | 150 mg | 280 mg | 4 g | |
| 90 | 14 g | 3 g | 0 g | 200 mg | 146 mg | 280 mg | 3 g | |
| 120 | 10 g | 3 g | 0 g | 215 mg | 160 mg | 390 mg | 3 g | |
| 220 | 21 g | 5 g | 0 g | 290 mg | 240 mg | 640 mg | 6 g | |
| 560 | 21 g | 18 g | 0 g | 330 mg | 310 mg | 490 mg | 6 g | |
| 90 | 5 g | 2.5 g | 0 g | 315 mg | 245 mg | 360 mg | 5 g | |
| 80 | 5 g | 2.5 g | 0 g | 350 mg | 200 mg | 250 mg | 5 g | |
| Chick'n | ||||||||
| 150 | 9 g | 6 g | 0 g | 126 mg | 200 mg | 400 mg | 2 g | |
| 180 | 11 g | 11 g | 0 g | 130 mg | 200 mg | 440 mg | 4 g | |
| 80 | 11 g | 2.5 g | 0 g | 130 mg | 200 mg | 420 mg | 2 g | |
| 80 | 10 g | 2 g | 0 g | 120 mg | 222 mg | 390 mg | 4 g | |
| 90 | 14 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 150 mg | 230 mg | 470 mg | 5 g | |
| 190 | 12 g | 7 g | 0 g | 320 mg | 195 mg | 490 mg | 2 g | |
| 170 | 10 g | 7 g | 0 g | 240 mg | 160 mg | 680 mg | 2 g | |
| 200 | 12 g | 8 g | 0 g | 410 mg | 246 mg | 640 mg | 3 g | |
| 160 | 11 g | 6 g | 0 g | 165 mg | 110 mg | 430 mg | 2 g | |
| 160 | 11 g | 6 g | 0 g | 170 mg | 120 mg | 560 mg | 2 g | |
| 150 | 10 g | 9 g | 0 g | 246 mg | 230 mg | 460 mg | 3 g | |
| Meal Starters | ||||||||
| 140 | 23 g | 3.5 g | 0 g | 110 mg | 105 mg | 510 mg | 1 g | |
| 80 | 10 g | 2.5 g | 0 g | 100 mg | 41 mg | 240 mg | 3 g | |
| 150 | 22 g | 3.5 g | 0 g | 180 mg | 134 mg | 530 mg | 1 g | |
| 60 | 13 g | 0.5 g | 0 g | 180 mg | 140 mg | 270 mg | 3 g | |
| 90 | 13 g | 2 g | 0 g | 128 mg | 146 mg | 170 mg | 5 g | |
| Dogs | ||||||||
| 80 | 11 g | 0.5 g | 0 g | 60 mg | 165 mg | 580 mg | 1 g | |
| 150 | 7 g | 4 g | 0 g | 60 mg | 139 mg | 500 mg | 3 g | |
| 90 | 15 g | 1 g | 0 g | 240 mg | 250 mg | 740 mg | 0 g | |
| 80 | 11 g | 2 g | 0 g | 190 mg | 230 mg | 390 mg | 3 g | |
| Snacks | ||||||||
| 190 | 9 g | 10 g | 0 g | 220 mg | 250 mg | 550 mg | 3 g | |
| 240 | 17 g | 4.5 g | 0 g | 180 mg | 200 mg | 580 mg | 5 g | |
| Meatless: others | ||||||||
| 240 | 17 g | 4 g | 0 g | 450 mg | 230 mg | 580 mg | 5 g | |
| 110 | 12 g | 4.5 g | 0 g | 446 mg | 250 mg | 400 mg | 4 g | |
| 240 | 12 g | 8 g | 0 g | 460 mg | 280 mg | 590 mg | 5 g |
However, dietitians who have steered their patients away from meat substitutes in the past because of concerns about sodium will find that this issue is unchanged. An average veggie burger in the range of 300 to 500 mg of sodium per serving will see that amount doubled when pickles, condiments, and bread are added. Moreover, those products that contain black beans or extra cheese are more problematic, not just in sodium but also potassium and phosphorus content (one company, Amy's Naturals, has a “light in sodium” product available).
An interesting addition to the meat-substitute lineup is “Quorn,” produced in the United Kingdom. This product is not soy-based, but is classified as a “mycoprotein.” Mycoprotein is a generic term for protein-rich foodstuffs made from processed edible fungus. Typically used as a chicken substitute, Quorn is slightly lower in potassium than chicken or most other meat substitutes, but its sodium content averages 400 mg per serving.
All in all, vegetarian meat substitutes are an interesting alternative to meat, and the options are varied and constantly changing. Renal dietitians can hope that as meat substitutes become more widely available and increasingly popular, manufacturers will evolve to meet the special health needs of many consumers on a low-sodium diet.
PII: S1051-2276(08)00050-2
doi:10.1053/j.jrn.2008.02.004
© 2008 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.

