How so-called healthy veggie meals from leading brands like Bird’s Eye are even WORSE for you than meat equivalents

TELL a vegan your sausage is healthier than theirs, and they will think you’re banger out of order.

But many plant-based meat alternatives are ultra-processed with “no clear” heart benefits.

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Martin Freeman has turned his back on vegetarianism after nearly four decades[/caption]

People who ate fake sausages, burgers and mince seemingly had worse blood pressure than those who eat the real thing, claimed a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

This week actor Martin Freeman, 52, revealed he had turned his back on vegetarianism after nearly four decades due to meat mock-ups being “very, very processed”.

Here Josh Saunders compares the nutritional values of 100g of real meat with the fakes.

STEAK STRIPS

PLANT-BASED Squeaky Bean’s offering has nearly double the fat and salt content.

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• FAT: 11g
• SALT: 1.49g

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Sainsbury’s British or Irish stir fry beef, 350g, £4.50[/caption]

• FAT: 6g
• SALT: 0.78g

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Tivall vegetarian beef style pieces, 300g, £3.70[/caption]

• FAT: 9g
• SALT: 1g

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Happiee! Vegan Beef Strips, 280g, £3.50[/caption]

• FAT: 6.6g
• SALT: 1.4g

CHICKEN BREAST

THIS Isn’t Chicken has three times more fat and Future Farm’s has ten times more salt.

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This isn’t Chicken Plant-Based Pieces, 170g, £3.30[/caption]

• FAT: 3.5g
• SALT: 0.75g

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Tesco Large Chicken Breast Fillets, 1.6kg, £9.95[/caption]

• FAT: 1.1g
• SALT: 0.15g

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Future Farm Vegan Chicken, 160g, £3.50[/caption]

• FAT: 2.3g
• SALT: 1.5g

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Tesco Plant Chef 2 Meat-Free No-Chicken Breasts, 180g, £1.65[/caption]

• FAT: 9.3g
• SALT: 0.65g

BEEF MINCE

LOW-FAT mince can have three times less fat and up to six-and-a-half times less salt.

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Moving Mountains Plant-Based Mince 260g, £4[/caption]

• FAT: 17g
• SALT: 1.5g

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Tesco Beef Lean Steak Mince, 5% Fat, 500g, £3.49[/caption]

• FAT: 4.9g
• SALT: 0.23g

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This Isn’t Beef Plant-Based Mince, 250g, £3.30[/caption]

• FAT: 13.3g
• SALT: 0.6g

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The Meatless Farm Plant-Based Mince, 350g, £3.25[/caption]

• FAT: 10.6 g
• SALT: 0.92g

BACON RASHERS

BACON butty lovers fear not, your crispy rashers have three times less fat than La Vie’s plant-based phony.

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La Vie Plant-Based Bacon Smoked Rashers x8, 120g, £3.50[/caption]

• FAT: 15g
• SALT: 2g

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Asda Reduced Fat smoked back bacon rashers x10, 300g, £3.25[/caption]

• FAT: 4.6g
• SALT: 2.7g

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Plant Based by Asda Bacon-Style Rashers x10, 180g, £2[/caption]

• FAT: 13g
• SALT: 1.4g

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M&S Plant Kitchen No Pork Streaky Vegan Bacon x10, 180g, £4[/caption]

• FAT: 12.7g
• SALT: 2.1g

BEEF BURGERS

PUT that juicy burger on the BBQ guilt-free because Moving Mountains burgers have three times the fat content.

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Moving Mountains ¼lb Plant-Based Burgers, 227g, £4[/caption]

• FAT: 20g
• SALT: 1.1g

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Iceland lean beef burgers, 360g, £4.20[/caption]

• FAT: 6.2g
• SALT: 0.8g

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Beyond Meat Plant-Based Burgers, 226g, £4[/caption]

• FAT: 19g
• SALT: 0.75g

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No Meat 2 Ultimate Burgers, 226g, £2.50[/caption]

• FAT: 17.1g
• SALT: 1.4g

CHICKEN DIPPERS

A KIDS’ favourite, the humble chicken dipper is still slightly healthier than its meatless alternative.

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BirdsEye Green Cuisine Chicken-free dippers, 220g, £3[/caption]

• FAT: 17g
• SALT: 1g

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Asda 38 Battered Chicken Dippers, 684g, £3.50[/caption]

• FAT: 12g
• SALT: 0.58g

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Beyond Nuggets Chicken-Style Plant-Based Nuggets, 200g, £4[/caption]

• FAT: 16g
• SALT: 1.19g

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Moving Mountains No-Chicken Nuggets, 220g, £3[/caption]

• FAT: 12g
• SALT: 0.9g