What You're Actually Biting Into When Eating Vegan Chicken

In recent years, vegetarians and vegans have more options than ever with multiple products replicating the flavor of meat without actually containing animal by-products themselves. A big-hitter in the sphere of plant-based meats is vegan chicken, which has seen a particular spike of interest in the foodservice industry with sales growing 38%, according to VegNews. However, have you ever wondered what actually is vegan chicken, and how does it replicate the taste of poultry?

Typically, meat-free chicken can be made using pea protein, soy, wheat, oil, and seasoning, but could also include jackfruit, tofu, mushrooms, and eggplant. These ingredients help to give vegan chicken products (including nuggets, roasts, and patties) a likeness to chicken itself. The exact ingredients are likely to vary between manufacturers. A good way to find out what's contained within your vegan chicken is to scour the ingredients list on the packaging. However, let's take a look to see what many popular brands pack inside their vegan product.

A big beast of the vegan chicken world is Beyond Meat, which makes meat-free chicken strips. These contain faba bean and pea proteins, as well as wheat, yeast, and a variety of seasonings. Another popular brand, Tofurky's lightly seasoned Chick'n relies on tofu to induce the feel of chicken, with the additions of wheat, soybeans, and the expected flavored powders and oils. 

Meanwhile, Quorn uses a fungus called Fusarium venenatum. Its plant-based chicken patties are a fine example of why you need to check ingredients before you buy: As well as featuring wheat and yeast, the patties are made using milk proteins and egg, meaning that they are not vegan.

Beans, peas, tofu, and vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds, are all helpful sources of protein, which means that meat-free chicken is packed full of it — Tofurky, for instance, packs 19 grams of protein per each 75-gram serving. On the flip side, vegan chicken also may contain a lot of sodium. For instance, Beyond Meat chicken strips has 450 milligrams of salt in just an 80-gram serving. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that you should not exceed 2,300 milligrams of salt daily due to the risks associated with high blood pressure, so especially if you're on a low-sodium diet, check the label before you buy.