Is Plant-Based Seafood A Better Fish To Fry?

Yup, we’ve got some big fish to fry today. Impossible Foods has recently announced that it will begin developing plant-based seafood alternatives.

You may have heard of the California Impossible Foods as they are the producers of the meatless Impossible Whopper now available at Burger King. Its plant-based burger just began appearing in grocery stores after receiving FDA approval earlier this year too. The company is on a mission to create replacements for all animal-based foods by 2035.  

It’s also a big competitor for Beyond Meat, which you can currently find in supermarkets like Target. McDonald’s is currently testing Beyond Meat burgers in their Ontario stores. Even Disney is riding the plant-based wave, adding “more than 400 food items that are free of meat, dairy, eggs or honey” to their park menus this month.

This is great news for vegans, vegetarians and environmentally conscious diners, but before you shout, “Holy mackerel!” let’s take a quick look at what this new plant-based seafood is made of, how it affects your health and what, if any, environmental repercussions is creates.

The average American consumes “over 14 pounds of fish and shellfish every year”, so there is definitely a demand for a plant-based option. However, companies have found that creating an accurate representation across so many delicate and distinct textures and flavors is tricky. Impossible has been doing a lot of research and believes that heme protein, which is also used in their meatless products to make it “bleed”, is the answer to reproducing the flavor of fish. As of yet, though, they don’t have any seafood products on the market.

But there are options in stores that you can try! 

Good Catch

Its plant-based tuna is made from 6 different legumes – peas, soybeans, chickpea, lentils, faba beans, and navy beans. It contains algal oil, a plant source for Omega-3 DHA, which helps maintain heart health and fight inflammation. There are also plant-based crab cakes and fish-free seafood burgers available. 

Purchase at stores like Target and Whole Foods.

Ocean Hugger Foods

If you’re a sushi lover but want a sustainable options, Ocean Hugger offers the first raw tuna alternative with Ahimi Tuna. It’s made from tomatoes, which “contain high levels of naturally-occurring glutamic acids, which are responsible for the savory flavor of meaty foods.” Other ingredients include non-GMO soy sauce, filtered water, sugar, and sesame oil. 

Purchase at Whole Foods and select poke / sushi restaurants. 

Gardein

Gardein is a pioneer in the fish-less seafood movement, and as part of the old guard, they are widely available in the U.S. You’ve probably seen them in the freezer section. Its crab-less cakes are very popular. The products are made from “soy, wheat and pea proteins, vegetables and ancient grains (quinoa, amaranth, millet and kamut®).” Gardein boasts its offerings are cholesterol, trans and saturated fat free.

Purchase at almost any major supermarkets. 

When you consume plant-based seafood alternatives, you avoid a lot of the health problems linked to eating fish.

 

Many pollutants can find their way into our food, from produce to eggs to meat and fish. Seafood, specifically, can contain high levels of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and pesticide residues. Mercury has been connected with nerve and brain damage in adults and unborn fetuses.

Plant-based alternatives don’t just help you avoid putting pollutants in your body. They also help prevent them going into the ocean, as commercial fishing creates a lot of pollution. According to Ocean Cleanup, “at least 46 percent of the plastic in the ‘Great Pacific garbage patch,’ a floating gyre the size of France made up of plastic, comes from fishing nets.” The rest is mostly gear from fishermen. 

Environmental groups and alternative meat producers alike hope that plant-based fish will be the solution to a long history of overfishing our planet.

The World Economic Forum recently reported that while fish only accounts for 17% of the world’s animal protein, almost “90% of the world’s marine fish stocks are now fully exploited, overexploited or depleted.”

While fishing is essential to the economy in coastal communities around the world, especially in developing countries, fisheries subsidies “disproportionately benefit big business” over the local fishermen. According to the Forum, “The value of these subsidies could be instead used to invest in sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and coastal community livelihoods, reducing the pressure on fish stocks.” So supporting this emerging industry is a small step we can take as consumers to protect the planet. 

One final note on plant-based foods in general…

These alternatives are not perfect angels. Impossible burgers definitely contain GMO soy. Beyond Meat is expensive. And both options are high in sodium and could be considered processed foods, which you know I often speak out against. 

Still, even with their issues, these options are so much better for your body and health than eating large amounts of meat. I am not saying you need to become a vegan (unless you want to), but we can all benefit with a few more meatless meals in our diet. And our planet will benefit too!

Have you tried any of these alternative seafood options? How did you like it? If you’re a newbie, which will you try first? Let me know in the comments!

LOVE + fishless fish sticks!