Ok so I haven’t been able to find much information about this so I thought I would ask here.
What do you think about plant based chicken nuggets like morning star, Boca, gardien vs meat chicken nuggets like Tyson, banquet, perdue etc.
I mean I would think fresh chicken would be optimal but if I’m in the mood for chicken nuggets or tenders, would the fact that one is plant based or made from real chicken make a difference? By how much? I realize they are both pretty processed and there are better choices for protein but I’m just curious…
Lots of lecturing to you by people telling you what you already said you understood, which is that neither option is probably very “healthy.” They just can’t help themselves and have to be massively annoying and condescending when answering your question. I am sure they will all live until 120 years old and be in amazing health due to their perfect diets.
Both are processed foods. Both have downsides. Plant-based mock meats require a heavy degree of processing to make them comparable to standard chicken. However, regular chicken nuggets are sourced from low-quality industrial chicken often fed with hormones etc. Both typically have preservatives and added ingredients in the coating.
Neither are a health food. Pick your poison.
I’d assume plant based is going to be healthier, here are my reasons:
I avoid all of the above if I can.
If I’m going to pick one it’s going to be real meat. I do not consume soy products firstly. Secondly I don’t think highly processed foods are healthier than just plain chicken lol.
I personally avoid the plant based substitutions (I can’t eat poultry for medical reasons, sadly). Plant proteins don’t typically have the same bioavailability as animal proteins –there are exceptions of course, but I’m bodybuilding so I pay attention to that aspect for my needs– and taste-wise they aren’t as good in my opinion.
Eat the substitutions if you’re cutting out animal products, but if you’re doing it for other health reasons, make some at home instead. Chicken ground up in a food processor with a little binder like cornstarch and coating them like you would for fried chicken is all you need to do before you bake them/air fry them.
I like the Bare brand Lightly breaded chicken breast chunks. While there is breading it’s not excessive and the chicken is chicken breast rather than ground up and reformed chicken. I buy them at Costco, they’re likely available elsewhere.