What with crickets still being a bit of a hard sell, food manufacturers have been trying to come up with new alternative sustainable protein sources to wean us off meat. Now food companies are hoping we will give peas a chance. Pea protein, extracted from dried and ground yellow split peas, has made it on to lists of 2017 food trends, probably because it crosses over into so many other trends – high-protein diets, plant-based eating and those avoiding meat, gluten and dairy.
You can buy pea milk to replace cow or soya milk; gym-goers can choose pea protein powder over whey shakes. You can get high-protein pizzas made with pea flour, pea-protein sauces, protein bars made from the stuff, and some gyms add it to pancakes and smoothies. According to Mintel, the number of products containing pea protein grew by 195% between 2013 and 2016.
Towards the end of last year, US company Beyond Meat launched a burger made from pea protein that it claims “looks, cooks and tastes like fresh ground beef” – the pink “bleeding” inside is thanks to the beetroot. It also makes “chicken” strips and “beef” mince from pea protein (and meat manufacturers are taking note – Tyson Foods, the biggest meat processor in the US, bought a 5% stake in the company).
Protein made from peas is far more sustainable than animal-based protein, but dietitians advise that it doesn’t deliver the same nutrients that animal-based protein does (other qualities that make split peas healthy in their whole state, such as fibre, are also removed in the processing). “Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids, which are essential to our bodies,” says Susan Short, a spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association. “Animal proteins contain the complete mix of essential amino acids we need. Plant proteins provide some, so where pea protein is used as an alternative, people should make sure they don’t base their entire diet around it.” Eating a balanced diet, including other forms of plant-based protein such beans, lentils, soya products and nut butters, should provide what you need, she says. “The key message is to have a mixture of plant proteins.”
That, and don’t be fooled that you need extra protein in the form of pea-protein powders and additives – most of us get more than enough.
