Health-conscious people are increasingly turning to vegan spreads in the supermarket. But are these as healthy as their reputation suggests? We will show you what supposed vegetable spreads usually consist of and what you should look out for when buying them.
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What are vegan spreads made of?
Most vegan spreads advertise on their packaging which vegetables the spread is made of. Names like “Tuscany”, “Paprika-Tomato” or “Zucchini & herbs” suggest a high proportion of vegetables and healthy ingredients. Nothing of the actual main ingredient can be seen in the pictures. Because many vegetable spreads actually consist largely of sunflower oil, sunflower seeds and water.
Sunflower oil is not to be demonized, but it is questionable in larger quantities. It contains disproportionately large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids . An excess of omega-6 compared to omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in flaxseed, walnuts and oily sea fish, leads to increased inflammation. The commercially available vegetable spreads based on sunflower oil also contain an excess of calories: 100 grams of spread can easily contain between 300 and 400 calories – not a light food. Therefore, pay close attention to the nutritional information: If the first ingredient is sunflower oil, you should keep your hands off the spread!
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Are vegan spreads healthy?
Those plant-based spreads whose main ingredient is sunflower oil cannot be classified as particularly healthy. The proportion of omega-6 fatty acids is clearly too high and the number of calories is questionable. However, manufacturers often use this trick because sunflower oil is significantly cheaper than fresh vegetables. It usually looks better with spreads based on legumes . Their main ingredient is usually lentils or chickpeas. A closer look at the packaging is extremely worthwhile here.
In terms of price, too, vegan spreads are not cheap. A 200 gram glass costs between 1.50 euros and 3 euros. You can easily make plant spreads yourself within 20 minutes with fresh ingredients – it’s cheaper and healthier. For example, try our delicious beetroot spread or this great carrot dip ! The homemade spreads will keep in the fridge for up to five days.
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Conclusion: Keep your eyes open when buying spreads
Of course, not all vegan spreads are nasty fat traps that manufacturers want to fool you with. Nevertheless, every consumer should know that supposed vegetable spreads are often just sunflower oil spreads. Therefore, look at the back of the packaging when you buy it: If the spread consists of one-third fat, you should be suspicious . Increasingly reach for spreads whose first ingredient in the list is the corresponding vegetable. Or make your own spreads in the future – it’s healthier and saves money!
