Every January, “Veganuary” motivates many people to change their diet to vegan. However, completely avoiding animal products is not easy for everyone. Herbal substitute products promise a solution here. Vegan schnitzel, sausage or bacon – what was considered a niche product a few years ago is now part of the standard range of most supermarkets. But how healthy are such vegan meat alternatives actually? And do they cost more than their animal counterparts?
The organization “Veganuary” was founded in Great Britain in 2014 by private individuals. Its name is a portmanteau of “January” and “vegan” and refers to the central aim of the initiative: to motivate people to try out a vegan diet in January and, ideally, to continue it permanently. This has advantages for the climate and animal welfare. However, many “new vegans” wonder what they should eat instead of the usual main meat ingredient, or simply long for the taste of meat.
The food industry now has numerous answers for the needs of vegans who miss the umami taste of meat: On the one hand, there are products that are intended to imitate schnitzel, bratwurst or cold cuts as realistically as possible in terms of taste, consistency and appearance. There are also products such as vegetable patties or breaded tofu slices that are intended to offer an alternative to meat without meticulously imitating it.
Processed vs. processed
Regardless of their concept, the following applies to most meat substitute products: They are heavily processed. Vegan meat alternatives are created through complex manufacturing processes and contain numerous ingredients that influence texture, taste and shelf life. In the public discussion, the substitute products are therefore often associated with a high proportion of unhealthy “chemistry”.
However, such an impression arises primarily when compared with unprocessed foods, not with the meat-containing substitute products. Classic meat products such as cold cuts or finished products are also heavily processed.
Plant and animal in direct comparison
How healthy vegan substitute products actually are depends largely on the product in question. This is also shown by a market check by the consumer protection organization foodwatch on Veganuary: particularly salty and fatty classics such as bacon, salami or cold cuts perform poorly overall – regardless of whether they are vegan or not. When it comes to salami sticks, for example, there are hardly any differences – both variants receive the worst rating in the Nutri-Score due to their high fat, salt and sugar content.
However, in a direct comparison, plant-based versions often have slight advantages over the animal-based originals. When it comes to bacon, for example, the vegan version contains significantly fewer saturated fatty acids and calories and more protein and fiber than pork bacon, but more salt and sugar. Vegan mortadella also performs better: it is lower in calories and higher in fiber than the poultry version, but provides significantly less protein.
Some vegan products even achieve a green Nutri-Score. These include plant-based chicken alternatives or vegan mince. They contain little fat, hardly any saturated fatty acids and more fiber. At the same time, they have a low calorie and high protein content. Vegan substitute products are not automatically unhealthier than their counterparts and can certainly have better nutritional values.
Plant-based products are cheaper for the first time
But what about the price? The German non-governmental organization ProVeg regularly puts together comparative shopping baskets with vegan and non-vegan products from the categories of cold cuts, bratwurst, burgers, fish fingers, cream cheese, minced meat, yoghurt, sliced cheese, cooking cream, milk, pizza and schnitzel. In their survey in 2025, the shopping basket containing plant-based foods was cheaper than that containing animal-based foods at seven out of eight retailers.
“When looking at similar packaging sizes, the average plant-based shopping basket will be five percent cheaper than its animal counterpart for the first time in 2025,” reports ProVeg. “This is a reversal from the 2024 price study, when the plant-based shopping basket was 16 percent more expensive.” In half of the twelve plant-based product categories examined, prices were lower than those of comparable animal products. The price comparison also showed a clear range between retailers: at Lidl, plant-based products were on average 18 percent cheaper, while at Netto they were eleven percent more expensive than animal alternatives.
Anyone who wants to eat vegan – whether temporarily in Veganuary or long-term – does not have to fear for their health or their wallet.