Vegan fast food is no healthier than meaty snacks.
Plant-based burgers do not provide health benefits
Researchers compared plant-based meals with meat alternatives at the 10 fast food chains with the most branches in Australia, Canada, Poland, the UK and the US and have found that there were no clear health benefits to selecting the veggie options.
Plant-based meals typically had less sodium than meaty equivalents but had more sugar, carbohydrates and less protein.
The plant-based junk food also contains as many calories as meat equivalents and the findings confirm that eating vegan fast food will not reduce the risk of diabetes or obesity.
Mikolaj Kaminski, who led the new research for the Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland, said: "Our study shows that plant-based meals are not associated with lower calories, which consumers may not realise.
"This really emphasises the importance of making informed food choices, especially when it comes to consuming fast food - even more so if you suffer from a metabolic disorder like type 2 diabetes. It exposes the illusion that plant-based alternatives of popular fast food dishes are automatically a healthier choice."