Plant-based meats are coming soon to a dinner table near you, but do they deserve a spot on your plate? If you tried a vegetable burger years ago and dismissed it as rubbery and flavorless, it’s a good time to give meatless meat another chance. Newer varieties imitate the look, flavor, and texture of meat. Analysts don’t expect the meat-free movement to slow anytime soon; a 2021 report predicts the market will skyrocket to $74 billion by 2030—a 957 percent surge.
植物肉即将走进你身边的餐桌，但它是否值得摆上你的餐盘？如果你多年前吃过素汉堡，嫌弃它口感像橡胶、毫无味道，现在正是再给植物肉一次机会的时候。新款植物肉在外形、口味和口感上高度复刻真肉。分析师认为植物肉热潮短期内不会降温；一份2021年报告预测，到2030年该市场规模将暴涨至740亿美元，涨幅高达957%。
Plant-based meats are no longer just for vegetarians. Companies such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat—the current superstars of the alternative protein sector—are pursuing consumers who enjoy meat but want to reduce their meat consumption for animal rights, health, or environmental reasons. So far, it’s a winning strategy: More than nine out of ten consumers who buy Beyond Burger and Impossible Foods products also eat meat.
植物肉早已不只是素食者的专属。别样肉客、不可能食品等替代蛋白行业头部企业，瞄准爱吃肉食、但出于动物保护、健康或环保目的想要减少吃肉的消费者。目前这套策略大获成功：购买这两个品牌产品的消费者里，超九成日常仍食用真肉。
Many vegetarians don’t actually care for food that resembles meat. When reporter Joan Solsman, a longtime vegetarian, tried a dish from Impossible Foods, she felt so sick that she couldn’t finish it. “Maybe the best sign that Impossible Foods has cracked the code to realistic fake meat is that I couldn’t stand to take another bite,” she wrote.
不少素食者其实并不爱吃仿肉制品。资深素食记者琼·索尔斯曼试吃不可能食品的产品后反胃，没能吃完。她写道：“这款人造肉做得太过逼真，我一口都咽不下去，或许这恰恰证明厂家攻克了仿肉配方。”
Meatless meats are generally a healthier choice than beef because they are cholesterol-free, plus they’re a good source of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber.
整体来看，植物肉比牛肉更健康：不含胆固醇，富含维生素、矿物质、蛋白质与膳食纤维。
If meatlessmeat can help you stick to a plant-based diet, that in itself can lead to better health. Not only has red meat been linked to cancer, but studies show that people who ditch meat have lower blood pressure, lower average blood sugar, and lower cholesterol levels.
倘若植物肉能帮你坚持素食饮食，本身就有益身体健康。红肉已被证实和癌症相关，多项研究表明：不吃肉的人血压、血糖、胆固醇指标普遍更低。
However, just because it’s plant-based doesn’t mean it’s health food. Most imitation meats are highly processed and contain high amounts of sodium (钠) compared to traditional beef.
然而，原料源自植物并不代表它就是健康食品。和传统牛肉相比，大多数人造仿肉经过深度加工，钠含量偏高。
These new generations of alternate meat get all the attention, but don’t forget about whole grains and vegetables. Beans are an especially excellent protein substitute. They’re nutritious, inexpensive, and far more sustainable than any of the processed meatless substitutes on the market today.
新一代替代肉类备受瞩目，但我们不能忽视全谷物和蔬菜。豆类是优质的蛋白质替代品，营养丰富、价格实惠，并且比市面上所有精加工植物肉制品的环保可持续性要强得多。
句式
just because…doesn’t mean… 仅仅因为……并不意味着……
重点生词
1. plant-based /ˌplɑːnt ˈbeɪst/ adj. 植物基的，素食的
2. deserve /dɪˈzɜːv/ v. 值得
3. dismiss /dɪsˈmɪs/ v. 摒弃；嫌弃
4. rubbery /ˈrʌbəri/ adj. 橡胶质感的，发硬的
5. texture /ˈtekstʃə/ n. 口感，质地
6. skyrocket /ˈskaɪrɒkɪt/ v. 暴涨，飙升
7. surge /sɜːdʒ/ n. 激增
8. alternative protein 替代蛋白
9. consumption /kənˈsʌmpʃn/ n. 消耗，食用
10. crack the code 破解诀窍，研发成功
11. cholesterol /kəˈlestərɒl/ n. 胆固醇
12. fiber /ˈfaɪbə/ n. 膳食纤维
13. ditch /dɪtʃ/ v. 舍弃，戒掉
14. highly processed 深加工的
15. sodium /ˈsəʊdiəm/ n. 钠
16. substitute /ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt/ n. 替代品
17. sustainable /səˈsteɪnəbl/ adj. 可持续的
