Vegetarian dishes not always as healthy as they appear, Hong Kong consumer watchdog warns

Vegetarian food might seem like a safe choice for a healthy meal, but some dishes – including those featuring plant-based meat substitutes, such as veggie burgers and sweet and sour “pork” – may contain more sodium and sugar than diners want, Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has found.

In a collaboration with the Centre for Food Safety, the Consumer Council tested 99 samples covering 10 types of vegetarian dishes from local restaurants, finding that trendy vegetarian burgers were laced with a whopping 420mg of sodium per 100 grams on average. That was 20 per cent more sodium than was found in actual beef burgers – although the meat dishes still had a higher fat and calorie content.