The popularity of fake meat spiked during the start of the pandemic, but now consumers are tightening their wallets, scrutinizing nutrition labels, and asking if plant-based meat is really a better alternative to the real thing, from a cost, health, and environmental perspective.

Inside Food
Essays, features, interviews and all the news about what really matters in food and dining.
Curated by The Food Desk
with Aileen Lalor
Most recent stories in Inside Food
He said the secret to his physique was raw meat, but it was actually something else – and now his fans are suing him.
"The table is set with crystal glasses, and the plates of fine china rest upon golden chargers. When Bill presents the plate to Frank he doesn’t just plop it down, but rests it and then does a little turn — voila. This is a meal that prioritizes pleasure amid even the most dire circumstances."
"For dinner that night, I had some Cup Noodles. I gave myself an internal motivational speech about how this would be my version of the Couch to 5k. I would go from Cup Noodles to eight pounds of ramen. The name Domrongchai would be synonymous with victory."
"Female relatives ... talked about their reticence to eat in a place where they thought they’d be judged by fellow diners, silently pitied as a loser"