Burger King has just launched a meat-free version of its iconic Whopper at dozens of restaurants in the United States, gaining the attention of vegans and meat eaters around the world.

Key points: Vegan burgers are healthier because they're replacing red meat, experts say

Vegan burgers are healthier because they're replacing red meat, experts say Research widely suggest Australians eat too much red meat and not enough vegetables

Research widely suggest Australians eat too much red meat and not enough vegetables Dieticians says veganism is gaining momentum

The US hamburger chain, called Hungry Jacks in Australia, is following in the footsteps of several other fast food giants including McDonald's and KFC which are responding to a growing appetite for vegan and vegetarian products.

The newly introduced burger — known as the Impossible Whopper — is made with a plant-based patty from Impossible Foods and prepared in the same way as a traditional Whopper, with mayonnaise and a sesame-seed bun.

Many customers who tried the burger at one of the initial 59 restaurants offering the special Whopper in the St Louis area noted they were unable to tell the difference between the meat version and the plant-based one.

But while eating more vegetables may seem like the right thing to do, dieticians say vegan burgers may not be as healthy as they seem.

Are plant-based burgers really healthier?

McDonald's restaurants in some parts of the world, including Finland and Sweden, offer a vegan burger named the McVegan. ( ABC News: Tracey Shelton )

According to Tim Crowe, a nutrition scientist and accredited practising dietitian, vegan burgers are healthier options because of what they're replacing: red meat.

Dr Crowe says excess red meat is linked to a higher risk of some cancers as well as heart disease.

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"We've had recommendations for many years to eat less red meat, so if you're replacing that with something else, that would be seen as slightly better for your health," he told the ABC.

"Overall though, vegan burgers are still very high in salt [and] they're very processed as well … so nutritionally they're not vastly superior.

"The only benefit … is not having the red meat."

Emma Beckett, a lecturer in food science and human nutrition at the University of Newcastle, agrees reducing red meat intake is a good thing because most Australians are eating too much of it.

She says it is recommended people eat red meat twice a week.

"But what most of us are doing is eating too much red meat in each serve," Dr Beckett said.

"A piece of steak the size of your palm is one serve, and I don't know anyone who eats a steak that size — most people are eating a steak twice that size."

How many serves of veggies does a vegan burger have?

Research widely shows only a small portion of Australians are getting enough veggies. ( ABC: Marty McCarthy )

Research widely suggests Australians are not eating enough vegetables, but experts say consumers won't necessarily get their serves of veggies from vegan burgers either.

Dieticians largely agree burgers like the Impossible Whopper are simply non-meat alternatives and have a similar nutritional profile to a fast-food burger.

Dr Beckett says coconut oil is used as one of the ingredients in the Impossible Burger to make it taste more like a meat patty.

And while coconut oil is vegan, it is also very high in saturated fats, she explains.

"Normally you only get saturated fats in animal products, and a high intake of saturated fats is what increases the risk of heart disease, so there is a bit of controversy around that," she said.

Kacie Dickinson, an accredited practising dietitian at Flinders University, says fast-food burgers are also "ultra-processed foods" that people should only have occasionally.

She says the Impossible Burger is made with many processed ingredients including soy protein concentrate, potato proteins and other "unusual sounding ingredients that have functional purposes, to give it that texture and flavour."

"Generally, if you have more veggies in your diet, that's a good thing because only about 5 per cent of Australians are getting the amount of veggies that they should be having, so we know that is a problem," she said.

"So if it means that if people are getting an extra serve of veggies by choosing that option, then that's definitely a good thing in my opinion.

"But [for Impossible Burgers], you're not really getting a serve of veggies because all the ingredients that are used to make them are pretty highly processed ingredients."

However, she notes the Impossible Burger does have positive nutrients that consumers normally get from meat, including protein and iron.

What other vegan options are fast food outlets offering?

McDonald's in Sweden also offers a McFalafel and serves fruit slices with its Happy Meals. ( ABC News: Tracey Shelton )

McDonald's in some parts of the world, including Finland and Sweden, offer a vegan burger — named the McVegan — while in Australia, Hungry Jacks has a vegan cheeseburger made from corn, capsicum, carrot and vegan cheese.

Amanda Benham, an accredited practising dietitian who has also been a vegan for almost 40 years, says compared with a Whopper cheese burger, the vegan option has lower fat and calories.

"But the type of vegan cheese used is really high in saturated fat and it's quite lacking in nutrients, so that's a bit disappointing," she said.

"So yes, it's a healthier option than a Whopper but it's still quite high in fat and high in sodium, and ordering it without the cheese would be a healthier option."

However, Dr Beckett points out both the vegan and meat versions of the Whoppers from the same outlet have the same number of kilojoules, and make up about a third of the recommended daily energy intake.

"If you have a fries and coke with that, you've eaten more than half of your energy for the day in one meal ,whether it's the vegan burger or the regular burger," she said.

Other than burgers, fast-food chains are also diversifying their menus with salads and poke bowls to meet demand.

According to Dr Crowe, veganism is currently "one of the hottest dietary trends".

"And that's been growing in the last few years, and it's showing no sign of declining," he said.

"What we're seeing is companies responding to that demand by having options available — whether they call it vegan or plant-based — it's acknowledging there's more consumer demand [with] more people following a vegan diet for various reasons."

And while McDonald's and Burger King are still popular, Dr Dickinson says fast food chains want to keep up with what millennial consumers want.



"[If] they're not diversifying their product lines and offering something for these consumer preferences and tastes, then they [risk] being left behind," she added.