When it comes to the burgers or steaks on your plate, looks and tastes can be deceiving as "meatless meat" and "plant-based meat" gain traction. Sales of meat alternative grew 30% in 2018 compared to the previous year, according to Nielsen Product Insider. While the alternative meat market could grow to be worth $140 billion globally in the next ten years, according to Barclays, it's still a small percentage of the current $1.4 trillion global meat market which is also showing no signs of slowing down. Still, the demand for alternatives has increased.

Fad or the future of food?

Companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat — which was publicly listed in May and saw its stock go up more than 600% at one point — are making plant-based protein products for the masses, and the outlook appears promising. Fast food chains, including Carl's Jr. and White Castle have introduced vegetarian burgers on their menus and Burger King began rolling out meatless Impossible Whoppers at all of its 7,200 locations in the U.S. In London, salad and sandwich chain Pret a Manger is testing vegetarian-only locations, while co-working company WeWork said it will no longer reimburse its 6,000 employees for meals that contain meat. Then there are movements such as "Meatless Monday," which encourages people to adopt vegetarian diets at the start of each week, and "Veganuary" — a movement which saw a record 250,000 people pledge to eat vegan for the month of January. Yet, some critics argue there is no conclusive evidence that alternatives have better nutritional value than real meat. "We can't really market it ... as necessarily better for you, because we don't know," former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman told CNBC's "Fast Money" recently. "Some people eat it. It certainly won't hurt you. It can be very tasty. But it doesn't mean it's better for you," he said.

Rising meat consumption