Beyond Meat Burger and Impossible Burger 2.0

[aja8888]

^^^ Nah!

Nobody has figured out how to make a steak out of plant-based protein.

Oh yeah!

https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-steak/

Oh my gosh, can you actually believe the look of this vegan steak? It looks like a steak doesn’t it!

The last 10 days or so we’ve been in full vegan steak testing mode and I’ve been sending off photos to my sisters as I make this (practically my whole family is vegetarian!) so that they can ooh and aaah in shock at how realistic it looks.

But here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter how realistic it looks, it’s NOT meat, it’s entirely vegan so there’s really no issue there.

 

[NW-Bound]

^^^ You left out the following quote:

... Truth be told though, while this vegan steak is totally delicious, it wouldn’t fool any meat eater. I haven’t eaten meat since 1999 and yet I know full well that this doesn’t taste like meat....

 

[Midpack]

Don't they all contain soy? I try to stay away from soy. I figure if I’m going to eat less meat, I’ll just eat vegetables as is. It seems like a highly processed plant is no better for you than meat would be.

Beyond Meat doesn’t include soy, and I doubt Impossible does either - you can look online.

 

[TempusFugit]

We had out first Beyond burger recently. I grilled them. They were ok but if that is what meat tastes like I thought they were pretty boring compared to a black bean burger or a Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie burger. Those have a lot more flavor and different textures compared to the Beyond Patty. Fairy high in saturated fat but a whopping 20g of protein, double a typical veggie burger patty. We have only had Impossible burger at Epcot fall and Spring events and I liked their product a lot better. Still have not made it to Red Robin but we will.

 

[Midpack]

Here's an unscientific review of 8 veggie burgers available in stores. They make a good point IMO that what a meat lover might like most might be very different than what a vegetarian would choose (speaks to what TempusFugit notes?).

https://youtu.be/JVy5yTBAO1E

And since the Impossible Burger 2.0 is now in over a 1000 restaurants, they compared it to the Beyond Meat burger.

https://youtu.be/MWM4CA8coN4

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Last time I ordered an Impossible Burger at the only restaurant near me that carries it I found they had switched to Beyond Meat. The server told me that there’s a shortage due to Burger King. I liked the impossible better, but the beyond was OK.

 

[Mmm Rrr]

Beyond Meat doesn’t include soy, and I doubt Impossible does either - you can look online.

Impossible Burger does contain soy. Now that my local Burger Kings and Qdobas are serving their products I am going to make a point of trying it. I have played around with homemade veggie burgers pretty successfully and still eat hamburgers occasionally, but I really like the idea of being able to "have" beef without the environmental impact.

BTW here are the Impossible Burger ingredients (from their website): Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Potato Protein, Methylcellulose, Yeast Extract, Cultured Dextrose, Food Starch Modified, Soy Leghemoglobin, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Zinc Gluconate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

 

[MooreBonds]

Impossible Burger does contain soy. Now that my local Burger Kings and Qdobas are serving their products I am going to make a point of trying it. I have played around with homemade veggie burgers pretty successfully and still eat hamburgers occasionally, but I really like the idea of being able to "have" beef without the environmental impact.

I'm in St. Louis (where they officially rolled out the Impossible Whopper first). I had one, just to try it for the potential "health" benefits. The texture was very much like a beef burger - but it was a tiny bit on the dry side (probably sitting around like most beef burgers do). I was also disappointed to see that it only had 30 fewer calories than the cow-based Whopper. Since it costs $1 more, it is likely there'll be a longer interval until my next one.

 

[njhowie]

I'm in St. Louis (where they officially rolled out the Impossible Whopper first). I had one, just to try it for the potential "health" benefits. The texture was very much like a beef burger - but it was a tiny bit on the dry side (probably sitting around like most beef burgers do). I was also disappointed to see that it only had 30 fewer calories than the cow-based Whopper. Since it costs $1 more, it is likely there'll be a longer interval until my next one.

Use the BK app - currently has an offer for $7 Impossible Whopper Taste Test Bundle which includes one of each, which is a great deal. At my local BK Whopper is $5.49 and Impossible Whopper is $6.49 - so you save a nice amount.

 

[Dtail]

Impossible Burger does contain soy. Now that my local Burger Kings and Qdobas are serving their products I am going to make a point of trying it. I have played around with homemade veggie burgers pretty successfully and still eat hamburgers occasionally, but I really like the idea of being able to "have" beef without the environmental impact.

BTW here are the Impossible Burger ingredients (from their website): Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Potato Protein, Methylcellulose, Yeast Extract, Cultured Dextrose, Food Starch Modified, Soy Leghemoglobin, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Zinc Gluconate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

So bottom line, is it healthy?

 

[Midpack]

So bottom line, is it healthy?

That's an individual call. Impossible & Beyond Meat burgers are more environmentally friendly and a little better nutritionally than beef (grass fed or mass production) - but there's no doubt Impossible & Beyond Meat are highly processed foods, which is a litmus test and disqualifier for some consumers.

No traditional ground beef, Impossible or Beyond Meat would be considered "healthy" in the broad spectrum of foods.

 

[COcheesehead]

So bottom line, is it healthy?

High in fat (a lot of it saturated) and sodium. Google the nutritional facts. Like lots of other processed foods. I’ll probably try one, but not because it’s healthy.

 

[Midpack]

High in fat (a lot of it saturated) and sodium. Google the nutritional facts. Like lots of other processed foods. I’ll probably try one, but not because it’s healthy.

^ That could be misread.

A 4-ounce Beyond Meat burger patty has 270 calories, the same as a similar portion of beef burger (20% fat). The fat content of both patties is 20 grams. However, the vegan patty has just 5 grams of saturated fat vs 8.5 grams in the beef patty. The vegan burger comes with 3 grams of fiber compared to 0 for the beef.

https://www.fooducate.com/community...Showdown/5CD465C6-C078-5245-4E13-AAC3002CF83A

We never ate a lot of red meat to begin with, especially at home. But we’ve converted to Beyond Meat vs ground beef based on a lesser environmental impact and animal cruelty, healthier isn’t a primary reason for us. Not preaching, just giving a POV - healthier isn’t the only consideration.

 

[Beststash]

So bottom line, is it healthy?

I figure probably not much difference than a burger but maybe a plant-based product might be a good alternative to red meat on occasion. I do think it is healthier for the planet and could possibly just the beginning of a trend of more sustainable food production?

 

[Jerry1]

BTW here are the Impossible Burger ingredients (from their website): Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Potato Protein, Methylcellulose, Yeast Extract, Cultured Dextrose, Food Starch Modified, Soy Leghemoglobin, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Zinc Gluconate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

Wow. And people want to eat that? As has been mentioned, certainly a highly processed food. I don’t eat great, but I do pretty well at staying away from an ingredient list like the one above. I was out at Soy, but three types? Then the what the heck is that - Methycellulose, soy Leghemoglobin . . . No thanks.

Reminds me of diet soda. I’ll take a real soda in moderation. With a real burger.

 

[COcheesehead]

That could be misread.

https://www.fooducate.com/community...Showdown/5CD465C6-C078-5245-4E13-AAC3002CF83A

I just googled the nutritional facts and got this graphic. I wasn’t trying to compare it to beef, just judge it as “food.”

 

[joeea]

I’ll take a real soda in moderation.

Pepsi is made with carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid, and natural flavors. A can of Pepsi (12 fl ounces) has 41 grams of carbohydrates (all from sugars), 30 mg of sodium, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of protein, 38 mg of caffeine, and 150 calories.

And people want to drink that?

 

[Midpack]

Wow. And people want to eat that? As has been mentioned, certainly a highly processed food. I don’t eat great, but I do pretty well at staying away from an ingredient list like the one above. I was out at Soy, but three types? Then the what the heck is that - Methycellulose, soy Leghemoglobin . . . No thanks.

Reminds me of diet soda. I’ll take a real soda in moderation. With a real burger.

Again, WRT soy, Beyond Meat is NOT the same as Impossible. Highly processed yes, soy no. Marginally healthier than beef based strictly on conventional nutritional metrics, yes. FWIW

 

[FREE866]

Couple things.....burgers are not "health food" so I find it funny that some people are against plant based burgers for fear they are "processed". Please realize the amount of fillers and preservatives that go into a cow burger. Add in the environmental impact , health consequences and what is considered "normal" amount of cruelty involved with the animals as well.


We are on the cusp of a dramatic shift and given that protein is amino acids, lipids, trace minerals , and water (and all that is available through plants) I think that we will look back at 2019 as the year it started to become more normalized. I find it all quite fascinating.

 

[Sojourner]

Couple things.....burgers are not "health food" so I find it funny that some people are against plant based burgers for fear they are "processed". Please realize the amount of fillers and preservatives that go into a cow burger. Add in the environmental impact , health consequences and what is considered "normal" amount of cruelty involved with the animals as well.

We are on the cusp of a dramatic shift and given that protein is amino acids, lipids, trace minerals , and water (and all that is available through plants) I think that we will look back at 2019 as the year it started to become more normalized. I find it all quite fascinating.

+1000

I wonder what the typical anti-veggie-burger consumer would say if they really knew what went into producing their "real food" meat burger. The list of artificial fillers and additives is pretty long, not to mention all the antibiotics used to keep the factory farmed animals from dying due to unsanitary, overcrowded living conditions. Unless you buy all your meat from small butcher shops who stock only locally raised, non-factory farmed animals, then you're virtually guaranteed to be eating meat loaded with fillers, preservatives, colorings, and antibiotics. Oh, and expect to pay double or triple (or more) for those natural, grass-fed, unprocessed meats.

 

[karen1972]

We have been spoiled, eating ground bison for years at $5/pound from a local farmer where I pass the Bison every day in their fields eating grass. No fancy labels, they don't claim to be organic, grass fed, etc, but I see happy Bison playing every time I pass by, and that is good enough for me. On top of that we know the place they use to butcher it which is also our favorite butcher. Plus hard to beat its low saturated fat and the taste.

We don't eat soy but do eat pea protein and we do eat some veggie burgers (but we are very careful with labels). Given Im allergic to some "natural" flavors, I have to stick to things that are just straight ingredients.

 

[audreyh1]

Oh, and expect to pay double or triple (or more) for those natural, grass-fed, unprocessed meats.

That is not a problem. I’m glad to even have the option of buying “old fashioned” raised meat. I was never willing to eat food just because it was cheap.

Red meat is very nutritious and nutrient dense. I don’t get adding a bunch vitamins to a meat substitute and calling it more nutritious.

We don’t eat burgers out (or really at home), so I don’t even pay attention to the meat burgers are highly processed too argument. Although I don’t care for how fast food meat or poultry is raised and one reason I avoid fast food places, besides the stronger reason of not caring for what tastes like low quality food.

 

[unclemick]

Wife usually (not always) opts for the veggie burger option or chicken.

I am guilty of a cheeseburger once in a while BUT leaning toward my 'born again side' try to eat 'free range' Bison burgers at home or where available.

Big fan of 'poop and stomp' - aka the Savory Institute.

heh heh heh - also called rotational grazing.

 

[SilentWalker]

+1000

I wonder what the typical anti-veggie-burger consumer would say if they really knew what went into producing their "real food" meat burger. The list of artificial fillers and additives is pretty long, not to mention all the antibiotics used to keep the factory farmed animals from dying due to unsanitary, overcrowded living conditions. Unless you buy all your meat from small butcher shops who stock only locally raised, non-factory farmed animals, then you're virtually guaranteed to be eating meat loaded with fillers, preservatives, colorings, and antibiotics. Oh, and expect to pay double or triple (or more) for those natural, grass-fed, unprocessed meats.

That's just not true. You can check any fast food burger ingredients in the company web sites. Just checked McDonald's and BK they both state that their beef patties are 100% beef, no additives.

 

[FREE866]

There is also the whole slaughterhouse process that people choose to leave out. I met someone who worked at one and as he described it " picture hell on earth with animals quivering in fear on the line and screaming ". He quit after a week .