Plant based fake meats

[Chuckanut]

The Beyond Meat folks are redesigning their fake meat burgers due to declining sales.

https://apnews.com/article/beyond-meat-plant-based-burger-6e5e9cdf3e4a1d6d84dc532a179adf3c

Beyond Meat is also under pressure to reverse declining U.S. sales. In the first nine months of 2023, the company’s U.S. revenue dropped 34% on weak consumer demand. The company said in November it was cutting 19% of its workforce and considering cutting some products, like jerky, and reducing its operations in China.

I find it interesting that they are adding what appears to be more traditional ingredients to their burgers. (My favorite veggie burger is a mix of black beans, mushrooms, spices, etc. that I mix up at home. YUMMY. )

Beyond Meat – which has always used pea protein to make its burgers -- added lentils, rice and faba beans to the new burger to improve chewiness and boost protein. The burgers now have 21 grams of protein, compared to 19 grams of protein in both the 80/20 beef patty and the Impossible Burger.

 

[Spock]

Given that processed foods are unhealthy, its "beyond me"(at) why anybody would want fake meat. Especially the new lab grown 3D printed "stuff".
Given a choice I think I would prefer natural crickets before I'd willingly consume some of these lab monstrosities.

 

[disneysteve]

This may or may not be problematic. Our daughter enjoys Beyond and Impossible burgers (we do too even though we’re not vegetarian). I hope these changes don’t significantly alter the taste or texture. If they do we’re going to have to start again trying different brands to find one she likes, and eating out will get far more challenging since most restaurants serve one of those two brands.

 

[razztazz]

The Beyond Meat folks are redesigning their fake meat burgers due to declining sales.

https://apnews.com/article/beyond-meat-plant-based-burger-6e5e9cdf3e4a1d6d84dc532a179adf3c

I find it interesting that they are adding what appears to be more traditional ingredients to their burgers. (My favorite veggie burger is a mix of black beans, mushrooms, spices, etc. that I mix up at home. YUMMY. )

The problem with adding lentils (not some protein extract) and rice is it raises the carb content. One of their selling points was protein like a real burger but not loaded with carbs that substitute.

While I actually like their product (the Italian sausages are almost better than real!) I came across a video with I think it was two doctors reviewing them. One flag was too many ingredients WAY too many. And 2 of them are not FDA approved. Not sure what even means. If they're not FDA approved how do they even get their hands on them? I have stopped eating them due to the "too many ingredients" principle. Also, they still have a huge amount of saturated fat. If I only eat meat occasionally anyway why not eat the real thing? The fat difference wont even be measurable.

More, importantly....if it's not a family secret, could you shoot me your recipe for home-made pseudo-burgers?

 

[Sunset]

We occasionally eat a vegetarian burger, but we like the bean burgers, they don't try to look real and are different. That's why we eat them.

We also eat Tofu, and want it to look like Tofu.

When we want to eat something that is like the real thing, we just eat the real thing, and that includes hamburger.

 

[Jerry1]

I never liked artificial sweeteners. If you want something, enjoy the real thing. This is the same with Beyond Meat. If you want a veggie burger, go for it. Don't try to make it similar to meat. The too many ingredients argument is therefore, the main reason I've never tried them. Taste wise, they may indeed be a good substitute for meat. However, health wise, they are at the very least, not any better - so why?

 

[GaryInCO]

I eat a lot of meat and I don't feel good about the animal-cruelty issues, so I've been interested in these non-animal sources.

I agree the fake meat isn't ideal, though Beyond Meat is better than I suspected. Pea protein is actually pretty healthy, and most of the other ingredients are fine too. The canola oil is the main thing I'd be concerned about, and even it's not TOO bad.

It will be interesting when they can literally "grow" animal protein -- very similar to how it would grow in the animal, without any of the cruelty/etc concerns. I don't know what test-tube meat like that will have in it, but hopefully it's not too Frankenfood-ish.

 

[disneysteve]

Given a choice I think I would prefer natural crickets

If I only eat meat occasionally anyway why not eat the real thing?

When we want to eat something that is like the real thing, we just eat the real thing, and that includes hamburger.

If you want something, enjoy the real thing.

That's all great - unless you are a vegetarian, which is who these products are designed for. Eating the real thing isn't an option if for whatever reason you don't eat animal products.


Before Beyond and Impossible got really popular, getting a "veggie burger" in a restaurant was a crap shoot. You had no idea what you were going to be served. It could be a patty of mashed up vegetables. It could be a black bean burger that was 10/10 on the spice level. It could be something made to look like beef. It could be a mushroom patty. Every place was different. It made dining out really challenging for vegetarians, especially those who are picky eaters. Beyond and Impossible have really standardized the menu option which has been a huge help. As I said, I hope these changes aren't major as far as taste and texture go. There are only a handful of restaurants we eat at as a family and the presence of Beyond/Impossible burgers on the menu is a driving factor in the ones that are on that short list.

 

[W2R]

I have occasionally tried fake meat, but it's been decades. The whole idea of it seems kind of.... well, kind of stupid to me. Why not just enjoy real meat, and less of it if that is a more sensible choice.

I do use a sugar substitute (being diabetic) but I'm not sure if that choice makes much sense either. Chemicals can't be good for me, right? But then neither is sugar, so right now I'm avoiding it. I try to appreciate foods that are not sweet, whenever possible, to cut down on the chemicals.

 

[folivier]

No thanks. I prefer my beans over rice. With sausage, real sausage.
I enjoy veggies but won't ever give up meat.

 

[braumeister]

That's all great - unless you are a vegetarian, which is who these products are designed for. Eating the real thing isn't an option if for whatever reason you don't eat animal products.

So the obvious question, in my mind anyway, is why do they make them look and taste like meat?

 

[bjorn2bwild]

We occasionally eat a vegetarian burger, but we like the bean burgers, they don't try to look real and are different. That's why we eat them.


We also eat Tofu, and want it to look like Tofu.

When we want to eat something that is like the real thing, we just eat the real thing, and that includes hamburger.

I’m on board with this logic.
We have not tried any of the Beyond Meat products yet, sticking with the less costly veggie burgers when we are in travel mode.
One of the Hampton Inn stops on the trip south does not have an in-room microwave, so we bring the toaster up, to cook the burger and bun.
Extra firm tofu, lightly cooked in butter, soy sauce and ground pepper makes a fine sandwich with all the usual ‘fixings’.

 

[razztazz]

If I only eat meat occasionally anyway why not eat the real thing?

That's all great - unless you are a vegetarian, which is who these products are designed for. Eating the real thing isn't an option if for whatever reason you don't eat animal products.

For the record: My statement was just about me. I was not preaching that others should do this or that. Yes, People have many reasons for eating these things. They're all fine. Altho I always ask "Why would a vegetarian/vegan even want a hamburger or sausage? Are vegetables not good enough? When I was a vegetarian I simply eschewed the entire animal kingdom. That's why I was a vegetarian.

That said, I would not even try to compare Beyond Meat et al with a real specimen. Just enjoy it as a different product in its own right on the basis of "Is it good? Do I like it"?

 

[Sojourner]

Given that processed foods are unhealthy, its "beyond me"(at) why anybody would want fake meat. Especially the new lab grown 3D printed "stuff".
Given a choice I think I would prefer natural crickets before I'd willingly consume some of these lab monstrosities.

Some people (such as myself) are troubled by the incredibly inhumane treatment of animals raised for slaughter, so we prefer eating foods that are derived from plants. I eat veggie burgers (Impossible, Beyond Meat, and others) maybe once a month, on average, so I'm not too worried about them being uber-processed and "bad" for me. As for all processed foods being unhealthy, I think that is a broad generalization that isn't always true. Tofu, for example, is much healthier than swordfish or mashed potatoes.

 

[bloom2708]

The fake meats have fiber and are intended for meat eaters to help eat a bit less meat.

True whole food, plant based people don't eat the fake meats unless they are trapped eating out somewhere with no other options.

I've had an Impossible Whopper when faced with no other choices. They are decent, but not a health food. Eating at Burger King or McDonald's safely removes the health aspect.

I do applaud Beyond's attempt to reduce ingredients and use more healthy ingredients.

The vegan market is filled with foods that heavily rely on added oils. I never understood this reliance. Palm Oil, Avacado Oil, Canola Oil. Whatever the oil, it is calorie dense and offers no nutritional benefit. Most don't need "extra calories" of any sort.

I make black bean burgers. I make my own veggie burgers. They are way cheaper and include nothing but whole foods. Smashing something up, it is still a whole food.

50-60% of the population will never give up meat, fish and cow dairy. Even on their death beds. That is fine. Good on you. That is outside of anyone's scope of influence.

I appreciate the simplicity of eating whole plant foods. I can skip most all sections of the grocery store. Your taste buds adjust and things taste amazing that you never expected. Many different ways to go on this journey. Find your own path.

 

[audreyh1]

That's all great - unless you are a vegetarian, which is who these products are designed for. Eating the real thing isn't an option if for whatever reason you don't eat animal products.

So the obvious question, in my mind anyway, is why do they make them look and taste like meat?

Exactly, these products were designed to get more non-vegetarians to eat them.

 

[jollystomper]

With my beans and peas allergies, I have to avoid these. Even foods with added pea protein break me out in hives and makes my throat itch and swell.

 

[Mark1]

This thread reminded me of a Peter Attia podcast with Don Layman. In it Layman discusses the importance of ruminant animals in the production of essential amino acids (AA) for us humans and the lack of these essential AA in much of the vegan diet.

Later on, I realized he did not address the presence of essential AA in chicken, although they lack the stomach(s) of a ruminant animal(?).

I also thought it was interesting that the protein content on a food label is from a total nitrogen measurement, which works fine with a meat, but is likely bias high when the nitrogen originated from a plant source.

 

[braumeister]

That's all great - unless you are a vegetarian, which is who these products are designed for.

Exactly, these products were designed to get more non-vegetarians to eat them.

A bit of "have your cake and eat it too" here.

 

[Spock]

Beyond Meat is not targeted at the vegetarian market. It's goal is to convert meat eaters. Read their website... it's full of "By shifting from animal to plant-based meat, we can positively affect the planet, the environment, the climate.." and other green propaganda that pharting cows are killing the planet with sign ups for joining the movement. Since it's more activist than product it draws a reaction rather than being viewed as just another option for vegetarians.

 

[braumeister]

Its goal is to convert meat eaters.

I don't feel I have any business telling anyone what they should eat, and that goes for them as well.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I gag each time I read the ingredient list on a Beyond Meat package. I don't eat much beef but when I want a burger, like once every 6 months, I want it as minimally processed beef burger - minced beef, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. I prepare it myself.

 

[Chuckanut]

Given that processed foods are unhealthy, its "beyond me"(at) why anybody would want fake meat. Especially the new lab grown 3D printed "stuff".
Given a choice I think I would prefer natural crickets before I'd willingly consume some of these lab monstrosities.

I agree. Some of the best meals I have eaten are 100% vegetarian using plants that are not heavily processed into something most of us would not recognize. Here is a recipe for a tasty veggie burger: https://www.latimes.com/recipe/black-bean-and-mushroom-burgers

 

[braumeister]

I agree. Some of the best meals I have eaten are 100% vegetarian using plants that are not heavily processed into something most of us would not recognize.

The son of an old friend was at one time the chef at a vegetarian restaurant, and since I knew he was good, I went there once and sampled a few dishes. As expected, they were all delicious and memorable, but he never attempted to make anything a lookalike for a meat based dish. That made a lot of sense to me.

 

[Midpack]

Given that processed foods are unhealthy, its "beyond me"(at) why anybody would want fake meat. Especially the new lab grown 3D printed "stuff".
Given a choice I think I would prefer natural crickets before I'd willingly consume some of these lab monstrosities.

Aside from potential health benefits, some people struggle with animal cruelty and/or environmental issues related to livestock raised for human consumption. We all have our own valid reasons. If you don't, we won't question your choice.