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Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat
ReenieHJ
Posts: 9,724 Member
I watched a talk show with Marco Borges, saying plant-based is the healthy way to go. BUT avoid fake meat because it's all highly processed.
Opinions? Just curious.
Opinions? Just curious.
3
Replies
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I don't like the way it tastes, so that's a no for me.12
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Sigh.
You do you. Like the taste, eat it. Don't like the taste, don't.
Processed, unprocessed. Its all food. Calories in, calories out.
What's the fear about processing?53 -
I tend to just read the ingredients on anything myself. If there's a bunch of unpronounceable things, I skip it. But veggie "burgers" in general have a rather short and clear ingredientlist in my experience.13
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NOTHING replaces the real thing! Meat eater for life here.32
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I watched a talk show with Marco Borges, saying plant-based is the healthy way to go. BUT avoid fake meat because it's all highly processed.
Opinions? Just curious.
It actually differs a lot between products, I'd read labels. If it does have ingredients you prefer avoiding or a nutrient mix that you don't care for, but you like it, I'd treat it as a treat, not a regular dietary staple, as with anything else in that category. But I wouldn't assume that everything someone might put in a fake meat category (tofu? a black bean patty) is the same; read the actual ingredients.
I don't eat much that I would consider "fake meat" since I don't like what I've had so far, but I don't find trying to define foods based on these broad categories all that helpful, I look at them specifically.14 -
I tend to just read the ingredients on anything myself. If there's a bunch of unpronounceable things, I skip it. But veggie "burgers" in general have a rather short and clear ingredientlist in my experience.
I don't like the "unpronounceable things" test since how easy it is to pronounce (or my skills at that) have nothing to do with anything. Many seem not to know how to properly pronounce quinoa, after all. And many of the "what is this" additives in food are just vitamin supplementation. I am a huge fan of reading labels and understanding what's in the food, but if I don't know what something is yet I look it up and make sure my information is from a reputable site. (I don't consume a lot of foods with harder to recognize ingredients since I mostly eat (or cook from) whole foods anyway, so this is not burdensome.)33 -
I don't like the flavor/texture combo. I would rather eat vegetables when I want vegetables and meat when I want meat. I eat mainly but not exclusively plant based. I do this for a few reasons 1. Calories 2. Cost. 3. I love my garden and like eating from it. 4. Flavor variations
I think these priorities are personal however and you should balance them for your own food consumption.5 -
I buy Beyond Burger a lot and really enjoy it. If I go to a restaurant, I'd rather a beef burger, but when I cook at home, I find it a lot easier to work with. I was never very good at cooking beef burgers so my Beyond Burgers end up coming out better.
I also find the "it's heavily processed" attack to be amusing because:
1. Of course it's processed. It's plant based products made to mimic the taste, appearance, and nutritional profile of ground beef. Of course it's gonna be processed. It doesn't grow on the beef fruit tree plant.
2. If people want to scare about "processed" or "funny sounding ingredients", they should look at what gets fed to commercially produced beef. Cows don't magically appear in the slaughterhouse. They are raised and fed antibiotics and all sorts of other things ingredients (I've heard people try to scare about soy being in meat replacements not realizing that it is one of the primary ingredients fed to cows). I am not much one for ingredient scaring, but if you are, it's easy to do with beef too.
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The "processed" label doesn't scare me. I eat healthily, as in I eat plenty of nutrient dense foods. I would rather look at my diet as a whole and not dissect ingredients. Being hyper focused on single ingredients is not exactly healthy and doesn't really serve a good purpose.
I wish I had access to fake meats. It would actually be healthier in my case to have those because I often have a hard time with protein. Having high protein fake meats that I like the taste of would make my macronutrient balance better and my diet would feel less forced.11 -
my sister is a vegan and when we travel we tend to seek out vegan/vegetarian restaurants - i've found that the burgers i've had there are on par with many of the traditional meat ones i've had. like @amusedmonkey i'm not scared of the processed label14
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I tend to just read the ingredients on anything myself. If there's a bunch of unpronounceable things, I skip it. But veggie "burgers" in general have a rather short and clear ingredientlist in my experience.
One of my huuuuuuuge pet peeves.
Just because you can't pronounce an ingredient doesn't mean it's bad for you.
OP, I don't think I've ever had a plant based meat but I'd try it if the calories and protein were to my standards.
And I eat boca burgers for a little something different so....
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just_Tomek wrote: »I watched a talk show with Marco Borges, saying plant-based is the healthy way to go. BUT avoid fake meat because it's all highly processed.
Opinions? Just curious.
Is it to be avoided... nope. Unless you want to save money, then yeap.
Is it highly processed... yeap. Just look at the ingredients.
I would never buy it, high in calories, low in protein, low in nutrients and way way overpriced.... comparing to meat.
LOL well that answers that!
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just_Tomek wrote: »I watched a talk show with Marco Borges, saying plant-based is the healthy way to go. BUT avoid fake meat because it's all highly processed.
Opinions? Just curious.
Is it to be avoided... nope. Unless you want to save money, then yeap.
Is it highly processed... yeap. Just look at the ingredients.
I would never buy it, high in calories, low in protein, low in nutrients and way way overpriced.... comparing to meat.
This part is not actually true. Plant based replacements are a wide variety of items, with a wide variety of nutritional profiles. But the most buzzed about ones, Beyond Beef and Impossible Burger, are designed to be nutritionally similar to 80/20 ground beef. Beyond is 20g fat, 20g protein compared to 23g fat/19 protein for beef. There are a few vitamins that are not in Beyond that are in beef, but beyond also contains fiber. Both contain iron (Beyond of course is non-heme, but has double the iron content).
There are plenty of lower fat alternatives. Beyond makes a crumbles replacement for taco meat that is 6g of fat and 25g or protein per 4 Oz. Like lean ground beef, it is drier than it's fattier counterparts.
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just_Tomek wrote: »I watched a talk show with Marco Borges, saying plant-based is the healthy way to go. BUT avoid fake meat because it's all highly processed.
Opinions? Just curious.
Is it to be avoided... nope. Unless you want to save money, then yeap.
Is it highly processed... yeap. Just look at the ingredients.
I would never buy it, high in calories, low in protein, low in nutrients and way way overpriced.... comparing to meat.
LOL well that answers that!
It really depends. I never eat it since I'm not really interested in meat substitutes, but here's one taste test:
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/plant-based-burger-taste-test
For cal and protein comparison (note: the reason my numbers are different from Mike's, who posted when I was writing this, is that I converted the plant burgers from 4 oz to 100 g):
Impossible 2.0 (100 g) has 212 cal and 17 g of protein.
Beyond Burger (100 g) has 221 cal and 18 g of protein.
Lifeline Burger (100 g) has 239 cal and 18 g of protein.
MorningStar Vegan Burger (100 g) has 248 cal and 24 g of protein.
By comparison, 80% lean beef burger is 254 cal and 17 g of protein, although of course one can get a 90% lean for 176 cal and 20 g of protein or 95% lean for 137 cal and 21 g of protein. So it depends on how you think it tastes, how much you care about the fat quantity (either for taste -- some don't like lean ground beef, although I do -- or otherwise), and what type of burger one is comparing it with.
I have no clue about the cost vs. different kinds of ground beef, since I haven't purchased any of them.8 -
As the plant-based meats run about 7x higher in Sodium content over ground beef...pretty much a will-not-touch-unless starving choice for me, and those on Sodium restricted diets should really give a long hard look.16
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Sigh.
You do you. Like the taste, eat it. Don't like the taste, don't.
Processed, unprocessed. Its all food. Calories in, calories out.
What's the fear about processing?
Sigh.
Of course I do me.
I just saw something on tv and wanted a variety of opinions is all; figured this was the place to come if I wanted some intelligent conversation about a topic. I Don't know anything about Beyond Burgers and simply asked. I like veggie burgers, I eat meat and meatless so I'm not biased either way. The show didn't go into detail about what goes into the processing of it, what chemicals, etc. but I know other processed foods contain high numbers of artificial flavors and coloring, sodium, sugar, etc., all of which are being proven to be unhealthy in large quantities. And some processed foods have all the goodness taken out only to get sprayed with vitamins during the process. Processed foods aren't all that great; do I eat them? He!! yeh I do. Just sayin'.
And I disagree that it's all just food. Tell me canned fruit cocktail is just as good for you as real fruit. It'd do in a pinch but other than that.....
Obviously, coffee is making me grumpy.
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Processed foods aren't all that great
Given that most foods are processed in some way, it really depends on what is meant by that.
A frozen black bean burger (which is what some might mean by "meat substitute") could be basically just beans, but if frozen and especially if any binder or preservative and of course any seasoning be considered processed or even highly processed.
So focusing on whether something qualifies as "processed" doesn't tell you much. The specific ingredients in a specific product may or may not be an issue for you.
You can buy powdered peanuts that are just peanuts. That would be considered ultraprocessed. I prefer whole peanuts (or peanut butter with nothing added but salt), but I would not consider the powdered peanuts bad for me (because processed!) and they are sometimes something I think add to my diet (and the tastiness of it).
Olive oil is obviously processed (so are any olives we eat), and yet I don't think it's unhealthy. Might I want to limit fat that comes without fiber or much else? Sure, but not because the processing made it bad, and in this case it has none of the ingredients that are supposedly added to processed food when people scaremonger.
All yogurts are processed, so on.11 -
Yes it is a processed food. Its actually an ultra processed food and for optimal health these should be kept at a minimum. That being said a burger of any sort has never been considered a healthy food option. The plant based burgers have just as many fat grams and calories as their animal based cousins. They are an ethical option if anything.11
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Doesn't Beyond Burger cost 2X+ what decent ground beef costs?5
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »Doesn't Beyond Burger cost 2X+ what decent ground beef costs?
I just checked, and yes -- at WF you can get ground beef for $3.99/lb, and the Beyond Meat is $7.99/lb.
But apparently there's also a market for $8.99/lb ground beef (grass-fed and organic) or $14.99 (Niman Ranch).
Regarding whether being processed = ingredients you would not want, one of the options is the Engine2 Kale and White Beef Plant Burger (sold as a burger sub, in patties, not cheap).
It's ingredients are: navy beans, brown rice, tomatoes, plus small amounts of salt, garlic, citric acid, onion, natural flavors, oats, kale, bell pepper, flaxseed, basil, black pepper.
Clearly highly processed, but cals are 120 per patty, sodium 20 mg (less than a beef patty), no added sugar, no sat fat, 1 g of fat, 6 g of fiber. Main problem with this one is only 5 g of protein, so not really a good meat sub IMO, but I am not convinced that the processing makes it unhealthful.
Stuff like BeyondBurger is supposed to taste more like a burger for someone who wants an occasional burger but doesn't want to eat beef (or wants to cut back on it).3 -
Think of processed meat replacements like any other processed thing and/or fast food. If you enjoy it, have it as an occasional treat. Good for the earth but not great for your body. If you are doing it for your health.... limit (or cut out) processed.4
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I don't have a problem with meat replacements like this. I haven't had any of them, the one that I always hear about is the impossible burger. However I guess I thought the point of it was so reduce meat consumption for environmental reasons? if the meat replacement is more expensive than real meat, people are obviously going to continue to buy the actual meat regardless of taste, so.... not very effective. The whole "processed" term doesn't bother me, damn near everything we eat is processed in some way, and who cares?3
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Think of processed meat replacements like any other processed thing and/or fast food. If you enjoy it, have it as an occasional treat. Good for the earth but not great for your body. If you are doing it for your health.... limit (or cut out) processed.
Again, the white bean patties I mentioned in the post immediately above yours are highly processed. Why is something like that bad for one's body (assuming one has sufficient protein in the overall diet that day)?3 -
I've eaten the beyond meat burgers before, bought one once at a fast food outlet as a lettuce wrap burger, had a Beyond Meatball salad at Subway, bought the burger patties twice from Safeway (but only when they were on clearance 1/2 price.) I have access to yummy grass fed, ethically raised, no drug beef as I live in a rural community just outside a small town, so I'd rather eat that and support local farmers. Also considering the 100 mile diet....
They taste okay but only when hidden under fixin's or sauces.2 -
Sigh.
You do you. Like the taste, eat it. Don't like the taste, don't.
Processed, unprocessed. Its all food. Calories in, calories out.
What's the fear about processing?
And I disagree that it's all just food. Tell me canned fruit cocktail is just as good for you as real fruit. It'd do in a pinch but other than that.....
Why does canned fruit cocktail have to be just as good for you as "real" fruit to be considered just another food? If I've already eaten plenty of produce today, or of it's the middle of winter in a part of the world where fresh fruit simply isn't available right now, why is the fruit in canned fruit cocktail not really fruit?
Marco Borges is a trainer who has a vegan nutrition program to sell. It's in his best interest to make eating healthy sound complicated so you feel like you need his help. He has no nutrition or food science credentials that I can find.
If you are eating a wide variety of foods, I can't imagine any reason why eating a Beyond Burger instead of a beef burger every once and awhile because you are concerned about environmental impact or just like them better would adversely affect your health. Same with canned fruit cocktail or a Hostess cupcake. Would I suggest you eat an all Beyond Burger and canned fruit cocktail diet? Nope. Can you make a couple of Beyond Beef burgers a month part of a nutritious and healthy diet? Sure, why not? Do you have to eliminate animal products to eat a "healthy" diet? No, I have not seen any peer-reviewed independent research that proves that.
I eat Morningstar burgers every once and awhile just as something different, as I am not great at cooking meat and like to get some variety in my protein sources.15 -
I just saw a show on you tube about how stores deal with meat that is near or has expired . ...pretty disgusting. That really got me thinking..... the show is called Marketplace, based in Canada. Supposedly, Health Canada, says its a no, no, but stores are not gonna waste all that meat. Apparently the same for the baked goods items.
I have had the Beyond Burger at A&W here and I love it. As an above poster said, it probably has a ton of salt in it. But I only eat a burger once or twice a year.2 -
A store near me bleaches their expired shelf life chicken and repackages it.3
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I don't understand the purpose of avoiding a food simply because it has been processed. I would look at how it fit into the overall context of my calorie goal and nutritional needs. By that metric, the Beyond Burger works really well when I want a burger.8
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YellowD0gs wrote: »As the plant-based meats run about 7x higher in Sodium content over ground beef...pretty much a will-not-touch-unless starving choice for me, and those on Sodium restricted diets should really give a long hard look.
The majority of plant-based meats are designed to be eaten with little additional seasoning, so comparing them to ground beef in sodium content doesn't really make sense, as most people are adding seasoning to ground beef.
It would be more accurate to compare these products to the average hamburger patty, which in many cases has sodium added to it, at least in restaurants.
We'd never say that oranges have less sugar than strawberries because orange marmalade has sugar added to it. For people who are interested, there are low sodium options for faux meat -- homemade seitan, for example, is incredibly flexible when it comes to sodium content and if the market for faux meat continues to grow, I have no doubt we'll see commercially available options at some point.5 -
janejellyroll wrote: »YellowD0gs wrote: »As the plant-based meats run about 7x higher in Sodium content over ground beef...pretty much a will-not-touch-unless starving choice for me, and those on Sodium restricted diets should really give a long hard look.
The majority of plant-based meats are designed to be eaten with little additional seasoning, so comparing them to ground beef in sodium content doesn't really make sense, as most people are adding seasoning to ground beef.
This is a good point. If memory serves (since I don't feel like looking up the Beyond Burger nutrition again), it wasn't that high, something like 360 mg of sodium. A beef patty of the same size has more like 70 mg, but I would normally add a bit of salt when cooking it. Salt has about 480 mg of sodium in a pinch (see https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/salt-in-foods), so just that would even it out (and many would add more than a pinch).
Get it at a fast food restaurant, and both the beef and plant-based options will have more sodium, of course.1
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