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The Impossible Whopper: Your thoughts on plant-based burgers?
MikePTY
Posts: 3,814 Member
in Debate Club
I'll start this post off by saying that I'm a big meat eater and have been pretty much since birth. That being said, I'm sympathetic to the argument about the environmental impact of meat, especially beef production, so the idea of plant based burgers that were supposedly as good as the real thing has always intrigued me.
Today (in what is not an April's Food joke), Burger King announced they are debuting the "Impossible Whopper", made with the plant based Impossible Burger patty at 59 location in St. Louis, as a test for a potential national wide roll-out. Most of the reviews say that the burgers are basically indistinguishable in taste and texture from the real thing. They currently cost about $1 more than a regular whopper, but that could go down as production increases and cost efficiency is built in.
If you are a meat eater, what are your thoughts about the idea of plant based burgers? Would you be willing to incorporate them into your diet if the taste and cost was the same as a beef burger? Would you be willing to pay a premium for it? Or is nothing taking you away from the real thing?
From a calorie perspective, the impossible version of the whopper has 9 grams of fat less and 50 calories less than a regular Whopper.
https://www.cnet.com/news/no-april-fools-joke-this-burger-king-whopper-is-meat-free-and-youd-never-know/
Today (in what is not an April's Food joke), Burger King announced they are debuting the "Impossible Whopper", made with the plant based Impossible Burger patty at 59 location in St. Louis, as a test for a potential national wide roll-out. Most of the reviews say that the burgers are basically indistinguishable in taste and texture from the real thing. They currently cost about $1 more than a regular whopper, but that could go down as production increases and cost efficiency is built in.
If you are a meat eater, what are your thoughts about the idea of plant based burgers? Would you be willing to incorporate them into your diet if the taste and cost was the same as a beef burger? Would you be willing to pay a premium for it? Or is nothing taking you away from the real thing?
From a calorie perspective, the impossible version of the whopper has 9 grams of fat less and 50 calories less than a regular Whopper.
https://www.cnet.com/news/no-april-fools-joke-this-burger-king-whopper-is-meat-free-and-youd-never-know/
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Replies
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Plant based burgers - depending on the brand - are great! I always purchase the Beyond Meat burgers. They have the taste & texture of the meat equivalent. I never had the Impossible patty but if they are like the Beyond Meat brand you are giving up nothing versus the meat burger. From a cost standpoint, it's roughly the same with quality meats.5
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I no longer eat a lot of meat/beef (have been moving towards a more pescetarian style woe), however I do enjoy a Whopper a couple times a year and I would continue getting it with the real beef. I've never tried fake meat options, just doesn't appeal to me at all.1
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I know you asked for the opinions of meat eaters, but I wanted to answer this question from a few different angles.
As a vegetarian, the option of being able to get something on the go appeals to me.
As a person with celiac disease? I'm still out in left field. Impossible Burgers have gluten in them and I can't eat them.
I'm aware that getting gluten free fast food, even vegetarian options, isn't really that hard in other countries. Many of the chains we have here in America have gluten free buns and dedicated grill space in their European counterparts. Thanks to EU food laws, their fries don't have flavoring additives that contain gluten (I'm looking at you, McDonald's) and they cook them in dedicated fryers.
There are already gluten free vegetarian patties available in some chains.
I don't know why it's easy for these chains to accommodate these issues overseas, and not here in the States.10 -
We have a burger shop up the road from my place where ALL their burgers are plant-based. I haven't tried it yet, but some friends have and said they are great.
I have had the odd veggie burger here and there and enjoyed it, but I think, especially now that I am more conscious of protein intake, that meat is just easier for me to get my protein in.
A veggie burger or meat-alternative burger I'm assuming would have less protein. I have no idea - just guessing!!!
I would't eat it from Burger King though. Every single time I've had Burger King I have vomited. And I did try more than once to make sure it wasn't just a coincidence and I was feeling sick from something else. No. It was the burger. McDonald's is fine tho. No vomiting there.2 -
Gross. If this really isn't an April Fool's joke, Burger King employees will be laughing at this a year and a half from now.26
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I haven't eaten at a BK for years, but the last time I did (maybe the reason it was the last time) what they called meat didn't taste like meat.
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My thought on highly processed industrial faux meat product:
That's not keto.25 -
I don't think they're introducing the impossible burger in the hope that people will order it instead of meat, it seems more directed at expanding their market share by appealing to vegetarian potential customers who might be enticed by tasty food they can eat.
As for myself, no I wouldn't switch, I prefer meat, and it's a moot point anyway because like GottaBurnEmAll I have celiac disease and can't eat there in any case.5 -
I think this is a brilliant move and could go a long way towards BK getting some of that market share back. I am a meat eater, but have significantly cut back my meat intake to a few times a week....also for environmental reasons. I am seriously considering just making the switch to vegetarian.
A vegetarian burger will never be the same as the real thing, but there are quite a few out there that I like just as much and given an option, will almost always go with the meat-free one.3 -
I like this idea because my husband eats pescetarian (though 90% vegetarian, I'd say) and he cooks our meals and uses quite a few plant-based "meats". I like most of them. I don't like tofurky or seitan very well but I love the various veggie burgers, sausage, meatballs, etc...4
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Well...the cows that the family raises on this farm eat a lot of grass...so do the deer that accidentally walk into our freezer during hunting season... Does the meat from them count as plant based.....? Can I call your creation 'veggie sandwich', please...? For me, 'burger' implies MEAT...lots of it!
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I'd try it.3
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I've tried the Impossible Burger at a non-fastfood place a while back. It was actually pretty good, and a pretty satisfying meal. I think they've reworked the recipe to make it gluten free as well.
I wonder about them going into the big fast food chains though. It has to be a challenge to scale up to produce enough for Burger King's system without cutting some corners, or it there's any difference in cooking the patties. But if they can make it work, sure I'd give it a shot.2 -
I honestly have no real desire to try the impossible burger. There are plenty of places to get it here, but I'll pass. I would try a bite if a friend got one and offered to let me try it, but otherwise I feel no need. If I want a vegetarian burger, I'll eat a veggie burger (preferably one that's hand with the idea that vegetables taste good, not one that is trying recreate meat). If I want a lower calorie burger that involves meat, I'll eat a turkey burger (which I probably like more than hamburgers).
In terms of it being heavily processed, it's probably not any more "processed" than a Burger King burger.1 -
I've tried the Impossible Burger at a non-fastfood place a while back. It was actually pretty good, and a pretty satisfying meal. I think they've reworked the recipe to make it gluten free as well.
I wonder about them going into the big fast food chains though. It has to be a challenge to scale up to produce enough for Burger King's system without cutting some corners, or it there's any difference in cooking the patties. But if they can make it work, sure I'd give it a shot.
There was a documentary some years back (don't recall the source, though...) about the creation of a new item for a large fast food chain. Every time a large chain adds ingredients or changes an item, there is an economic impact. That's why all is kept so secret. We only see an ounce of almonds on a salad, but multiply that by the number of locations worldwide, and the number of orders per day, that's millions in trade value for just a few almonds. If the market finds out, that McD is adding 3 slices of avocados, the prices will likely go up.
This is only one example, but if you're looking at creating something as specific as this Impossible Burger, that's quite a business risk that they are taking, from the creation, production process on site, presentation, packaging, marketing... I remember a few things, that went away, like McLean or Salad Shakers.... I guess, nobody goes to big chains for healthy food...
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I've tried every fake meat burger under the sun. Nothing can match the real thing. That being said, my mind is open, but at the same time, it's going to be heavily processed and probably not great for you, so that's something to consider.2
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Cahgetsfit wrote: »We have a burger shop up the road from my place where ALL their burgers are plant-based. I haven't tried it yet, but some friends have and said they are great.
I have had the odd veggie burger here and there and enjoyed it, but I think, especially now that I am more conscious of protein intake, that meat is just easier for me to get my protein in.
A veggie burger or meat-alternative burger I'm assuming would have less protein. I have no idea - just guessing!!!
I would't eat it from Burger King though. Every single time I've had Burger King I have vomited. And I did try more than once to make sure it wasn't just a coincidence and I was feeling sick from something else. No. It was the burger. McDonald's is fine tho. No vomiting there.
You would think but the new wave of plant based burgers actually has comparable or sometimes more protein then a beef patty. They also have more fat then you would expect. I've been eating the Field Burger which has a pretty good meaty taste although doesn't have the feel and texture of a beef burger. A 3.25 oz patty is 290 calories with 16g of fat and 25g of protein. Most of the new plant type burgers have 20g or more of protein per burger.5 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »I know you asked for the opinions of meat eaters, but I wanted to answer this question from a few different angles.
As a vegetarian, the option of being able to get something on the go appeals to me.
As a person with celiac disease? I'm still out in left field. Impossible Burgers have gluten in them and I can't eat them.
I'm aware that getting gluten free fast food, even vegetarian options, isn't really that hard in other countries. Many of the chains we have here in America have gluten free buns and dedicated grill space in their European counterparts. Thanks to EU food laws, their fries don't have flavoring additives that contain gluten (I'm looking at you, McDonald's) and they cook them in dedicated fryers.
There are already gluten free vegetarian patties available in some chains.
I don't know why it's easy for these chains to accommodate these issues overseas, and not here in the States.
They redid their formula back in January. The new impossible burger recipe is gluten free. Whether Burger King could prepare it that way is another thing, but the new version of the patty is.3 -
I don't think they're introducing the impossible burger in the hope that people will order it instead of meat, it seems more directed at expanding their market share by appealing to vegetarian potential customers who might be enticed by tasty food they can eat.
As for myself, no I wouldn't switch, I prefer meat, and it's a moot point anyway because like GottaBurnEmAll I have celiac disease and can't eat there in any case.
Speaking as a long-term vegetarian (nearly 45 years), something that tastes like beef is not, to me, "tasty food". I know other veggies will differ, but if I really deeply enjoyed meat, I'd still be eating it. (I see no moral failure in meat-eating. I was married to hunter for decades - now widowed, not divorced ).
If this burger has a good protein to calorie ratio, I'd consider eating it when traveling. (I often travel with a self-described "meatatarian", fast-food-centric, kinda overbearing friend - she drives, and runs the trip; I let her, because it's easier and calmer that way. She once got irritated with me because I used the phrase "crappy fast food".). But, for personal taste, I'd rather have honest food that tastes like itself, not fake anything. In the fast food realm, I prefer Taco Bell, Subway (salads), or Wendy's baked potatoes/salads.
Fake meat, to me, is yucky. I took a sample of "vegan chicken tenders" at Costco recently, because why not? It tasted like chicken. Yuck. (To me. You be you, I'll be me. :flowerforyou: ).
If BK is going for the "serious vegetarian" market here, for my taste they're missing the boat. JMO, though.7 -
I would be tempted but the impossible burger has 6 times the amount of sodium that regular beef does. Eating fast food is already a big sodium hit for someone with salt sensitivity so it's a no for me. Too bad because i'd totally try it otherwise.2
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JohnnytotheB wrote: »Plant based burgers - depending on the brand - are great! I always purchase the Beyond Meat burgers. They have the taste & texture of the meat equivalent. I never had the Impossible patty but if they are like the Beyond Meat brand you are giving up nothing versus the meat burger. From a cost standpoint, it's roughly the same with quality meats.
I made Beyond Meat veggie burgers once, I had to double check to make sure I didn't screw up and buy actual meat. They bleed in the pan as you cook them.
Their chicken strips manner fantastic tacos.5 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »I know you asked for the opinions of meat eaters, but I wanted to answer this question from a few different angles.
As a vegetarian, the option of being able to get something on the go appeals to me.
As a person with celiac disease? I'm still out in left field. Impossible Burgers have gluten in them and I can't eat them.
I'm aware that getting gluten free fast food, even vegetarian options, isn't really that hard in other countries. Many of the chains we have here in America have gluten free buns and dedicated grill space in their European counterparts. Thanks to EU food laws, their fries don't have flavoring additives that contain gluten (I'm looking at you, McDonald's) and they cook them in dedicated fryers.
There are already gluten free vegetarian patties available in some chains.
I don't know why it's easy for these chains to accommodate these issues overseas, and not here in the States.
They redid their formula back in January. The new impossible burger recipe is gluten free. Whether Burger King could prepare it that way is another thing, but the new version of the patty is.
That's awesome. I'll have to look for a restaurant that has it.1 -
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I have no problem eating veggie versions of meat, and like to experiment. Unfortunately most meat substitutes (Linda McCartney etc) are high in fat and calories so I may as well eat meaty stuff. Its nice to try new things though so if I ever pass a BK (there isn't one near me) I may give it a go.0
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »I know you asked for the opinions of meat eaters, but I wanted to answer this question from a few different angles.
As a vegetarian, the option of being able to get something on the go appeals to me.
As a person with celiac disease? I'm still out in left field. Impossible Burgers have gluten in them and I can't eat them.
I'm aware that getting gluten free fast food, even vegetarian options, isn't really that hard in other countries. Many of the chains we have here in America have gluten free buns and dedicated grill space in their European counterparts. Thanks to EU food laws, their fries don't have flavoring additives that contain gluten (I'm looking at you, McDonald's) and they cook them in dedicated fryers.
There are already gluten free vegetarian patties available in some chains.
I don't know why it's easy for these chains to accommodate these issues overseas, and not here in the States.
Unfortunately I'm guessing it's a cost/demand thing.1 -
shandy82165 wrote: »I would be tempted but the impossible burger has 6 times the amount of sodium that regular beef does. Eating fast food is already a big sodium hit for someone with salt sensitivity so it's a no for me. Too bad because i'd totally try it otherwise.
Yup. They just trade off meat for vegetarian and try to draw more customers. A&W in Canada is doing the same thing. They offer both a burger and a breakfast sandwich that are "meatless".
The big problem is, in order for it to taste "good" it is loaded with sodium (an 8oz patty has almost 800mg of sodium) and it contains 3 different types of oils (Canola, Coconut and Sunflower). When you add the bun, the cheese or sauce and any other condiment, the sodium levels climb to over 1000mg for one burger. The WHO recommends 1500-2300mg of sodium per day. That veggie burger uses up almost half your daily requirement.
Clearly you aren't grabbing fast food for the protein content, you are doing so for convenience or that you are a vegetarian looking to try something new.
In a nutshell they are really no healthier that a regular fast food burger per se, just another gimmick to try to entice a new population of fast food eaters....
P.S. the quote I used was only to point out the sodium...but it doesn't contain 6 times the amount of a regular fast food whopper. I'd suggest that Shandy81265 is comparing a processed patty to raw ground beef.1 -
Honestly, for the vast majority of people, worrying about the amount of sodium you consume on one day is a rather pointless exercise. If you have an overall healthy diet and eat mostly whole foods cooked at home (which is the easiest way to avoid excess sodium, if you don't abuse the salt shaker), and especially if you eat a good amount of potassium and exercise, then sodium is not an issue, and an occasional fast food (or other restaurant meal) isn't going to change that.
I'm not a fan of most fast food burgers (the meat quality doesn't taste great to me and they normally taste too salty), so I'm not planning to make any fast food option a big staple of my diet, but there are times I want a non meat option when on a road trip or what not and I'm curious how this would taste.
I think the idea that ever consuming something less than nutritionally ideal is somehow going to ruin your health or must be avoided is a little over the top.
If there was a misunderstanding that people were claiming that no meat = super nutritious or low cal or low sodium or what not, I didn't see that, and it would be a silly thing to think. The original piece compared it to a standard whopper.7 -
I actually don't mind plant based burgers. Most are pretty tasty. My only issue is that it's hard to find ones that aren't soy based. I'm sensitive to soy and try to limit it, so I have to read the labels if I'm going with a veggie patty.0
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I've made faux-Whoppers at home in the past with Boca Burgers. My feeling is, once you load something up with ketchup, mustard, mayo, pickles, & onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, it ceases to matter what's underneath it... you pretty much only taste the toppings. So I wouldn't be adverse to a meatless burger at all, particularly if it slashed fat, which I'm sensitive to.
That being said, I came across this line in the article I read about it and it's created a mental block I just can't get past:
"A genetically modified yeast creates the key ingredient, called heme, which makes the patties appear to bleed and taste like real meat."
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no thanks.1
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