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Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat
Replies
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For me — I prefer food that isn’t as processed.
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I haven't read the thread in its entirety but I'll make a couple of observations from a non meat eater who has had Beyond Meat products, both cooked at home and in restaurant meals. I am also sodium restricted (1500 mg/day).
I'd rather not cook it at home. All of the products have a strong smell like cat food (to me) and that's a bit off-putting.
It's high in sodium, but all vegetarian patties tend to be high so I just have to be extra vigilant about the sodium content of the rest of my food that day, or say "F it, it's only one day" which I tend to do any day that I consume restaurant meals anyway.
It sticks in my teeth. Annoyingly. This is a quality that irked me about meat, back when I ate it, and it irks me about Beyond Meat too.
I like the higher protein content. By which I mean higher than most vegetarian meat substitutes.
I'd love to try an Impossible Whopper (that would definitely end up being a "F it" sodium day) but my Canadian BK doesn't have them yet.
Disclaimers: I'm not the least bit concerned about GMOs or long ingredient lists or pronouncable ingredients. In fact, the more preservatives the better in my household, since that means I don't have to eat the same thing four days in a row to use it up before it goes bad. "Processing" is such a nebulous term and definitely not a criterion I'd use to reject a food. The tahini I bought yesterday qualifies as "processed" but contains ONE ingredient.
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its all fine with me, just call it what it is and not, fake turkey or fake bacon etc.1
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Today I tried the Walmart's Ultimate Meatless Burger. It is inexpensive compared to others.
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/great-value-the-ultimate-meatless-burger/6000200049103
Not bad for what it is. The only burger of this type that I really enjoyed was the Impossible Burger in a BK's Whopper.0 -
I haven’t tried it. I like real burgers. I like black bean burgers(I like black beans). I like mushroom burgers(I really like mushrooms). All easy to make. All less expensive than beyond burgers. I just haven’t been looking for an alternative when I already like what I have.
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First, after looking forward to the Impossible Burger, I was disappointed in its statistics as it had a lot more sat. fat than many lean burgers. Second, the Heme they use for flavor supposedly is about as unhealthy as red meat anyway.
Other brands do have better statistics and don't use heme. Beyond Burger is a little more health on straight up fat and salt than the Impossible if I remember correctly, but Awesome Burger and some other brands are even better.1 -
First, after looking forward to the Impossible Burger, I was disappointed in its statistics as it had a lot more sat. fat than many lean burgers. Second, the Heme they use for flavor supposedly is about as unhealthy as red meat anyway.
It's not supposed to have better stats, it's supposed to mimic a fast food or other restaurant burger (depending on where served). I haven't had one, so can't compare, and also like my homemade lean burgers better than most higher fat/cal burgers anyway, but the concept of this one is not to be extra healthy, just meat-free and similar to what it is replacing.
Like another poster said just above, I also like black bean burgers a lot, while not thinking they taste like burgers (of course). But if one likes restaurant burgers, it's nice to have an option that also can be vegan.1 -
First, after looking forward to the Impossible Burger, I was disappointed in its statistics as it had a lot more sat. fat than many lean burgers. Second, the Heme they use for flavor supposedly is about as unhealthy as red meat anyway.
It's not supposed to have better stats, it's supposed to mimic a fast food or other restaurant burger (depending on where served). I haven't had one, so can't compare, and also like my homemade lean burgers better than most higher fat/cal burgers anyway, but the concept of this one is not to be extra healthy, just meat-free and similar to what it is replacing.
Like another poster said just above, I also like black bean burgers a lot, while not thinking they taste like burgers (of course). But if one likes restaurant burgers, it's nice to have an option that also can be vegan.
Yes, we already have a variety of low fat and super-health focused vegetarian patties and it's noteworthy that these have NOT caught on in terms of widespread non-vegan interest. When people go to Burger King or similar places, they want a burger that resembles what is already sold there. They're not really interested in something that replicates a lean burger.
I can remember McDonald's experimenting with a lean meat burger back in the 90s (??) and it was not a hit. So what Impossible is doing is trying to deliver -- in non-meat form -- what the mainstream market has already demonstrated that it wanted.2 -
Its Beyond me why someone would eat factory meat.3
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Factory meat ??
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paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.0 -
IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
Chemical laxative? Artificial preservatives?
These are the Beyond Burger ingredients: Water, Pea Protein*, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Beet Juice Extract (for color).
Can you let me know which ones you're referring to?3 -
IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
It is a burger patty - of course it is manufactured. And of course iit is a bunch of ingredients blended up .......isnt every recipe that???
and of course It is not meat, that's the whole point.
Nobody thinks burgers grow on trees, do they ??
Possibly some prreservatives, Just like meat patties and most other non fresh raw foods
Not sure what ingredient you think is a chemical laxative??? Or exactly what your point is????
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As much as I want to try one of these things as I haven't eaten mammal in over 8 years, I can't justify 240 calories for only 20g of protein. It just won't fit my macros especially when it comes with 20g of fat. I prefer leaner sources of protein. From an ethical standpoint, I can support beyond burger but that's a conversation for another day.1
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janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
Chemical laxative? Artificial preservatives?
These are the Beyond Burger ingredients: Water, Pea Protein*, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Beet Juice Extract (for color).
Can you let me know which ones you're referring to?
Methylcellulose is a bulk-forming laxative that increases the amount of water in your stools to help make them softer and easier to pass. Methylcellulose is used to treat constipation and to help maintain regular bowel movements.
Potassium chloride (also known as KCl or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt-like taste.0 -
paperpudding wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
It is a burger patty - of course it is manufactured. And of course iit is a bunch of ingredients blended up .......isnt every recipe that???
and of course It is not meat, that's the whole point.
Nobody thinks burgers grow on trees, do they ??
Possibly some prreservatives, Just like meat patties and most other non fresh raw foods
Not sure what ingredient you think is a chemical laxative??? Or exactly what your point is????
Yes, but a beef burger patty is made of beef. Beef is meat. No, burgers don't grow on trees, they grow in cows which is very different than a mixture of natural and man made ingredients mixed up to IMITATE meat. The burgers I make are made of whole ingredients, not anything that is manufactured. And yes, LOTS of processed foods are no different; I choose to avoid all of them.
Methylcellulose is the chemical laxative. My point is I'd prefer to not ingest Beyond meat and I don't understand why anyone would. But I don't have to understand, I support freedom of choice. Not sure why people seem to feel personally attacked lol. Just stating my opinion on a thread titled "Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat".2 -
IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
Chemical laxative? Artificial preservatives?
These are the Beyond Burger ingredients: Water, Pea Protein*, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Beet Juice Extract (for color).
Can you let me know which ones you're referring to?
Methylcellulose is a bulk-forming laxative that increases the amount of water in your stools to help make them softer and easier to pass. Methylcellulose is used to treat constipation and to help maintain regular bowel movements.
Potassium chloride (also known as KCl or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt-like taste.
In this case it's being used to add some bulk to the burger and it's below the dose needed to provide a laxative effect. So what's the exact concern, given that it's an approved food ingredient?
And what's the concern with the salt?
Most food can be described as a "bunch of ingredients" and the Beyond Burger is far from being the only product on the market to use a bulk agent or salt as a preservative. So why avoid this food in particular?3 -
Read the chemical make up of an apple. Bet you can't pronounce all of them.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.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
Chemical laxative? Artificial preservatives?
These are the Beyond Burger ingredients: Water, Pea Protein*, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Beet Juice Extract (for color).
Can you let me know which ones you're referring to?
Methylcellulose is a bulk-forming laxative that increases the amount of water in your stools to help make them softer and easier to pass. Methylcellulose is used to treat constipation and to help maintain regular bowel movements.
Potassium chloride (also known as KCl or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt-like taste.
In this case it's being used to add some bulk to the burger and it's below the dose needed to provide a laxative effect. So what's the exact concern, given that it's an approved food ingredient?
And what's the concern with the salt?
Most food can be described as a "bunch of ingredients" and the Beyond Burger is far from being the only product on the market to use a bulk agent or salt as a preservative. So why avoid this food in particular?
The concern is just that I prefer to avoid processed food. Why care if I avoid it? I sure don't care if you don't avoid it. I always find it interesting why people feel the need to defend their food choices; it feels like insecurity. I know how I prefer to eat, I know what works for me. If someone says "I love Beyond burgers!", I don't feel the need to convince them otherwise.8 -
IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
It is a burger patty - of course it is manufactured. And of course iit is a bunch of ingredients blended up .......isnt every recipe that???
and of course It is not meat, that's the whole point.
Nobody thinks burgers grow on trees, do they ??
Possibly some prreservatives, Just like meat patties and most other non fresh raw foods
Not sure what ingredient you think is a chemical laxative??? Or exactly what your point is????
Yes, but a beef burger patty is made of beef. Beef is meat. No, burgers don't grow on trees, they grow in cows which is very different than a mixture of natural and man made ingredients mixed up to IMITATE meat. The burgers I make are made of whole ingredients, not anything that is manufactured. And yes, LOTS of processed foods are no different; I choose to avoid all of them.
Methylcellulose is the chemical laxative. My point is I'd prefer to not ingest Beyond meat and I don't understand why anyone would. But I don't have to understand, I support freedom of choice. Not sure why people seem to feel personally attacked lol. Just stating my opinion on a thread titled "Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat".
I don't think anyone feels personally attacked, it just seems odd to attack this food in particular for having a preservative or being put together in a factory when most fast food meat burgers have undergone a similar practice.
I understand the burgers you make at home are from whole ingredients, but if you went to Burger King and got one of their burgers, it wouldn't be. The Beyond Burger should be judged on that standard, not against the standards of your diet that is preservative-free and consists only of whole foods.
The non-meat eater who wants the same thing is already making their burgers at home, they're not out there buying Beyond Burgers.
The reason I'm bringing this up is that it seems to be a recurrent theme in this thread. People are comparing the Beyond or Impossible Burger against the "pure" foods they're preparing for themselves and judging them as inferior.
Let's say you had two options -- a Beyond Burger or a standard fast food burger. That's a more valid comparison. It's fine to say you'd choose neither, but your problem isn't really with the Beyond Burger in that situation, it's against food that has preservatives, isn't "whole," or involves industrial food production methods.5 -
janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
It is a burger patty - of course it is manufactured. And of course iit is a bunch of ingredients blended up .......isnt every recipe that???
and of course It is not meat, that's the whole point.
Nobody thinks burgers grow on trees, do they ??
Possibly some prreservatives, Just like meat patties and most other non fresh raw foods
Not sure what ingredient you think is a chemical laxative??? Or exactly what your point is????
Yes, but a beef burger patty is made of beef. Beef is meat. No, burgers don't grow on trees, they grow in cows which is very different than a mixture of natural and man made ingredients mixed up to IMITATE meat. The burgers I make are made of whole ingredients, not anything that is manufactured. And yes, LOTS of processed foods are no different; I choose to avoid all of them.
Methylcellulose is the chemical laxative. My point is I'd prefer to not ingest Beyond meat and I don't understand why anyone would. But I don't have to understand, I support freedom of choice. Not sure why people seem to feel personally attacked lol. Just stating my opinion on a thread titled "Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat".
I don't think anyone feels personally attacked, it just seems odd to attack this food in particular for having a preservative or being put together in a factory when most fast food meat burgers have undergone a similar practice.
I understand the burgers you make at home are from whole ingredients, but if you went to Burger King and got one of their burgers, it wouldn't be. The Beyond Burger should be judged on that standard, not against the standards of your diet that is preservative-free and consists only of whole foods.
The non-meat eater who wants the same thing is already making their burgers at home, they're not out there buying Beyond Burgers.
The reason I'm bringing this up is that it seems to be a recurrent theme in this thread. People are comparing the Beyond or Impossible Burger against the "pure" foods they're preparing for themselves and judging them as inferior.
Let's say you had two options -- a Beyond Burger or a standard fast food burger. That's a more valid comparison. It's fine to say you'd choose neither, but your problem isn't really with the Beyond Burger in that situation, it's against food that has preservatives, isn't "whole," or involves industrial food production methods.
Just seems odd to ask me to defend why I'm not a fan, which is where this started. Sure, they're probably no worse than a Whopper but I haven't been to Burger King in years and don't plan to go any sooner than I plan to have a Beyond burger; I'm not being inconsistent here. I AM judging them both on the same standards.
Yes, if the thread was titled "Would you choose a Whopper or a Beyond Burger?" I'd probably have answered "whichever tastes better", but it's not. The whole point of this thread is to comment your thoughts; I guess negative thoughts aren't ok...?4 -
IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
It is a burger patty - of course it is manufactured. And of course iit is a bunch of ingredients blended up .......isnt every recipe that???
and of course It is not meat, that's the whole point.
Nobody thinks burgers grow on trees, do they ??
Possibly some prreservatives, Just like meat patties and most other non fresh raw foods
Not sure what ingredient you think is a chemical laxative??? Or exactly what your point is????
Yes, but a beef burger patty is made of beef. Beef is meat. No, burgers don't grow on trees, they grow in cows which is very different than a mixture of natural and man made ingredients mixed up to IMITATE meat. The burgers I make are made of whole ingredients, not anything that is manufactured. And yes, LOTS of processed foods are no different; I choose to avoid all of them.
Methylcellulose is the chemical laxative. My point is I'd prefer to not ingest Beyond meat and I don't understand why anyone would. But I don't have to understand, I support freedom of choice. Not sure why people seem to feel personally attacked lol. Just stating my opinion on a thread titled "Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat".
I don't think anyone feels personally attacked, it just seems odd to attack this food in particular for having a preservative or being put together in a factory when most fast food meat burgers have undergone a similar practice.
I understand the burgers you make at home are from whole ingredients, but if you went to Burger King and got one of their burgers, it wouldn't be. The Beyond Burger should be judged on that standard, not against the standards of your diet that is preservative-free and consists only of whole foods.
The non-meat eater who wants the same thing is already making their burgers at home, they're not out there buying Beyond Burgers.
The reason I'm bringing this up is that it seems to be a recurrent theme in this thread. People are comparing the Beyond or Impossible Burger against the "pure" foods they're preparing for themselves and judging them as inferior.
Let's say you had two options -- a Beyond Burger or a standard fast food burger. That's a more valid comparison. It's fine to say you'd choose neither, but your problem isn't really with the Beyond Burger in that situation, it's against food that has preservatives, isn't "whole," or involves industrial food production methods.
Just seems odd to ask me to defend why I'm not a fan, which is where this started. Sure, they're probably no worse than a Whopper but I haven't been to Burger King in years and don't plan to go any sooner than I plan to have a Beyond burger; I'm not being inconsistent here. I AM judging them both on the same standards.
Yes, if the thread was titled "Would you choose a Whopper or a Beyond Burger?" I'd probably have answered "whichever tastes better", but it's not. The whole point of this thread is to comment your thoughts; I guess negative thoughts aren't ok...?
Nobody is saying your thoughts aren't "okay," it's that this is the debate section. When you make an argument here, people are going to respond to it. If you aren't comfortable with that or if you take it someone trying to silence you, maybe this isn't the best spot for you to post your thoughts.
That your objection has nothing to do with the specific nature of the Beyond Burger or other faux meat is a useful clarification. It's more of an objection to any non-whole food, including fast food meat burgers, and that is absolutely relevant.6 -
janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
It is a burger patty - of course it is manufactured. And of course iit is a bunch of ingredients blended up .......isnt every recipe that???
and of course It is not meat, that's the whole point.
Nobody thinks burgers grow on trees, do they ??
Possibly some prreservatives, Just like meat patties and most other non fresh raw foods
Not sure what ingredient you think is a chemical laxative??? Or exactly what your point is????
Yes, but a beef burger patty is made of beef. Beef is meat. No, burgers don't grow on trees, they grow in cows which is very different than a mixture of natural and man made ingredients mixed up to IMITATE meat. The burgers I make are made of whole ingredients, not anything that is manufactured. And yes, LOTS of processed foods are no different; I choose to avoid all of them.
Methylcellulose is the chemical laxative. My point is I'd prefer to not ingest Beyond meat and I don't understand why anyone would. But I don't have to understand, I support freedom of choice. Not sure why people seem to feel personally attacked lol. Just stating my opinion on a thread titled "Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat".
I don't think anyone feels personally attacked, it just seems odd to attack this food in particular for having a preservative or being put together in a factory when most fast food meat burgers have undergone a similar practice.
I understand the burgers you make at home are from whole ingredients, but if you went to Burger King and got one of their burgers, it wouldn't be. The Beyond Burger should be judged on that standard, not against the standards of your diet that is preservative-free and consists only of whole foods.
The non-meat eater who wants the same thing is already making their burgers at home, they're not out there buying Beyond Burgers.
The reason I'm bringing this up is that it seems to be a recurrent theme in this thread. People are comparing the Beyond or Impossible Burger against the "pure" foods they're preparing for themselves and judging them as inferior.
Let's say you had two options -- a Beyond Burger or a standard fast food burger. That's a more valid comparison. It's fine to say you'd choose neither, but your problem isn't really with the Beyond Burger in that situation, it's against food that has preservatives, isn't "whole," or involves industrial food production methods.
Just seems odd to ask me to defend why I'm not a fan, which is where this started. Sure, they're probably no worse than a Whopper but I haven't been to Burger King in years and don't plan to go any sooner than I plan to have a Beyond burger; I'm not being inconsistent here. I AM judging them both on the same standards.
Yes, if the thread was titled "Would you choose a Whopper or a Beyond Burger?" I'd probably have answered "whichever tastes better", but it's not. The whole point of this thread is to comment your thoughts; I guess negative thoughts aren't ok...?
Nobody is saying your thoughts aren't "okay," it's that this is the debate section. When you make an argument here, people are going to respond to it. If you aren't comfortable with that or if you take it someone trying to silence you, maybe this isn't the best spot for you to post your thoughts.
That your objection has nothing to do with the specific nature of the Beyond Burger or other faux meat is a useful clarification. It's more of an objection to any non-whole food, including fast food meat burgers, and that is absolutely relevant.
Ahh, fair enough. I didn't realize this was the debate section.
In that case, my stance is that it's not the smartest choice from a health perspective which doesn't quite align with the marketing stance of imitation meat companies. I'm not going to choose a Beyond Burger OR a Whopper if a homemade 93% or bison burger is an option. I also think fake meat is a dumb concept overall; if you dont eat flesh for moral reasons, why would you want imitation flesh? If you choose it for health reasons, aren't you aiming a little low? But obviously theres a huge market that disagrees.1 -
IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
It is a burger patty - of course it is manufactured. And of course iit is a bunch of ingredients blended up .......isnt every recipe that???
and of course It is not meat, that's the whole point.
Nobody thinks burgers grow on trees, do they ??
Possibly some prreservatives, Just like meat patties and most other non fresh raw foods
Not sure what ingredient you think is a chemical laxative??? Or exactly what your point is????
Yes, but a beef burger patty is made of beef. Beef is meat. No, burgers don't grow on trees, they grow in cows which is very different than a mixture of natural and man made ingredients mixed up to IMITATE meat. The burgers I make are made of whole ingredients, not anything that is manufactured. And yes, LOTS of processed foods are no different; I choose to avoid all of them.
Methylcellulose is the chemical laxative. My point is I'd prefer to not ingest Beyond meat and I don't understand why anyone would. But I don't have to understand, I support freedom of choice. Not sure why people seem to feel personally attacked lol. Just stating my opinion on a thread titled "Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat".
I don't think anyone feels personally attacked, it just seems odd to attack this food in particular for having a preservative or being put together in a factory when most fast food meat burgers have undergone a similar practice.
I understand the burgers you make at home are from whole ingredients, but if you went to Burger King and got one of their burgers, it wouldn't be. The Beyond Burger should be judged on that standard, not against the standards of your diet that is preservative-free and consists only of whole foods.
The non-meat eater who wants the same thing is already making their burgers at home, they're not out there buying Beyond Burgers.
The reason I'm bringing this up is that it seems to be a recurrent theme in this thread. People are comparing the Beyond or Impossible Burger against the "pure" foods they're preparing for themselves and judging them as inferior.
Let's say you had two options -- a Beyond Burger or a standard fast food burger. That's a more valid comparison. It's fine to say you'd choose neither, but your problem isn't really with the Beyond Burger in that situation, it's against food that has preservatives, isn't "whole," or involves industrial food production methods.
Just seems odd to ask me to defend why I'm not a fan, which is where this started. Sure, they're probably no worse than a Whopper but I haven't been to Burger King in years and don't plan to go any sooner than I plan to have a Beyond burger; I'm not being inconsistent here. I AM judging them both on the same standards.
Yes, if the thread was titled "Would you choose a Whopper or a Beyond Burger?" I'd probably have answered "whichever tastes better", but it's not. The whole point of this thread is to comment your thoughts; I guess negative thoughts aren't ok...?
Nobody is saying your thoughts aren't "okay," it's that this is the debate section. When you make an argument here, people are going to respond to it. If you aren't comfortable with that or if you take it someone trying to silence you, maybe this isn't the best spot for you to post your thoughts.
That your objection has nothing to do with the specific nature of the Beyond Burger or other faux meat is a useful clarification. It's more of an objection to any non-whole food, including fast food meat burgers, and that is absolutely relevant.
Ahh, fair enough. I didn't realize this was the debate section.
In that case, my stance is that it's not the smartest choice from a health perspective which doesn't quite align with the marketing stance of imitation meat companies. I'm not going to choose a Beyond Burger OR a Whopper if a homemade 93% or bison burger is an option. I also think fake meat is a dumb concept overall; if you dont eat flesh for moral reasons, why would you want imitation flesh? If you choose it for health reasons, aren't you aiming a little low? But obviously theres a huge market that disagrees.
I can't speak to the motivation of people choosing the Beyond Burger for health reasons, but as someone who avoids meat for ethical reasons, it seems pretty clear. I object to the process that brings meat to my plate, not the actual taste and texture of meat.
It's like asking how someone could play a violent video game, but still object to actually murdering people. It's like asking how someone could engage in certain sexual practices with a willing partner, but object to them being done with an unwilling participant.
I didn't go vegan because I disliked *eating* meat, so realistic meat substitutes aren't a problem for me.
There are other consumers of faux meat who have concerns about the environmental impact of meat eating, especially on the scale required for widespread burger consumption. For these people, it has nothing to do with not "liking" burgers, they'd just like to have an option that doesn't involve factory farming of cows.
I don't think either of these are a "dumb concept," it's just that other people have some values that you don't share.11 -
If you don't think the ground beef you buy is "processed" you might want to visit a meat processing plant to see how it goes from the cow to your plate. 🤷♀️ Below is a link to the USDA guidelines on additives to beef and poultry. At the very bottom is a list of what is allowed. Most of them seem relatively natural or benign but still additives if you are looking for "unprocessed" foods. Unless you are raising, slaughtering and butchering your own meat that is...
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/additives-in-meat-and-poultry-products/additives-in-meat-and-poultry-products7 -
janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
Chemical laxative? Artificial preservatives?
These are the Beyond Burger ingredients: Water, Pea Protein*, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Beet Juice Extract (for color).
Can you let me know which ones you're referring to?
Methylcellulose is a bulk-forming laxative that increases the amount of water in your stools to help make them softer and easier to pass. Methylcellulose is used to treat constipation and to help maintain regular bowel movements.
Potassium chloride (also known as KCl or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt-like taste.
In this case it's being used to add some bulk to the burger and it's below the dose needed to provide a laxative effect. So what's the exact concern, given that it's an approved food ingredient?
It's also basically fiber. Yes, burgers don't normally have fiber, but plenty of plant-based foods do, and cellulose itself is in many of them. Of course this version is manmade, but I don't get why it's meaningfully different. I don't supplement fiber since I get plenty in foods, but many do, and this ingredient is probably the most common way to do so.
Re the salt, I admit it, I often add salt to my food when cooking (even ground beef!). I've also been known to put pickles (which tend to be high sodium) on a burger, and to put said burger on a, gasp! bun, which of course is not a whole food. Of course, the salt I use is sodium chloride, not potassium chloride, but it's not like potassium is worse for you than sodium (many get told to switch their type of salt by their doctor for health reasons, in fact).4 -
I'm a vegetarian and not all vegetarians have time to spend a lot of time in the kitchen or don't want too. And instead want to take it easy and go for vegetarian burgers, nuggets or whatever replacement for meat. Same goes for vegans I assume.
I think it's better to eat meat replacements like the beyond meat burger than eating a burger made out of meat.
Nothing against people who eat meat or fish, you do you....2 -
IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
Chemical laxative? Artificial preservatives?
These are the Beyond Burger ingredients: Water, Pea Protein*, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Beet Juice Extract (for color).
Can you let me know which ones you're referring to?
Methylcellulose is a bulk-forming laxative that increases the amount of water in your stools to help make them softer and easier to pass. Methylcellulose is used to treat constipation and to help maintain regular bowel movements.
Potassium chloride (also known as KCl or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt-like taste.
In this case it's being used to add some bulk to the burger and it's below the dose needed to provide a laxative effect. So what's the exact concern, given that it's an approved food ingredient?
And what's the concern with the salt?
Most food can be described as a "bunch of ingredients" and the Beyond Burger is far from being the only product on the market to use a bulk agent or salt as a preservative. So why avoid this food in particular?
The concern is just that I prefer to avoid processed food. Why care if I avoid it? I sure don't care if you don't avoid it. I always find it interesting why people feel the need to defend their food choices; it feels like insecurity. I know how I prefer to eat, I know what works for me. If someone says "I love Beyond burgers!", I don't feel the need to convince them otherwise.
I would say your defensiveness seems like insecurity to me.
I also think you are misreading other posters replies - certainly mine.
I don't care if you avoid it and I am not defending my own food choices - in fact I said earlier I do not eat burgers at all, either meat or non meat ones.
Nothing to do with my superior non processed foods diet - I just dont like them.
I do eat rissoles sometimes but I don't like the everything piled up in a bun format.
I do care that objections make sense though - objecting to ingredients because in larger doses they are fibre supplements or calling something obviously not a whole food ' blended ingredients ' as if that is some unique horrid thing - doesn't make sense.
If you just wouldn't eat them because you don't eat processed food, then just say that
It isn't really a comment about Beyond burger but, sure, it is your view about food in general.
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IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »IronIsMyTherapy wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Factory meat ??
It's manufactured. Yes, it has natural veggies etc but also has a chemical laxative and artificial preservative. Bottom line, it's not meat; it's a bunch of ingredients blended up and made to imitate meat in a factory.
It is a burger patty - of course it is manufactured. And of course iit is a bunch of ingredients blended up .......isnt every recipe that???
and of course It is not meat, that's the whole point.
Nobody thinks burgers grow on trees, do they ??
Possibly some prreservatives, Just like meat patties and most other non fresh raw foods
Not sure what ingredient you think is a chemical laxative??? Or exactly what your point is????
Yes, but a beef burger patty is made of beef. Beef is meat. No, burgers don't grow on trees, they grow in cows which is very different than a mixture of natural and man made ingredients mixed up to IMITATE meat. The burgers I make are made of whole ingredients, not anything that is manufactured. And yes, LOTS of processed foods are no different; I choose to avoid all of them.
Methylcellulose is the chemical laxative. My point is I'd prefer to not ingest Beyond meat and I don't understand why anyone would. But I don't have to understand, I support freedom of choice. Not sure why people seem to feel personally attacked lol. Just stating my opinion on a thread titled "Thoughts on Beyond Burger and other fake meat".
I don't think anyone feels personally attacked, it just seems odd to attack this food in particular for having a preservative or being put together in a factory when most fast food meat burgers have undergone a similar practice.
I understand the burgers you make at home are from whole ingredients, but if you went to Burger King and got one of their burgers, it wouldn't be. The Beyond Burger should be judged on that standard, not against the standards of your diet that is preservative-free and consists only of whole foods.
The non-meat eater who wants the same thing is already making their burgers at home, they're not out there buying Beyond Burgers.
The reason I'm bringing this up is that it seems to be a recurrent theme in this thread. People are comparing the Beyond or Impossible Burger against the "pure" foods they're preparing for themselves and judging them as inferior.
Let's say you had two options -- a Beyond Burger or a standard fast food burger. That's a more valid comparison. It's fine to say you'd choose neither, but your problem isn't really with the Beyond Burger in that situation, it's against food that has preservatives, isn't "whole," or involves industrial food production methods.
Just seems odd to ask me to defend why I'm not a fan, which is where this started. Sure, they're probably no worse than a Whopper but I haven't been to Burger King in years and don't plan to go any sooner than I plan to have a Beyond burger; I'm not being inconsistent here. I AM judging them both on the same standards.
Yes, if the thread was titled "Would you choose a Whopper or a Beyond Burger?" I'd probably have answered "whichever tastes better", but it's not. The whole point of this thread is to comment your thoughts; I guess negative thoughts aren't ok...?
Nobody is saying your thoughts aren't "okay," it's that this is the debate section. When you make an argument here, people are going to respond to it. If you aren't comfortable with that or if you take it someone trying to silence you, maybe this isn't the best spot for you to post your thoughts.
That your objection has nothing to do with the specific nature of the Beyond Burger or other faux meat is a useful clarification. It's more of an objection to any non-whole food, including fast food meat burgers, and that is absolutely relevant.
Ahh, fair enough. I didn't realize this was the debate section.
In that case, my stance is that it's not the smartest choice from a health perspective which doesn't quite align with the marketing stance of imitation meat companies. I'm not going to choose a Beyond Burger OR a Whopper if a homemade 93% or bison burger is an option. I also think fake meat is a dumb concept overall; if you dont eat flesh for moral reasons, why would you want imitation flesh? If you choose it for health reasons, aren't you aiming a little low? But obviously theres a huge market that disagrees.
If someone's objection to meat is moral, not aesthetic, I don't see any reason they wouldn't want fake meat. Their moral objection isn't to the appearance or the taste; their moral objection is to the death of the animal or the suffering of the animal or the using of another living being as a means to their own ends (a tasty meal) rather than viewing it as an end in itself.4
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