Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, etc.

chromedome · July 9, 2019

16 hours ago, Toliver said:

From what I understand, neither of the fake proteins are a more healthy option for someone seeking to stay on a non-meat diet.

It'd be different if they found the products were "better for you". Less fat? Less salt? Higher in fiber? No one has made that claim with these fake meat burgers at all of the fast food joints.

Right now, they're not, or I haven't heard such claims if they're being made.

So why eat it?

The CBC looked into it, and concluded that they were nutritionally pretty similar to beef. Comparable for calories, protein content and so on, with the addition of fibre (a positive) but with extra sodium as well (a negative). So there we go. As with any other burger, the joker in the deck is how they're served. The CBC article cited a 1,000 calorie Impossible Burger, as served in a specific US restaurant, which clearly isn't a good option for an everyday lunch.

Duvel's comment that "one burger a month isn't going to save the world" was true enough in its context, which is to say a single individual who only occasionally eats a burger. (North) Americans, OTOH, eat a whole lot more than one burger a month, and in that context the occasional meatless meal as an alternative to a burger or other beef dish - whether it be a faux-burger at the local fast-food joint or (as the OP urges) an innately meat-free dish like the curries Sartoric posts in the meal threads - can be pretty impactful.

There are other, more academic papers out there, but I came across this article last year and it does a pretty good job of explaining the basics of why beef is such an area of focus. It certainly goes beyond "virtue-signaling" (a phrase I have come to dislike) and that was certainly not what I meant to imply by comparing the conscious selection of an occasional meatless meal to one's choice of light bulb.

Trying to shift omnivores (as most of us are) en masse to meatless eating is a big ask, and it's just not going to happen. At least, not within any kind of meaningful time frame. Making it easy for people to do something, instead, is at least the thin edge of the wedge. Meatless Mondays got a bit of traction. Beyond and Impossible are getting traction. Restaurants that offer mostly plant-based foods, but don't make it an extremist "meat is murder" thing, are getting some traction (a renewed focus on flavor and presentation has certainly helped, too).

A very small minority are concerned enough about climate change to stop eating meat (and flying, and so on). A very small minority are defiant enough about climate change to bypass pollution controls on their vehicles (yeah, "pollution porn" is a thing) and barbecue extra-large steaks outside of vegetarian restaurants. Most of us fall in between, willing to accept the reality of climate change but not yet concerned enough about it to make any major lifestyle changes. In the shorter term, that's where the big changes will have to come from. Faux burgers are just the grist for that particular mill.

(Disclaimer: I'm not advocating here for anyone to give up meat, buy stock in Beyond or whatever else, and I'm certainly not holding myself out as an example. In my own household I'm perfectly comfortable eating less meat, but the women in my life have been inveterate carnivores so we still use a lot. Also, while I'd love to have an electric or hybrid vehicle, I drive a low-mileage minivan instead because a) I live in an apartment and plugging in is not an option, b) I can't afford one, and c) several times a year I need to haul vehicularly-challenged members of our extended family in large numbers, so seven seats was a must.)

jmacnaughtan · July 9, 2019

17 hours ago, lemniscate said:

Just noticed this new offering in the Costco snack bar today. Al Pastor soy protein and Bahn Mi veg all in one bowl? Sounds like a weird combo. I will not be taking one for the team and trying this one.

What's up with that calorie count? How can it vary by more than a hundred per cent?

rotuts · July 10, 2019

this isa bit off topic

more vegan than fake beef ;

https://uproxx.com/life/big-vegan-ts-burger-taste-test-mcdonalds/

but interesting in that vein

MelissaH · July 10, 2019

If you want fishless fish, that's apparently also available: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/business/fake-fish-impossible-foods.html

chromedome · July 10, 2019

There's also this approach, which I tripped across while researching an article. Seems like a happy compromise all around, though uptake would have to be pretty significant in order to have the kind of impact they're describing.

pastrygirl · July 10, 2019

12 minutes ago, chromedome said:

There's also this approach, which I tripped across while researching an article. Seems like a happy compromise all around, though uptake would have to be pretty significant in order to have the kind of impact they're describing.

Yeah, I think the market for something that delivers on taste but contains some animal product is bigger than the 100% vegan market. Some people assume that vegan always equals healthier but that's inaccurate.

pastrygirl · July 10, 2019

and another contender ...

https://nypost.com/2019/07/09/by-chloes-vegan-carrot-dog-is-one-pathetic-pup/?fbclid=IwAR3ZtD5n3D5H8CxQa0P_nqz_C8oRJuPbGfGuJyshI5Uf0c11e2W6qkJdePE

🙃

Edited July 10, 2019 by pastrygirl (log)

chromedome · July 12, 2019

Meanwhile, from the other side of the table..

https://www.qsrmagazine.com/menu-innovations/arbys-creates-new-food-category-meat-vegetables

pastrygirl · July 12, 2019

Here's one review: the Impossible Burger — which he calls “small, spongy, and lacking in flavor,” and the Beyond Burger, which “is like cat food that improves a little when cooked.” 😂

(from here https://seattle.eater.com/2019/7/11/20690338/fremont-vegan-burgers-fast-food-galaxy-rune)

I saw Beyond burgers in my local grocery, $10 for two frozen patties. Nah.

Katie Meadow · July 13, 2019

Everyone should be required to experience a beef feedlot. The level of pollution becomes very obvious just from a close drive-by. Lamb is now considered as bad or worse environmentally than beef, but in this country we just don't eat that much lamb, so focussing on reducing beef production and consumption makes more sense.

It really is possible for most of us to cut way back on red meat. If you need to find a substitute--something that looks like meat or that has high protein or whatever--well, go for it if it works for you. Ultimately eating little or no beef is a sacrifice that is less difficult than many others that help the environment, and if an overwhelming number of people participated it could have a big impact.

I am not a vegetarian, nor do I believe that eating animals is necessarily unethical, especially given that resources vary widely on the planet. I think of red meat as a special treat, although truthfully the longer I go without it the less I care. I'm not ready to give up the occasional BLT (yes I know that's not beef!), but just a few of them every summer during tomato season can be enough of a reward. I still eat some chicken and sustainable seafood, but if we don't start paying closer attention we will all be left with nothing but tilapia and rodents. Okay, I'll take my drugs now.

paulraphael · July 15, 2019

We've been eating Beyond Burgers every couple of weeks or so, and I have to admit they're pretty good. I'd say they taste better than the average burger at a an average burger joint (which is a pretty low bar). They're nowhere near as good as the burgers I make when trying to make a great burger ... which involves sourcing three different cuts of beef, grinding them shortly before cooking, and weighing the seasonings with a milligram scale. But they're much easier than that, and cheaper (price is coming down monthly), and no steer was harmed in the making of dinner.

We're not eating these to stop climate change, exactly. We're doing it to get used to the changes that will be forced by climate change, or by any real response to it. I hate to break it to you, but we're going to be eating bugs, people. I have climate scientists among my friends, and all say that the disaster we're embroiled in is being massively underreported. We've got eleven years to create a carbon-neutral civilization ... that or we'll be depending on miracles. A few of us privileged folks turning vegan or driving Priuses or signing internet petitions isn't going to change much (people have been at it for decades now).

If you really want to save the world, you have to force the hand of governments. I just joined Extinction Rebellion to throw some of my resources at the problem. I'd suggest doing the same, or finding another direct-action organization with a good track record. Also, worcestershire sauce is a nice addition to the fake beef.

**TdeV** · July 23, 2019

Did someone already mention that the state of Arkansas has outlawed calling veggie burgers "burgers" . . .

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/23/arkansas-veggie-burger-soy-milk-law-ban

WTF?

pastrygirl · July 24, 2019

1 hour ago, TdeV said:

Did someone already mention that the state of Arkansas has outlawed calling veggie burgers "burgers" . . .

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/23/arkansas-veggie-burger-soy-milk-law-ban

WTF?

On one hand, I agree that's ridiculous. Do burgers have to be beef, or can there be turkey burgers, bison burgers, shrimp burgers? I'd define a burger as having a patty made of chopped or ground (whatever) and served on a bun. Veggie burgers are not exactly new, so why start this fight now?

On the other hand, I am tired of people calling non-dairy frozen desserts 'ice cream'. Yeah, it's shorter and still gets the point across but ... maybe I'm more attached to ice cream than to burgers?

**TdeV** · July 24, 2019

14 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

maybe I'm more attached to ice cream than to burgers

Yes, I'm a purist about ice cream too!

paulraphael · July 24, 2019

We had some Impossible Burgers the other day at a fast food place (Bareburger) and it was interesting to compare to our experience of Beyond Burgers. I think the Impossible version tasted a bit more convincingly like a real burger. But it wasn't necessarily better. This had me thinking that simulating beef doesn't have to be the goal. I know that vegetarian places have been serving things like mushroom burgers for a while ... unfortunately I haven't tried them. But it seems like there's an almost unlimited potential for deliciousness with a mushroom burger, especially if you were to bring in some of the tastier mushroom varieties, and maybe incorporate some of the fat technology from the new hi tech burgers. These things could be an umami bomb. I'm imagining a bit of aged parmesan and shallot and sherry vinegar in the mix.

BeeZee · July 24, 2019

I have no desire to eat a "faux meat" vegetarian burger. I enjoy vegetable patties, and in fact as @paulraphael notes, mushroom is excellent for the umami flavor. I buy a frozen mushroom and cheese patty/"burger" from Shop Rite (house brand), it is really tasty and has a pretty firm texture from the minced mushrooms. I can microwave one on a plate for a quick snack, some ketchup on the side doesn't hurt. It would probably do fine on a small bun if you wanted to go that route.

HungryChris · July 28, 2019

The first time I saw Beyond Beef in a market the price was something like $8.50 for 2 and I balked, in spite of my curiosity. Today I happened upon a 2 pack at Aldi for $4.09, so it became lunch. I cooked it on the gas grill.

I was surprised at how much like beef it tasted. Not overly juicy, but not at all dry. I don't eat a lot of burgers, so I doubt it will change much for myself. Still, it was interesting and I will have no problem eating the second one. It did seem to need just a little salt.

HC

Edited July 28, 2019 by HungryChris (log)

rotuts · July 28, 2019

@HungryChris

very interesting. wonder if all ALDI carry them

your I think is V₁

beyond_burger_1-1.png.e758c376ad4dd2f0ee99e60e1df4a24a.png

n.B.: V₂has specs of Beyond Fat , which seems to be hydrogenated coconut fat.

Yum Yum !

hopefully my ALDI will have either version , and @ $ 4.00 Id try them

maybe ALDI cornered the market for the rest of V₁'s ?

HungryChris · July 30, 2019

I stopped in Aldi this afternoon to buy a few things for tomorrow night. I looked for Beyond Meat and saw none. When I asked about it at checkout, I was told it was a Special Buy. "We get a special buy on an item and when it's gone, it's gone." I can only assume they got that good buy on the V1 that @rotuts mentioned above. Glad I got to try it, but don't expect to see it there again.

HC

Edited July 30, 2019 by HungryChris (log)

liamsaunt · July 31, 2019

Last night for dinner my husband and I tried the Beyond Meat sausages for the first time. I do not not eat beef at all and as for pork, only bacon once in a while. Husband eats everything. That's just for some context. I did not realize that there are multiple flavors of this sausage available. I ended up with the "original brat" flavor. Poking around online revealed that many found this flavor a bit bland and the spicy Italian flavor was more highly rated. I found a recommendation to treat it like a regular brat and simmer it in beer before grilling for more flavor. I did that, and added some red pepper flakes to the beer.

The casing for these sausages is made from algae, so when I took the sausages out of the beer bath they were sort of coated in a drippy slimy melty algae mess. I tossed them on a hot grill, where they crisped up immediately. There is a lot of oil in these sausages--I actually had a small fire start on the grill. I had sliced them in half to get more crispy surface texture, so I think a lot of the oil just dripped down in to the grill grates. I served them on warmed pretzel buns with local sauerkraut and grainy mustard.

Verdict: not bad. The texture was firm and not unpleasant. You could definitely sense a little graininess from the pea protein, but it was a nice graininess if that makes sense. I did not think the sausage itself had a lot of flavor, but that was helped by the sauerkraut and mustard. Meat eating husband reported that these sausages bear no resemblance whatsoever to the taste and texture of a pork sausage, but he found it enjoyable anyway as a different and of meal, and said he would definitely eat them again. I am going to try and find the spicy Italian flavor next.

It's hard to make a brat of any kind look appealing--it is all rather brown, but here is a picture anyway.

rotuts · July 31, 2019

@HungryChris

as I thought. unloaded V₁at an attractive price for everyone.

saved me a trip. Hot Hot Hot here anyway.

Ill figure out some other excuse to get more of those Chcolate-w orange bars ...

rotuts · August 7, 2019

Subway jumps on The Wagon :

https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/7/20758429/subway-beyond-meatball-marinara-sub-meatless-restaurant-testing-us-canada

are these chains terrified of something ?

a week or so ago the WSJ had an article on BYND. it for some reason didn't make it to the On-Line versions.

if you read the WSJ , aside from the Murdock #@%)Y_#)%Y@#&^% ,

somewhere in the middle of articles their is a line or two that's worth thinking about.

in the article , they quoted the CEO/Etc. essentially they or he said every thing is Sooooo Rosy. etc

then they quoted a restaurant chain CEO that serves the Burgers.

I am not quoting exactly , but it said , more or less traffic in the restaurants was way up , because people were curious about the burgers.

the boil italics is mine.

as the burgers are more expensive than beef , a pocket-book issue that a trump card

I see penetration in the Markets having a limit , at some point.

interesting to see when that is.

rotuts · August 9, 2019

over here I tried a IF Wopper :

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/29330-burger-king/page/11/?tab=comments#comment-2211422

impossible foods , or impossible meat and you get a zillions hits.

these new foods are very trendy , and want your clicks.

FB , Instant this and instant that

after the curiosity and hype fade , they will for sure be around

just not newsworthy .

as they are more expensive than beef , the price is going to be the Achilles Heel in the long run.

rotuts · August 9, 2019

this food ' sector ' might have big problems w BeyondM and IF :

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/legacy-veggie-burgers-fight-stay-110000252.html

Big Beef won't , once instant gratification satisfies itself.

I wonder if McD is going to be compelled to join in

Im guessing they have long contracts w BegFreshBeef

they don't want to disturb , and way to many items for the Franchise's to deal with properly as it is.

rotuts · August 10, 2019

there is a Wegmans neat me.

with the two story Plan and Cart escalators.

they seem to have ByMt ,

its not at expensive as I thought. I get over their soon and try a Pack

Improved w more SatFat !

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