By now, you’ve likely heard of the plant-based meat alternatives from Impossible Burger or Beyond Burger. And if you’re wondering how they stack up, I’ve got you covered!
Let me be very clear that the purpose of these burgers is not to be healthier from a macronutrient or caloric perspective, but to offer an alternative to meat that tastes comparable. I’m not implying that any option is healthier than the other, as I know many people have reasons for opting for meat alternatives. But I like to talk about nutrition, so that’s what we are going to do!
Strictly from a macro standpoint, the two plant-based burgers are very similar to an 85/15 beef patty. An 80/20 beef is what you’ll find used most often at restaurants. In a lot of cases, the thought of something being plant-based makes it sound like it would look quite different nutritionally, but that is not the case here. If you do eat meat, then a leaner beef will still be your best bet in terms of macronutrients- you can go leaner than 90/10, but you lose a lot of flavor.
Not sure what the plant-based burgers actually are? Well, the Impossible Burger is essentially a meat alternative that’s made in a lab to taste and cook (or “bleed”) like real meat. While it’s technically plant-based, it’s mostly made up of genetically engineered soy protein. The Beyond Burger does not contain any soy, and gets most of its protein from pea and rice protein. The “bleeding” it does simply comes from beets.
I’ve tried both plant-based burgers, and they were only okay to me. If I truly wanted a plant-based burger, I’d stick with a black bean burger- I actually love those when they’re done correctly! I’m not a vegan, but I respect a good veggie burger.
Have you tried these burgers? How do you feel about them?
