Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

yewberry

(6,530 posts)
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 03:07 PM Feb 2021

Plant-based burgers aren't a health food. That's a good thing.

"Let’s get real: The idea that most people actually want to eat healthy food is a joke. Would you be surprised to learn that the salad on Wendy’s menu isn’t their most popular item? I’m glad they offer it, but nobody goes to McDonald’s for the fruit. They go there for greasy, good ol’-fashioned Americana. The things we humans like—lots of fat, salt, sugar, etc.—aren’t good for us. Evidence clearly suggests that a surefire way to turn a consumer off from eating your food is to let them know it’s healthy.

"In other words, the reason Impossible and Beyond products have taken off in a way that earlier, vegetarian-targeted brands such as Boca and Gardein never quite did is not their nutritional profile. It’s the fact that they actually taste good. The great opportunity of these innovative, super-realistic meat alternatives is their potential to convince die-hard meat eaters that they can, in fact, eat satisfying and delicious food without relying on animals. Making comfort food healthier at the expense of taste decreases the chances that consumers will make the switch, and reinforces the message that plant-based food is for health nuts and hippies."

https://www.fastcompany.com/90606065/plant-based-burgers-arent-a-health-food-thats-a-good-thing

A perspective for the next time someone asks you, "Why do they make that stuff that looks like meat?"

(And also, it makes it more fun to go to picnics...once, in the bad old days, I was served corn on a bun (LOOSE CORN ON A HOT DOG BUN, PEOPLE) as the veg option.)

17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Plant-based burgers aren't a health food. That's a good thing. (Original Post) yewberry Feb 2021 OP
(LOOSE CORN ON A HOT DOG BUN, PEOPLE) CrispyQ Feb 2021 #1
We like Gardein too Ritabert Feb 2021 #4
Yes, the Gardein meatballs are a hit around here, too. yewberry Feb 2021 #6
As for me Jilly_in_VA Feb 2021 #2
Everyone has to do what works for them. yewberry Feb 2021 #7
I hear ya Jilly_in_VA Feb 2021 #10
Um ... you mean seitan (made from gluten)? Tempeh is more soy, so both are out. eppur_se_muova Feb 2021 #12
Mushrooms are cool Jilly_in_VA Feb 2021 #14
;-{) Goonch Feb 2021 #3
Unpossible! yewberry Feb 2021 #8
THe Reason Those Burgers Taste So Good Me. Feb 2021 #5
It is very high for vegan food, yes. yewberry Feb 2021 #9
"the fat content is very high". The industrial food complex has the formula.. mitch96 Feb 2021 #11
That's almost the title of a book ... eppur_se_muova Feb 2021 #13
14 grams of fat per serving iemanja Aug 2021 #15
Vegetarians are not the market for Impossible & Beyond Meat products. CrispyQ Aug 2021 #16
Plant-based is a term applied to people who adopt a vegan diet iemanja Aug 2021 #17

CrispyQ

(38,266 posts)
1. (LOOSE CORN ON A HOT DOG BUN, PEOPLE)
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 03:23 PM
Feb 2021


That cracked me up. I once complained to HR that there were no veggie sandwiches offered at the company picnic & the German potato salad had bacon in it. The woman I'd complained to said, "Then eat the pork & beans. You can eat beans, can't you?"

Personally I've been happy with Gardein products.

Ritabert

(745 posts)
4. We like Gardein too
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 04:58 PM
Feb 2021

Our favorites are Meatless Meatballs, Fishless Filets, Turkey Cutlets and the Burgers. They all taste good.

yewberry

(6,530 posts)
6. Yes, the Gardein meatballs are a hit around here, too.
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 05:45 PM
Feb 2021

Most mock meats are too weird for me, but those are neat.

I once worked for a vegan family and they took all the employees out on a field trip to a ballpark for a baseball game. I don't know how they arranged it, but we were allowed to bring in our own hot dogs and cookies. Beyond that one awesome employer, I learned to always bring a dish big enough for sharing to every work event.

Jilly_in_VA

(10,889 posts)
2. As for me
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 03:32 PM
Feb 2021

I wish that ANY of them were made with something that did not result in (ahem) extremely unpleasant side effects. The Boca, Morningstar Farms, and Gardein are all made with soy protein, to which I react in a most unpleasant way. You do not want to know. I had real hopes for the Beyond Burger, as it is made with something else...pea protein. OMG....an hour later, and in a most difficult place, too. Now, the fake chicken that is made with Quorn is not TOO bad. (But please don't suggest tempeh...I also have a gluten sensitivity.) Life has become difficult as my immune system has overreacted to 4 major abdominal surgeries in 9 months.

yewberry

(6,530 posts)
7. Everyone has to do what works for them.
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 05:47 PM
Feb 2021

I'm pretty sure I've got a bead on your unpleasant experiences. When people think I won't "find out" that there are hidden ingredients, the results can be pretty spectacular. Eek.

Jilly_in_VA

(10,889 posts)
10. I hear ya
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 06:30 PM
Feb 2021

I have a friend who is worse off than me. She's allergic to about half the foods in the world...dairy, gluten, tree nuts, peanuts, and probably more that I don't know about by now. Hives and digestive symptoms. Yikes.

eppur_se_muova

(37,403 posts)
12. Um ... you mean seitan (made from gluten)? Tempeh is more soy, so both are out.
Sun Feb 28, 2021, 03:14 PM
Feb 2021

Sounds rough. I've never tried Qorn, but will make a mental note in case it proves handy to know.

How are mushrooms for you ? Qorn is made from a fungus, so mushrooms should be similar, I would think (mushroom Stroganoff and mushroom souvlaki are two of my best dishes). There's a new product sold as Meati which I haven't tried -- know anything about it ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=fake+meat+from+mushrooms

Jilly_in_VA

(10,889 posts)
14. Mushrooms are cool
Sun Feb 28, 2021, 06:19 PM
Feb 2021

I love portabella burgers. They react kind of negatively on spousal unit, however. We're struggling a bit over what to do about Great Lent this year...usually we go vegetarian, but my current GI problems may earn me a dispensation this year. I am going to have to see what I can do between now and our Ash Wednesday, which is March 17. (Pascha is late this year, May 2).

yewberry

(6,530 posts)
9. It is very high for vegan food, yes.
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 05:51 PM
Feb 2021

But that's sort of the point. I mean, fried pickles are often vegan, but they're never health food!

mitch96

(14,658 posts)
11. "the fat content is very high". The industrial food complex has the formula..
Sat Feb 27, 2021, 06:51 PM
Feb 2021

Fat, Salt and Sugar.. Throw them together and the world will beat a path to your door. You want low fat? add more salt and sugar. Low sugar? add more fat and salt.. etc.
No wonder we have a epidemic of sick fat people... YMMV
m

iemanja

(54,786 posts)
15. 14 grams of fat per serving
Tue Aug 17, 2021, 11:23 PM
Aug 2021

in an Impossible or Beyond burger. That's high, and it's also why they taste good. It's not high compared to meat, but it is high compared to most plant-based (non-processed) foods.

CrispyQ

(38,266 posts)
16. Vegetarians are not the market for Impossible & Beyond Meat products.
Fri Aug 20, 2021, 12:07 PM
Aug 2021

I checked them out & the fat content is way higher than most veg meat alternatives. Also, at my local grocery store, Impossible & BM are stocked in the meat department, & not at the edge, but right in the middle. And they mimic meat packaging by putting it on a tray with plastic wrap around it. The products have their own case, but I go out of my way to avoid walking through any meat department. I think a lot of vegetarians do.

I find it interesting, too, that the term plant-based is being used over vegetarian. Does that make meat eaters more comfortable buying the product?

iemanja

(54,786 posts)
17. Plant-based is a term applied to people who adopt a vegan diet
Fri Aug 20, 2021, 03:24 PM
Aug 2021

but may still wear leather shoes, etc. Impossible and Beyond didn't invent it.
I lot of vegan creators on YouTube use the term. It typically is whole foods rather than processed foods like the burgers.

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Vegetarian, Vegan and Animal Rights»Plant-based burgers aren'...