Reactions to these veggie burgers?

[Guest]

A couple of weeks ago, I felt I had to try out the Impossible Whopper. At $6.50, it was more expensive than the Whopper proper, and I could have had two grilled chicken sandwiches for $6. The taste was OK, but I would have preferred a Whopper. In looking up the nutritional information:

https://www.bk.com/menu-item/impossible-whopper

it seems that it has just as much saturated fat as the regular whopper, so I'm not sure I see the point from a health perspective. I guess it is better from a global warming perspective (less methane gas produced). The saturated fat comes from artery-clogging coconut oil, which is also, I suppose, which gives it the greasy taste that would remind one of a beef burger. Since there wouldn't be any cost in animal raising, I'm not sure why it's so expensive. I'm happy to have tried it, and everyone at BK seemed to be trying it that day, but next time I think I'll just get the grilled chicken (not that I eat at BK with any frequency--I was just there to try the Impossible Whopper).

It's also interesting to note that there's cholesterol in the impossible burger, so there has to be some animal product in it. I'm not sure if that's because it's fried in beef fat or butter or what.

[+ FreshFluff]

I'm a veggie burger fan, but I prefer the original grain/legume ones. They're harder to find now.

[nate_sf]

I prefer the Beyond Meat burger to the Impossible burger, but like @FreshFluff I am also a fan of the original veggie variety (especially black bean burgers). With Impossible burgers, I think you're right the benefit is not health or nutrition, it's being able to have something that is not meat for either environmental or animal welfare reasons. I had initially thought the cholesterol comes from the coconut and sunflower oil, but that’s not correct.

 

Impossible burgers are available at Burger King and other restaurants, but not the grocery store yet. I'm guessing the price differential is from the smaller scale of production compared to the larger scale of beef production, since they're still trying to scale up to meet demand. Maybe the cost of the ingredients is more too, but that's just a guess.

 

Beyond Meat burgers are in the grocery store and at Carl's Jrs. Unlike the Impossible burger, the Beyond Meat burger does not have soy; the protein is from pea protein, canola oil, and coconut oil.

 

I find both the Impossible and Beyond burgers to be really convincing, almost creepily so. So for someone wanting to reduce or eliminate meat from their diet they're compelling.

Edited September 9, 2019 by nate_sf

[Guest]

...

 

Beyond Meat burgers are in the grocery store and at Carl's Jrs. Unlike the Impossible burger, the Beyond Meat burger does not have soy; the protein is from pea protein, canola oil, and coconut oil.

 

If true, the Beyond Famous Star seems to have no saturated fat, per the Carl's Jr website:

"NUTRITIONAL INFO

ORIGINAL*

Serving Size 311g

Calories 710

Calories from Fat 360

Fat 40g

Saturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 30mg

Sodium 1550mg

Carbohydrates 61g

Dietary Fiber 5g

Sugars 12g

Protein 30g"

However, this month's edition of Consumer Reports states that the Beyond Burger patty has 8 grams of saturated fat. I would tend to believe CR....

[MikeBiDude]

My take earlier:

https://www.companyofmen.org/threads/is-it-time-to-put-a-tax-on-meat-germany-is-already-doing-it.151119/post-1766219

[+ azdr0710]

had an Impossible Burger for an impossibly expensive price at a Wahlburger's on the Las Vegas Strip a couple weeks ago......$18.95 not including fries or nuttin'......admittedly, I was part of a captive hungry audience walking the Strip........as @nate_sf suggests above, there is not much about these that is healthier or unhealthier than real beef......just a preference for vegetarians, etc.....the burger tasted entirely fine and I didn't gag.....wasn't incredibly remarkable, but my main concern was the $34 I paid for a burger, fries, and a beer.....I presume these prices are not reflective of non-Strip locations!

 

https://wahlburgers.com/impossibleburger

Edited September 9, 2019 by azdr0710

[jjkrkwood]

I also tried The burger king fake burger for $11.00 meal price and wrote about it weeks ago. I found the taste OK, it did taste like the Real BK meat burger, but I found it incredibly DRY.... You bite into it and no "fat juice" comes oozing out, and that's the best part... Would I repeat ? NO..... I am staying a MEAT guy....you only live once !

[+ bigjoey]

If true, the Beyond Famous Star seems to have no saturated fat, per the Carl's Jr website:

"NUTRITIONAL INFO

ORIGINAL*

Serving Size 311g

Calories 710

Calories from Fat 360

Fat 40g

Saturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 30mg

Sodium 1550mg

Carbohydrates 61g

Dietary Fiber 5g

Sugars 12g

Protein 30g"

However, this month's edition of Consumer Reports states that the Beyond Burger patty has 8 grams of saturated fat. I would tend to believe CR....

 

In addition to the cholesterol and fat issues, look at the sodium :(

[MrMattBig]

I know for some, the benefit is more about avoiding and being sensitive to meat products. For a lot of folks, eating red meat after not doing so for a while will make you sick. I have tried this once or twice before for 6 months to a year, and when I ate a burger again, it was horrible. I wonder with this growing fad, how many consumers are actually red meat sensitive and how many are just following along. Because from a macronutrient standpoint, it's no different than just eating the regular tasty burger.

[+ OliverSaks]

The cholesterol listed on the impossible whopper on the BK website comes from the mayo, which vegans have them leave out.

 

There are no plant sources of cholesterol afaik

 

Meat and dairy are heavily subsidized, which I think is why they cost less - Big Meat / Big Dairy lobbies are strong.

 

thermodynamically, it just doesn’t make sense that eating food we feed to animals could be more expensive than eating the meat from the animals

 

The price of plant-based meat replacements will continue to go down as big meat suppliers like Tyson are getting into the game to cash in on this new trend. I don’t think it is a fad, as young people are faced with the realities of the environmental destruction caused by factory farming. This is a part of the future that I look forward to :-)

 

Beyond > Impossible, imo, but I’m with @FreshFluff in preferring legume / nutty types of burgers - sunflower beet burgers at a raw restaurant near me are top notch

[+ PapaTony]

I’m glad others are realizing plant-based / vegan diets are not necessarily healthy. I’ve been fully vegan going on three years but following an artery cleansing low fat diet, consuming less than 25 grams of fat daily (as close to 0 saturated fat as possible) promoted by Dr. Ornish and other lifestyle medicine practitioners.

[jjkrkwood]

While I will eat mostly chicken, I see nothing wrong with an occasional meat meal. For taste value alone, nothing beats meat....but over-indulgence of anything is not good for you, so balance is the key. And I don't FRY, I bake.... to avoid any added fats. I've already had 2 stents inserted in my heart for blockages, so I am very cautious with what I eat and how I cook now.

[+ PapaTony]

While I will eat mostly chicken, I see nothing wrong with an occasional meat meal. For taste value alone, nothing beats meat....but over-indulgence of anything is not good for you, so balance is the key. And I don't FRY, I bake.... to avoid any added fats. I've already had 2 stents inserted in my heart for blockages, so I am very cautious with what I eat and how I cook now.

You might appreciate these:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Undo-Lifestyle-Changes-Reverse-Diseases/dp/052547997X

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ornishs-Program-Reversing-Heart-Disease/dp/0804110387

[jjkrkwood]

[DallasClient]

I do like the impossible burger. It tastes just like meat. While it's not much healthier than real meat, it's much easier on the environment which is where they are trying to make an impact. It's much more eco friendly than beef.

[jjkrkwood]

You might appreciate these:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Undo-Lifestyle-Changes-Reverse-Diseases/dp/052547997X

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ornishs-Program-Reversing-Heart-Disease/dp/0804110387

 

Thank you @PapaTony . I've read tons of books and watched scores of videos, but I've come to know heart disease is genetic....And BOTH my parents had it and died of heart attacks.... So the best I can do is follow my trusted doctors orders and follow a cautious diet. But you have to enjoy what you eat also, so I allow myself some "cheat" days for indulgences. Now, let the chips fall where they may.

[+ PapaTony]

Thank you @PapaTony . I've read tons of books and watched scores of videos, but I've come to know heart disease is genetic....And BOTH my parents had it and died of heart attacks.... So the best I can do is follow my trusted doctors orders and follow a cautious diet. But you have to enjoy what you eat also, so I allow myself some "cheat" days for indulgences. Now, let the chips fall where they may.

I wish you only the best and you have to do what’s right for you but new info on this indicates genetics only play a small role (about 5%).

Both my parents also had heart disease and bypass surgeries yet my health is improving following the Ornish program. There are still an unfortunately large percentage of doctors who don’t understand the value or reality of reversing heart disease with diet and lifestyle but fortunately that’s changing albeit slowly.

Ornish has been proven clinically over the past 40 years and has operational clinics throughout the country including UCLA medical center in LA.

[Gadfly22]

It seems that it has just as much saturated fat as the regular whopper, so I'm not sure I see the point from a health perspective. I guess it is better from a global warming perspective (less methane gas produced).

I do like the impossible burger. It tastes just like meat. While it's not much healthier than real meat, it's much easier on the environment.

That being the case I'll continue to eat real burgers and just buy some carbon credits! :p:p:p

[Guest]

I wish you only the best and you have to do what’s right for you but new info on this indicates genetics only play a small role (about 5%).

Both my parents also had heart disease and bypass surgeries yet my health is improving following the Ornish program. There are still an unfortunately large percentage of doctors who don’t understand the value or reality of reversing heart disease with diet and lifestyle...

 

Well, I hate to tell you that while diet and exercise are hugely important, the genetic factor is more than 5%... I hope for your sake that your parents were smokers, and you aren't. I don't think that there are a lot of doctors out there who don't understand the importance of lifestyle modifications. I spend the greater part of the day giving people great advice that people won't take. Sometimes I feel like Cassandra. Of course, some do listen.

There's no doubt that an Ornish lifestyle leads to a longer life. I try to exercise and eat healthily to a greatest extent. At some point, however, quality of life is more important than absolute quantity, and I can't do that 100% of the time. When I retire, which hopefully will be pretty soon, I hope to exercise even more than I do now. My sister, the genetic sleuth, recently (last week-end) told me that my biological father lived to 91 and died of a broken hip. My mother just died at 89 of a rare non-genetic cancer. I also just found out that I have quite a few biological half brothers and sisters. Apparently my biological father must have been quite the charmer.

I remember Jim Fixx, from the 1980s, who was a fitness guru, but died at the age of 52 while jogging. His father had died of a heart attack at the age of 43.

[+ Charlie]

Well, I hate to tell you that while diet and exercise are hugely important, the genetic factor is more than 5%... I hope for your sake that your parents were smokers, and you aren't. I don't think that there are a lot of doctors out there who don't understand the importance of lifestyle modifications. I spend the greater part of the day giving people great advice that people won't take. Sometimes I feel like Cassandra. Of course, some do listen.

There's no doubt that an Ornish lifestyle leads to a longer life. I try to exercise and eat healthily to a greatest extent. At some point, however, quality of life is more important than absolute quantity, and I can't do that 100% of the time. When I retire, which hopefully will be pretty soon, I hope to exercise even more than I do now. My sister, the genetic sleuth, recently (last week-end) told me that my biological father lived to 91 and died of a broken hip. My mother just died at 89 of a rare non-genetic cancer. I also just found out that I have quite a few biological half brothers and sisters. Apparently my biological father must have been quite the charmer.

I remember Jim Fixx, from the 1980s, who was a fitness guru, but died at the age of 52 while jogging. His father had died of a heart attack at the age of 43.

At least one male in every generation of my mother's family seems to inherit a congenital heart condition, but it skips around in odd ways. My grandfather died of it at 55, and his grandson (my cousin) died of it at 30, yet my uncle (the male in the middle) lived to 91 with no heart problems. Luckily, I have never had any heart issues.

[Rudynate]

I had some sort of substitute burger, probably beyond beef, at a restaurant a few weeks ago. I thought it was excellent. The taste wasn't completely convincing but I was juicy and overall very good. It was close enough so that if one was motivated, it would be a reasonable substitute for real burgers. My favorite lunch or casual dinner has been a burger and fries for years. My bodybuilding coach encourages me to have a burger and fries as a cheat meal every couple of weeks. I'm thinking seriously about the substitute burger. This is only the first wave of convincing meat substitutes. I'm eager to see what develops in the next few years. It all reminds me of some futuristic novel I read long ago that was very similar to Brave New World. Only the very wealthy ate real meat. Everyone else ate "syntho-steaks."

[Epigonos]

I am a total and complete carnivore. I eat primarily chicken and beef but on occasion add pork, lamb or turkey. It will be a VERY cold day in hell when I start or even try eating vegetable substitutes for meat. An interesting aside to this ever increasing emphasis on growing vegetables to produce meat substitutes is that it is placing a huge burden on the world's water supply. Countries like Pakistan and India are already facing major water shortages and crisis within the next decade.

I love fresh vegetables, of all types, and eat them with my various meats daily. I don’t eat much fruit as I’m not a sweet fan. The only medication I take daily is a small dose of Lipitor for a slightly elevated cholesterol and Naproxen for arthritis. I over salt all of my food but my blood pressure is perfect without medication.

My father died at 81 eating anything he wanted and smoking two packs of cigarettes a day plus drinking daily a six-pack of beer and a pint of bourbon – not all that bad. His parents, however lived to be 94 (mother) and 96 (father). My mother died at 91, in her sleep) and ate generally a well-balanced diet.

Frankly I don’t give a damn that some believe that cows farting methane is harming the environment. My idea of a perfect death is having a fatal heart attack at 95 or 96 with a blood rare steak in one hand and a good glass of red wine in the other. I will be 79 next month.

[jawjateck]

I am a total and complete carnivore. I eat primarily chicken and beef but on occasion add pork, lamb or turkey. It will be a VERY cold day in hell when I start or even try eating vegetable substitutes for meat. An interesting aside to this ever increasing emphasis on growing vegetables to produce meat substitutes is that it is placing a huge burden on the world's water supply. Countries like Pakistan and India are already facing major water shortages and crisis within the next decade.

I love fresh vegetables, of all types, and eat them with my various meats daily. I don’t eat much fruit as I’m not a sweet fan. The only medication I take daily is a small dose of Lipitor for a slightly elevated cholesterol and Naproxen for arthritis. I over salt all of my food but my blood pressure is perfect without medication.

My father died at 81 eating anything he wanted and smoking two packs of cigarettes a day plus drinking daily a six-pack of beer and a pint of bourbon – not all that bad. His parents, however lived to be 94 (mother) and 96 (father). My mother died at 91, in her sleep) and ate generally a well-balanced diet.

Frankly I don’t give a damn that some believe that cows farting methane is harming the environment. My idea of a perfect death is having a fatal heart attack at 95 or 96 with a blood rare steak in one hand and a good glass of red wine in the other. I will be 79 next month.

 

I'm already savoring the next meaty meal prepared in your kitchen......yum yum!

[MikeBiDude]

It all reminds me of some futuristic novel I read long ago that was very similar to Brave New World. Only the very wealthy ate real meat. Everyone else ate "syntho-steaks."

Or....”Soylent Green”...

[Rudynate]

Or....”Soylent Green”...

 

 

There was a famous freeway stop around Vacaville called the "Nut Tree" that is no longer there. When you went into the restaurant there were greeters wearing uniforms that resembled nurse uniforms. They always made me think of the greeters in Soylent Green who walked people to the reception desk to sign up to be offed.