Plant-based burgers aren't a health food. That's a good thing.
"Lets 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 Wendys menu isnt their most popular item? Im glad they offer it, but nobody goes to McDonalds for the fruit. They go there for greasy, good ol-fashioned Americana. The things we humans likelots of fat, salt, sugar, etc.arent good for us. Evidence clearly suggests that a surefire way to turn a consumer off from eating your food is to let them know its 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. Its 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.)
CrispyQ
(38,025 posts)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
(740 posts)Our favorites are Meatless Meatballs, Fishless Filets, Turkey Cutlets and the Burgers. They all taste good.
yewberry
(6,530 posts)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
(10,795 posts)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)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
(10,795 posts)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
(37,325 posts)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
(10,795 posts)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)Me.
(35,454 posts)is b/c the fat content is very high
yewberry
(6,530 posts)But that's sort of the point. I mean, fried pickles are often vegan, but they're never health food!
mitch96
(14,583 posts)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
eppur_se_muova
(37,325 posts)iemanja
(54,553 posts)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
(38,025 posts)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
(54,553 posts)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.