Enjoyed by vegetarians and meat eaters, Beyond Meat burgers have been all the rage this summer. According to the company, this vegan burger is designed to look and taste just like a beef, “without the health, environmental sustainability and animal welfare concerns of traditional animal-based burgers.” However, nutritionists and dieticians have been warning that this burger is not quite the healthy protein alternative it claims to be. In this month’s newsletter we’ll take a deeper dive into the nutritional profile of the “meatiest” meatless burger.
The Beyond burger contains an impressive 20 grams of protein per patty, which is similar to the amount of protein found in a beef burger. However, the protein comes from processed plant-based ingredients rather than whole foods, such as beans, lentils and nuts. This means that unlike other veggie burgers, the amount of fibre per patty is relatively low. The fat content of the Beyond burger is similar to a traditional beef burger, but the Beyond burger has the added benefit of not containing any cholesterol. High sodium has been a frequent critique. A&W’s Beyond Meat burger, with the bun and sauces, provides 1,110 milligrams or 48% of your daily-recommended sodium. Just the patty contains 380mg of sodium (16% of your daily allowance), which is still quite high.
While a traditional beef patty is made from just one ingredient (beef), Beyond Meat’s plant-based patties include almost 20 ingredients. Many of these ingredients do not boost the nutritional profile of the burger and are included to do one thing: mimic meat. A veggie burger made from whole foods would be a healthier option, such as the one available from Toronto-based vegetarian restaurant Fresh. If you’re looking to make a vegetarian burger at home, check out this recipe from the Minimalist Baker.
Despite being less taxing on the environment, the Beyond burger is a processed food. If you’re eating out and looking to reduce your carbon footprint, then the Beyond burger would be a better choice than a traditional beef patty. My advice is to treat it as an indulgence, and not a vegetarian meal to include in your weekly rotation.