There’s lots of hype about the new Beyond Meat^TM products, so naturally, we should make sure we’re making informed decisions about what we’re eating! Let’s take a look:

Ingredient Comparison

Beyond Burger^TM Ingredients:

• Water, pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, rice protein, natural flavours, cocoa butter, mung bean protein, methylcellulose, potato starch, apple extract, salt, potassium chloride, vinegar, lemon juice concentrate, sunflower lecithin, pomegranate fruit powder, beet juice extract (for color).

Breakdown of the Beyond Burger^TM ingredients

• These ingredients are free from the top preservatives, thickeners, and other “junk” that are often found in “alternative” products.
• I’m impressed they used natural extracts for colouring instead of the cheaper and more common route of using red dye #4, which is found in many pre-made beef burgers and sausages.
• I never love the words “natural flavours”, and canola oil isn’t the healthiest choice, but I understand the need to create a similar texture to beef using fats.
• Overall, it’s better than most pre-made burgers on the market, but not as great as a home-made beef burger (*insert plug for turkey burgers here*).

Nutrition info comparison

Beyond Burger^TM, 4oz

• Calories 250
• Total fat 18g
  • Saturated fat 6g
  • Trans fat 0g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 390mg
• Total Carb 3g
  • Fiber 2g
  • Sugars 0g
• Protein 20g
• Calcium 8%
• Iron 25%

Comparison #1: Lean Ground Beef*, 4oz

*NOTE: Most burgers aren’t made of just 4oz of lean ground beef! If you buy pre-made burgers, please read the label and see Comparison #2 below.

• Calories 284
• Total fat 17.5g
  • Saturated fat 7g
  • Trans fat 0g
• Cholesterol 102mg
• Sodium 82mg
• Total carb 0g
  • Fibre 0g
  • Sugar 0g
• Protein 29g
• Calcium 2%
• Iron 16%

Comparison #2: PC Thick and Juicy Beef Burgers (note, this is 6oz… most burgers are bigger than the 4oz in Beyond Burgers^TM!)

• Calories 441
• Total fat 17g
  • Saturated fat 7g
  • Trans fat 0g
• Cholesterol 105mg
• Sodium 547mg
• Carbs 0g
  • Fibre 0g
  • Sugar 0g
• Calcium 3%
• Iron 16%

Breakdown of the nutritional information:

• Typically, we don’t make just plain lean ground beef into burgers, and if we do, we consume more than 4oz. So total calories tend to be higher for beef than Beyond.
• Total protein of the real stuff is higher than its plant counterpart, but both meet my minimum requirement for most people of 20g of protein per meal.
• The biggest shock is that they’re comparable in fat profiles, so if you’re think you’re cutting down on fats, think again. However, I can’t stress enough that as long as there are no trans fats, I’m okay on the amount and type of fat in both product options. Fat doesn’t make us fat!
• A huge win for Beyond is that it is significantly lower in cholesterol when compared with beef burgers. If you have cholesterol concerns, consider choosing Beyond more often.
• One thing that may be misleading is the amount of iron and calcium. I love that Beyond has fortified their product so that we can eat it without missing out on some key nutrients. However, nutrition labels don’t have to list things like B vitamins (most v/veg are deficient in vitamin B12) and most minerals, all of which are most likely much higher in beef burgers than Beyond.
• Bottom line: it’s not a perfect match to the nutrients we get from animal proteins, but they’ve done a great job of creating a comparable product to beef, and a far superior job when compared with most other v/veg “burger” patties on the market.

Other considerations in favour of the Beyond Burger ^TM

• More environmentally sustainable than a beef burger
• It’s gluten-free and soy-free, and is verified non-GMO
• The high protein content makes it leaps and bounds better than most other v/veg “burger” replacement products.
• A healthier decision for people with high cholesterol, heart disease risk, and gout.
• I think it tastes pretty darn good!

Is this really helping our vegan/vegetarian friends?

• V/veg often don’t want something that looks and has the texture of meat
• My guess is that it has a lower B12 and mineral content compared with beef, so we need to continue to remind ourselves this is not a perfect substitute, and v/veg need to eat a wide variety of protein sources
• Often prepared on the same grill as meat products, so many v/veg and people who don’t eat beef for religious reasons may choose to abstain

Dr. Chambers’ overall assessment:

• I think the media attention and wide availability of Beyond Meat is spearheading a cultural shift toward healthier and more sustainable food choices becoming more accessible and accepted by the general population.
• Although it isn’t a perfect match for animal-protein, it is the closest thing to a healthy meat-less alternative that meat-eaters can embrace without too much upset to their regular mealtime routines.
• This product gets my stamp of approval as part of a healthy diet for meat-lovers and v/veg alike.

 

*Dr. Chambers is in no way affiliated with Beyond or any aspect of the food industry.