As a vegetarian, I am always on the lookout for new meatless “meat” products to try out. In the last few months, these products have been taking over fast food, sit-down restaurants and the freezer section of your grocery store. Brands such as Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat and Gardein have all gained popularity in recent months. A common complaint of those who are interested in becoming vegan or vegetarian is the lack of convenience they feel that comes with it, but these brands are solving that issue.
This past summer, Beyond Meat began marketing its Beyond Burgers in grocery stores rather than only allowing online purchases in bulk. The burger consists mainly of pea and rice protein, as well as beet juice extract to give it its pink color to resemble an actual burger. With it not being actual meat, the inside of the burger does remain pink even once it is fully cooked. The 4oz patties have 20g of protein and are 250 calories, so they are the perfect addition to any side dish. I am personally a huge fan of this burger because I can bring it to cookouts or other social gatherings and essentially eat like everyone else rather than just picking through the side dishes.
Even more convenient is the Impossible Burger, which is now sold at Burger King. Slightly different than the Beyond Burger, the Impossible Burger is mainly made of soy and potato protein. There is one ingredient, though, that allows the burger to resemble the taste of real meat- heme. Heme is something that is typically found to be carried by the hemoglobin in red meat, but soy plants also carry this heme-containing protein in their roots. Impossible Foods uses this protein in the majority of their products so that they can best resemble the flavor of meat without actually having to harm any animals. “I just like to be able to actually go to a fast food place and be able to order a burger,” says Kaylee Davis who has been pescatarian for two years. Burger King’s new addition to their menu is enjoyed by vegetarians, vegans and even pescatarians.
Gardein, a brand that has been in the freezer section of grocery stores for some time has now begun selling its product to restaurants so that they can add a wider variety of vegan options to their menu. I recently went to a restaurant, The Yard House, whose menu I thought would only have bar food because it looked like any other restaurant that mainly serves burgers and fries. I was extremely excited to open the menu and see an entire section of Gardein options, everything ranging from orange chicken to a grilled chicken sandwich. This restaurant was located right outside of D.C. and it is not surprising to see a larger variety of vegan options at restaurants in larger cities, but it is still very exciting.
Whether you are already meat-free, transitioning, or interested in doing so, meatless products are becoming increasingly popular in the food market. Even if you are not sure about going meat-free, these are still great products to try and integrate into your diet simply for the positive impact it has on the environment.
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Edited by Geena Anderson