What is really in that plant-based burger? (2023)

What exactly is in plant-based burgers?

Ingredients commonly found in plant-based meats include legumes, like soybeans or lentils; grains such as quinoa; vegetable proteins (commonly pea protein); coconut oil; and vital wheat gluten, better known as seitan.

The foundational elements in plant-based meat are a protein of some sort (like tofu, tempeh, or soy), plant oils (like sunflower or canola oil), and a vegan binding agent (like gluten, aquafaba, or beans.)

Impossible Foods makes a gluten-free burger made largely of soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, and sunflower oil, along with genetically engineered heme that gives it its meat-like quality. Beyond Meat, on the other hand, is mostly built on pea protein, expeller-pressed canola oil, coconut oil, and seasonings.

Water, soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, sunflower oil, natural flavors, 2% or less of potato protein, methylcellulose, yeast extract, cultured dextrose, food starch modified, soy leghemoglobin, salt, mixed tocopherols (antioxidant), soy protein isolate, zinc gluconate, thiamine hydrochloride (vitamin B1), niacin, ...

Plant-based meat alternatives have a lot going for them: They can help you reduce your meat intake, which may lower your risk for health problems, and they can lessen your carbon footprint. But, they're not exactly health foods because they are processed and still contain saturated fat and sodium.

The McPlant burger uses a patty made from peas, rice and potatoes that mimics the taste and texture of beef. Toppings include mayonnaise and American cheese. Customers in the two test markets will be able to buy the burger for a limited time, while supplies last.

Meat products, like beef, bacon and sausage, come from animal sources, like pigs (pork), cows (beef) and chicken. Plant-based meat, on the other hand, may look and taste like your favorite meats, but it is made from a variety of meat-free ingredients, like soy, pea, wheat gluten, pulses or even jackfruit.

A black bean burger is the go-to choice for those looking for a high-protein veggie burger that isn't overly processed. These patties contain 150 calories, 5g protein, 7g fat, 16g carbohydrates, and 7g fiber each. The ingredients are simple with black and beans and quinoa making up the base of the burger.

Though the base of plant-based meats is a plant (usually soybeans, peas, and/or wheat), these ingredients have been highly processed. In most cases the main ingredients are stripped down to high-protein, low-fiber, colorless powders mixed with preservatives, oils, natural or artificial coloring, gums, and seasonings.

The Impossible Burger is made from soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, sunflower oil, potato protein, methylcellulose, yeast extract, salt, gums, and water and additives, including vitamin B12, zinc, vitamin B6, thiamin (B1) and niacin. The ingredient that gives an Impossible Burger the taste of meat is heme.

Is Impossible Burger really healthy?

When compared to a 4 oz serving of 80/20 ground beef*, Impossible Burger is equal to or better than its animal meat counterpart in the following ways: Contains the same amount of protein as 80/20 beef. Has equivalent or greater amounts of many micronutrients, like 8X more calcium. Has 39% less total fat.

Whereas the Impossible Burger is slightly lower in calories and fat, the Beyond Burger contains fewer carbs. Both have similar amounts of sodium and provide around 25% of the Daily Value (DV) of iron.

Is Methylcellulose a Safe Ingredient? Using methylcellulose as a food additive is approved by the FDA. According to a request made by the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also concluded that methylcellulose in food is safe for humans and animals.

You might be surprised to see so much saturated fat in a plant-based burger – it comes from added coconut oil for flavor. And while the plant and grain burgers have less total protein, it's a double-duty nutrient boost with 6 grams of naturally-occurring fiber, about 25 percent of your daily need.

However, there is a growing trend toward plant-based meat alternatives, most of which are to be classified as ultra-processed food (UPF).

Vegan Cheese Alternative

Ingredients: Water, Coconut Oil (23%), Tapioca Starch, Pea Protein, Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Stabiliser (Carrageenan), Natural Flavourings, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Preservative (Sorbic Acid), Colours (Paprika Extract, Carotenes), Anti-caking Agent (Sunflower Lecithins).

McPlant™ A vegan burger made with a juicy plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat® featuring vegan sandwich sauce, ketchup, mustard, onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and a vegan alternative to cheese in a sesame seed bun. Vegan certified.

Some plant-based meat alternatives contain genetically engineered proteins, and although genetically modified ingredients have been evaluated for safety and are unlikely to cause adverse reactions, some consumers avoid products that contain them.

Plant-based meat is not the same as lab-based meat. Instead, it replicates the taste and texture of actual beef, sausage, and other meats without using any animal products. They achieve this by using special recipes and cooking procedures.

Plant-based meats are made from a variety of non-animal ingredients, depending on the brand. Common base components include soy, peas, beans, mushrooms, mung beans, wheat gluten, coconut oil, and rice.

Who has the best plant based burger?

But faux-meat products like Beyond Burger aren't perfect. “They're highly-processed foods and typically are high in sodium, which could be a problem for people with high blood pressure,” she adds.

Animal products contain high amounts of fat, a likely cause of inflammation. However, plant foods are low in fat, so eating these foods doesn't cause a huge inflammatory reaction.

Studies focusing on the healthiness of plant-based products also found they tend to have better nutritional profiles compared to animal products, with one paper finding that 40% of conventional meat products were classified as 'less healthy' compared to just 14% of plant-based alternatives based on the UK's Nutrient ...

Legume-based products (soybeans, black beans, lentils) – which are a key ingredient in many veggie burgers – may be harder to digest and can worsen these symptoms. Compare the grams of fat and saturated fat. Some of the newer burger substitutes have almost as much fat as a traditional beef burger.

The Downside of Meatless Burgers

In the Beyond Burger, there is canola oil, which is high in omega-6 fatty acids that are associated with increased inflammation.

Beyond Meat, products could be making you have flatulence (gas) because of the ingredients. ... Yeast extract and Dried Yeast can also do the same result in people, causing extreme gastrointestinal issues such as bloating, diarrhea, flatulence (gas), and stomach discomfort.

The Impossible Burger will also start appearing in grocery stores this year: In January, Impossible Food announced it changed the recipe for its burger to make it easier for home cooks to use and to increase its nutritional value. (Plastic is not one of the new ingredients.)

The Impossible Burger, the Beyond Burger and other faux meat products are plant-based but highly processed.

They are both high in protein and iron, as well as low in cholesterol. However, the Impossible burger edges out Beyond because it also contains essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12.

Why do vegans eat fake meat?

At the end of the day, some vegans eat plant-based meats simply because they taste good. Brands like Gardein, Beyond Meat, Tofurky, MorningStar, Sweet Earth, and more are working to make these tasty meats as accessible, delicious, and flexible as their animal-based counterparts.

The Impossible Burger is a plant-based patty that tastes almost exactly like meat. However, is it vegan? While we can confirm that no animal-derived ingredients are used in the production of Impossible Burgers, we can't be too sure you'll consider them 100% vegan. In short, it all depends on your own standards.

652 Cal. A flame-grilled, plant-based patty with juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, creamy mayonnaise, ketchup, crunchy pickles, and sliced white onions on a toasted sesame seed bun. *Patty cooked on the same broiler as beef patties.

A meat substitute, also called a meat analogue, approximates certain aesthetic qualities (primarily texture, flavor and appearance) or chemical characteristics of a specific meat. Substitutes are often based on soybeans (such as tofu and tempeh), gluten, or peas.

Microbial Food Safety Risk of Plant-Based Foods

Plant-based meat alternatives are generally not associated with pathogenic disease concerns, but these products can still cause foodborne illness. They can become contaminated with pathogens via contact with contaminated sources of animal manure, water, or other foods.

Yes. A plant-based diet is considered to be nutrient-dense and packed with fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is a very healthy way of eating and can meet all of your nutrient needs.

Some recipes contain vegetables, nuts, and seeds, along with the vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre they provide. Others even have added nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron and zinc naturally found in animal food sources.

This medication is used to treat constipation. It increases the bulk in your stool, an effect that helps to cause movement of the intestines. It also works by increasing the amount of water in the stool, making the stool softer and easier to pass.

Methylcellulose is a bulk-forming laxative that increases the amount of water in your stools to help make them softer and easier to pass. Methylcellulose is used to treat constipation and to help maintain regular bowel movements.

Methylcellulose is a compound used as a bulk forming laxative and is not an approved medication.

Are plant-based burgers processed food?

Though plant-based meats are made from a lot of processed ingredients, they are better for the environment and animal welfare, and they often taste a lot like meat.

True veggie burgers are made from vegetables and a small amount of binders. Plant based burgers are meat substitutes and often have a lot of manmade ingredients.

Made with pea, mung bean and rice proteins, it aims to have the look, feel, and taste of ground beef. Its biggest competitor is Impossible Burger, another plant-based alternative that strives to be the closest mimic to ground beef, except it's made with soy.

A black bean burger is the go-to choice for those looking for a high-protein veggie burger that isn't overly processed. These patties contain 150 calories, 5g protein, 7g fat, 16g carbohydrates, and 7g fiber each. The ingredients are simple with black and beans and quinoa making up the base of the burger.

“Compared to a meat-based burger, Beyond and Impossible contain roughly the same amount of saturated fat and more sodium,” she says, both of which, when over-consumed, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

To complicate matters, the saturated fats in the Beyond Burger come from coconut oil, which contains a mix of fats including some medium-chain triglycerides. The health consequences of this difference are uncertain. Another knock against Beyond Burgers is that they contain more sodium than their muse.

Whereas the Impossible Burger is slightly lower in calories and fat, the Beyond Burger contains fewer carbs. Both have similar amounts of sodium and provide around 25% of the Daily Value (DV) of iron.

The most notable thing about Impossible patties is the inclusion of heme, an iron ion found in all living things that gives meat its inherently meaty flavor. The heme used in Impossible Foods is derived from fermented soybeans.