Beyond vs Impossible

 

Like it or hate it, plant-based "meat" is making inroads into the American diet. Even fast food burger places are climbing on board. So who makes a burger that is better - or maybe least bad - for you: Beyond Meat or Impossible?

Taste. Advantage: Tie. Believe it or not, by the time you cook one, slap it on a bun and add onion, tomato, lettuce and catsup, you will have a hard time telling that it is not real meat. They don't taste bad at all. Unfortunately, the very ingredients that deliver on taste also make these meat substitutes, at best, no better for you than real meat.

Saturated fat.  Advantage: Beyond Burger. Both products have too much saturated fat, mostly from coconut oil. A four ounce Beyond Burger has 5 grams of it, vs 8g for Impossible. For comparison, a Quarter Pounder from McDonald's delivers 7 grams.

Protein. Advantage: Beyond Burger. Since meat provides a lot of protein, replacing it with a plant-based food should provide a lot as well. Beyond edges out Impossible with 20g in a 4 oz burger from peas and rice vs Impossible's 19g from soy and potatoes. Four ounces of 95% lean ground beef contains 33g.

Heme. Advantage: Beyond Burger. Heme is an organic, ring-shaped molecule that easily binds to iron and so plays a key role several essential reactions involved in energy metabolism. Meat's contain an abundance of it. When exposed to high heat, such as in grilling, heme can help form carcinogenic substances in the gut which may explain why red meat eaters have a higher risk of colorectal cancers. Impossible contains heme; Beyond does not.

Sodium. Advantage: Impossible. But really there is not much difference. Impossible has 370mg of sodium while Beyond Burger has 390.

Cholesterol. Advantage: Tie. Both products are cholesterol-free.

Additives. Advantage: Tie. Both products contain preservatives and coloring to make them look and clump more like meat.

Cost. Advantage: Tie. Impossible was recently selling six 4oz patties for about $14.00. Beyond Burgers were just over $15.00. For comparison, a pound of ground beef sells for about $5.

I'd call it in favor of the Beyond Burger, but not by enough to worry about. Environmental impact aside, neither one is much better for your health than ground beef. But don't count plant-based meat substitutes out just yet. They are certain to improve with time and the sustainability of their production methods may give them the edge in the long run.