Veggie Burger Battle - Impossible vs Beyond (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

For anyone interested in the new high tech vegetarian burgers or just in the business battle angle, this was a good article. 

https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/impossible-burger-vs-beyond-meat

 

[Jobber]

I’ve only had Impossible, but it was at White Castle so not really a good example. I will say however that it was indistinguishable from meat for me. I want to try a full size one to give it a real test. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

I’ve only had Impossible, but it was at White Castle so not really a good example. I will say however that it was indistinguishable from meat for me. I want to try a full size one to give it a real test. 

Thanks. I"m not quite sure what I think on this. I'm not a big fan of science making a "fake" something. I think if I wanted to stop eating hamburgers, I'd just stop eating hamburgers. Not switch to a science lab product with fake soybean heme that tasted like the bloody part of beef. If I wanted to eat more vegetarian (and I do), I think I'd do what I do and just simply eat more normal vegetarian stuff. Not vegetarian stuff that tried to be like beef. 

But on the other hand, maybe that's a great thing. 

Not sure. 

 

[Ron Swanson]

I've had both in their full size version.  The Impossible a couple times.  IMO, the Impossible burger is far superior to Beyond.  One of the times I had the Impossible it was way overcooked and it turned gray and dry just like hamburger.  But it was spiced well enough to still be edible.  When I've had it cooked correctly it has been downright delicious.  Both times it would have been tough to distinguish it from typical restaurant hamburgers.  But no way would you ever mistake it for a nice fresh ground home made hamburger. They Beyond I had once, it was cooked correctly, and still terrible...very obviously fake meat.

 

[culdeus]

Thanks. I"m not quite sure what I think on this. I'm not a big fan of science making a "fake" something. I think if I wanted to stop eating hamburgers, I'd just stop eating hamburgers. Not switch to a science lab product with fake soybean heme that tasted like the bloody part of beef. If I wanted to eat more vegetarian (and I do), I think I'd do what I do and just simply eat more normal vegetarian stuff. Not vegetarian stuff that tried to be like beef. 

But on the other hand, maybe that's a great thing. 

Not sure. 

The entire concept was to find out what people liked about beef first and make that part out of plants. 

Heme is heme.  It is in several plant places.  Impossible scales up the content of soy heme to be similar of that of meat.  It's only really artificial in the sense they custom created a yeast to spur this on.  

 

[BobbyLayne]

I've had both in their full size version.  The Impossible a couple times.  IMO, the Impossible burger is far superior to Beyond.  One of the times I had the Impossible it was way overcooked and it turned gray and dry just like hamburger.  But it was spiced well enough to still be edible.  When I've had it cooked correctly it has been downright delicious.  Both times it would have been tough to distinguish it from typical restaurant hamburgers.  But no way would you ever mistake it for a nice fresh ground home made hamburger. They Beyond I had once, it was cooked correctly, and still terrible...very obviously fake meat.

Agreed. Impossible tastes more like meat & also feels more like real beef in your mouth than Beyond does (trying to word this in a non-quotable non-double entendre way lol.)

 

[Courtjester]

I grilled up some Beyonds a couple weeks ago. They were pretty good, but they clearly don’t look like a regular burger—pre cooked at least. 

My family liked them though. 

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Impossible tastes better, I would say, but neither is particularly healthy to be honest.  They are both similar to beef calorically and beyond has close to the same total fat and impossible has as much or more saturated fat.  And they are highly processed of course.

it is still better in the long run than eating beef, but they probably wouldn't be part of a regular healthy vegetarian diet.

 

[Da Guru]

I had the impossible meat in a burrito bowl at Qdoba. If nobody told me I don`t think I would have known the difference.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Won’t the cost eventually be less than beef?  If so, that’s when this will take off.

 

[JShare87]

I’ve had both. Impossible burger tasted like a real burger, imo. But, I haven’t had a real burger in over 18 months.

 

[EYLive]

Impossible tastes better, I would say, but neither is particularly healthy to be honest.  They are both similar to beef calorically and beyond has close to the same total fat and impossible has as much or more saturated fat.  And they are highly processed of course.

it is still better in the long run than eating beef, but they probably wouldn't be part of a regular healthy vegetarian diet.

The sodium levels in both are dang high too.

 

[EYLive]

The impossible 2.0 is outstanding. The beyond burger is a tad spongy but the best imitation beef patty you can buy at a store. The beyond 2.0 is supposed to be coming soon and has had good reviews from the media that for sneak peeks.

 

[JetMaxx]

My supplier says that the impossible burger is on short supply and said something about Burger King getting into the mix with it. Portion cost to me is approximately $2.15 ea which is a pretty rich start to a food cost in my demographic 

 

[EYLive]

My supplier says that the impossible burger is on short supply and said something about Burger King getting into the mix with it. Portion cost to me is approximately $2.15 ea which is a pretty rich start to a food cost in my demographic 

Burger King is making Whoppers with them and are in a number of cities already, but not yet nation wide.

 

[rockaction]

Sounds so German. Impossible. Beyond.

Zis is perfectly good substitute for ze beouf, right?

Nice, clean, pure, earthy spice, no? 

 

[Osaurus]

Tried a bit of the impossible burger and liked it. No idea about beyond burger.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Thanks. I"m not quite sure what I think on this. I'm not a big fan of science making a "fake" something. I think if I wanted to stop eating hamburgers, I'd just stop eating hamburgers. Not switch to a science lab product with fake soybean heme that tasted like the bloody part of beef. If I wanted to eat more vegetarian (and I do), I think I'd do what I do and just simply eat more normal vegetarian stuff. Not vegetarian stuff that tried to be like beef. 

But on the other hand, maybe that's a great thing. 

Not sure. 

I think the motivation isn’t necessarily to stop eating hamburgers, rather, to stop/reduce consumption of animal products. As you know, people make this choice for many reasons - health, animal welfare, environmental concerns, etc.

And it isn’t “fake” meat; it’s a meat substitute. Do you consider soy and nut milks fake as well? Are hybrid plants created by cross pollinating botanists fake?

I’ve tried Beyond Meat’s products, and think they’re decent. Never had the Impossible Burger, and likely won’t if their distribution is primarily fast food restaurants. FWIW my favorite meat substitute is Field Roast.

 

[Terminalxylem]

The entire concept was to find out what people liked about beef first and make that part out of plants. 

Heme is heme.  It is in several plant places.  Impossible scales up the content of soy heme to be similar of that of meat.  It's only really artificial in the sense they custom created a yeast to spur this on.  

This. Some people are freaking about the whole GMO aspect of it, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I think the motivation isn’t necessarily to stop eating hamburgers, rather, to stop/reduce consumption of animal products. As you know, people make this choice for many reasons - health, animal welfare, environmental concerns, etc.

And it isn’t “fake” meat; it’s a meat substitute. Do you consider soy and nut milks fake as well? Are hybrid plants created by cross pollinating botanists fake?

I’ve tried Beyond Meat’s products, and think they’re decent. Never had the Impossible Burger, and likely won’t if their distribution is primarily fast food restaurants. FWIW my favorite meat substitute is Field Roast.

Oh for sure the goal is reducing animal products. I think everyone gets that.

And by "fake" meat, I mean trying to mimic beef. Especially the "it bleeds juice like real beef". That just seems weird to me to have it concocted in a lab. For me, and I realize i'm in the minority, I'd rather take a bean / quinoa type patty with ingredients I can pronounce with way less processing. 

 

[Northern Voice]

My wife is vegan so we eat the beyond stuff regularly. In terms of cooking at home, I prefer the sausages to the hamburgers. They look, cook and taste like sausage IMO. 

The burgers are close but have a bit of an aftertaste and the smell isn't quite right... and perpetuates itself in other outputs, for me at least.

In terms of the fast food versions, we have beyond meat in a couple major Canadian chains (A&W, Tim Hortons) but no access to impossible burger yet, though I assume it will come to Burger King at about the same time it goes nationwide in the US. 

I still prefer a well cooked portobello mushroom cap over most of the burger substitutes but the beyond is definitely a big step forward, so high hopes if the impossible is even better. 

 

[culdeus]

I don't think many prefer the beyond to impossible at this point. The main difference is production scale is bigger for beyond so there is more exposure.

 

[rockaction]

For me, and I realize i'm in the minority, I'd rather take a bean / quinoa type patty with ingredients I can pronounce with way less processing.

I'm with ya on the "fake" meat (we know...) and also on the texture and processsing.

 

[culdeus]

Oh for sure the goal is reducing animal products. I think everyone gets that.

And by "fake" meat, I mean trying to mimic beef. Especially the "it bleeds juice like real beef". That just seems weird to me to have it concocted in a lab. For me, and I realize i'm in the minority, I'd rather take a bean / quinoa type patty with ingredients I can pronounce with way less processing. 

How much reading have you really done here?  This is the second at least somewhat misleading statement so far.  

I would suggest getting more up to speed on the process here.  

 

[Joe Bryant]

How much reading have you really done here?  This is the second at least somewhat misleading statement so far.   

Exactly what two things are you claiming to be misleading?  Use quotes.

 

[EYLive]

Oh for sure the goal is reducing animal products. I think everyone gets that.

And by "fake" meat, I mean trying to mimic beef. Especially the "it bleeds juice like real beef". That just seems weird to me to have it concocted in a lab. For me, and I realize i'm in the minority, I'd rather take a bean / quinoa type patty with ingredients I can pronounce with way less processing. 

But tons of processed foods are concocted in labs. Every fast food item is created in a lab and tested.

 

[Joe Bryant]

But tons of processed foods are concocted in labs. Every fast food item is created in a lab and tested.

Of course. Extensive processing and ingredients with lab chemical names are some of my primary negatives for fast food.

I'm saying if I'd prefer a veggie patty made from bean / quinoa that is way less processed. 

 

[rockaction]

I think people that dissent from meat substitutes know a whole lot more about food and food production than they're given credit for knowing. This is a Grade A example.

SWIDT.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I think the motivation isn’t necessarily to stop eating hamburgers, rather, to stop/reduce consumption of animal products. As you know, people make this choice for many reasons - health, animal welfare, environmental concerns, etc.

And it isn’t “fake” meat; it’s a meat substitute. Do you consider soy and nut milks fake as well? Are hybrid plants created by cross pollinating botanists fake?

I’ve tried Beyond Meat’s products, and think they’re decent. Never had the Impossible Burger, and likely won’t if their distribution is primarily fast food restaurants. FWIW my favorite meat substitute is Field Roast.

i would not say that impossible's primary distribution is fast food restaurants (at least I don't think that's their goal).  I've had it at a couple relatively nice restaurants.  One made a meatloaf out of it.

I do agree that the field roast stuff is pretty good, especially the sausages.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Thanks. I"m not quite sure what I think on this. I'm not a big fan of science making a "fake" something. I think if I wanted to stop eating hamburgers, I'd just stop eating hamburgers. Not switch to a science lab product with fake soybean heme that tasted like the bloody part of beef. If I wanted to eat more vegetarian (and I do), I think I'd do what I do and just simply eat more normal vegetarian stuff. Not vegetarian stuff that tried to be like beef. 

But on the other hand, maybe that's a great thing. 

Not sure. 

i have in laws that are vegan.  they eat both.  i don't like either.  the impossible burger gave me nearly instant diarrhea.  

i'm in agreement with you joe.  they eat all sorts of weird, fake animal products.  i don't get it.  the list of unpronounceable chemical ingredients in most of them is longer than my arm.  i do my best to not eat processed foods and this stuff is next level, laboratory food.  no thanks.  just eat more regular vegetables.  

 

[Northern Voice]

 the list of unpronounceable chemical ingredients in most of them is longer than my arm.  i do my best to not eat processed foods and this stuff is next level, laboratory food.  no thanks.  just eat more regular vegetables.  

The beyond burger is basically water, pea protein, canola oil and coconut oil. The newer version adds rice protein, cocoa butter and bean protein to make it more comparable in nutritional content to a traditional beef burger.  In the full ingredient list the only chemical is methylcellulose which is in there because a vegan product obviously won't use gelatin. 

 

[DA RAIDERS]

The beyond burger is basically water, pea protein, canola oil and coconut oil. The newer version adds rice protein, cocoa butter and bean protein to make it more comparable in nutritional content to a traditional beef burger.  In the full ingredient list the only chemical is methylcellulose which is in there because a vegan product obviously won't use gelatin. 

hence the word, "most" 

 

[DallasDMac]

i'm in agreement with you joe.  they eat all sorts of weird, fake animal products.  i don't get it.  the list of unpronounceable chemical ingredients in most of them is longer than my arm.  i do my best to not eat processed foods and this stuff is next level, laboratory food.  no thanks.  just eat more regular vegetables.  

I guess I don't really get the whole thought process. "I don't want to eat meat! Save the animals! Now feed me something that looks and tastes exactly like those tasty animals I don't want to eat!!!" Just seems really, really odd to me.

 

[Joe Bryant]

https://www.cnet.com/news/beyond-meat-vs-impossible-burger-whats-the-difference/

Undoubtedly 2019 is the year of faux meat. 

With Beyond Meat going public -- and shocking people all over with a better-than-expected IPO -- fake meat stands a chance to become a huge industry of its own, larger than just a part of the plant-based movement.

For various reasons, such as personal health concerns and the environmental impact of animal agriculture, more people are choosing to eat less meat. But with new brands cropping up across the market, consumers are faced with more decisions than ever before.

Here's your guide to two of the most popular faux meat options on the market: the Impossible Burger from Impossible Foods and the Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat.

Look at the packaging on a Beyond Burger or an Impossible Burger and you'll find a sprawling list of ingredients.

The Impossible Burger contains: 

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, Soy Protein Isolate, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Zinc Gluconate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

Other than water, the main ingredient is soy protein concentrate. In and of themselves, soybeans are perfectly healthy, but soy protein concentrate is heavily processed, which means many of the benefits of the raw food are lost.

For example, raw soybeans provide a great deal of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, iron and magnesium, but Impossible Foods fortifies its burgers with vitamins and minerals, likely to make up for the lost nutrients during processing. 

The Beyond Burger contains:

Water, Pea Protein Isolate, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Contains 2% or less of the following: Cellulose from Bamboo, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Natural Flavor, Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Dried Yeast, Gum Arabic, Citrus Extract (to protect quality), Ascorbic Acid (to maintain color), Beet Juice Extract (for color), Acetic Acid, Succinic Acid, Modified Food Starch, Annatto (for color).

In terms of ingredients, the two burgers are pretty similar, the exception being the main protein source. Beyond Meat uses pea protein instead of soy protein, and there's no soy leghemoglobin, which is Impossible's key ingredient that makes the burger "bleed."

Also, Beyond Burger's red color comes from beet extract, rather than heme from the leghemoglobin like in the Impossible patty.

 

[Northern Voice]

hence the word, "most" 

I don't think that's close to true either. Most vegans are hyper-aware of what they're putting in their bodies and check ingredient lists to a much greater extent than your average convenience food consumer. 

 

[JShare87]

i have in laws that are vegan.  they eat both.  i don't like either.  the impossible burger gave me nearly instant diarrhea.  

i'm in agreement with you joe.  they eat all sorts of weird, fake animal products.  i don't get it.  the list of unpronounceable chemical ingredients in most of them is longer than my arm.  i do my best to not eat processed foods and this stuff is next level, laboratory food.  no thanks.  just eat more regular vegetables.  

Everyone has their reasons for dietary restrictions and food choices. I have been Vegan for 18 months. I agree with eating less processed foods. I think for some Vegans (me particularly) we do miss foods that come from animals once in a while. I would assume that’s why most Vegans eat the burgers. In order to get a taste of foods that we no longer eat without having it come at the expense of animals. Not sure there are many Vegans out there that eat these things with regularity. They are nice options to have when at a restaraunt or other places with people that eat food from animals. 

 

[AAABatteries]

Impossible tastes better, I would say, but neither is particularly healthy to be honest.  They are both similar to beef calorically and beyond has close to the same total fat and impossible has as much or more saturated fat.  And they are highly processed of course.

it is still better in the long run than eating beef, but they probably wouldn't be part of a regular healthy vegetarian diet.

We’ve done this before GB but I’d really need evidence here. 

 

[Northern Voice]

I guess I don't really get the whole thought process. "I don't want to eat meat! Save the animals! Now feed me something that looks and tastes exactly like those tasty animals I don't want to eat!!!" Just seems really, really odd to me.

Turns out beef is tasty and people would like to enjoy that flavour if a cow didn't have to die for it to happen. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

I guess I don't really get the whole thought process. "I don't want to eat meat! Save the animals! Now feed me something that looks and tastes exactly like those tasty animals I don't want to eat!!!" Just seems really, really odd to me.

That's kind of how I see it. It just seems odd. I completely understand the person who objects to a juicy burger and sees it as blood (I know it's not). But if I had an objection to a juicy burger, I wouldn't want a fake meat burger that mimicked the thing I objected to. 

My guess is they feel most people don't object. They just want something they can feel better about in not harming the planet or the cow or maybe being healthier. These people I'm guessing don't object at all to the juiciness. If anything, they want it. 

If that's my market, I totally see why they'd go that route.

 

[rockaction]

There will always be a religious impulse to dietary restrictions -- it is why I am glad to consider myself agnostic.

Nutritional labels are the new scriptures and the revolution will be televised on closed captioning.

 

[Joe Bryant]

And to be clear, I don't think any of this is good or bad. I'm just interested in it. Thus my original post. 

 

[AAABatteries]

There will always be a religious impulse to dietary restrictions -- it is why I am glad to consider myself agnostic.

Nutritional labels are the new scriptures and the revolution will be televised on closed captioning.

I’m not sure I’m completely onboard with your analogy but to help you along one thing I’ve noticed (and railed on) is that dietary “religions” have lots of things in common just like actual religions but instead of focusing on their commonality they focus on their differences.  If I get an Impossible cheeseburger with fries and a soda and you get a beef cheeseburger with fries and a soda it seems like vegan/vegetarian would rather spend time harping on the beef rather than focusing on the bread, cheese, fries and soda.  Anyway, I don’t want to highjack and I may try these Impossible burgers - I’ve cut back on beef and wouldn’t mind substituting if they taste ok and aren’t super expensive.

 

[rockaction]

I’m not sure I’m completely onboard with your analogy 

I agree with you and am only editing your quote down to say that I'm really not trying to make a perfect analogy and that the closed captioning thing along with being agnostic is really extraneous and just sort of thrown in there as slap rapping some jive.

I'll also keep it to the burgers themselves in these posts.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I don't think that's close to true either. Most vegans are hyper-aware of what they're putting in their bodies and check ingredient lists to a much greater extent than your average convenience food consumer. 

  i look at what they eat out of curiosity.   just an observation.  not a 20 year scientific study. 

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Everyone has their reasons for dietary restrictions and food choices. I have been Vegan for 18 months. I agree with eating less processed foods. I think for some Vegans (me particularly) we do miss foods that come from animals once in a while. I would assume that’s why most Vegans eat the burgers. In order to get a taste of foods that we no longer eat without having it come at the expense of animals. Not sure there are many Vegans out there that eat these things with regularity. They are nice options to have when at a restaraunt or other places with people that eat food from animals. 

i get that.  as i age, i am starting to develop a growing list of things i don't really eat anymore.     i'm not knocking the choice or the reason for going vegan, i just don't buy into the "imitation" food.  i barely drink these days and i have zero desire to drink an NA beer.  and i love beer.

 

[AAABatteries]

I guess I don't really get the whole thought process. "I don't want to eat meat! Save the animals! Now feed me something that looks and tastes exactly like those tasty animals I don't want to eat!!!" Just seems really, really odd to me.

I think there’s a difference between people grossed out by eating beef and those who are morally opposed to it.  My wife couldn’t eat beef and pork when she was pregnant - but she was wasn’t morally opposed to it but it just was a weird mental block 

 

[Long Ball Larry]

We’ve done this before GB but I’d really need evidence here. 

Well I tried to respond to you and then...

https://forums.footballguys.com/forum/topic/756652-keto-ii/?do=findComment&comment=21688088

 

[Tool]

That's kind of how I see it. It just seems odd. I completely understand the person who objects to a juicy burger and sees it as blood (I know it's not). But if I had an objection to a juicy burger, I wouldn't want a fake meat burger that mimicked the thing I objected to. 

My guess is they feel most people don't object. They just want something they can feel better about in not harming the planet or the cow or maybe being healthier. These people I'm guessing don't object at all to the juiciness. If anything, they want it. 

If that's my market, I totally see why they'd go that route.

I'm not quite following what you think is odd. You answered the reasons yourself in the 2nd paragraph. Animals aren't killed, it's much better for the environment and maybe it's healthier. There you go.

 

[AAABatteries]

Well I tried to respond to you and then...

https://forums.footballguys.com/forum/topic/756652-keto-ii/?do=findComment&comment=21688088

Thanks - I don’t think I ever saw that but will read tonight - appreciate it 

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'm not quite following what you think is odd. You answered the reasons yourself in the 2nd paragraph. Animals aren't killed, it's much better for the environment and maybe it's healthier. There you go.

I think it's odd that if someone were opposed to real juice / blood, they'd be ok with fake juice / blood. That's just me. I fully understand others may not find that odd. 

I don't think anyone questions whether animals aren't killed or whether it's better for the environment.