Plant-based burgers are not a novel concept. But new products designed to taste like meat are now being marketed to vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat's Beyond Burger are two such options. Eating these burgers is touted as a strategy to save the earth, casting meat as a prehistoric concept. Both brands also offer up their products as nutritious alternatives to animal protein.
But how do they stack up? It turns out the answer may depend on whether your priorities lie with your personal health or the health of the planet.
The good news: Meatless burgers are a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals
The protein content of these newer plant-based burgers has been created to compete with beef and poultry gram for gram. Both the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger have comparable amounts, the former deriving protein mainly from soy and the later from peas.
Both meatless burgers also add vitamins and minerals found in animal proteins — like vitamin B12 and zinc — in amounts equal to (and in some cases, greater than) both red meat and poultry. This is a plus for vegetarians, because these nutrients are typically harder to come by when relying solely on foods from the plant kingdom. Vitamin B12, for instance, is found primarily in animal sources, and strict vegetarians and vegans must get their intake from fortified sources. What's more, plant compounds such as phytic acid bind to minerals, which can increase requirements of zinc by 50% and may necessitate consuming about two times as much iron. For those who eat at least some animal protein, the vitamin and mineral fortification is less of a selling point.
This doesn't mean a plant-focused diet is lacking in nutrients. Beans, for instance, are a good source of both zinc and iron. They are also an important protein resource. Black bean burgers are never going to be mistaken for hamburgers, but they are typically a solid choice when it comes to health.
The bad news: Meatless burgers are heavily processed and high in saturated fat
The same can't necessarily be said of the aforementioned beef substitutes, which have been created to mimic what many people love about a burger — the red juicy center and meaty taste. Along with the ambition to replicate hamburgers comes a comparable amount of saturated fat. Since diets higher in saturated fat are associated with increased rates of both heart disease and premature death, they may not be the type to opt for if your ambitions are purely health-related. They are also a significant source of sodium, particularly for those on salt-restricted diets.
The following chart shows how the newer, meatless burgers stack up nutritionally against beef burgers, turkey burgers, and black bean burgers.
| | Calories | Fat (g) | Sat fat (g) | Chol (mg) | Sodium (mg) | Carb (g) | Fiber (g) | Protein (g) |
| Impossible Burger (4 oz) | 240 | 14 | 8 | | 370 | 9 | 3 | 19 |
| Beyond Burger (4 oz) | 230 | 18 | 5 | | 390 | 7 | 2 | 20 |
| 85% lean ground beef (4 oz) | 240 | 17 | 6 | 80 | 80 | | | 21 |
| Ground turkey (4 oz) | 170 | 9 | 2 | 80 | 70 | | | 22 |
| Black bean burger (Sunshine Non-GMO Original brand) (2.5 oz) | 230 | 13 | 1 | | 300 | 20 | 3 | 10 |
Even though legumes are sourced for protein in the branded meatless options, their health benefits are somewhat blunted by the high degree of processing involved. For instance, moderate amounts of whole soy foods, like edamame (soybeans), have been linked to reduced rates of cancer. This protection is often attributed to isoflavones, a subgroup of plant compounds called flavonoids thought to provide health benefits. Unfortunately, in the case of the Impossible Burger, one serving contains less than 8% of the isoflavones found in one serving of whole soy foods (one serving is roughly a quarter of a block of tofu or 1 cup of soymilk).
Poultry-based burger alternatives, such as turkey burgers, also do not contain significant amounts of protective plant compounds. On the other hand, they offer less saturated fat.
If a lower risk of diseases like cancer and heart disease is your ultimate goal, aim for the kind of veggie burgers that showcase their beans, grains, and seeds front and center. Choose legume-based varieties studded with seeds and whole grains, like brown rice and quinoa.
FAQs
The bad news: Meatless burgers are heavily processed and high in saturated fat. The same can't necessarily be said of the aforementioned beef substitutes, which have been created to mimic what many people love about a burger — the red juicy center and meaty taste.
Are Impossible plant burgers healthy? ›
The Impossible Burger can be a sustainable alternative to regular burgers and does contain higher amounts of several important nutrients, including vitamin B12, folate, and thiamine (3, 4 , 5 ). However, the Impossible Burger contains more sodium than regular ground beef and is lower in some vitamins and minerals.
Which is healthier, Impossible or Beyond? ›
Beyond has significantly less saturated fat than both ground beef and Impossible Burger. That's the “bad” fat associated with heart disease and inflammation, according to the Centers for Disease Control, so less is more in this case.
What are the disadvantages of Beyond Meat burgers? ›
High Sodium Content- In order to enhance flavor and preserve the products, quite a bit of salt is typically added to artificial meats. While they may have advantages when it comes to overall fat and calories, the high sodium content can make them problematic.
What are the bad ingredients in the Impossible Burger? ›
Impossible Burger 2.0 Introduced in 2019
The new protein is a genetically modified protein from herbicide-tolerant soy. Consequently, this new Impossible Burger product can contain residues of glyphosate – the main ingredient of the herbicide used on genetically modified soy and a “probable carcinogen.”
Are impossible burgers considered highly processed food? ›
"This product is highly processed," she says. "Ultra or highly processed foods are foods that have additional artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives to promote shelf stability, preserve texture, and increase palatability. They usually undergo several processing steps using multiple ultra-processed ingredients."
What is a healthy alternative to the Impossible Burger? ›
If your goal is to improve your health, skip the beef and the Impossible Burger and try a plant-based patty made from bean, whole grains, mushrooms or vegetables instead. If you make a plant-based burger at home, be sure to add a source of vitamin C which is a carrier for the non-heme iron in plants.
What are the disadvantages of plant-based meat? ›
As some plant-based meat and mock meat products are created to replicate animal meat, they may undergo more processing. This leads to a high content of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.
Is impossible meat inflammatory? ›
The Downside of Meatless Burgers
In addition, the mung beans are a legume, which means they have high concentrations of lectins. These are carbohydrate-binding proteins, and in some people, they can be toxic, allergenic, and pro-inflammatory.
What does Beyond Meat do to your body? ›
The 5 year endeavor is designed to provide peer-reviewed, clinically significant studies on the health implications of a plant-based diet, including plant-based meat. Initial findings have reported the improvement of several cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as LDL cholesterol levels and TMAO.
Every 4 oz. serving of Impossible Beef contains: 19g protein (the same as 80/20 ground beef) 0mg cholesterol (6g saturated fat)
What's the number one healthiest burger? ›
Here's a list of 10 of the healthiest burgers at major restaurant chains in the opinion of dietitians.
- Five Guys Little Hamburger. ...
- Red Robin Haystack Tavern Double. ...
- Smashburger Classic Smash Burger. ...
- Cracker Barrel's The Barrel Cheeseburger. ...
- Cheesecake Factory Old Fashioned Burger. ...
- Chili's Oldtimer with Cheese Burger.
If you choose beef, choose 90 percent lean or higher. Bison and venison are also leaner red meat choices. Poultry such as ground turkey or chicken can be higher in saturated fat and calories if dark meat and skin are used in the mix. If you choose to use ground chicken or turkey, look for breast only.
What are the disadvantages of plant based meat? ›
As some plant-based meat and mock meat products are created to replicate animal meat, they may undergo more processing. This leads to a high content of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.
Is it safe to eat impossible meat every day? ›
When examining the ultra-processed ingredients that constitute Impossible meat, including textured soy protein, vegetable oil, GMO yeast waste products, and industrial binding agents, it's fair to conclude that Impossible meat is bad for you.
What is the healthiest meat alternative? ›
- Pea Protein. It's tough to mimic the texture and mouthfeel of ground beef, but pea protein isolate or textured pea protein nails it pretty well. ...
- Tempeh. “One of my favorite vegetarian meat options,” says Amy Shapiro, RD, the founder of Real Nutrition. ...
- Seitan. ...
- Jackfruit. ...
- Tofu. ...
- Lentils. ...
- Black Beans. ...
- Chickpeas.
“5 Chemicals Lurking in Plant-Based Meats”:
- Tertiary butylhydroquinone. TBHQ is a synthetic preservative that prevents discoloration in processed foods. ...
- Magnesium carbonate. Remember when some bread was accused of having a yoga mat chemical? ...
- Erythosine (Red #3). ...
- Propylene glycol. ...
- Ferric orthophosphate.
