Benefits of Beyond Meat vs Beef
Beef is without a doubt the most widespread meat and until now, there was no other option than to cut it into small pieces and cook it in a pot. However, beyond meat recently announced that they were able to solve this problem with their newest product called ‘beef’.
Beyond Meat is already famous for its imitation of chicken nuggets. The company aims at making everyday food healthier by using plant-based proteins instead of traditional ones which are associated with cardiovascular diseases.
The benefits of eating beef are very well known but health-conscious people still prefer avoiding it. It is high in fat, cholesterol and contains lots of calories which aren’t good for the heart or waistline. There are many alternatives to beef out there though but none proved to be as similar to the original taste and texture. Until now!
‘beef’, the newest product from beyond meat, is a 100% plant-based alternative to beef that delivers all its benefits without any of the drawbacks. It looks, tastes, and feels exactly like real beef but it has less fat, fewer calories, and no cholesterol at all. It also contains lots of protein which makes it perfect for athletes or people trying to keep fit.
Taste:
The ‘beef’ recipe was tested on a large scale many times before it was finally released for public consumption. The company claims that they worked very hard in order to make this product look, feel and taste just like real beef which according to them was not an easy task.
The texture was the most difficult part of creating this product so they opted for soy protein which is responsible for increased stamina and muscle mass. In order to add some redness, beet extract was also added to the mix so it would look just like beef.
In terms of taste, it really does resemble real beef even though there are no animal products in its composition at all. The final product includes a bit of pepper and lots of other spices that make it taste almost identical to traditional ground beef.
It can be used for many recipes including spaghetti bolognese or steaks but the company suggests trying it with tacos, burritos, or chili con carne since these dishes require longer cooking times anyway.
Benefits:
Just like other plant-based protein sources, ‘beef’ is low in fat and high in protein which makes it perfect for people trying to lose weight or gain muscle mass. It’s also completely cholesterol-free which means that your heart will be thanking you later on.
Compared to real beef, this product has fewer calories but the same amount of protein. It doesn’t contain any animal painkillers either so if you go for organic beef, you can rest assured that you won’t be consuming anything dangerous for your health.
It contains no antibiotics or growth hormones either so if you opt for organic meat, there are no damaging side effects whatsoever.
Beyond meat nutrition:
Beyond Meat is a Los Angeles, California, the United States of America-based company known for making meat from plants. It produces Beyond Beef and the Beast Burger, which are vegan alternatives to beef burgers, on an industrial scale.
The founder Ethan Brown says that his motivation for starting the company was the belief that animal farming is unsustainably inefficient given current energy and water use patterns. Besides reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to meat production by 40% while also achieving a 50% reduction in US water consumption, Beyond Meat claims it uses 99% less land and 83% less water than conventional American beef companies.
The company sources its ingredients from existing agricultural products instead of growing its own ingredients through vertical farming or automated indoor farming systems.
The company’s products include Beyond Beef, Beast Burgers, Beyond Chicken strips, and Beyond Chicken burgers which are sold in the meat section at grocery stores. Its ingredients list includes pea protein isolate, methylcellulose, yeast extract, maltodextrin, coconut oil, tomato powder, and beet juice extract (for color).
is beyond meat vegan:
Beyond Meat is vegan, but not all of its products are soy-free. According to Beyond Meat’s website, some of their products contain soy protein concentrate whereas others do not.
The Beast Burger contains no gluten ingredients but maybe cross-contaminated with wheat during processing at a facility that also produces wheat ingredients.
Beyond meat nutrition:
There is one Beyond Burger on the market today, which comes in a frozen box and cooks up just like an ordinary burger patty. It has 20 grams of plant protein per serving (two patties), with no GMOs or soy, and it’s low in saturated fat.
As for veggies, there are actually nine different types of vegetables mixed into each burger including carrots, spinach, and tomatoes. Beyond Meat, products are available in the meat section of grocery stores not the freezer aisle and they’re distributed by a number of major retailers across the U.S., including Whole Foods Market, Target, Kroger, Safeway, and Walmart.
Beyond meat nutrition:
The following is an explanation of how many calories you would find in Beyond Burger or Beast Burger:
One serving (one burger) contains 250 calories with 18g protein, 9g carbohydrates (3 sugars), 11g fat (1 sat). 1g fiber and 450mg sodium. Although protein and calcium levels appear high on paper at first glance, this 50/50 ratio of protein to carbs makes it a low-quality meat substitute.
The lack of fiber makes it an unhealthy choice as well, and the sodium content is extremely high.
Beyond meat nutrition:
Altogether, there are nine different types of vegetables (all organic) that give Beyond Burger its flavor and texture: beets, coconut oil, potatoes, cassava root, aquafaba (water from a can of chickpeas), yeast extract, tomato powder, natural flavors, and salt.
The two main ingredients pea protein isolate and methylcellulose are vegan thickeners derived from plants. It’s important to note that although this burger is vegan-friendly it still has a long way to go before being considered healthy.
The fat in Beyond Burger is high in saturated fat, and the sodium content is extremely high. Science Daily reported that the Beyond Burger has half the protein of a regular beef burger.
is beyond meat good for your health:
Beyond Meat is said to be the future of meat because its use of pea protein is an interesting twist on a product that is already packed with veggies.
The ingredients, which include pea protein concentrate, yeast extract, and methylcellulose, are vegan thickeners derived from plants. No preservatives or GMO ingredients here!
The downside:
The company’s claims about sustainability and environmental friendliness should actually be taken with a grain of salt—or rather, soy (protein) concentrate. According to Beyond Meat’s website, 100% of plant-based products require more energy and generate more greenhouse gas emissions than their animal counterparts.
Beyond meat nutrition:
Beyond Burger Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information per 1 patty:
Calories: 250
Calories from Fat: 150 – (65% DV) – Saturated Fat: 10g – (55% DV)
Trans Fats:
0g – Cholesterol: 0mg – Sodium: 450mg – Potassium 330mg. Carbohydrates 4g (2 sugars). Fiber 2g (7% DV), Protein 18g, Vitamin A 6%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 8%, Iron 25%. Nutrition information per one frozen box containing four burgers for a total of eight patties.
Calories 960, Calories from Fat 540, Total fat 58g, Saturated fat 17g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, 1920mg, Potassium 3.4g, Total carbohydrates 51g (5 sugars), Dietary Fiber 16g (68% DV). Sugars 4g, Protein 96g, Vitamin A 124%, Vitamin C 7%, Calcium 35%, Iron 60%.