Where's The Beef?

Adam and I have been to Colorado twice in the past month. Both times we have enjoyed great family time, scenic views, and amazing food. But one thing struck us, at every restaurant where the Impossible Burger was found you saw a giant “SOLD OUT” sticker across it. With a family full of beef producers in tow, it sparked quite a bit of conversation with waiters, locals and even uber drivers.

When I got home, I had some questions of my own but mine all circled around the same content area, which you can probably guess– the nutritional value. I am never going to tell someone what to eat or what not to eat, but I do think it is important to have full disclosure of what you are eating. So today, I am going to share a nutritional analysis and comparison of new plant based burgers versus a beef burger so that you as a consumer can make the choice of what burger to consume.

The Impossible Burger from Eater Boston

First, a little background on the new wave of plant based burgers and how it is differ from other veggie burgers. Veggie burgers have been around for quite some time, and don’t tell Adam’s family, but I have had my fair share. They all have a similar consistency that frankly is nothing like an actual hamburger. Companies are now rolling out plant based burgers created to be as close to a beef burger as possible including juiciness and likeness of color of a medium rare burger!

Ingredient List

So knowing that this burger was created to replicate a burger with no animal protein, my first thought and research was done to find out exactly what it was made of! Most of these new burgers have over 18 ingredients but the primary ones include water, processed soy and potato proteins, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and natural flavors. 

Beef burgers on the grill

The ingredient list of a beef burger is one: beef. For those who prefer a simpler ingredient list in the

food they eat, this makes beef burgers the preferred choices

Nutrient Breakdown

Companies have worked to almost completely replicate the macronutrient breakdown of a beef burger. Both Beyond and Impossible burgers have right around 240 calories, the same as a beef burger.

In terms of carbohydrates and protein, the beef burger was not able to be matched. Plant based burgers have right around 19grams of protein while beef burgers have 29grams. Plant based burgers also have 9 grams of carbohydrates while beef burgers have none.

Fat is another talking point in the comparison of these two burgers. Some plant based burgers have 19 grams of fat and around 8 grams of saturated fat. A 4 oz beef patty has 18grams of fat and 7 grams of saturated fat.

Finally in terms of sodium, the plant based burgers have about 350mg while beef burgers have 90mg

It's Your Choice!

Ultimately, the difference in these burgers comes down to what you are looking to get out your burger experience.

 If you are eating a burger and health is priority, I believe a beef burger is better option because it is a whole food while the plant based alternative is extremely processed. If you wanted a healthy, whole food plant food alternative, I would recommended grilling up a Portobello mushroom cap instead.

If you are looking for a burger that has a similar taste, texture, and appearance to beef, but contains no animal protein then I think the new plant based burgers are a great choice for you.

In the end, it’s a personal choice and no burger should be villainous but for me – I’ll take a turkey burger.