They’re not as fringe as they used to be. According to the International Food Information Council, about 65 percent of Americans have eaten plant-based meat alternatives in the past year, with about 1 in 5 people consuming a plant-based meat alternative item each week and another 1 in 5 people consuming one of these products every day. The popularity of these meat substitutes is aided by the fact that fast-food menus across the country feature them. Here are a few examples of the options out there, though keep in mind that availability varies by location:
Beyond Famous Star burger at Carl’s Jr.Impossible Whopper at Burger KingBeyond Avocado Taco at Del TacoMcPlant Burger at McDonald’sBeyond Fried Chicken at KFCImpossible Breakfast Sandwich at StarbucksImpossible Slider at White Castle
Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are the two best-known brands for plant-based meat alternatives, but companies like Tyson Foods, Nestlé Sweet Earth, Smithfield, and Hormel Foods are players in the meat-free market, too, according to The New York Times. And what’s available today appears to only be the beginning. Researchers in the field anticipate the market will continue to grow and that the products available years from now will incorporate cellular agriculture; present a wider selection of meat, poultry, and fish; be less processed; and come from even more sustainable companies. “While most of these burgers are vegan, they are likely more appealing to omnivores who are looking for ways to cut back on their intake of animal products while still enjoying a similar texture and taste,” says Kelli McGrane, RD, the Denver-based founder of Kelli McGrane Nutrition. Here’s what goes into three of the most popular products, according to ImpossibleFoods.com, BeyondMeat.com, and KFC:
Impossible Burger Ingredients
WaterSoy protein concentrateCoconut oilSunflower oilNatural flavorsPotato proteinMethylcelluloseYeast extractCultured dextroseFood starch modifiedSoy leghemoglobinSaltSoy protein isolateMixed tocopherols (antioxidant)Zinc gluconateThiamine hydrochloride (vitamin B1)NiacinPyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)Riboflavin (vitamin B2)Vitamin B12
Beyond Burger Ingredients
WaterPea proteinExpeller-pressed canola oilRefined coconut oilRice proteinNatural flavorsDried yeastCocoa butterMethylcellulosePotato starchApple extractSaltPotassium chlorideVinegarLemon juice concentrateSunflower lecithinPomegranate concentrateBeet juice colorZinc sulfateNiacinamide (vitamin B3)Pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12)Calcium panthothenate
Beyond Fried Chicken Ingredients
WaterEnriched wheat flour: wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acidSoy protein isolateExpeller-pressed canola oilEnriched bleached wheat flour: bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acidWheat glutenNatural flavorYeast extractBreadcrumbs; wheat flour, distilled vinegar, sea salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate), inactive yeast, spice extractivesChili pepperCitric acidGarlic powderLeavening: sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphateModified wheat starchOnion powderPea extractRice flourSaltSpiceTitanium dioxide (for color)
Beyond Burgers and Impossible Burgers are vegan, meaning they’re entirely plant based and made without any animal products. And while the ingredients listed in the Beyond Fried Chicken qualify it as vegan and vegetarian, Beyond Fried Chicken from KFC is not considered vegan or vegetarian because the restaurant uses the same fryers as its regular chicken, according to KFC.com.
Advantages of Plant-Based Burgers and Meatless Chicken
There are some clear pros to trying an alternative meat:
Contain Heart-Healthy Soy
A meta-analysis published in June 2019 in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that there’s a consistent cholesterol-lowering effect with soy protein (like the kind that’s used in many of these meatless burgers, including the Impossible burger). Another study, published in April 2019 in Circulation, found that swapping plant proteins for red meat can help reduce the risk for heart disease.
May Encourage More Plant-Based Eating
Some experts also believe that eating these meat alternatives could encourage people to embrace a more plant-based diet, which has been shown to offer plenty of health benefits. According to the Cleveland Clinic, following a nutritious plant-based diet could lower your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, digestive disease, colon and breast cancers, and obesity. That said, a lot of the benefits of eating a plant-based diet come from whole, unprocessed foods, like fresh fruits and veggies, as well as nuts, seeds, and legumes.
May Combat Antibiotic Resistance From Meat Eating
Another issue with meat eating is the use of antibiotics in order to promote growth among animals. The overuse of antibiotics in this way can cause antibiotic-resistant bacteria to spread, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you happen to consume food that’s contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, you may get an infection that cannot be treated with antibiotics. This can be a problem because your body won’t be able to fight off the infection as easily, and the World Health Organization has called it “a global health emergency.”
Fake Burgers Have More Fiber and Less Cholesterol Than Red-Meat Burgers
Neither Beyond Burgers or Impossible Burgers have any cholesterol, while 90 percent lean beef burgers have about 88 grams (g), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). High cholesterol levels are something you want to avoid as it can increase your risk of heart disease, according to Mayo Clinic. These meat alternatives also have more fiber, with 2 g of fiber in a Beyond Burger and 3 g in an Impossible Burger, compared with 0 g in beef burgers, according to the USDA. Fiber has been benefits, from helping with weight control to lowering cholesterol levels, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Disadvantages of These Processed Meat Alternatives
These meat alternatives may not be the no-brainer they appear to be, however. Here are some of the downsides:
High Saturated Fat Content
One of the reasons people turn to faux burgers is they’re seen as a heart-healthy alternative to red meat, which is high in saturated fat. Too much saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels and put you at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke when eaten in excess, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). One study, published February 2020 in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that a higher intake of processed meat, unprocessed red meat, or poultry was linked with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. A burger made with higher-fat beef (80 percent lean beef) has 6 g of saturated fat for a 3-ounce (oz) patty, and a burger made with 90 percent lean beef has about almost 4 g of saturated fat for a 3-oz patty, according to the USDA. But you may be surprised to learn processed meatless burgers aren’t much better in this department: There’s 5 g of saturated in the Beyond Burger and 8 g in the Impossible Burger. “If reducing your intake of saturated fat is a goal, then choosing one of these burgers over a 90 percent lean beef burger is not a beneficial choice,” says Allison J. Stowell, RD, who is with Guiding Stars, a company that provides a nutrition labeling system with the aim of helping consumers make healthier food choices, and is based in Bethel, Connecticut. Stowell says a leaner turkey burger or a traditional veggie burger would be better because they’re lower in saturated fat. A traditional, 70 g veggie burger has 1 g of saturated fat, according to the USDA. Stowell notes, though, that traditional veggie burgers usually have fewer calories and fewer grams of protein, so they may not keep you full for very long. For example, a veggie burger has 124 calories and 11 g of protein, while a turkey burger has 170 calories and 21 g of protein.
Highly Processed
Another problem is these meat alternatives may qualify as processed foods, McGrane says. Experts recommend limiting processed foods because they generally have many less-than-healthy ingredients added to them, such as preservatives, sweeteners, and oils, according to the AHA. A diet rich in processed foods generally means you’re getting too much sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
High Sodium Content
Stowell adds that a glaring issue with these burgers is their sodium because, as the AHA points out, most Americans overconsume sodium. These items have more sodium than a traditional beef or turkey burger, with 390 milligrams (mg) in the Beyond Burger, 370 mg in the Impossible Burger (about 15 to 16 percent of your daily value), and 450 mg in Beyond Chicken. By comparison, a 4 oz patty of 93 percent lean ground turkey has 78 mg of sodium, according to the USDA. A 4 oz patty of beef that’s 90 percent lean has 77 mg of sodium. Finally, a traditional veggie burger has 398 mg of sodium per patty (which is roughly 3 oz). It isn’t a major issue if you otherwise limit processed foods, but consuming too much sodium over time can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. So should these meatless burgers become a staple in your diet? “As the nutritional facts of meat alternative burgers make clear, these options may not be the best choice despite the ‘health halo’ that surrounds them,” Stowell says.
Is Fake Meat Actually Better for the Environment?
Some people prefer these burgers because they’re better for the environment. “No doubt, reducing our intake of red meat is a choice we should all consider to lessen our carbon footprint and embrace sustainability goals since red meat production has significant environmental impacts,” says Stowell. But even though the products themselves are more sustainable, their production process may still negatively affect the environment. A New York Times article puts Beyond Meat on par with Tyson, the world’s second-largest chicken, beef, and pork processor, when it comes to sustainability. This is partly due to a lack of data on greenhouse gas emissions for the meat alternative companies. Beyond Meat is, however, expected to release this data this year, according to the The New York Times article.
The Right Time to Choose Vegan Meat Alternatives
That said, these meat-free options can come in handy in situations when you’re not able to cook in your own kitchen, such as when you find yourself in a drive-through. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, these options might be your best bet because fast-food restaurants are often lacking in the meat-free department, McGrane says. But if you’re not opposed to meat, Stowell suggests ordering a garden salad with grilled chicken and a low-sodium, low-calorie dressing or a grilled chicken sandwich instead because grilled chicken is among the leaner protein options when eating meat.
The Future of Meat-Free Alternatives to Beef and Chicken
It seems the meat alternative options available now are just the beginning. “I think the industry will continue to grow — it’s not going away,” says Celia Homyak, PhD, co-director and industry fellow of the Alternative Meats Lab at the University of California in Berkeley, which helps researchers and entrepreneurs investigate what’s next in the plant-based meat space. She predicts that we’ll see a wider range of meat alternatives on grocery store shelves. “There’s a lot of room for expansion in that space because we’re really only there with ground beef or ground sausage,” Dr. Homyak says. “There’s a lot of room for growth around mimicking whole muscle meat, like chicken breast or fish filets.” Homyak also thinks a greater emphasis will be placed on using whole fruits and vegetables as a way of cutting down on the processing. For example, using jackfruit or hummus to be key ingredients rather than simply trying to mimic meat through processed ingredients. “I think that society and the younger generation is gearing toward less processing, more whole foods, and more sustainably driven,” she says. To become even more sustainable, these companies need to compare themselves to one another and push one another to be better, Homyak says. “I think a lot of the current claims are a direct comparison to the meat industry, and if [a meat alternative company is] ever comparing itself to the meat industry, it’s going to win,” Homyak says. “I think there needs to be a shift — and there is starting to be a shift — with kind of highlighting within the alternative and plant-based food space to say ‘Hey, obviously we know we’re better than beef, but why don’t we start comparing ourselves to each other?’ and really try to push the envelope here.” For example, these companies can use recycled plastic or paper packaging to be more sustainable. Impossible Foods has made strides in this area — the tray and packaging for Impossible Burger patties are recyclable, according to Impossible Foods. We also expect to see the rise of cellular agriculture, which grows animal cells in a lab setting rather than relying on livestock. This is the subject of research at Tufts University, which received a $10 million grant from the USDA in October 2021, according to Tufts University. “The argument is that, nutritionally, [products made from cellular agriculture] should be at least as good as what you would get from traditional livestock because you’re using the same biological material, but in principle a lot healthier because you’re not overprocessing or adding a lot of other stuff, ”says David Kaplan PhD, a Distinguished Professor at Tufts and chair of the department of biomedical engineering, who is leading this initiative at Tufts. He thinks someday — it could be three years from now or 30 years from now — “the supermarket is going to look like a cabinet full of plant-based, a cabinet full of cellular agriculture, and you’ll still have your traditional livestock,” Dr. Kaplan says. “And the consumer can make their own choices.”
Takeaway: Should You Try Plant-Based Meat Alternatives, AKA Fake Meat?
Plant-based meat alternatives have a lot going for them: They can help you reduce your meat intake, which may lower your risk for health problems, and they can lessen your carbon footprint. But, they’re not exactly health foods because they are processed and still contain saturated fat and sodium. Research is currently underway for future iterations of meat alternatives to be more sustainable and less processed than the options currently available on grocery store shelves.
