impossible Foods wants you to trade in your beef burger for a plant-based burger
and aspires to make your transition seamless. Unlike its plant-based peers, the
Impossible Burger ‘bleeds', cooks, and smells like meat thanks to its secret
ingredient, heme.
Should you make the switch? Can meat lovers have their cake and eat it too?
Since its exclusive launch through top chefs (such as Chef David Chang at
Momofuku Nishi) and boutique burger chains such as Umami burger, the Impossible
Burger has gone mainstream. Impossible Foods is one of several plant-based
burger companies fuelling a plant-based fast-food feeding frenzy, at chains such
as White Castle (Impossible Slider), A&W (Beyond Meat) and Burger King
(Impossible Whopper).
With such wide reach, it's a great time to ask yourself whether you should make
the switch. The answer, it turns out, depends on what you care about.
Impossible Foods, and many other companies offering plant-based meat
alternatives, have their roots in environmental and ethical motivations. The
impact numbers reflect these priorities.
It's the same story on the animal welfare front.
McDonalds alone goes through about 70,000,000 pounds of beef per year, or
approximately 190,000 pounds of beef daily. We're talking hundreds of thousands
of cows sacrificed in the name of burgers.
On the health front, the plant-based advantage is fuzzy at best.
The nutritional profile of the Impossible Burger patty is remarkably similar to
that of Burger King's beef Whopper patty. The burgers become even more similar
when you pile on the sauces and the bun.
“The bottom line is that trading in beef burgers for plant-based burgers is a
big win on the environmental and animal suffering fronts, but may not move the
needle on the health front.”
The nutritional profile of the Impossible Burger patty is remarkably similar to
that of Burger King's beef Whopper patty. The burgers become even more similar
when you pile on the sauces and the bun.
About Me
I am formally trained in human genetics (PhD) and spent the first decade of my
career working in cancer research, drug development, and personalized medicine.
This new chapter of my career is dedicated to helping others to live their
healthiest lives. I strongly advocate for a plant-rich diet and love helping
others learn to make #plantsmart choices.
