Plant-based burgers aren’t any healthier than eating beef – Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat just offer meat-free fast food which tastes the same
For many vegan and vegetarian eaters, switching to plant-based meat isn’t tied to health at all, but reducing meat consumption to combat climate change and factory farming
Plant-based meat substitutes may be making belated inroads onto fast food menus – but that doesn’t necessarily mean your lunch is getting healthier.
Fast food menu items created in partnership with leading brands Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are typically nutritionally similar to the originals they are imitating.
The Impossible Whopper has 630 calories; the Whopper has 660. The Impossible Whopper has 12 grams of saturated fat; the Whopper has 11. The Impossible Whopper has 1,240 grams of sodium; the Whopper has 980.
“Processed foods, whether they’re meat-based or plant-based, aren’t a nutritional need in our diet, especially when they involve low-quality oils,” said Whitney Stuart, a certified and licensed dietitian-nutritionist.
While some people are seeking plant-based products because they want healthier options, nutrition isn’t at the core of these new menu items. As one chain after another rolls out new menu items, the similarity is clear: These aren’t intended to reinvent the menu, but imitate it.
Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods aren’t trying to make fast food something it isn't
A few years ago, chains began adding the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger to their menus. Now, companies are creating new versions of fast-food classics, while keeping the branding.
Jose Cil, the CEO of Burger King’s parent company, Restaurant Brands International, says that there was a lot of internal discussion about whether the chain should roll out a plant-based “Whopper” or an entirely new burger to avoid accidentally tarnishing the Whopper’s reputation.