Step aside black beans and turkey, plant-based burgers are taking over. For all the vegans, vegetarians, and plant-based dieters, somehow food scientists pulled a bunch of plants and herbs together to make meat that BLEEDS. This crazy new food is on the rise as what could be one of the top trends in 2017. Here’s how it works.
What On Earth IS Plant-Based Meat
This new sustainable food trend is controlled mostly by two companies–Impossible Foods, run out of Silicon Valley in California, and Beyond Meat, in El Segundo, California.
With issues like climate change and global warming taking the back burner on the political stove, these two companies wanted to fight for change. Both of their products are taken straight out of the ground and used in a way that is sustainable for the earth, and healthful for everyone. Honestly, whatever helps at this point, right?
Both of these companies make high protein products (20 grams of pure plant protein) that look, taste and bleed exactly like real ground beef patties. It bleeds. Like a real burger. It’s beet juice, which also adds to its color and makes a whole lot of sense, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still shook about it.
With all these qualities in one mean burger, there’s one question that probably comes to mind for everyone: what’s going to happen to the real thing?
These patties and meat alternatives are crushing real meat in nutrition values and lower in fats and sodium, which could mean a future of plant-based meat for all of us. Beyond Meat displays on their website that their non-GMO, soy, gluten, hormone, antibiotic meats could be one of the healthiest options on the market, giving carnivores a run for their money.
Where and How To Get Your Healthy Hands on This
Right now, Impossible Foods has their burgers available in select areas and restaurants across the country. Sadly for everyone on the East Coast, these amazing looking patties are mostly available in San Fransisco Bay Area and LA.
There is hope for all the lucky guys and gals in NYC—you can get all this beet-juice bleeding goodness from Bare Burger in La Guardia Place. The company plans to continue expanding, so here’s to hoping that means Miami.
As for Beyond Meat, their ground beef patties, chicken, and meatballs are sold in Whole Foods across the nation. Their ground beef is sold as two four ounce patties for $5.99, and a package of their chicken strips is sold for $6.99.
With a background like this, it’s easy to see how plant-based burgers are on the rise–and possibly the future of sustainability.