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What is vegetable meat?
The article you are reading about is about the novelty in the world of plant diets, i.e. Beyond Burger. It is a vegan version of the classic meat burger that looks deceptively similar to a beef burger.
You can go wrong, right? As for the composition, this product contains, among others pea protein, rapeseed and coconut oil, water and yeast. However, it is free of all animal products, including dairy products, as well as soy and genetically modified ingredients.
So it will be suitable not only for vegans and vegetarians, but also people allergic to cow’s milk proteins, soy or those who are lactose intolerant.
In the table below, I have collected for you information on the nutritional value of one serving (not 100 g) of the burger in vegetable and meat versions.
As you can see, the vegetable version is not inferior to the meat version when it comes to protein. On the other hand, it contains much less fat, and with it saturated fatty acids, and also has a lot of fiber, especially when compared to all carbohydrates in the product.
Okay, but why do we need such weirdos?
People switch to a meatless diet for a variety of reasons. Some people simply do not like meat, others want to be healthier and look for a way to a longer life, and a large number of people care about the fate of animals and contribute to reducing their suffering thanks to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Some, however, even after years of plant-based meals, sometimes yearn for the meaty taste of dishes. Products such as Beyond Burger are the answer to this type of situation.
And why is it such a revolution?
Of course, the idea for vegetable “cutlets” was not born yesterday. Probably most of us have tried various types of vegetable burgers in their lives, e.g. beetroot, peas, sweet potato, etc. However, it cannot be denied that they usually do not even resemble meat – they are very tasty vegetable cutlets, but they are not ideal hamburger replacement.
As I mentioned before, there can be many reasons for switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet and they are not always related to the fact that we do not like the taste of meat. Some people miss such sensations, and products such as vegetable burgers with the actual taste of meat will help them persevere in their resolutions without contributing to animal suffering and polluting our planet. The similarity, however, is significant. According to Today, Beyond Bruger tastes similar to chicken and beef combined together. In addition, the beetroot juice contained in it means that when preparing a burger, we can see that it is juicy and “bloody” like the one made from real meat.
How, where and for how much?
Currently, in Poland, this type of burger can be eaten permanently only in one place – House of Seitan in Gdańsk, while temporarily guests in the menu of Krowarzywa chain restaurants. The prices of such a feast are PLN 39 and PLN 29, respectively. This may seem like a considerable cost, but it is worth remembering that this is just the beginning of vegetable meat and we will certainly gradually pay less and less for it.
When it comes to shopping in a stationary store, I have not yet found information about this type of distribution. However, there are companies on our market that are about to start selling.
You could certainly import Beyond Burger from the United States or other countries, but the shipping cost would most likely significantly exceed the price of the product itself, the more that, objectively speaking, it is not so high. Below is an example from the website https://store.veganessentials.com As you can see the price of the product itself is PLN 27,56, which is not too high an amount for this type of novelty.
What does the nutritionist think about this?
I don’t know what everyone will think, but I am delighted. For a long time now, meat is on my plate really sporadically and I plan to give it up completely. I have always been interested in various kinds of novelties in the plant-based diet, and I don’t have to be persuaded to try new recipes without meat or even dairy products. So if I can only buy this product or find it in a restaurant, I will definitely use it at least once as part of an experiment. I believe that the less meat we eat, the better, of course not forgetting to balance menus correctly. If such inventions are to help us promote a vegetarian or vegan diet, why not? I think it’s worth giving them a chance.
And you like vegetable burgers or other meat substitutes? What do you think about Beyond Burger?
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