Welcome to “McDaniel’s Bite-Sized Reviews” | Beyond Meat: The Beyond Burger
FYI – these posts aren’t sponsored. They are opinions of unpaid tastebuds.
Check Out Our Past Reviews:
- Week One: Banza Elbow Pasta Made with Chickpeas
- Week Two: Lifeway ProBugs Organic Pouches
- Week Three: Sports Research Collagen Peptides
- Week Four: Lúvo Planted Power Bowls
- Week Five: Kodiak Power Cakes Flapjack & Waffle Mix: Buttermilk
Product: Beyond Meat Burger
What is it?
A plant-based burger alternatives to meat that look and taste like the real deal. The mission of this company is to provide healthier options to meat that are more sustainable, efficient, and healthy. One 4 oz burger has 20 grams of protein (mainly from peas) and is soy-free and gluten-free. They promote their product to be made without GMOs, and the red coloring comes from beets.
Why Did We Try?
To be honest, I want my veggie burger to taste like vegetables, not meat. But, my boys like burgers, and there is no argument that plants trump animal protein when it comes to our health and longevity. So, I was curious to try this fairly new plant-based burger that so many people were raving about. Most plant-based eaters are open to trying new convenient vegetarian/vegan options that make it easier to stick with this way of eating. Could this burger be the occasional replacement in our family for beef?
Nutrition Facts Label
Where to Find & Cost
Beyond Meat products can be found at most Whole Foods, Target, Schnucks, and Dierbergs. If you’re outside of the Midwest, use their online store locator:
Worth the Bite? Our 5 Star Rating
Taste: 3.5/5 stars
To be honest, it’s kind of difficult for a plant-based eater who hasn’t had a real burger in years to describe the taste and flavor of the burger. But, I would describe it as burger-like tasting with a hint of soy – even though it is free of soy. A tad on the salty side, they needed no extra salt or seasoning like you might add to ground beef.
Burger-Like Texture & Appearance: 4.5/5
I grilled my burger, and I did like how crisp it was on the outside. The density of the burger was equivalent to a regular burger. I grilled the burger from freezer to grill, which I think helped the burger stay in form while grilling compared to grilling it once thawed.
Nutrient Density: 3.5/5
Comparison for Similar Types of Plant-Based Burgers + Beef Burger:
It’s important to remember that just because a food is “plant-based,” doesn’t mean it is healthy or healthier than its meat counterpart. As you can see in the comparison chart, the Beyond Burger has almost as much saturated fat (from coconut oil) as the regular beef burger, plus more calories. It has a similar fiber and sodium content to the veggie-based burgers, but in comparison to the beef burger, you’re getting five times as much sodium. For pros, the veggie versions have zero mg of cholesterol. Another pro is that when you grill plants as opposed to animal meat over high-heat, you get the production of chemicals related to increased risk of colorectal or other cancers.
Value: 2/5
The average cost of the burger is $2.99 or $5.99 per package (2, 4 oz burgers)
- Boca Burger = $5.69 per 10 oz. package, $1.42 per 2.5 oz. burger
- Morning Star Farms Meat Lovers= $3.89 per 8 oz. package, $1.95 per 4 oz. burger
- Regular Beef Burger = $6.99 per 16 oz. package, $1.75 per 4 oz. burger
As you can see, this product is substantially more expensive. There is also a lot of waste in the packaging to only get two burgers per container.
Overall Rating: 3.3/5 Stars
How We Took a Bite:
We kept the vegan theme and simply enjoyed the grilled burger on a whole-wheat bun with avocado, mustard and ketchup.