Plant-based eating has officially gone mainstream and there’s no shortage of vegan meat substitutes to choose from. After decades of the only option for non-meat eaters being bland soy patties, there are finally options that taste downright delicious. One brand that’s become mega-popular in the meat-free space is Beyond Meat—specifically their Beyond Burger patties. The Beyond Burger patties look and taste so much like actual meat that it’s almost scary. It’s even a little red in the middle. While there’s no question that it’s a spot-on beef burger replacement, there is some confusion about whether or not it’s actually healthy. On the one hand, it’s plant-based—that must mean it’s nutrient-rich, right? But on the other hand, traditional burgers are pretty high in saturated fat and Beyond Burger tastes so much like the real thing that it surely must have the same issue. The first step in determining if Beyond Burger is actually healthy is checking out the ingredients list and nutritional breakdown. Let’s get to it, with the help of registered dietitians explaining everything along the way.
What Are Beyond Burger Ingredients?
According to the Beyond Meat website, here’s exactly what Beyond Burger patties are made of, in order of what ingredients are used the most: Water, pea protein, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, rice protein, natural flavors, dried yeast, cocoa butter, methylcellulose, potato starch, salt, potassium chloride, beet juice color, apple extract, pomegranate extract, sunflower lecithin, vinegar, lemon juice concentrate, vitamins and minerals (zinc sulfate, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and calcium). Obviously, it’s a heck of a lot more ingredients than what traditional burgers are made of (which is simply beef). As you can see, the first ingredient (besides water) is pea protein. Registered dietitian Isabel Smith, RD, is all in favor of this protein source. “Pea protein is a solid source of plant-based protein. It’s a complete protein source,” she says. This means it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body can’t produce on its own. Pea protein isn’t the only protein source in Beyond Burger. The brand blends it with rice protein as well. “It’s very common to find ‘blends’ of plant proteins so this isn’t’ surprising,” says Ginger Hultin, RD, a registered dietitian and the author of How To Eat To Beat Disease Cookbook. To her, it’s not a red flag; it just means they’re varying where they get the protein for the burgers from. Both Smith and Hultin like that vitamins and minerals are added to the burgers—particularly since meat has zinc and B vitamins so people who eat primarily plant-based need to be more mindful to get enough of these nutrients. Smith likes that beet juice and pomegranate extract are used for redness in place of food coloring and says it adds a small number of antioxidants too. Canola oil is also a core ingredient in Beyond Burger and it’s one the dietitians have mixed feelings about. “Beef burgers contain fat and so of course, a plant-based burger will need to as well. Canola oil is unsaturated fat that’s plant-based,” Hultin says. “The way that it affects the nutritional profile is to boost the fat and calorie content.” In other words, the canola oil adds fat and calories, but it’s key for that realistic burger-taste. “Canola oil isn’t my favorite choice—I prefer avocado or olive oil—but it’s frequently used in processed foods because it’s cheap and easy to come by,” Smith adds. The only other ingredient the dietitians don’t love is coconut oil. Hultin says using this ups the amount of saturated fat, which comes through when looking at the nutritional panel.
What is the nutritional breakdown of the Beyond Burger?
Speaking of the nutritional panel, here’s how the ingredients listed above translate into a nutritional breakdown:
Calories: 230Total fat: 14 gSaturated fat: 5 gPolyunsaturated fat: 3 gMonounsaturated fat: 6 gSodium: 390 mgCarbohydrates: 7 gFiber: 2 gProtein: 20 gCalcium: 100 mgIron: 4 mgPotassium: 330 mgNiacin: 4.7 mgNEVitamin B6: .3 mgVitamin B12: 2.4 mcgPantothenic acid: .5 mgZinc: 4.6 mg
As you can see, the pea protein and rice protein come through in a big way: Each pattie has 20 grams of protein, which is almost half of what’s needed for the entire day. The added vitamins and minerals also clearly come through on the ingredients list. When looking at the nutrient breakdown, the only eyebrow-raiser is the saturated fat content. “There are 5 grams in a patty and the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to about 13 grams in a day on a 2,000 calorie diet. So just keep that in mind with all foods in your diet,” Hultin says.
How does Beyond Burger compare to other vegan burgers and beef burgers?
So, is Beyond Burger healthy? Both dietitians say it’s a great burger option for people who don’t eat meat (and even those who do). “I think that it’s a food that can fit into a balanced diet with no problem at all,” Hultin says. “For my clients who eat beef burgers, I don’t recommend that they eat them every day and I feel the same about Beyond Burgers. They can be a wonderful source of protein and, depending on what else you eat with the meal, in a given day, and overall, all the time, they can absolutely be part of a healthy dietary plan.” Hultin and Smith both say it’s healthier than a lot of the other vegan burger options out there and packs more protein than most. But Hultin says it still really comes down to the ingredients different brands use. For example, she says that a vegan burger made primarily with beans will have more fiber and less saturated fat, which would make it a healthier choice. “It really comes down to what you’re looking for in a burger,” she says. If choosing a vegan burger that tastes most similar to meat is your main priority, Beyond Burger is likely your best bet. If your main goal is choosing a high-fiber option, a bean burger is a better choice. When it comes to comparing Beyond Burger to traditional beef burgers, Smith says that beef burgers are actually healthier. “They’re less processed,” she says. Hultin says she feels that Beyond Burger and beef burgers are very similar on the nutrition front, but she encourages people to think of other factors as well. “For those focused on animal welfare, choosing a plant-based burger literally saves lives,” she says. “For those focused on the environment, research has very clearly told us that we need to cut back our meat consumption as a country and as a world. Products like Beyond support that need very well. So, if you look at ‘health’ holistically, then yes, I absolutely think it’s ‘healthier.’” With this in mind, Beyond Burger delivers more than just a tasty, protein-packed burger. You could say that it goes above and, well, beyond. Next up, here are 12 side dishes to pair with your Beyond Burgers at your next cookout.
Sources:
Isabel Smith, RD, registered dietitian based in New York CityGinger Hultin, RD, registered dietitian and the author of How To Eat To Beat Disease Cookbook and Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep
