Plant-based proteins are becoming increasingly popular due to environmental, ethical, and health concerns. In response, the food industry has developed plant-based alternatives for popular meat-based items from burgers to chicken nuggets. Are these alternatives healthier than the real thing though?
The ImpossibleTM burger is the latest plant-based burger alternative to hit the shelves. Popular fast food chains like Burger King, White Castle, and Shake Shack as well as chain sit-down restaurants like Applebee’s and The Cheesecake Factory now serve this vegan burger. This is exciting news for vegans and vegetarians as they now have an option besides fries and a soggy salad at these fast food joints. Is the ImpossibleTM burger a healthier option than a hamburger for those of us who do eat meat, however? Let’s dig into the nutrition facts!
But first, what is the ImpossibleTM burger?
In essence, it’s a plant-based alternative to ground beef. It contains no animal products whatsoever and, in their words, tastes just like meat. The company behind the ImpossibleTM burger, Impossible Foods, has a mission statement to “to save meat and earth”, which they intend to accomplish through the development and sales of their ImpossibleTM burgers. There’s a lot that we could talk about in regards to environmental impacts of plant-based versus animal-based foods, but I’m going to table that conversation for now as it would make this post a mile long. For the purposes of this blog, we’re going to stick strictly to the nutritional content of this plant-based burger in comparison to a normal hamburger.
If it’s not meat, what is an ImpossibleTM burger made of?
You can find the exact ingredient list on their website, but essentially the burger is composed of soy protein, coconut oil, sunflower oil, “natural flavors”, and an assortment of added vitamins and minerals.
If there’s no meat in it, how can it taste like meat?
Impossible Foods claims that their burgers taste just like meat because of the inclusion of heme. Heme, though found in much larger quantities in animal products, can also be found in plants. Initially, this heme was extracted from soy plants, however, it is now produced by genetically engineered yeast. It’s this heme that supposedly gives the plant-based burger the taste of a regular beef hamburger. Whether or not it actually tastes just like a burger is really open to debate depending on the person though. You’ll find those who think it’s identical and those who think it differs drastically. Taste is open to interpretation. This does make it stand out from many other plant-based burgers, however, since very few taste even remotely like a typical hamburger.
How does the nutrition of the ImpossibleTM burger and a hamburger compare?
When it comes to the nutrition facts, these burgers differ in a number of areas. Note: currently, ImpossibleTM burgers are only available at select restaurants, though Impossible Foods does mention on their website that they’re hoping to be available in grocery stores by the end of the year. Because of this, the nutrition facts of the ImpossibleTM burger you get from a restaurant could differ based on preparation techniques and what is served with it. For the purposes of easier comparison, I’ll be analyzing strictly the patty of about 4oz of ImpossibleTM burger and 4oz of a hamburger patty.
Calories
The ImpossibleTM burger contains about 90 fewer calories per patty than a traditional hamburger. This is because they have differing macronutrient profiles which we’ll get into next.
Macronutrients
Protein: The ImpossibleTM burger is significantly lower in protein than a hamburger with about 19 grams per patty in comparison to 26 grams per beef patty.
Carbohydrates: The ImpossibleTM burger contains significantly more carbohydrates than a traditional hamburger, since plain ground beef contains no carbohydrates. Some of these carbohydrates come from fiber, however, at about 3 grams per ImpossibleTM burger.
Fat: The ImpossibleTM burger has about 10 fewer grams of fat than a traditional hamburger. This comparison is pretty tricky, however, since you can buy hamburger with a variety of different fat contents. The plant-based burger also has about 2 fewer grams of saturated fat than a hamburger, though again this is a tricky comparison due to the variety in fat contents of hamburger.
Micronutrients
Minerals: The ImpossibleTM burger contains more calcium, iron, potassium, and sodium than a beef burger. Both have comparable phosphorus and zinc contents.
Vitamins: The ImpossibleTM burger has significantly more thiamin and folate than a beef burger. They have comparable amounts of Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 (also a nutrient of concern for vegans/vegetarians), riboflavin, and niacin.
So what are your thoughts on the ImpossibleTM burger, as a dietitian?
As an option for vegans and vegetarians, I think it’s very exciting. I particularly like the significant amounts of iron and Vitamin B12 in these burgers since these are nutrients that a vegan and vegetarian diet often doesn’t contain enough of.
I do have to draw the line at the claim that these burgers are “healthier” than a hamburger, however. While they do contain more of some vitamins/minerals than a beef burger, they also contain way more sodium. Excess sodium can raise blood pressure, and put extra strain on the heart. We also don’t know a ton about the potential long-term health effects of the soy heme that Impossible Foods is using in these burgers. That’s not to say that I specifically think it’s unsafe, but I wouldn’t recommend replacing all your meat with ImpossibleTM burgers until we have more long-term data. It’s also worth mentioning again that as of now, you can’t get an ImpossibleTM burger at the grocery store, so preparation methods and what is added to these burgers can really vary depending on where you get it. I have no qualms with people embracing more plant-based protein options. When it comes to ImpossibleTM burgers, I think they’re a great grab-and-go option. However, if you’re cooking at home, there are many more, healthier plant-based protein options than an ImpossibleTM burger.
Have you tried the ImpossibleTM burger? What are your thoughts?