Plant based burgers and lab grown meat

[UberTiger]

The last year or so has seen a massive increase in the number of companies offering plant based burgers and other plant based meat alternatives.

Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger are two of them.

It’s well reported that meat farming is incredibly bad for the environment, so I welcome the technological advances in this arena.

Seeing as I’m wandering the streets of Central London this evening, and given the spirit of the Extinction Rebellion protests this evening I thought I’d give one a go!

I originally intended to just grab a regular burger, but saw one of the new plant based ones on the menu for the first time. I’ve seen loads of vids of YouTubers in the states trying the Impossible Burger, so was excited to give this ago.

I got the Beyond Burger from Honest Burger in Covent Garden. £11.50 later for that and some chips and I’m really pleasantly surprised!

First bite was super weird, got a tinge of an odd flavour. And the burger also looked reeally red in the cross section. Which I found disconcerting even though I knew it wasn’t meat! Although it might be partly due to the lighting in here.

After that though, texture and taste was great. Was a really solid burger. Decent chips too.

I’ll definitely go out of my way to try more of this type of food in the future. Both to experiment and to try and do my bit for reducing my meat consumption,

What do y’all think about these new meat substitutes? Will you be cutting back on your meat?

Pics:

 

[hughtrimble]

And the chips were great...because they're triple fried in duck fat.





Probably

 

[pooley]

meat>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>everything else

 

[UberTiger]

And the chips were great...because they're triple fried in duck fat.





Probably

 

[Raymond Lin]

If it taste good and not more expensive I’d eat it just the same as any other beef burger. A good burger is a good burger.

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

If it taste good and not more expensive I’d eat it just the same as any other beef burger. A good burger is a good burger.

This ^^ If it is more healthy even better!

 

[pooley]

This ^^ If it is more healthy even better!

do we even know the ingredients in these burgers?
chances are they are full of unhealthy crap anyways..

 

[edscdk]

do we even know the ingredients in these burgers?
chances are they are full of unhealthy crap anyways..

personally id take a unhealthy non meat burger over a unhealthy meat burger at the same price any day as it means less animal murder... id be a vegan if meat did not taste so good...

 

[bloodiedathame]

I eat a lot of plant based alternatives as my wife is vegan. To be honest, most are fine. The worst things are cheese alternatives. Some of the meat alternatives I've preferred to the meat equivalent, I'm looking at you vivera shawarma vegan kebab.

 

[pooley]

personally id take a unhealthy non meat burger over a unhealthy meat burger at the same price any day as it means less animal murder... id be a vegan if meat did not taste so good...

there is a reason for that, you should be eating meat

 

[Double07]

there is a reason for that, you should be eating meat

Actually any sensible person knows we shouldnt be eating it. And I am not a vegetarian.

I dont get the whole, "why do they want things that taste look/taste like meat, just eat meat" idiotic argument. Surely if we could all have a burger that tasted like meat but no animal had to suffer then its a good thing, regardless if you choose to eat it or not? The unhealthy argument is just as silly, two unhealthy burgers, one which cause suffering to another living creature and one which didnt, just eat the latter. We all eat crap sometimes, lets just say so.

I know I am part of the problem given I eat meat, in fact I could be deemed as worse as I was vegetarian for 7 years but if someone gave me some lab grown thing that tasted like meat I would never consider eating 'real' meat again. Yes Im shallow but give enough people they choice and enough of them will likely make changes to their choices.

 

[pooley]

^ and yet you continue to eat meat!
your body does not care for your city living ethics..

 

[Begbie]

Actually any sensible person knows we shouldnt be eating it. And I am not a vegetarian.

I dont get the whole, "why do they want things that taste look/taste like meat, just eat meat" idiotic argument. Surely if we could all have a burger that tasted like meat but no animal had to suffer then its a good thing, regardless if you choose to eat it or not? The unhealthy argument is just as silly, two unhealthy burgers, one which cause suffering to another living creature and one which didnt, just eat the latter. We all eat crap sometimes, lets just say so.

I know I am part of the problem given I eat meat, in fact I could be deemed as worse as I was vegetarian for 7 years but if someone gave me some lab grown thing that tasted like meat I would never consider eating 'real' meat again. Yes Im shallow but give enough people they choice and enough of them will likely make changes to their choices.

Agreed. But Id want to know what was in the burger first.

 

[Double07]

Agreed. But Id want to know what was in the burger first.

100% agree. Always better to know 100% whats in it irrespective if you eat plants/pulses/balls/brain. If you know whats in it you can make an informed decision.

 

[Kreeeee]

First bite was super weird, got a tinge of an odd flavour. And the burger also looked reeally red in the cross section. Which I found disconcerting even though I knew it wasn’t meat! Although it might be partly due to the lighting in here.

I don't know what burgers you're used to eating but every single good burger will be rare in the middle.

 

[Shimmyhill]

I’m a part time vegetarian these days but I love bbq so can not see me ever giving up certain meat, 20 hour smoked pork shoulder has no substitute but I have been trying loads of vegetarian food and IMO the beyond burger is fantastic! I have had it out and it beats most burger chains and tastes great, you can buy them in Tescos and other than the cost (£5 for 2) they are great.

I eat a lot of plant based alternatives as my wife is vegan. To be honest, most are fine. The worst things are cheese alternatives. Some of the meat alternatives I've preferred to the meat equivalent, I'm looking at you vivera shawarma vegan kebab.

This is true, in a wrap that shawarma kebab is epic!

 

[Raymond Lin]

I’m a part time vegetarian these days but I love bbq so can not see me ever giving up certain meat, 20 hour smoked pork shoulder has no substitute but I have been trying loads of vegetarian food and IMO the beyond burger is fantastic! I have had it out and it beats most burger chains and tastes great, you can buy them in Tescos and other than the cost (£5 for 2) they are great.



This is true, in a wrap that shawarma kebab is epic!

What is a part time vegetarian? Lol.

 

[Shimmyhill]

What is a part time vegetarian? Lol.

Hehe, I choose vegetarian food over meat more often than not - well over half my meals are meat free and probably lots more but I still eat meat.... I have chosen to cut down my meat intake and don’t really have any processed meat at all - even sausages as Cauldron do great meat free ones!

Bacon is an issue.... I’ve not had it for a while but never bother with veggie stuff!!

 

[UberTiger]

I don't know what burgers you're used to eating but every single good burger will be rare in the middle.

In the middle, yes, but not all the way through and up the edge. It almost looks like a tartar in my last photo.

 

[Quartz]

It’s well reported

I disagree.

that meat farming is incredibly bad for the environment,

Some meat farming is; some meat farming isn't. There are many places on Earth where human-edible vegetation does not grow but vegetation that is animal-edible does. So we use the animals to turn that vegetation into human-edible meat.