What comes to mind when someone tells you about a wholesome meat substitute that is 100% plant-based? I honestly didn't know either, and the idea of some pea protein replacing my much-loved meat, frankly didn't seem realistic at all.
But as the Beyond Burger has become increasingly popular, I gave it a try too. You can find out if I liked it, if its ingredients are at least somewhat acceptable, and if I'll ever go back to the classic meat burger in today's review.
Content of the review
If you prefer video to text, you may prefer to check out our video review, which includes more detailed footage:
How do we rate the ingredients of Beyond Burger?
I would like to preface today's review by saying that I was completely satisfied with the composition of the Beyond Burger. Pea protein, canola and coconut oil are ingredients that are definitely worth mentioning, even more so when the product created from them presents a taste similar to meat.
1. Pea protein
The first place in the Beyond Burger's composition is occupied by pea protein, which has a very good spectrum of amino acids and is therefore really good to use. At least in terms of vegetable protein. On closer examination, you will find that this protein is somewhat deficient in the amino acid content of cysteine, methionine and tryptophan, at least in comparison with, say, the popular whey protein.
However, to be completely objective, it should also be mentioned that the representation of arginine, glycine and phenylalanine is extremely high. Of the vegetable proteins, this is definitely the best possible option, which is considerably better than soya, which is cheap, rather controversial and used by the vast majority of manufacturers.
2. Canola oil
Canola oil is another fairly well chosen ingredient with good nutritional values. Of the commonly used oils, it has the lowest saturated fatty acid content, the health effects of which are quite controversial. According to expert websites, rapeseed oil contains 24-38% of omega 3 and omega 6 (i.e. linoleic and alpha linoleic acids), which can be said to contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels in terms of legislation.
3. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is mainly used by athletes because of its MCT fat content (medium chain fat).chain), which can be used by the body as a relatively good source of energy, especially for endurance sports.However, new research suggests that the MCT content of coconut oil is not as high as previously thought. Older articles have reported up to 75% MCT content, but newer findings only report a content of around 15%.
Anyway, the coconut oil in Beyond Meat is refined, which means it is stripped of all impurities, but at the same time there is according to expert websites, destroying all the health benefits, such as polyphenols - important antioxidants. There is a distinction between partial and full refining, with partial refining producing trans fats, which is essentially the same problem as with hydrogenated (solidified) fats such as RAMA, FLORA and others. Full refining is preferable because it eliminates the occurrence of trans-fatty acids to a large extent and is therefore usually preferred.
4. Other substances (Beyond Meat contains less than 2% of these):
Bamboo fiber, methyl cellulose, potato starch, maltodextrin, yeast extract, salt, sunflower oil, vegetable glycerin, dried yeast, Arabic gum, ascorbic acid, beetroot juice, modified starch, acetic acid, apple extract, lemon juice concentrate.
Interesting taste that doesn't remind me of meat even remotely
If you viewed this review, ninety percent of it was because of this paragraph. When we tested Beyond Meat, we also made a classic beef burger for comparison. The very first aspect that is different between the two foods is the smell. In fact, upon opening the vegetable burger, we were overwhelmed by a smell similar to canned dog food, whereas the meat smelled... just like meat.
Then there was another difference, and that was the consistency. When we picked up the Beyond burger, it was noticeably softer, not holding its shape very well. I should preface that this changed after the heat treatment, when the vegetable burger no longer held together. Although I originally thought that the Beyond Burger would take a little longer to prepare, it took us the same amount of time to prepare as the regular meat.
Then came the actual tasting. And honestly, I don't know what I would compare this blend of plant-based products to. The flavour is not very pronounced and compared to meat it is definitely and it' s less stiff, and when you squeeze it, the juices come out. This is an interesting taste experience if you treat yourself to a burger like I did with a classic bun and vegetables, a certainHowever, it is very difficult to compare the taste to something familiar. You have to try the vegetable burger for yourself.
A price that will probably make you stick with the classic meat
If I didn't find any major fault with the Beyond Burger until now, that's not the case now. For two rounds (and therefore two portions of a vegetable burger) you will pay almost , which puts it in a very unfavourable position in relation to classic meat. For three slices of quality beef burger we paid almost less. And if you love food as much as we do, you can easily eat both portions of the burger by yourself. Given the higher price, I think Beyond Burger is something definitely worth trying, but forIt's probably not going to make any radical inroads into your diet as an integral part of your diet.
Where to buy Beyond Burger cheapest?
Final assessment
Honestly, I like meat so much that I'm convinced that no Beyond Meat can replace it in my diet. Even though the manufacturer of these meat substitutes talk about how there is no need to plunder the planet in order to have a steak, I would approach it differently. Over-consumption of meat is definitely not healthy and if you need an alternative (not a replacement, that is), it can definitely come in handy.
This is a quality product that doesn't contain any unnecessary substances (although of course there is no maltodextrin or gum Arabic in regular meat). The only drawback, unfortunately, is the higher price, which is probably why most of us still prefer meat. But this burger is definitely worth a try.
Well, that's all for this review. If you've tried the Beyond Burger, we'd love it if you let us know in the comments. Likewise, feel free to ask us any questions in the comments and we'll be happy to answer them.
