Plant-based meat taste test: Impossible vs. Beyond

plant-based meat fi

Plant-based meat alternatives like the Impossible burger have seen such an uptick in hype and headlines lately that you could say it’s impossible (yep, went there) to miss the trend towards more sustainable “meats.” But you’re probably also wondering, Do these meatless burgers taste like the real thing?

If you’re skeptical, you’re surely not alone. In fact, the more ubiquitous meatless burgers become, the more pushback against these meat-free products there seems to be. Many critics take aim at the fact these products — in order to look, feel, smell, and taste like traditional meat — are highly processed. While the companies creating them insist the processing is done in a responsible and healthier way, detractors continue to take aim at what they see as hyper-processing. (Note: Healthy and highly processed aren’t always mutually exclusive.)

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But, here’s the deal: Companies like Impossible and Beyond Burger have the capacity to change our food system for the better by creating products that are more sustainable. They have the potential to feed the growing middle class in a way that is affordable, ethically sourced, and less damaging to the environment than traditional meat.

So, yeah, we were down to give them a try. In fact, we were even willing to drive 500 miles round-trip to get our hands on a pack of Impossible “ground beef” alternative. We also picked up traditional beef and Beyond Burger to round out our slider taste test.

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We won’t spoil the results for you — you’ll have to pick them up (or watch us chow down in the video below) to form your opinion. What we will say is you shouldn’t write these plant-based burger alternatives off before you try them.

They might just surprise you, as they did us.

Which plant-based meat is your go-to? Tag us on Instagram @makeitgrateful and #makeitgrateful!