Is Beyond Meat Healthy? New Burgers Cut Down The Fat

Beyond Meat on Monday announced it's bringing customers two new versions of the Beyond Burger in early 2021. In a press release, the company classified one sandwich as the "juiciest burger yet" and the other as the "most nutritious patty to date."

Meatless alternatives have long faced scrutiny from nutritionists. The current four-ounce Beyond Burger patty has 270 calories, 20 grams of fat and protein, five grams of carbohydrates, and 380 milligrams of sodium. Ingredients include water, pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil and refined coconut oil.

Beyond Meat has yet to disclose the nutritional information and ingredients for the two new burgers but will do so later this week.

But some facts have already been released. The "juicy" new Beyond Burger will have 35% less saturated fat than a classic 80/20 beef burger patty. The more nutritious option will have 55% less saturated fat than beef.

"Both new burgers will boast the same savory taste profile, have lower overall fat and fewer calories than 80/20 beef, and have B vitamins and minerals comparable to the micronutrient profile of beef," Beyond Meat said in the press release.

Plant-based protein makers are at an advantage because they have the ability to improve nutritional info, while traditional meats' caloric value is already set in stone.

“If you’re starting with a blank canvas and you are saying we can create a burger that is better for people and for the planet, you do need to be responsible and you need to think about how you can reduce the overall levels of saturated fats,” Beyond Meat Founder and CEO Ethan Brown told Yahoo.

“What's the perfect burger? I think in this case it's really around continuing to collapse the gaps in sensory experience between our burgers and 80/20 ground beef. So then it’s just truly indistinguishable. That is the Holy Grail. And then once we get there, it will be to continue to iterate around other parts of the platform such as beef, steak and everything else.”