If you’ve been to a Burger King near Gloucester, ON, Canada, you probably have seen the Impossible Burger on the menu. What is it? It’s a lab grown vegetarian option that doesn’t contain meat, but certainly tastes like it does. It’s a blend of potato and soy proteins in the latest version, which is different from the first one that contained wheat protein and not gluten-free. It has coconut oil and sunflower oil as a fat source and methylcellulose as a binder that provides fiber, too.
So how does it taste?
People who try this burger claim it tastes just like meat. It has the sizzle and smell of a burger with that juicy interior from the heme in plants. Scientists used the DNA from soy roots to modify yeast genetically and produces large amounts of soy heme. In fact, it tastes so much like meat, there’s now Impossible meats in the frozen section of the grocery, so you don’t have to go grab a burger to get the flavor, saving you money and calories, since you can eat it without a bun or all the condiments.
There are benefits to eating the Impossible Burger.
There’s no cholesterol in the Impossible Burger, so if you’re limiting your cholesterol intake, it’s far better than a regular burger. A regular burger has about a quarter of your daily cholesterol intake. It has less than one gram of sugar. It’s also made with 15% of your daily calcium, iron at 25 % DV, 19 grams of protein, 9grams of carbs, 130% DV of B12, 2350% DV of thiamin, 50% DV zinc, 15% DV of zinc and plus plenty of fiber—11% DV.
It sounds good, but are there drawbacks?
There are drawbacks with every product, including the Impossible Burger. It’s not the best choice when it comes to sodium. Just like many products that are geared to taste like meat, the Impossible Burger is high in sodium, with 370 mg—16% DV. Compare that to the 4% DV of a regular burger. It also has a high saturated fat content with 8g or 40% DV, 10% more than a regular burger. A regular burger also has far more protein, which keeps you feeling full longer, so you won’t eat as much later in the day.
- Even though the regular burger has 20 calories more, that’s insignificant if you consume even an apple to fill the void later on after you ate an Impossible Burger.
- Nutritionists suggest that the Impossible Burger isn’t the answer if you’re looking for a healthier option. The best option would be to eat half a burger and supplement the meal with vegetables, including mushrooms.
- People on a heart healthy diet may benefit from the lower cholesterol, but the high sodium count and high saturated fat can wipe out the benefits.
- There are healthier food options than the Impossible Burger, but it doesn’t mean you have to eliminate it from your diet. Choose the frozen patties and use half or a quarter to top a salad.
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