Where’s The Beef? | Are Plant Based Burgers Healthy?

Are Plant Base Burgers Really Better Than Beef?

If you believe all the marketing then you'd probably say "yes of course!" In fact you've probably chosen a plant based burger at a restaurant over a beef one, maybe bought some at the grocery store.  But are they really better for you? Are they really better for the environment? Around here, you know we like to dig a little deeper, and I don't think you're going to like what I found.  

First a quick reminder: I'm not here to demonize food, to create guilt in you for your food choices, or to create food rules, BUT we do need to be able to have an honest conversation about foods that are healthier choices and those that aren't, and why.  That's what this episode is - information to arm yourself with so you can make the healthiest choices for yourself as often as you can.  Everything in moderation.

In this episode I'm mostly talking about the Impossible Burger, the Beyond Burger, and a regular beef burger. I'll compare them based on:

- ingredients and safety

- possible reactions

- protein source

- nutrients and bioavailability

Just because a burger says it's "plant based" does not automatically mean it's healthy.  It's still a highly processed food, and in general we want to limit highly processed foods where we can.  Just because a cookie is "gluten free" doesn't magically make it a health food.  The same rule applies here!  And in the case of some of these "plant based" burgers we're talking about the OPPOSITE of healthy!