It feels like the summer of beyond meat. Starting with its stock marketing dominating IPO in May and now being marketed with major fast food chains like Tim Hortons and Subway after a long run with A&W. Most major grocery chains now offer it as well (if you can catch it in stock). And by now you have likely been to a backyard bbq that included a beyond burger or beyond sausage.

In short, it’s everywhere. So we thought it would be worthwhile to highlight the broad health (and environmental) impacts. Ultimately the question on most of our patient’s mind, is it a healthy option?

The main ingredients of a beyond burger are water, pea protein isolate, canola oil and refined coconut oil. Minimal amounts of potato starch, natural flavor, yeast extract and beet juice extract are also included. Beyond burgers were made to look, cook and taste like a beef burger. For example the coconut oil gives it is meat like fatty flavor and the beet juice extract gives it a slightly bloody look. Each ingredient was designed to help replicate the satisfaction of a beef burger, to a meat lover.

Let’s first clarify that the beyond burger is a plant-based meat substitute, but it’s not a veggie burger made of actual vegetables. The protein is isolated from plants (peas), but this is not like eating a raw pea. It’s been processed, stripped down to the desired protein component. Like other processed foods it loses its nutrient value such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. So, although a beyond burger is plant based (and vegan and vegetarian friendly), please do not confuse this with getting your daily servings of whole vegetables.

Canola oil (along with several other ingredients) is also highly processed (and genitically modified): as it is heated, bleached, deodorized and further refined. We generally make an effort in our household to minimize Canola oil wherever possible.

A 2016 study found the average American, Canadian and UK diet gets over 60% of their calories from ultraprocessed foods. Beyond meat adds to this processed food load, potentially contributing to a growing food crisis. For more info on processed foods check out this blog

Looking a little deeper at the nutrition, a four ounce beyond burger has 270 calories, 20g of fat, 380mg of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of fiber, no sugar and 20g of protein.

Compare that to an 80 percent lean 4 ounce beef burger which has 287 calories, 23g of fat, 75mg of sodium, no carbohydrate/fiber/sugar and 19g of protein.

So if you are looking to save on fat or calories, choosing a beyond burger versus and beef burger doesn’t help you out. And the sodium load in a beyond burger is heavy, with a 4 ounce patty making up almost a third of your daily requirement (1,110mg).

Is a beyond burger healthy? No. But considering diets lower in red meat live longer, it is still probably a better option than a beef burger.

I’m painting with a broad brush on that conclusion. It depends on your overall red meat consumption, the quality of the red meat (home made burger from a local organic farmer??), your cardiovascular health risk/concerns, how much processed/GMO food you eat etc

If burgers make an infrequent appearance in your diet, the decision between a beyond burger or a beef burger is relatively insignificant in my opinion.

The most exciting aspect about plant based meat substitutes is most certainly the environmental impact. In a peer-reviewed lift cycle analysis by the University of Michigan a beyond burger vs a 1/4lb US beef burger consumes 99% less water, 93% less land, 90% fewer green house gas emissions and 46% less energy. The UN environment organization awarded Beyond Meat the 2018 champion of the earth honor. The reality is, raising animals for human consumption is resource intensive. It takes an estimated 18,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. Peas in comparison take 740 gallons.

So if you are considering a beyond burger versus a beef burger, I submit that health consequences are secondary to the environmental consequences.

Interested further in the environmental impact of our dietary choices? Check out this recent report from the world resources institute on creating a sustainable food future.