Plant-based beef has become increasingly popular in recent years as more people look to reduce their consumption of animal products. But what exactly is plant-based beef, and how is it made? This comprehensive guide will explain everything you need to know about this innovative meat alternative.
What is Plant-Based Beef?
Plant-based beef refers to beef-like products made entirely from plants, without any animal ingredients. It is designed to mimic the look, taste, and texture of conventional beef Brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have created extremely convincing plant-based beef products that can be used in place of ground beef for burgers, tacos, chili, and more
While plant-based beef is made from plants, it goes far beyond simple veggie burgers. Through advanced food technology and science, companies have formulated plant-based beef to closely replicate the sensory experience of eating actual beef. When cooked, plant-based beef sizzles, browns, and even “bleeds” like real meat.
How is Plant-Based Beef Made?
The main ingredients in plant-based beef products are
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Proteins – This provides the bulk and muscle-like texture. Common proteins used include soy, peas, potatoes, wheat, and fava beans.
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Fats – This mimics the marbling in real beef for flavor and juiciness. Oils like coconut, sunflower, and canola oil are often used.
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Flavor – Ingredients like yeast extract, smoked salts, spices, fruit and vegetable concentrates replicate the savory umami taste of beef.
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Binders – Binders like methylcellulose and potato starch hold the mixture together like animal collagen and connective tissues.
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Color – Beet juice or other natural colorants give plant-based beef its red, meaty color.
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Vitamins/Minerals – The products are fortified with vitamins and minerals like B12, zinc, and iron to match the nutritional profile of beef.
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Water – Water makes up the majority of plant-based beef, just like animal meat which is about 75% water.
The ingredients are combined using heating, cooling, and pressure to align the proteins into meaty fibrous structures. This gives plant-based beef its characteristic texture and bite.
How Does Plant-Based Beef Compare to Real Beef?
In terms of taste, texture, appearance, and cooking properties, plant-based beef stacks up remarkably well against actual beef:
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Taste – When seasoned, plant-based beef tastes extremely similar to real beef. The flavoring ingredients mimic the savory, rich taste.
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Texture – Thanks to aligned proteins and added binders, plant-based beef has a pleasantly chewy, meat-like texture.
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Appearance – Raw plant-based beef looks very similar to raw ground beef in color and grain-like texture.
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Cooking – Plant-based beef browns, sizzles, and caramelizes much like real beef. The fats and juices create flavor while cooking.
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Nutrition – While not exactly the same, plant-based beef has a comparable protein and nutrient profile to beef. Both average around 20g protein per serving.
Of course subtle differences remain, but most find plant-based beef nearly indistinguishable from animal-based beef in recipes like burgers, tacos, meatballs, chili, etc. The more heavily seasoned the dish, the harder it is to differentiate.
What Are the Benefits of Plant-Based Beef?
There are many compelling reasons to choose plant-based over animal-based beef:
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Environment – Beef production requires massive amounts of land, water, and energy. Plant-based beef has a fraction of the environmental impact.
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Health – Plant foods lower risks of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Plant-based beef contains no cholesterol or animal saturated fats.
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Animal Welfare – Plant-based options avoid the cruelty and ethics issues inherent in industrial beef production.
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Safety – Plant-based beef harbors no risk of foodborne illnesses or contamination like E. coli or salmonella.
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Sustainability – The world’s growing population cannot be sustained on resource-intensive beef. Plant-based beef offers a sustainable solution.
So by choosing plant-based beef, you can greatly lower your environmental footprint, promote health and food safety, reduce animal suffering, and contribute to a sustainable food system.
What Plant-Based Beef Products Are Available?
Many companies now offer a range of plant-based beef products:
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Burgers – Brands like Impossible and Beyond make patties that can be cooked and eaten just like beef burgers.
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Ground Beef – You can buy “meatless meat” ground beef to use anywhere you’d use animal-based ground beef.
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Crumbles – Crumbled plant-based beef works great as a taco filling or for chili, pasta sauce, etc.
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Meatballs – Plant-based meatballs capture the flavor and texture of beef meatballs with no animal involved.
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Sausage – Companies are producing Italian, breakfast, chorizo, and other beef sausage alternatives.
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Ready Meals – Products like frozen burritos and meal kits allow easy plant-based beef meals.
More beef-mimicking options like roasts, steaks, hot dogs, jerky, etc. are also in development and hitting the market.
Where Can I Buy Plant-Based Beef?
Once confined to natural grocers and specialty shops, plant-based beef is now widely available:
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Grocery Stores – Major chains like Kroger, Safeway, Publix, and Walmart now carry plant-based beef options, typically in the packaged meat section.
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Restaurants – Fast food and dining chains like Burger King, White Castle, Red Robin, TGI Fridays all offer plant-based beef menu items.
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Online – Plant meats can be purchased online from the brand’s website or Amazon. Many offer subscriptions for regular delivery.
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Meal Kits – Brands like Purple Carrot and HelloFresh are incorporating plant-based beef into their meal kits.
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Meat Markets – Butcher shops and meat markets are even starting to sell plant-based beef alongside conventional meat.
So plant-based beef is becoming ubiquitous. With some searching, you should be able to find it at stores and restaurants near you.
How Do I Cook Plant-Based Beef?
Plant-based beef cooks up very similarly to real ground beef:
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Burgers – Form patties and pan fry, grill, or bake until nicely browned on both sides, about 5-7 minutes per side.
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Tacos – Brown crumbles in a skillet with taco seasoning. Fill tortillas and top with your favorite taco fixings.
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Chili – Sauté crumbles, then simmer in a pot with beans, tomatoes, and spices.
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Meatballs – Bake, pan fry, or simmer meatballs in your favorite sauce until heated through.
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Sausage – Cook links, patties, or crumbles in a skillet until nicely browned.
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Bolognese Sauce – Simmer crumbles in a hearty tomato sauce with veggies and seasonings. Toss with pasta.
With a little practice, you’ll find you can use plant-based beef just like regular beef in all your favorite recipes. The cooking time and temperatures tend to be about the same.
Plant-based beef offers an extremely compelling plant-powered alternative to conventional beef. Thanks to major advancements in food science, plant-based beef very closely replicates the taste, texture, and cooking properties of animal beef. With its lower environmental impact, health benefits, and animal welfare advantages, plant-based beef represents the future of food. More tasty and innovative beef mimics will continue arriving on the market, making it easy for everyone to explore plant-based options and reduce their beef consumption.
Popular Alternative Meat Products
Meat alternatives currently on the market include but are not limited to nuggets, crumbles, sausage links, breakfast sausage patties, meatballs, cubes, or deli meat (Figure 3). However, the most popular alternative meat product among consumers is the hamburger – sometimes called the “veggie burger.” Table 3 shows a summary of the nutritional composition of veggie hamburgers made from PBMA that are commonly sold in the U.S. The nutritional values listed for fast-food beef hamburger (100 g) without the bun and raw ground beef (100 g) came from the USDA FoodData Central database (Table 4). When looking at these nutrients to compare products, remember that the serving size varies, and a true comparison will take that into account. Some PBMAs add coconut oil to their products to improve the texture, which also increases the saturated fat content. PBMA may also add specific vegetables, such as carrots, beets, and berries, to give the products a red appearance similar to traditional animal meat. The manufacturers of the Impossible Burger (Figure 4) have taken it one step further by adding soy leghemoglobin to their veggie burger to mimic the “bloody” appearance and flavor that we typically get from beef hamburgers. Impossible Foods uses soy leghemoglobin as a mixture of soy leghemoglobin, yeast, salt, and sodium ascorbate. Soy leghemoglobin is a normal part of the soy plant that we typically do not eat – the root nodules. To make enough soy leghemoglobin for their products, Impossible Foods uses genetically modified yeast (Pichia pastoris) that is altered to contain the soy leghemoglobin gene. Leghemoglobin is similar to the two iron-based proteins (hemoglobin and myoglobin) that are found in animal meat (Health Canada, 2021).
Table 3: Summary of the Nutritional Composition of Commercially Available Hamburgers made from Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
Product | Serving Size | Calories/ Serving | Protein Source | Protein | Fat | Sat Fat | Cholesterol | Carb | Dietary Fiber | Sodium | Iron |
Beyond Burger | 113 grams
(4 oz.) |
230 | Pea | 20 grams | 14 grams | 5 grams | 0 mg | 7 grams | 2 grams | 390 mg | 4.0 mg |
Boca Burger | 71 grams (2.5 oz.) | 110 | Soy | 14 grams | 4.5 grams | 1.5 grams | 5 mg | 7 grams | 4 grams | 390 mg | 2.2 mg |
Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger | 71 grams (2.5 oz.) | 130 | Pea | 5 grams | 6 grams | 0.5 grams | 0 mg | 13 grams | 5 grams | 250 mg | 1.5 mg |
Great value Meatless Burger | 71 grams (2.5 oz.) | 120 | Soy, Fava Bean and Pea | 18 grams | 5 grams | 0 grams | 0 mg | 6 grams | 0 grams | 260 mg | 0.9 mg |
Impossible Burger | 113 grams
(4 oz.) |
240 | Soy and Potato | 19 grams | 14 grams | 8 grams | 0 mg | 9 grams | 3 grams | 370 mg | 4.2 mg |
Lightlife™ Burger | 113 grams
(4 oz.) |
250 | Pea | 20 grams | 17 grams | 5 grams | 0 mg | 6 grams | 1 gram | 390 mg | 4.2 mg |
Morning Star Burger Grillers Prime | 71 grams (2.5 oz.) | 150 | Wheat, Soy, Egg White | 16 grams | 8 grams | 1 gram | 0 mg | 6 grams | 3 grams | 400 mg | 1.2 mg |
Wholly Veggie Burger (Herb Garlic) | 75 grams
(2.6 oz) |
130 | Pea | 9 grams | 4 grams | 0 grams | 0 mg | 15 grams | 3 grams | 440 mg | 2 mg |
Yves Veggie Bistro Burger | 88 grams
(3.1 oz.) |
130 | Wheat and Soy | 15 grams | 4.5 grams | 0.4 grams | 0 mg | 8 grams | 3 grams | 370 mg | 5 mg |
Table 4: Nutrition Composition of Fast-Food Hamburger and Raw Ground Beef
Nutrient | Fast-Food Hamburger
(100 g) |
Raw Ground Beef
(100 g) |
Protein (grams | 18.4 | 17.4 |
Total Fat (grams) | 15.6 | 19.1 |
Total Carbohydrate (grams) | 17.1 | 0 |
Dietary Fiber (grams) | 0.6 | 0 |
Iron (mg) | 2.76 | 1.97 |
Sodium (mg) | 351 | 66 |
Cholesterol (mg) | 55 | 71 |
From an overall nutrition perspective, PBMA and beef hamburgers have similar protein content, but the PBMA veggie burgers have less fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrates and are higher in dietary fiber. Some PBMA hamburgers have more sodium than traditional ground beef, and some PBMAs have lower iron, but levels vary with manufacturers and the ingredients.
As food manufacturers have gotten better at mimicking the texture, flavor, and appearance of traditional meat, more consumers have been willing to try PBMA. PBMA seem to appeal to a variety of consumers that range from strict vegetarians to “flexitarians” who follow a semi-vegetarian diet, to omnivores who don’t follow a diet, to people that just want to reduce their red meat consumption. PBMAs still only occupy a small portion of the overall market; however, as food technology advances, that may change.
Reference:
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials.
- Health Canada, Novel Food Section of the Health Products and Food Branch. 2021. Soy leghemoglobin (LegH) preparation as an ingredient in a simulated meat product and other ground beef analogues. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/genetically-modified-foods-other-novel-foods/approved-products/soy-leghemoglobin/document.html Access date 07/05/2022
- International Food Information Council (IFIC). 2021. Consumer perceptions of plant-based meat alternatives. https://foodinsight.org/consumption-trends-plant-based-meat-alts/ Access date 07/05/2022.
- Sadler, M. J. 2004. Meat alternatives — market developments and health benefits. Trends in Food Science & Technology 15(5): 250–260.
- USDA Economics Research Service. Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook: June 2022. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/outlooks/104124/ldp-m-336.pdf?v=3363.9
- USDA FoodData Central https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1099802/nutrients Access date 07/05/2022.
- Zorpette, G. 2013. Muscling Out Meat. IEEE Spectrum 50(6): 64–70.
If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at hgic@clemson.edu or 1-888-656-9988.
J. K. Northcutt, Professor in the Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Science at Clemson University, Clemson, SC.
This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. All recommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status of registration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed.
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FAQ
What is plant-based beef made of?
The foundational elements in plant-based meat are a protein of some sort (like tofu, tempeh, or soy), plant oils (like sunflower or canola oil), and a vegan binding agent (like flour, aquafaba, or beans).
Is plant-based beef healthier?
Plant-based meat is more nutritious. No matter which way you slice it, plant-based meat has significantly more nutritional benefits than conventional meat. Whether it’s introducing a new source of fiber to your diet or cutting down on cholesterol, plant-based products lead to better health outcomes.
What are the disadvantages of plant-based meat?
Con #1: Plant-based meat can be more heavily processed than animal meat. As some plant-based meat and mock meat products are created to replicate animal meat, they may undergo more processing. This leads to a high content of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.
How does plant-based meat taste like meat?
Hu says that the meat-like flavour in some products, particularly from Impossible Foods, comes from heme, made from fermenting soy plant roots. And if you take iron supplements you might recognize this molecule. The more heme, the more it tastes and looks like authentic meat.
What is plant-based meat?
What exactly is plant-based meat? Plant-based meats are foods made from plants that are intended to offer an alternative to meats made from animals—whether in the form of burgers, bacon, steaks, nuggets, sausages, fillets, or countless other versions of popular foods many of us grew up with.
What does plant based meat taste like?
Like animal-based meat, plant-based meat is composed of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Next-generation plant-based meat looks, cooks, and tastes like conventional meat. Where does plant-based meat fit in the alt protein landscape? Plant-based meat is the cornerstone of alternative proteins in the United States and around the world.
Is plant-based meat better for the environment?
Like cultivated meat and fermentation-derived products, plant-based meat is better for the planet, people, and animals. Analyses of the environmental impact of plant-based meat show that plant-based meat production uses up to 96 percent less water and up to 91 percent less land.
What are the ingredients in plant based meat?
Each plant-based meat product is made differently. Many contain legumes, grains, and vegetable protein. The most common ingredients are peas, soybeans, lentils, quinoa, potato starch, mung beans, mushrooms, coconut oil, and seitan, though these are just a few of the many possibilities. Is Plant-Based Meat Healthy?
When did plant based meat start?
The plant-based meat industry in the United States dates back to the 19th century, and several of today’s leading plant-based meat companies were established in the 1970s–90s. However, the plant-based meat category remained small and relatively stagnant until recently, with the market largely limited to vegans and vegetarians.
What makes a good plant-based meat manufacturer?
A plant-based meat manufacturer’s first job is to gather ingredients that will both meet this criteria and mix well together. The foundational elements in plant-based meat are a protein of some sort (like tofu, tempeh, or soy), plant oils (like sunflower or canola oil), and a vegan binding agent (like flour, aquafaba, or beans).