The Veggie Burger that Bleeds?

Impossible Foods gives us a new veggie burger that’s advertised as being so close to a meat burger that it “bleeds”. I’m all for a good veggie burger – whether it’s homemade or store bought, but Impossible Foods lab grown Impossible Burger isn’t a way to get me rushing into line to buy one. I can’t think of anything more unappetizing than food that bleeds. And while I respect the attempt, the inclusion of coconut oil makes a healthy alternative to red meat just as unhealthy – if not more so – than red meat. One three ounce Impossible Foods Impossible Burger has 220 calories and contains a whopping 11 grams (54% recommended daily value) of saturated fat. That’s right up there in artery-clogging territory with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. And at least with the Quarter Pounder you get an extra ounce of food.

Sorry, Impossible Foods, I appreciate the effort, but I’ll pass on this one.

I understand wanting to make a burger that’s environmentally friendly and that doesn’t involve the sacrifice of animals, and I understand wanting to win over meat eaters with a plant-based alternative, but in the rush to create veggie burgers, what I think gets forgotten is that there are a lot of reasons people don’t eat meat and creating a plant-based alternative that looks like meat and tastes like meat and smells like meat – and bleeds like meat – is, for a lot of people, kind of nauseating. If you want to win me over, don’t focus on something that looks, tastes and smells like the meat I don’t eat, focus on giving me something that tastes good and is fresh and healthy.

So which veggie burgers do I like? I give a big thumbs up to Engine 2 Plant Strong burgers and I also like Dr. Praeger’s and Gardein (as well as pretty much all the Gardein products), and a sentimental favorite is Boca Burgers because they’re the first veggie burger I ever ate. Of course the best veggie burgers are the ones you make yourself and the internet is a treasure trove of recipes so a person is never at a loss for a new one to try. If you have a favorite veggie burger recipe please feel free to send it to me! Either post it in the comments below or email me at michael55345 at gmail dot com.