The Beyond Burger by Beyond Meat - Food Review

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the Beyond Meat Beyond Burger in my stories. For the past two or so months, I have been eating them pretty regularly (spoiler alert: I am obsessed with this burger). However, my first time trying it left quite a bit to be desired. I had hyped the faux-meat product up in my mind so much, that by the time I ate it, I was expecting quite a bit. I put a lot of condiments on the burger, including dairy-free smoked gouda, Vegenaise, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato... I am used to not usually being a huge fan of veggie burgers, and I pile on the toppings in an effort to disguise the taste. In doing so with the Beyond Burger, I was missing out on all of its great flavour.

I don't mind including a lot of toppings on the burger now that I have gotten a true sense of the taste, but I recommend really taking in its full flavour when you first try it. This burger more than holds up on its own. I have had it on a bun with just ketchup, mixed in with rice, and I have even just eaten it with nothing else - it is honestly that good. It has this great umami, fatty flavour to it that many vegan products can lack. 

Now let's get into some facts. This burger has been gaining popularity, and for good reason - it claims to be the future of protein. A single burger contains 20g of plant protein. Another claim is that the burger, "satisfies like beef." While I haven't had a meat burger in 14 years, based on my memory of it, I say this comes pretty close to actual beef. It is made with pea protein, and does not contain any soy, gluten, or GMOs. 

Beyond Meat is aiming to provide cruelty-free, environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional meat products. This brand truly comes off as a company that is smart and who knows what they are doing (Bill Gates is even an investor!) I think this is a burger that is great for vegans, vegetarians, and even omnivores who are trying to cut back on their meat consumption. This burger even "bleeds" like real meat, for those who are still looking for that meaty experience. But don't worry, the "blood" is only beet juice. Below are some additional facts, including the differences between a Beyond Meat burger, and a traditional beef burger.

In terms of cooking the burger, the instructions really stress to not overcook it; however, I have found that I personally prefer cooking it longer than recommended. I don't like it as much when it's softer in texture, so I cook it for an extra 3-4 minutes on each side until it's really browned up and firm. You get two in a package, so you can try out both ways to see which one you prefer. Unfortunately, Beyond Meat isn't available for distribution in Canada yet, so I have been making the trip to the Detroit Whole Foods. If you live in the United States, you should have no problem finding this product at your local grocery store. There are even some restaurants who have started to serve it on their menu. Click here to find out where you can pick a pack up.

I hope you've enjoyed this review. I've had so many people message me on Instagram asking questions about this burger, so I hope this was helpful! If you have tried this burger out, let me know what you think.