Impossibl burger!
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Apr 26, 2019
- 2 min read
What Is the Impossible Burger, and Is It Healthy?
The Impossible Burger is a plant-based alternative to traditional meat-based burgers. It’s said to mimic the flavor, aroma, and texture of beef.
Someagree that this burger is more nutritious and healhtier than beef burger while others claims that some ingredients in the impossible burger could not be optimal to your health.
Impossible Burger ingredients
Impossible Foods created a plant-based burger that some say perfectly resembles the taste, aroma, and texture of beef.
The original Impossible Burger contains the following ingredients:
Water, textured wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein, natural flavors, 2% or less of leghemoglobin (soy), yeast extract, salt, konjac gum, xanthan gum, soy protein isolate, vitamin E, vitamin C, thiamine (vitamin B1), zinc, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamin B12.
In 2019, the company introduced a new recipe featuring the following changes:
· uses soy protein instead of wheat protein, making it gluten-free
· contains a plant-based culinary binder called methylcellulose to improve texture
· replaced a portion of the coconut oil with sunflower oil to reduce saturated fat content
Heme, or soy leghemoglobin, is the ingredient said to set the Impossible Burger apart from other plant-based burgers. It adds to the flavor and color of the burger and makes it “bleed” like a beef burger does when cut.
Unlike the heme found in beef, the heme in the Impossible Burger is genetically engineered by adding soy protein to genetically engineered yeast.
Though Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some raise concern about its potential health effects.
Currently, the Impossible Burger is only available at certain restaurants and fast food establishments in the United States, Hong Kong, and Macau. The company also plans to sell the Impossible Burger in U.S. grocery stores from 2019.
The Impossible Burger is higher in certain vitamins and minerals than beef burgers, as they are added during processing. Impossible Burgers are also higher in salt and carbohydrates.
The Impossible Burger is an environmentally-friendly food packed with nutrients that vegan and vegetarian diets often lack, such as iron and vitamin B12.
There are several downsides to the Impossible Burger, including its content of potentially allergenic ingredients and the use of GMO ingredients like soy leghemoglobin.
While the Impossible Burger may be a good option for vegans and vegetarians on the go, you can make healthier plant-based burgers at home.
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