4 ms·

As a long time flexitarian (I hate that phrase too), I just roll my eyes at all of these "non-meat initiatives". Impossible and Beyond burgers don't hold a cand

As a long time flexitarian (I hate that phrase too), I just roll my eyes at all of these "non-meat initiatives". Impossible and Beyond burgers don't hold a candle to a classic portobello burger. People have made delicious meals without meat since society began, and they didn't rely on "tricking" people into thinking a meal is something else. It's baffling that the marketing department of Beyond and Impossible have turned standard food r&d into an environmental savior.

nobody271 8y ago
Well, the thing is they make it easy to find a main course. Without all the vegetarian and vegan products you would have to sort through the products that aren't explicitly marked that way to get a guess about which ones contain meat. Plus they taste good to me. I'm not looking for something that "tastes like meat" lol. As though I am just dying for meat. Nope, I'm quite fine actually.
seyfriied 8y ago
Disregard the environment and think about the ethics ... Classically farmed meat involves raising animals into captivity, rearing them in poverty, and sending them off for the slaughter. I'd feel less ethically corrupt if my burgers came from beans, not beef.
gbrown 8y ago
You're getting downvoted, but I agree. Portabello, black-bean patties, beet patties, shredded squash... there are lots of awesome sandwich friendly vegetarian options which don't pretend to be meat.
atombender 8y ago
My vegetarian (since her early teens) girlfriend rolls her eyes at portobello burgers and positively praises the gods that there are now brands like Field Roast and Impossible Burger. Tastes differ, of course, and everyone is entitled to theirs. My sense from two other vegetarian friends, though, is that they feel they're finally coming out of a food ghetto -- vegetarianism is no longer considered an annoying quirk that goes with hippie political beliefs and wearing socks in sandals, and the food has been lifted up into a new level of quality. It used to be that every restaurant's idea of a veggie burger was a portobello mushroom between two buns, and this is fortunately no longer true. I myself went vegetarian a year ago, and aside from occasionally thinking about bacon or pepperoni, I really don't miss meat. Like my girlfriend, I'm now actually slightly grossed out by the burgers that bring too much of the meat experience; I tried the Beyond Burger recently and while it tasted okay, it was a bit creepy. We're a big fan of Field Roast's Field Burger, which doesn't bleed and indeed doesn't look like meat.
- jeremysalwen 8y ago
  I will second that as someone who has been vegetarian their whole life. I do feel like vegetarian (and especially vegan) food has steadily become more popular, and "coming out of the food ghetto" is a great way to describe it. Based on my taste in food, I think if I wasn't vegetarian, I would probably eat a lot of meat -- so all the meat substitutes which have exploded in variety and availability has been a boon for me. It feels very "parallel universe" for me to hear that Carl's Jr and Whitecastle are selling premium veggie burgers now, I definitely had classified them as places I would never even consider eating at.
TaylorAlexander 8y ago
I’m a new vegan and occasionally miss getting a good ol hamburger. Recently I went to Carl’s Jr. and picked up a Beyond Burger with fries. It’s a super unhealthy meal, but it’s nice to know I can go get fast food if I want to. That said, today I had a traditional veggie burger and it was delicious. I wouldn’t normally want the meat alternatives, but I’m super happy I have the option. If they started carrying the fake chicken nuggets I’d be in total heaven.
colordrops 8y ago
I personally find portobello burgers disgusting, and I'm sure I'm not alone. There's also almost no protein in mushrooms.
erikpukinskis 8y ago
How many different places have you had a portobello burger at? When done right (marinated and cooked thoroughly with a little char) they are delicious. But a LOT of places just throw a raw portobello on the grill and give you something rubbery and bland. You bite it and the entire thing tries to slide out of the bun, it tastes like nothing, and has the texture of gristle. I stopped ordering them unless I’m somewhere very classy, because there’s a 50% of the cook screwing it up. Same for eggplant sandwiches. One too many slabs of raw eggplant. There’s also no protein to speak of in a portobello. Half a gram, versus 20 grams in an impossible burger.
lawlessone 8y ago
what about those of us that hate mushrooms?

nobody271 8y ago

Well, the thing is they make it easy to find a main course. Without all the vegetarian and vegan products you would have to sort through the products that aren't explicitly marked that way to get a guess about which ones contain meat. Plus they taste good to me. I'm not looking for something that "tastes like meat" lol. As though I am just dying for meat. Nope, I'm quite fine actually.

seyfriied 8y ago

Disregard the environment and think about the ethics ... Classically farmed meat involves raising animals into captivity, rearing them in poverty, and sending them off for the slaughter. I'd feel less ethically corrupt if my burgers came from beans, not beef.

gbrown 8y ago

You're getting downvoted, but I agree. Portabello, black-bean patties, beet patties, shredded squash... there are lots of awesome sandwich friendly vegetarian options which don't pretend to be meat.

atombender 8y ago

My vegetarian (since her early teens) girlfriend rolls her eyes at portobello burgers and positively praises the gods that there are now brands like Field Roast and Impossible Burger. Tastes differ, of course, and everyone is entitled to theirs. My sense from two other vegetarian friends, though, is that they feel they're finally coming out of a food ghetto -- vegetarianism is no longer considered an annoying quirk that goes with hippie political beliefs and wearing socks in sandals, and the food has been lifted up into a new level of quality. It used to be that every restaurant's idea of a veggie burger was a portobello mushroom between two buns, and this is fortunately no longer true. I myself went vegetarian a year ago, and aside from occasionally thinking about bacon or pepperoni, I really don't miss meat. Like my girlfriend, I'm now actually slightly grossed out by the burgers that bring too much of the meat experience; I tried the Beyond Burger recently and while it tasted okay, it was a bit creepy. We're a big fan of Field Roast's Field Burger, which doesn't bleed and indeed doesn't look like meat.

jeremysalwen 8y ago
I will second that as someone who has been vegetarian their whole life. I do feel like vegetarian (and especially vegan) food has steadily become more popular, and "coming out of the food ghetto" is a great way to describe it. Based on my taste in food, I think if I wasn't vegetarian, I would probably eat a lot of meat -- so all the meat substitutes which have exploded in variety and availability has been a boon for me. It feels very "parallel universe" for me to hear that Carl's Jr and Whitecastle are selling premium veggie burgers now, I definitely had classified them as places I would never even consider eating at.

TaylorAlexander 8y ago

I’m a new vegan and occasionally miss getting a good ol hamburger. Recently I went to Carl’s Jr. and picked up a Beyond Burger with fries. It’s a super unhealthy meal, but it’s nice to know I can go get fast food if I want to. That said, today I had a traditional veggie burger and it was delicious. I wouldn’t normally want the meat alternatives, but I’m super happy I have the option. If they started carrying the fake chicken nuggets I’d be in total heaven.

colordrops 8y ago

I personally find portobello burgers disgusting, and I'm sure I'm not alone. There's also almost no protein in mushrooms.

erikpukinskis 8y ago

How many different places have you had a portobello burger at? When done right (marinated and cooked thoroughly with a little char) they are delicious. But a LOT of places just throw a raw portobello on the grill and give you something rubbery and bland. You bite it and the entire thing tries to slide out of the bun, it tastes like nothing, and has the texture of gristle. I stopped ordering them unless I’m somewhere very classy, because there’s a 50% of the cook screwing it up. Same for eggplant sandwiches. One too many slabs of raw eggplant. There’s also no protein to speak of in a portobello. Half a gram, versus 20 grams in an impossible burger.

lawlessone 8y ago

what about those of us that hate mushrooms?