5 ms·

I've switched maybe 1/3 of my meals to beyond/impossible in the last year. They truly are great shoe-ins. Impossible has really hit on something special as my g

by loufe 5y ago

I've switched maybe 1/3 of my meals to beyond/impossible in the last year. They truly are great shoe-ins. Impossible has really hit on something special as my girlfriend practically refuses to eat beyond but in into impossible's taste. It is a little tough sometimes seeing the cost be higher than the equivalent meat product but I'm sure this capital raising has the potential to lead to lower unit costs. It cannot be because of input that prices are as high as they currently are.

3pt14159 5y ago
I'm presently torn about this. I want to be vegan / vegetarian as often as I can be for ethical / environmental reasons, but I find that whenever I eat a substitute it tastes like it should, but the satiation of the inner desire for meat isn't met. It's like smoking a nicotine-free cigarette or a non-alcoholic beer. Yeah, sure, it's better than nothing but I wish it fully replaced the experience because I would literally pay double not to cause an animal to suffer ever again.
- kevmo314 5y ago
  Focusing on non-substitutes helps. Dishes that play the strengths of vegetables taste far better than dishes that only attempt to replicate meat.
  - kapp_in_life 5y ago
    Yep, you have to learn new recipes but this is what I've done and works well. Don't really miss meat after redoing my cookbook to focus on south asian, buddhist, and other traditionally vegan or vegetarian cuisines. Dinner guests also prefer getting a freshly made curry instead of a sad frozen bean burger.
- mstade 5y ago
  I personally think it's a matter of mindset. First few times I tasted plant based meat substitutes I too had this feeling, but as soon as I stopped thinking of them as substitutes and just considered them a new category (if you will) of foods that feeling went away.
- adam_arthur 5y ago
  I do get a hint of that after impossible. I think the lack of "meatier" fats leaves some unfulfilled craving. But also many lifetime vegetarians, so probably able to adapt away from the craving.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago
  I recall a similar experience when I first went vegetarian a decade plus ago. It only lasts a week or two.
- soyftware 5y ago
  Like most things, just do it and you'll get used to it. The satisfaction might be due to culturally being raise in a place that eats meat. > I would literally pay double not to cause an animal to suffer ever again. Think of it this way. It's not about _you_ it's about the _animals_ suffering. It's a selfless thing to do and fairly simple. Most foods are not animals they're plants! It gets easier.
  - lyjackal 5y ago
    This zoomed in view of a single animals suffering seems short sighted to me. Sure, factory farms are terrible, but farm animals (cows, chickens, sheep, goats, etc.) in general have grown up symbiotically with humans. Replacing a system where we collaborate with nature to one where we're dependent on a corporate lab grown product does not seem like it's being more integrated with, or compassionate to nature.
    - qolop 5y ago
      > Replacing a system where we collaborate with nature to one where we're dependent on a corporate lab grown product does not seem like it's being more integrated with, or compassionate to nature. Are you really saying that slaughtering animals is more "compassionate" than growing meat synthetically? And are you saying that the massive environmental cost of factory farms makes it more "integrated" with nature? It's like you're deliberately trying to attach a negative connotation to synthetic meat by using the words "corporate lab". Literally all first world amenities originate in a corporate lab! Are you suggesting we stop taking COVID vaccines because they were developed in Pfizer's corporate lab? What do you propose we do instead to curb the world's desire to eat meat? You say "factory farms are terrible". Yes they are! And synthetic meat is the only way factory farms will go away.
      - lyjackal 5y ago
        Sorry, I think you misinterpreted what I was saying. Synthetic meat seems morally better than a factory farm, however I don't think the choice is between factory farms and synthetic meat. I'm saying it would be better to to cultivate an approach where we collaborate with nature via humane farms and moderated consumption. I don't have any economic answers, however I think the vegan vision of a human race separate from nature is very scary, and not separate from one where we eradicate the natural world through industrialization.
- rightbyte 5y ago
  My wife is vegan so I have tasted them all. I think the initial taste is good, but the after taste and the taste as you chew it, they get wrong somehow. The main problem however is lack of variation in texture and consistency. It is like everything is a cheap hot dog in texture. I wish they added strains of imperfection that get stuck in your teeth or something.
- lordnacho 5y ago
  Beyond Meat do burgers that are particularly close to the real thing. Bleeds correctly, burns slightly in the right way. My main issue is not the taste experience, but that the thing is probably quite processed. For instance there's a lot of salt. If the thing is a really good reproduction of a burger, might it also be just as unhealthy? Waiting to see while I enjoy having one now and again. I'm also trying to be as vegan as possible, but mainly for health reasons. Though after starting that, I now also think there's ethical reasons. Funny how that works.
  - thehappypm 5y ago
    Ugh, I just hard disagree. Beyond tastes like a veggie patty to me.
  - Spooky23 5y ago
    Personally, I think this stuff is probably more unhealthy. The fats they use are not good, and legumes can be problematic in quantity. Our family decided to adopt a more vegetable based diet and buy more ethically sourced local meat, especially beef and pork. The unit cost is higher but we spend about the same by eating smaller portions. Substituting food like a burger for food like a burger isn’t doing much other than some warm fuzzy stuff.
- novok 5y ago
  It's probably because there is something nutritionally missing compared to actual meat and your body can tell. Macronutrients might be similar, but the micronutrient composition, down to the amino acid ratios and bioavailbility, is probably significantly different.
n8cpdx 5y ago
I was just about to comment that, aside from first-moved advantage, the Impossible strategy of near-perfect imitation seems much more promising than the half-assing that Beyond is doing. I like Beyond just fine (but I prefer Dr. Praegers, so not exactly representative of the American public) but Impossible is enjoyable in its own right as a marvel of technology. Just tried the nuggets for the first time this week - truly indistinguishable, aside from being a bit more consistent than real chicken.
- wumpus 5y ago
  > aside from first-moved advantage, Impossible's marketing is actually the same as Beyond: "we were first to have a great replica!" No doubt the next competitor will say the same thing.
- silverlake 5y ago
  > Just tried the nuggets for the first time this week I just tried them 30 minutes ago with some picky children. They could immediately tell something was amiss and wouldn’t eat more. I thought the chicken nuggets were adequate but the texture was smushy.
adam_arthur 5y ago
Yeah, I'm sure it's partially an economies of scale issue. But plant based beef should really be half or less the cost of actual beef in the long run. Otherwise the whole premise is totally pointless, other than for taste for vegetarians. I would switch all my beef consumption to impossible if the cost were significantly lower. From an investment perspective it seems kind of poor, given that there are already two players and likely more down the road. Will not be able to bear high margins on these kind of items. Cool that some are willing to fund the R&D even though returns are likely to be poor, though! Competition will bring price down in longer run either way.
- onlyrealcuzzo 5y ago
  > I would switch all my beef consumption to impossible if the cost were significantly lower. Is the cost significantly lower in non-subsidized markets like Netherlands, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Norway? Or do Impossible and Beyond charge more in those markets?
  - dagw 5y ago
    In Sweden at least the Beyond Burger cost a good 50% more than cheap ground beef when I last bought it at the super market.
- sdenton4 5y ago
  Isn't the actual problem here federal subsidies for beef production?
  - adam_arthur 5y ago
    In theory, in a competitive market, margins will decline over time and goods will be sold close to at cost. This is especially applicable to grocery/food where margins are razor thin. If we assume the inputs to impossible are significantly cheaper than beef, then cost of impossible should be significantly cheaper too. But you're right, subsidies distort the equation. If somebody can chime in with what the level of beef subsidy is, but I'm doubtful it's enough to offset using vegetables over cattle. Should be an order of magnitude cheaper in a free market, once production is scaled up appropriately.
1270018080 5y ago
I don't know what it is but I get headaches after eating Impossible foods, but Beyond has no issues. Impossible could be extraordinarily salty?

by loufe 5y ago

3pt14159 5y ago

I'm presently torn about this. I want to be vegan / vegetarian as often as I can be for ethical / environmental reasons, but I find that whenever I eat a substitute it tastes like it should, but the satiation of the inner desire for meat isn't met. It's like smoking a nicotine-free cigarette or a non-alcoholic beer. Yeah, sure, it's better than nothing but I wish it fully replaced the experience because I would literally pay double not to cause an animal to suffer ever again.

kevmo314 5y ago
Focusing on non-substitutes helps. Dishes that play the strengths of vegetables taste far better than dishes that only attempt to replicate meat.
- kapp_in_life 5y ago
  Yep, you have to learn new recipes but this is what I've done and works well. Don't really miss meat after redoing my cookbook to focus on south asian, buddhist, and other traditionally vegan or vegetarian cuisines. Dinner guests also prefer getting a freshly made curry instead of a sad frozen bean burger.
mstade 5y ago
I personally think it's a matter of mindset. First few times I tasted plant based meat substitutes I too had this feeling, but as soon as I stopped thinking of them as substitutes and just considered them a new category (if you will) of foods that feeling went away.
adam_arthur 5y ago
I do get a hint of that after impossible. I think the lack of "meatier" fats leaves some unfulfilled craving. But also many lifetime vegetarians, so probably able to adapt away from the craving.
AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago
I recall a similar experience when I first went vegetarian a decade plus ago. It only lasts a week or two.
soyftware 5y ago
Like most things, just do it and you'll get used to it. The satisfaction might be due to culturally being raise in a place that eats meat. > I would literally pay double not to cause an animal to suffer ever again. Think of it this way. It's not about _you_ it's about the _animals_ suffering. It's a selfless thing to do and fairly simple. Most foods are not animals they're plants! It gets easier.
- lyjackal 5y ago
  This zoomed in view of a single animals suffering seems short sighted to me. Sure, factory farms are terrible, but farm animals (cows, chickens, sheep, goats, etc.) in general have grown up symbiotically with humans. Replacing a system where we collaborate with nature to one where we're dependent on a corporate lab grown product does not seem like it's being more integrated with, or compassionate to nature.
  - qolop 5y ago
    > Replacing a system where we collaborate with nature to one where we're dependent on a corporate lab grown product does not seem like it's being more integrated with, or compassionate to nature. Are you really saying that slaughtering animals is more "compassionate" than growing meat synthetically? And are you saying that the massive environmental cost of factory farms makes it more "integrated" with nature? It's like you're deliberately trying to attach a negative connotation to synthetic meat by using the words "corporate lab". Literally all first world amenities originate in a corporate lab! Are you suggesting we stop taking COVID vaccines because they were developed in Pfizer's corporate lab? What do you propose we do instead to curb the world's desire to eat meat? You say "factory farms are terrible". Yes they are! And synthetic meat is the only way factory farms will go away.
    - lyjackal 5y ago
      Sorry, I think you misinterpreted what I was saying. Synthetic meat seems morally better than a factory farm, however I don't think the choice is between factory farms and synthetic meat. I'm saying it would be better to to cultivate an approach where we collaborate with nature via humane farms and moderated consumption. I don't have any economic answers, however I think the vegan vision of a human race separate from nature is very scary, and not separate from one where we eradicate the natural world through industrialization.
rightbyte 5y ago
My wife is vegan so I have tasted them all. I think the initial taste is good, but the after taste and the taste as you chew it, they get wrong somehow. The main problem however is lack of variation in texture and consistency. It is like everything is a cheap hot dog in texture. I wish they added strains of imperfection that get stuck in your teeth or something.
lordnacho 5y ago
Beyond Meat do burgers that are particularly close to the real thing. Bleeds correctly, burns slightly in the right way. My main issue is not the taste experience, but that the thing is probably quite processed. For instance there's a lot of salt. If the thing is a really good reproduction of a burger, might it also be just as unhealthy? Waiting to see while I enjoy having one now and again. I'm also trying to be as vegan as possible, but mainly for health reasons. Though after starting that, I now also think there's ethical reasons. Funny how that works.
- thehappypm 5y ago
  Ugh, I just hard disagree. Beyond tastes like a veggie patty to me.
- Spooky23 5y ago
  Personally, I think this stuff is probably more unhealthy. The fats they use are not good, and legumes can be problematic in quantity. Our family decided to adopt a more vegetable based diet and buy more ethically sourced local meat, especially beef and pork. The unit cost is higher but we spend about the same by eating smaller portions. Substituting food like a burger for food like a burger isn’t doing much other than some warm fuzzy stuff.
novok 5y ago
It's probably because there is something nutritionally missing compared to actual meat and your body can tell. Macronutrients might be similar, but the micronutrient composition, down to the amino acid ratios and bioavailbility, is probably significantly different.

n8cpdx 5y ago

I was just about to comment that, aside from first-moved advantage, the Impossible strategy of near-perfect imitation seems much more promising than the half-assing that Beyond is doing. I like Beyond just fine (but I prefer Dr. Praegers, so not exactly representative of the American public) but Impossible is enjoyable in its own right as a marvel of technology. Just tried the nuggets for the first time this week - truly indistinguishable, aside from being a bit more consistent than real chicken.

wumpus 5y ago
> aside from first-moved advantage, Impossible's marketing is actually the same as Beyond: "we were first to have a great replica!" No doubt the next competitor will say the same thing.
silverlake 5y ago
> Just tried the nuggets for the first time this week I just tried them 30 minutes ago with some picky children. They could immediately tell something was amiss and wouldn’t eat more. I thought the chicken nuggets were adequate but the texture was smushy.

adam_arthur 5y ago

Yeah, I'm sure it's partially an economies of scale issue. But plant based beef should really be half or less the cost of actual beef in the long run. Otherwise the whole premise is totally pointless, other than for taste for vegetarians. I would switch all my beef consumption to impossible if the cost were significantly lower. From an investment perspective it seems kind of poor, given that there are already two players and likely more down the road. Will not be able to bear high margins on these kind of items. Cool that some are willing to fund the R&D even though returns are likely to be poor, though! Competition will bring price down in longer run either way.

onlyrealcuzzo 5y ago
> I would switch all my beef consumption to impossible if the cost were significantly lower. Is the cost significantly lower in non-subsidized markets like Netherlands, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Norway? Or do Impossible and Beyond charge more in those markets?
- dagw 5y ago
  In Sweden at least the Beyond Burger cost a good 50% more than cheap ground beef when I last bought it at the super market.
sdenton4 5y ago
Isn't the actual problem here federal subsidies for beef production?
- adam_arthur 5y ago
  In theory, in a competitive market, margins will decline over time and goods will be sold close to at cost. This is especially applicable to grocery/food where margins are razor thin. If we assume the inputs to impossible are significantly cheaper than beef, then cost of impossible should be significantly cheaper too. But you're right, subsidies distort the equation. If somebody can chime in with what the level of beef subsidy is, but I'm doubtful it's enough to offset using vegetables over cattle. Should be an order of magnitude cheaper in a free market, once production is scaled up appropriately.

1270018080 5y ago

I don't know what it is but I get headaches after eating Impossible foods, but Beyond has no issues. Impossible could be extraordinarily salty?