Is Beyond Steak Healthy? Everything You Need to Know About the Vegan Meat Alternative
Here’s how it looks from a health and macros perspective.
Here’s how it looks from a health and macros perspective.
If you were first in line for Dunkins’ Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich, or consider the Impossible Whopper your guilty pleasure, then we have exciting news. Beyond Meat is launching a steak substitute set to hit grocery stores nationwide Monday.
You can expect to find it at Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons, Sprouts, and other local grocers. Even better news: TacoBell is now testing Beyond Carne Asada in its quesadilla. We haven’t tasted it, but let’s be real, anything with that creamy jalapeño sauce slathered on it would taste good.
Before you try it, you likely have some questions (as you should). What’s in it, and is it healthy? Here’s what you need to know.
Like other Beyond products, Beyond Steak is designed to look and taste like real steak, but it’s certified vegan and made from 100 percent plant-based ingredients. Beyond uses a blend of faba bean protein and wheat gluten for the steak’s base.
The faux beef comes packaged in bite-sized pieces and contains 170 calories per serving, according to Beyond’s nutrition facts. Each serving breaks down to 21 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat (with only 1 gram of saturated fat), 7 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber.
When compared to typical steak, Beyond Steak has 3 grams less saturated fat, less cholesterol per serving, and a comparable dose of protein. While calorically similar to a normal steak, Beyond Steak has a laundry list of processed ingredients designed to help it achieve a similar mouthfeel and contains five times the amount of sodium.
A standard steak is also an excellent natural source of vitamin B12, niacin, selenium, iron, choline, and zinc—nutrients you miss out on in a serving of Beyond Steak.
The launch comes at a rocky time for Beyond, which is facing lawsuits for allegedly making “false and misleading” claims regarding the protein content of its products. According to one lawsuit, the quantity of protein in Beyond Meat, as well as the daily value percentage of protein, are lower than advertised on the company’s packaging.
One test found that due to a low digestibility score, one serving of Beyond Beef Plant-Based Ground 16-oz Patties may contain only seven percent of the daily value for protein, as opposed to the “40 percent DV” on the current label.
While we wait for the results of the trial, real one-ingredient beef is looking better and better.