Live data from Hacker News

Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

npr.org

111–120 of 464 posts

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#111

Adding heme is a brilliant idea - and I think high amounts of iron would make it a great product. There are a few things that are important to watch to make sure you get enough of when you're a vegetarian, and iron is one of them. (Women who donate blood have their blood tested for iron, and are sometimes surprised the learn that they're low in iron.)

Also don't forget retinol. A lot of people cannot convert carotenoids into retinol, so they have to get it from animal sources or from supplements.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#112

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

You're talking mostly about the aesthetic part of fake meat, but there is another huge advantage over existing products which is health/environmental. Current vegan/vegetarian incarnations of fake meat (Boca, Morningstar etc.) are typically actually not that healthy in terms of protein/amino acid content and sort of end up being eating a cake made of grains.

The ability to create, cheaply, a high protein, high calorie, amino acid packed product, regardless of whether or not it is aesthetically pleasing, could have massive impacts on our ability to support the human population of this planet, in a way that existing meat and vegetarian solutions do not.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#113

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

When I visit India and eat vegetarian food properly prepared by a culture that has refined vegetarian cuisine beyond "fake meat", I don't miss meat at all. Much of Western food is only expected to be an accompaniment to a meat dish, which is why you can't just cut meat out and eat the vegetable dishes you're used to when you're eating meat as well, imnsho.

As much as I enjoy Indian vegetarian food, as a person that does eat meat, there are also a bewildering variety of dishes possible with the same spices and ingredients with meat added. One example is what you can find in Pakistani cuisine where the vast majority of the population is Muslim and does eat meat.

There is of course a great deal of culinary overlap in the Punjab region, food is much older than the 1947 partition. If you ever visit Lahore I highly recommend trying the local restaurants.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#114
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, everything is bad if taken excessively. I am asking is there any evidence that "normal" levels of carbs are especially bad?

Normal today or normal 200 years ago? Eating non-processed food is difficult for a large segment of the population of the US and many other parts of the world. Processed foods have drastically change our nutritional intake balances of the years. So 'normal' is something that should be defined.

Sure, but I am asking if thee is anything specific about carbohydrates that should be avoided (unprocessed or otherwise).

Lots of people replying, no one answering my question.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in the same camp as you. Vegetarian since 1989, vegan since 1999. I can certainly say that the quality of fake meats has drastically improved in the past 10 years (see https://gardein.com/ , http://fieldroast.com/ , and http://beyondmeat.com/ as examples), but the stigma surrounding them persists. Short anecdote: There's a donut shop in my town that sold vegan and regular donuts in adjacent but separate displays.…

It's not just taste. These alternatives are loaded with carbs and just aren't practical for a low carb diet. This is coming from someone who eats a ton of fiber loaded vegetables. It's really hard to find a reasonable substitute for meat proteins that is as efficient and delicious as meat. Protein is not a huge portion of my diet, but it is very important.

That's not true anymore. Beyond Meat has a Beast Burger with 7g carbs and 23g protein (vegan, no soy, gluten-free, no gmo).

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#116
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How exactly is ground chuck roast heavily subsidized? Is it any different than the subsidies for agriculture that make up meat alternatives?

They are both subsidized, clearly - but since it takes 8lbs / 3.6kg of grain to produce 1lb / 0.45kg of beef [1], and the livestock then receive additional subsidies [2], the effect is magnified. 1: https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?artic... 2: https://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=00000&progcode=live...

If it takes more agriculture product to produce meat, the plain plant version should then be cheaper.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#117

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

One potential problem: the heme that they're claiming gives it flavor comes from a genetically modified yeast. It's a GMO, and people who're vegan on principle often don't like that.

[deleted]

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#118
post #100

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

Do you not find it unethical to serve your in-laws fake meat without informing them? Wouldn't you be upset if your in-laws served you seitan that was actually chicken? *edit: I bring this up because many people do not react well to meat substitutes. Gluten and soy intolerance affects many people and serving soy or gluten-based meat substitutes without prior informed consent can induce adverse reactions. I do believe…

I'm sure the parent would be upset if secretly served chicken, not because they would feel defrauded, but because they were tricked intol violating their ethical principles.

Secretly serving non-vegetarians vegetarian food is, technically, fraud, but it's not disrespecting their morality. That fraud might be slightly immoral (I don't think it is, but it's a topic for debate), but it's easily offset by the potential for convincing someone to become vegetarian.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#120
post #88
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just about use of land resources though, it's about greenhouse gases (methane) generated by cattle. Beef is just about the worst thing you can eat with regards to climate change.

How would this differ from an equivalent buffalo?

From an ecological perspective, replacing cattle with buffalo wouldn't be much of a win. There are too many meat-eating people on the planet to make either animal the primary source.
Post reply on HN