Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line • Hacker News Board

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#171

Post by viccis » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:30 AM UTC

lithocarpus wrote: post #160

lambda wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is such a weird comment. Why do you think that "ethical vegans" like the "taste of plants" any more than anyone else? The whole point of being an ethical vegan/vegetarian is to not consume animals, not because you don't like the taste. Health conscious folks would definitely choose these over hamburgers. Sure, they're not perfect from a health food point of view, but they're lower in sodium and saturated fat tha…

Beyond Burger ingredients: Yellow Pea Protein, Avocado Oil, Natural Flavors, Brown Rice Protein, Red Lentil Protein, 2% or less of Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Pea Starch, Potassium Lactate (to preserve freshness), Faba Bean Protein, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Concentrate, Potassium Salt, Spice, Vinegar, Vegetable Juice Color (with Beet). Except for Vinegar, every one of these is an industrially processed/extracte…

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Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#172

Post by stackghost » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:30 AM UTC

thfuran wrote: post #169

stackghost wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>And it is close-enough -- it's at least as good as a fast-food hamburger. It's not, though. Vegans that I know always proselytize about how "you can't even tell the difference" but I can tell the difference. I don't understand the weird vegan obsession with eating fake food. Edible oil product "vegan cheese" and other junk. If you want to eat meat, eat it. If you don't, don't. You do you, but don't try to sell me on…

It’s petty straightforward. They want to taste meat but don’t want to eat animals.

My point is they're not tasting meat. Even the Impossible one doesn't taste like meat.

It tastes like imitation meat, the same way artificial vanilla tastes like imitation vanilla.

People are just deceiving themselves.

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#173

Post by ehnto » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:32 AM UTC

lambda wrote: post #132

Grimblewald wrote: post #11

I always wondered who their demographic was. The core early adopters, the ethical vegans, who actually like the taste of plants are never going to make a lab made ultra processed salt bomb their daily driver (never mind issues surrounding industrial agriculture). Health-conscious folks would take one look at the ingredient list and bail because of the heavy processing and industrial fillers. You've got bodybuilders a…

This is such a weird comment. Why do you think that "ethical vegans" like the "taste of plants" any more than anyone else? The whole point of being an ethical vegan/vegetarian is to not consume animals, not because you don't like the taste. Health conscious folks would definitely choose these over hamburgers. Sure, they're not perfect from a health food point of view, but they're lower in sodium and saturated fat tha…

I'm a bit of a fence sitter so I might actually be their target market. Very athletic, a bit health concious but not crazy about it in regards to diet. If I am eating out, usually my macros are not a big part of decision making. If there is a meatless option that might actually be good for a bit of a fibre boost, considering all the other protein I am intaking.

It's important to remember also that not athletic individuals are high achieving bodybuilders with super strict macro diets. Most other sports only require a moderate attention to diet, especially at an amateur level. Bodybuilding is very diet focused, rather than strength and skill focused.

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#174

Post by derefr » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:39 AM UTC

Grimblewald wrote: post #11

I always wondered who their demographic was. The core early adopters, the ethical vegans, who actually like the taste of plants are never going to make a lab made ultra processed salt bomb their daily driver (never mind issues surrounding industrial agriculture). Health-conscious folks would take one look at the ingredient list and bail because of the heavy processing and industrial fillers. You've got bodybuilders a…

How about these two niches:

1. non-vegans eating with vegans at a vegan restaurant, where eating there wasn't their choice (they were craving a burger), and so, being forced to order off this menu, will choose the most burger-like thing on the menu.

2. non-vegans eating with vegans at a non-vegan restaurant, where for whatever reason they feel the need to impress / not-offend the vegan by eating vegan food as well. (Think "first date" or "client meeting.")

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#175

Post by whakim » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:51 AM UTC

lithocarpus wrote: post #160

lambda wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is such a weird comment. Why do you think that "ethical vegans" like the "taste of plants" any more than anyone else? The whole point of being an ethical vegan/vegetarian is to not consume animals, not because you don't like the taste. Health conscious folks would definitely choose these over hamburgers. Sure, they're not perfect from a health food point of view, but they're lower in sodium and saturated fat tha…

Beyond Burger ingredients: Yellow Pea Protein, Avocado Oil, Natural Flavors, Brown Rice Protein, Red Lentil Protein, 2% or less of Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Pea Starch, Potassium Lactate (to preserve freshness), Faba Bean Protein, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Concentrate, Potassium Salt, Spice, Vinegar, Vegetable Juice Color (with Beet). Except for Vinegar, every one of these is an industrially processed/extracte…

There is no reason to believe that the foods humans have historically eaten are safer/healthier than "industrially processed/extracted/refined" food simply because we have historically eaten them. Evolution does not select for avoiding the health problems facing modern-day humans such as cancer or heart disease.

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#176

Post by haraldooo » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:53 AM UTC

viccis wrote: post #171

lithocarpus wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Beyond Burger ingredients: Yellow Pea Protein, Avocado Oil, Natural Flavors, Brown Rice Protein, Red Lentil Protein, 2% or less of Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Pea Starch, Potassium Lactate (to preserve freshness), Faba Bean Protein, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Concentrate, Potassium Salt, Spice, Vinegar, Vegetable Juice Color (with Beet). Except for Vinegar, every one of these is an industrially processed/extracte…

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I‘m eating plant based meats regularly but I guess we all know how e.g. trans fats, high fructose corn sirup and probably more were once considered safe and are certainly not anymore

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#177

Post by halapro » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:54 AM UTC

jfengel wrote: post #12

That's too bad. I don't expect fake-meats to be healthy, or cheap, but I like that they can be made without killing animals and without raising them in inhumane conditions. I had really hoped that people would say, "Well, if it tastes close enough, then how about I go for the cruelty-free version." And it is close-enough -- it's at least as good as a fast-food hamburger. Perhaps the cognitive dissonance is just too m…

> how about I go for the cruelty-free version.

They should just use that as a label: https://xkcd.com/641/

Would you like the cruel or cruelty-free patty?

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#178

Post by Dylan16807 » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:56 AM UTC

NewJazz wrote: post #161

Dylan16807 wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We do things at industrial scale because that saves money. If a local butcher could pay a relatively tiny amount for direct cow shipping, save multiple steps, and sell the meat for 60% of the grocery store price, they'd instantly be booming with business.

And? They still add costs, even though those costs are perhaps lower than on a small scale.

It means that when AngryData "skips every step past the field" they didn't save any notable money by doing so. Their beef costs more than unsubsidized industrial beef would cost, so when they call BS on $30-40 that is a valid call.

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#179

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 6:02 AM UTC

Grimblewald wrote: post #11

I always wondered who their demographic was. The core early adopters, the ethical vegans, who actually like the taste of plants are never going to make a lab made ultra processed salt bomb their daily driver (never mind issues surrounding industrial agriculture). Health-conscious folks would take one look at the ingredient list and bail because of the heavy processing and industrial fillers. You've got bodybuilders a…

[deleted]

Re: Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line

#180

Post by 9rx » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 6:04 AM UTC

thewebguyd wrote: post #73

delecti wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The core early adopters, the ethical vegans, who actually like the taste of plants are never going to make a lab made ultra processed salt bomb their daily driver Why not? I think there's a false conflation of veganism and health food (and gluten-free, though that's not relevant in this discussion). I love burgers, and fried chicken, and crappy chicken nuggets, but I don't want more animals to have to suffer for my…

> IMO the core problem is that meat is so heavily subsidized that it's hard for them to compete. This is the real problem. Without all the government subsidies, a pound of ground beef would be closer to $30-$40 today instead of the $8-$10/lb it is now. $38 billion dollars in the US each year to subsidize meat and dairy, but only $17 million goes to fruit and vegetable farmers. It's completely backwards, especially co…

That doesn't really make sense, though, as rice — one of the main ingredients in the aforementioned product — receives the highest subsidy rate in the USA. A Beyond Meat burger should be cheaper than a meat burger thanks to subsidies.