What do all the paleo peeps think about this Beyond Meat stuff?
Beyond Meat is… Twitter!
Beyond Meat, a startup that makes vegan meat analogues, is making products that purportedly taste and feel like real meat (we haven’t yet confirmed this ourselves), have a better nutrition profile (no cholesterol, no saturated fat, but lots of protein), and will eventually be at a lower price point than the industrially-farmed stuff. The company has some surprising backers, especially the Obvious Corporation—a company founded by Twitter co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone and former Twitter VP of Product Jason Goldman—and venture capitalist powerhouse Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers. Why is Beyond Meat garnering so much interest?
Biz Stone Explains Why Twitter’s Co-Founders Are Betting Big On A Vegan Meat Startup
Here’s what the Beyond Meat website says is in this product:
Say hello to Beyond Meat™ Veggie Chicken Strips. These delicious plant-based strips have all of the convenience, taste, and tenderness you expect from real chicken—without the bad stuff (no saturated or trans fat, no cholesterol, no gluten, no antibiotics, no GMOs…and no meat). It’s a humane protein upgrade that will fool your taste buds while helping your health and the environment.
Water, Soy Protein Isolate, Pea Protein Isolate, Amaranth, Chicken Flavor (Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavoring), Soy Fiber, Carrot Fiber, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Dipotassium Phosphate, Titanium Dioxide, White Vinegar
So, they claim it has no GMOs. But it has canola oil, which by its nature is a GMO. In its unmodified state it is toxic. So every time we eat canola oil, it’s a GMO. And then there’s the maltodextrin — typically made from corn. Almost always a GMO nowadays, and also it’s becoming increasingly hard to even find non-GMO corn due to the scary miracle of cross-pollination. (Just another reason why I find it quite easy to shun corn. I don’t appreciate being the subject of a vast, uncontrolled science experiment on the part of Monsanto Corp.) And by the way, maltodextrin is a form of sugar. Why would a protein food even need to have sugar added? How is that supposed to be good for us, exactly? And titanium dioxide may turn out to be a carcinogen. But the jury’s still out on that one. And of course, the protein powders are heavily processed, and now even processed yet another step into this… stuff. Then there’s the yeast extract. I’m pretty sure that is the stuff they put in the foil packet of Ramen Noodles, actually. I’m sure that’s super-good for you.
So, in brief, my opinion is that this product should not be considered real food. It’s merely a food-like substance. I would not eat it no matter how hungry I was.
Also, in my opinion, it’s odd or maybe even emotionally painful to want to eat meat-like things if you are a vegan. I mean, I don’t try to disguise my meatloaf and pretend it’s Tofurkey, do I? No, I eat the meat and I am proud of myself. When I was keeping kosher, I didn’t search out fake bacon or fake shrimp. Whatever you choose to be, you ought to put your whole self in and let go of the rest. Don’t be pining after meat if you think it’s immoral and unhealthy! Let it go! You are a vegan, so eat vegan stuff like kale and coconut and whatnot. (I eat those things myself and I know darn well they are delicious.) Eat vegan stuff that is real food. Please don’t waste your money or your health on this pseudo-food garbage. It’d be a shame if you went to all the trouble of becoming a vegan only to develop atherosclerosis and diabetes from eating fake chicken.
