Meat replacements have been around for much longer than you might've realized, the first vegetarian burger was produced back in the 1960’s, however, the continuous struggle seems to be creating a product that appeals to the people that want the vegetarian option to taste like real meat. The first veggie burgers were purposefully very plain, however, when the vegetarian movement began to be more of a personal search for success and health, people began to attempt to create a vegetarian product that could taste like real meat. Products were created that attempted to smell, taste and have a texture similar to that found in meat products.
Around the 1970’s, the Boca burger and Gardenburger were created as alternatives to meat. Though neither of these products actually taste like meat, they were options for those attempting to replace meat at the time.
The original impossible burger was produced in 2016 and a the second version is being released starting March of 2019. This burger is an exciting development because many current omnivores simply can’t imagine themselves living a life free of meat. This burger has the potential to change that idea, because it is a meat free option that still makes the consumer feel like they are eating meat. The texture of the new burger was created with soy protein to taste even more like meat than the original impossible burger. They also use a product called heme a biological compound that they harvest from the roots of soy plant to make the burger texture as much like meat as possible. The Impossible burger 2.0 could be a sustainable option for meat eaters who would have a tough time entirely transitioning to a plant based diet.
Some typical replacements for meat products include tofu, seitan, jackfruit, and lentils. While these products do not taste like meat, they are excellent sources of protein for those looking to replace meat with a plant based option. While these products can often have negative connotations because not seasoning them well can lead to bland flavoring, odds are that the reason many people like meat so much is because of the seasoning rather than the taste of the meat by itself. If seasoned correctly, these meat replacements could be seen in a much more positive light leading to using them at least as a partial replacement for the amount of meat that is currently consumed.
The problem in our world today is that producing meat is not sustainable long term. Raising animals the way it's currently done can lead to health problems, but it also is problematic for our planet. The greenhouse gases released by raising so many cows is negatively affecting our planet leading to climate change, acid rain, deforestation, and coral reef degeneration among other problems. Along with the amount of grain, water, and land required to raise so much livestock, it’s time to begin to consider a more sustainable alternative. With this in mind, creating an alternative meat product that tastes a lot like real meat could be at least part of the answer needed work towards shrinking the livestock industry. People are frequently told to shower quicker or carpool as ways of conserving water and reducing emissions. However, greenhouse gases released by livestock alone amounts to 18% of total emissions. The future of our planet relies on people realizing that one very real source of our problems is meat production and now is the time to make a change.
Not to mention the many health benefits of switching to a vegan diet this article at theveganculture.com: http://theveganculture.com/2019/04/11/the-top-4-health-benefits-of-a-vegan-diet/ explains how switching to a vegan diet can have many positive effects on long term health. A vegan diet can lower risk of disease leading to a longer healthier life.
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