X

The Meatless Farm brings a new meatless burger to Whole Foods

How does The Meatless Farm stack up to Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods?

Amanda Capritto
3 min read
blog-1024-x-512-1
The Meatless Farm

Veggie burgers are nothing new, but realistic, meatlike veggie burgers are a relatively recent healthy eating phenomenon that doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. In a market dominated by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, a new competitor is setting up shop.

A UK-based company called The Meatless Farm will make its US debut on Aug. 5 by stocking more than 450 Whole Foods stores with faux-meat burgers and ground "meat" (aka just "ground.") The 450-plus locations span 43 states, and you can find out if a Whole Foods near you stocks the new products by using the locator on The Meatless Farm's product page.

According to Kasper Vesth, general manager North America of The Meatless Farm Co., the company has experienced sellout success in the UK, Europe, Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is expected to do the same in the US -- which wouldn't be too surprising after Impossible Foods experienced a similar struggle.

Watch this: The Impossible Burger gets a beefy upgrade at CES 2019

How much do Meatless Farm burgers cost?

At $5.99 for a pack of two burger patties and $7.99 for a 14-ounce pack of ground, the Meatless Farm products are a bit more expensive than real beef (depending on where you live and shop), but not too far from the price points of Beyond Meat products ($5.99 for two patties, $9.99 for a 16-ounce package of ground at Whole Foods). 

It's hard to compare prices with the Impossible Burger, which is currently only available at restaurants. However, Impossible Burgers should be in US grocery stores in September, Impossible Foods has said. 

How do Meatless Farm products compare with the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger?

The Meatless Farm claims its products are "almost indistinguishable from meat in terms of taste and texture" and are 100% plant-based, which is basically the same thing that Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods say about their burgers. 

Meatless Farm comes right out and targets skeptics on its ingredients page, saying, "We've found that sometimes people think that food innovation means lab coats and artificial products. Some even assume our products are scientifically processed but actually they're made by our team of chefs with the simple goal of being as tasty, natural and healthy as possible."

That said, let's take a look at their ingredients and nutrition. 

Ingredients: Water, Soya Protein Concentrate, Pea Protein, Soya Protein Isolate, Rapeseed Oil, Shea Oil, Coconut Oil, Chicory Root Fibre, Thickener: Methyl Cellulose, Caramelized Carrot Concentrate, Carrot Fibre, Rice Protein, Salt, Flavouring, Vegetable and Fruit Extracts (Beetroot, Radish, Tomato), Yeast Extracts, Carrot Concentrate, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid, Vitamins and Minerals (Niacin, Zinc, Iron, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B12)

Overall, the ingredients look pretty similar to those of the Beyond and Impossible burgers: A plant-based protein concentrate, variety of plant oils, thickeners and emulsifiers, extracts, seasonings and micronutrients for fortification. Note that soya is the same thing as soy, it's just called soya in the UK. 

Nutrition: The Meatless Farm burger contains 230 calories, 11.9 grams of fat (3.3 saturated), 3.3 grams of carbohydrates (0.8 sugar), 5.1 grams of fiber and 24.7 grams of protein.

Compared with the Impossible and Beyond burgers, the Meatless Farm burger packs more protein and more fiber while containing less fat and less carbohydrates. 

If you want to taste the difference for yourself, you'll be able to buy The Meatless Farm products at a Whole Foods near you starting Aug. 5 -- though some stores already show it in stock.

How to fry foods at home perfectly every time

See all photos
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.