This is an interesting, humorous article, despite its missing the pulse of the issue, in more ways than one.
1. The issue is not a matter of "sustainable American diet." NOTHING in the US is sustainable because corrupt government public servants ignore all the rules of law and reality. Sustainable diet is the least worry of sustainability. Getting welfare bums off their butts and actually working, ejecting all Third-World aliens and so-called "Anchor Babies"—and halving politicians' salaries and removing ALL of their perks (including pension and health care), and giving politicians a bare-bones budget and demanding that they operate within that budget, and any amount that they spend over that budget comes out of their own pockets... THAT is what needs to be addressed. The government is not supposed to be "Wal-mart", providing everything that the average non-aspiring person could ever want. Government spending has to be cut by 90% and returned to the private sector. Evict all the aliens and inform the immoral people who refuse to work to either work or starve to death. Do THAT and the "sustainability" of diet will correct itself. Furthermore, that which food companies put in the food that they sell to the generally unsuspecting nation is criminal; and what farmers who raise poultry and livestock do is likewise criminal. Food does not need to glow unnatural colors to be appealing. Artificial colorings, flavorings, texturizers, smoothers, preservatives, stabilizers, (as well as aluminum, and other deadly, toxic chemicals) etc., are not necessary. Food is life. Life should be put in your body, not death. But the same chemical companies that make all the ingredients that they add to the majority of the food supply, and the chemical companies that make most of the agri-chemicals, are the same chemical companies that manufacture all the drugs that the doctors will try to push on you once you are nearly dying from the food.
2. The purpose of eating a Beyond Burger, as I see it, is to hopefully be another viable source of protein—if the company can be trusted (which as things stand now, I do NOT believe can be trusted) when the meat supply of the nation becomes so contaminated and chemical and hormone laced that he needs a purer source of protein, in order to eliminate all of the hormones and chemicals (and multi-generational build up of chemicals) as well as avoid possible mad cow or some other disease (as well as E-coli, salmonella, or anything new that they happen to create in the laboratory and think would be good to introduce into the food supply)—and all to avoid all of the mad scientist chemicals and colorings and meat glues and "pink slime", as well as the bio-engineering of cross-species contamination, and all other perverse products that Frankenstein meat producers are using.
3. The issue with many of the vegans and vegetarians is like the animal huggers who think that if you own leather or fur that you are a serial killer; and thus, if you eat meat, you are a murderer with blood on your hands several times a day. The is a mental and moral problem on the part of "v's" who think this way; not a dietary problem on the part of those who eat clean animals that God gave us to eat.
Regardless of its weak points, this article is interesting and has a lot of information in many areas.
However, it does not mention what I pointed out in an email nearly a year ago when I tried my first Beyond meat Burger:
1. The Beyond Burger indeed is superb, looks, tastes, bleeds, smells just like a backyard burger. If someone did not know that it was pea protein with bamboo and beet juice, with all the toppings and a bun, especially if the BB was flame grilled, I doubt he would even know.
2. .....that is, until the methane gas in his gut built up. It is advisable to take gas reducing enzyme supplements.
3. The BB are very pricey. THAT is not "sustainable".
4. The BB have MSG-like chemicals in them; which fact took it off my list immediately as NOT being a viable option. Of course, you will only learn this if you dig deeply enough and are persistent. After my second package (of 2) BB (only one a day), I noticed MSG-like symptoms. I found the website and emailed. I got back evasive answers but persisted until they finally admitted, to some degree, that "natural flavorings" similar to MSG are used—or something to that effect. It is pretty bad if you can't get a straight answer without them consulting a team of lawyers first, then playing ring around the rosey.
Also, they use canola oil as an ingredient! OF ALL THE HEALTHY oils that exist, for a company to use canola oil--even calling it "organic" canola oil--is a bit daft and shows that they really have not done their homework (so much for "sustainability"). I tried to explain to the email persona that something that is GMO cannot be "organic". She said it was organic canola. I explained that Canola was the very first GMO crop in history, being genetically modified rapeseed plant (in the cabbage / mustard family) and that canola was an acronym of sorts for CANadA OiL. She said it was organic. I said use another oil and drop the MSG and all evil MSG step-sisters or I would not be interested in their products ever.
They only have the burgers at my store, which are sold in the meat department (which the meat industry does not like; more "snowflakes" who have to whine and cry about someone else having a product and "using a word", rather than just minding their own business and producing the very best product that they can produce. The Beyond "whatever" company also make sausages, which I have never tried. I only tried the burgers because they were marked down about half price because no one was buying them, because they are OVER PRICED and because most people around here probably eat pork rinds when they want to dine fancy. They probably think that "healthy eating" is eating the critter while it is still alive.
RAB
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/12/25/18127863/vegan-beyond-impossibl...