A Better Burger?

You’d marry a cheeseburger if you could. So, should you swap your beloved beef patty for one made of beets? Here are a few things to know.

- Jessica D'argenio Waller

There’s little else that feels more American than biting into a big, juicy, meaty burger—but two companies are trying to change that. Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods’ plant-based patties are popping up everywhere, from fast-food chains like Burger King to highbrow eateries and maybe even your own kitchen.

While veggie burgers have been around for decades, the classic version is known to taste like, well, veggies. In contrast, these new patty products have been manufactured to offer a taste and texture that’s super similar to the real deal. But are these buzzy burgers *actually* better for you than beef? We grilled our experts, and the answer is…complicated.

THEY’RE MODERATELY HEALTHY FOR YOU

Just because a food is plant-based doesn’t mean it’s the pinnacle of nutrition. On the range of beef to raw vegetables, most experts rank the top two beef-alternative burgers somewhere in the middle, with Impossible Foods’ burger closer to beef and Beyond Meat’s burger slightly closer to the veggie end.