Transforming Your Menu the Veggie Burger

Although vegetarian burgers first became available decades ago, the products tended to be a niche item at various attractions, restaurants, and grocery stores, appealing largely to a vegan and vegetarian audience. Fascinating innovations in food science and preparation, however, are changing that. 

Rising plant-based stars like the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger so closely resemble animal-based meat in texture, appearance—and most importantly, taste—they’re a major factor behind a double-digit increase in plant-based proteins in the last year alone. What’s most notable is that about 90% of the consumers behind this sales surge aren’t even vegetarian or vegan, according to a 2019 study by market research firm The NPD Group. 

In other words, this new generation of plant-based burgers has genuine mass appeal. More than 15,000 locations globally carry Impossible Foods’ Impossible Burger product, including close to 1,000 restaurant partners in Asia. Grocery store availability of the company’s products has exploded, the company notes, with 66-times growth since the beginning of the year. In February, Impossible Foods announced the Impossible Burger was designated the “Preferred Plant-Based Burger” of Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and Disney Cruise Line.

Jessica Appelgren, vice president of communications at Impossible Foods, says, “95% of Impossible Foods consumers identify as ‘meat-eaters.’”

Both the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger are served at dining locations inside the theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort, says Mandy Bond, senior vice president of food and beverage for Universal Orlando parks, adding that the offerings have been “well-received by all guests, not just meat-eaters.” 

Bond further says, “At Universal Orlando Resort, the dining experience has evolved from traditional theme park fare to next-level cuisine that has become just as much a part of our guests’ experience as our award-winning entertainment. We strive to provide dining options that are not only delicious, but also inclusive of the different food preferences and dietary restrictions our guests have so there is something for everyone to enjoy.”

Food Tech Revolutionizes Plant-Based Burgers

A number of innovations have elevated plant-based burgers into a full-fledged challenger to animal-based burgers. Beyond Meat, for example, was an early innovator in using pea protein and certain cooking techniques to create a chewy, meat-like texture for its first generation of products. The company eventually launched the Beyond Burger, which has won consumer and Wall Street raves alike. Thick and marbled with plant-based fats, the product cooks up quickly to a substantial burger, made pink in the center with beet extract. 

The Impossible Burger achieves astonishingly meat-like taste and “mouth-feel” through the key ingredient leghemoglobin or “heme,” a protein found in iron-rich leguminous plants and that is also a close relative of the myoglobin found in animals. According to the company—and backed up by independent scientific research—heme is the essential ingredient for creating the flavors and even the “bleeding” center associated with animal-based burgers. 

To produce heme at scale and in an environmentally friendly way (something not possible with burgers originating from cows), Impossible Foods figured out how to genetically engineer yeast to create the product. This remarkable feat in food tech has made an unprecedented market splash, winning Impossible Foods a slew of awards, from Inc. Magazine’s company of the year, to inclusion in Time Magazine’s 50 Genius companies list.

Such pioneering advances in food tech are truly pushing the envelope, making countless plant-based menu items possible. 

“In addition to the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger, there are also a number of other plant-based menu options available at restaurants across our destination at all three of our theme parks and in Universal CityWalk. This includes Today Cafe, Confisco Grille, Bambu, our new Central Park Crepes cart, and more, where guests will find a variety of items like a Chick’n & Avocado sandwich, plant-based Chipotle Sausage with Orzo, and even a Vegan Sausage savory crepe,” Bond describes.

Food managers and menu planners who add more plant-based items can create a more inclusive dining experience that visitors appreciate.

“Guests with specific dietary needs don’t need to stress about what to eat when dining with us, as we will always work with them to accommodate their preferences,” says Bond. 

Stephanie Janard is a longtime contributor to Funworld. She can be reached at [email protected].