Plant-based protein: coming to a restaurant near you!
“Half the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture. 80% of that land is used for livestock,” Freethink, a science and technology publication, reports. Upon reading this fact, I was shocked when thinking about the overwhelmingly large area designated to farming, especially when considering its environmental implications.
Farming, especially of livestock, stresses the environment. It requires large amounts of land, destroying habitats for wildlife. It also relies on heavy water usage, and the process of raising animals releases greenhouse gasses, which contribute to global warming. On top of this, many question the treatment of animals, particularly in large factory farms.
Meat is a quintessential part of many people’s daily diet. In our dining halls, there are numerous meat options every day. When going out to eat, most menus’ highlights list meat entrees. However, in recent years, there has been an emergence of alternative choices to meat, a phenomenon that can be seen in fast food restaurants.
After testing Beyond Meat chicken nuggets in Atlanta in 2019, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), along with singer Cardi B, is selling this product nationwide. A six piece Beyond Chicken Nugget meal has eleven less grams of saturated fat than the stores’ chicken wings, offering a healthier alternative for both the environment and customer.
Burger King is another fast food establishment with Beyond Meat on the menu. The chain offers the Impossible Whopper, a plant-based take on their staple burger. As someone who does not eat red meat, I certainly enjoy this menu item. I am not alone in my support for Burger King’s plant-based offerings. The company is committed to expand beyond meat options, with Burger King UK promising that by 2030, half of their menu will be plant-based.
Burger King and KFC’s decision to offer beyond meat alternatives helps make non-meat alternatives accessible and convenient. Furthermore, with KFC’s chicken nuggets and Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, Beyond Meat is reaching consumers in very familiar forms, showing that people do not need to drastically change their diet to reduce a dependency on meat.
“Animal agriculture accounts for around 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions,” Vox News wrote. High levels of meat consumption are a threat to sustainability, but with the addition of plant based dining opportunities, people can begin to embrace a greener lifestyle. By no means am I recommending the elimination of meat from one’s diet, rather it is important to be conscious about meal choices.
The implementation of Beyond Meat in fast food restaurants might only be effective if people begin to use it as a substitute for real meat, requiring a large cultural shift. While it can be daunting to switch and substitute, it is easy to start out by just having one meatless meal a day. While my focus has been beyond products, there are many other options to choose from, such as adding tofu instead of chicken to a salad.
~ Adrian Visscher ’24
