After my kids showed me how to order a meal deal on the large screen, the first thing I noticed was it was a fraction of the cost of more upscale vegan burgers I’ve had elsewhere — a burger, fries, and soda only set me back the equivalent of seven dollars (5 British pounds). I checked with the staff that the McPlant is cooked separately from the meat, which is very important to many vegans, and the servers at my local McDonalds in Sheffield, England assured me that different utensils are used on the vegan patty, so there is no cross-contamination.

Our meal arrived in minutes (this is certainly ‘fast-food’ and beats a longer wait time in other restaurants) and I opened the sesame bun to see a hamburger-sized patty (slimmer than the Beyond burger you buy at the store) with lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, fresh onion, vegan sauce (mayo style), mustard, dill pickle, and ketchup. Unlike the McPlant that is about to debut in the US, the UK version is entirely vegan, with dairy-free cheese and mayonnaise.

Biting into the McPlant, it seemed a balanced combination of ingredients, and it was tasty! I’m not usually keen on plant-based burgers which are too similar to actual meat, but I was able to eat this without a problem and I think the toppings helped. Afterward, I didn’t feel overly full or bloated, which was a pleasant surprise.

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The controversy around McDonald’s

It seems a bit odd to support an establishment that vegans have battled with for a long time, but many people are supporting McDonald’s efforts to provide a plant-based alternative to those consumers who would ordinarily be eating their burgers. It seems to be a good step in the right direction, for the planet and the animals. Vegan products usually carry a premium price tag, so it’s also good to see a mainstream vegan option with a price in line with other burgers.

But is it healthy?

We all know we shouldn’t be eating fast food such as burgers and fries every day, and just because it’s vegan the message is no different. The McPlant is a processed food, and if you have it with fries and a soda, it’s not exactly a healthy meal, plant-based or not.

There are 429 calories in the burger alone — add a medium-sized fries with 337 calories and a soda, and you’re nearly halfway to your daily recommended number of calories per day, which is on average 2,000 calories. The McPlant contains 20 grams of total fat, of which 6.6 grams is saturated fat, the unhealthy kind, and 19 grams of protein, which is mainly pea and rice protein.

Eaten once in a while as a convenient treat for people who otherwise would be eating meat, the McPlant is a good “transition” food. But for anyone who wants to eat a healthy plant-based diet, the goal is to consume whole foods, not processed ones.

Bottom Line: To help transition from meat the McPlant is a great option.

The McPlant is a cheap, filling, and tasty option. It gets my thumbs up – after waiting 50 years to try a McDonald’s meal. I was happy to be able to join in!

The post I Tried the McPlant. Here’s How It Went appeared first on The Beet.

Already, close to one-quarter of Americans are eating plant-based food and meatless alternatives, and they are planning to consume more plant-based products in the coming months, according to a recent survey. This growth shows the rise of flexitarian eating in America, as more people are leaning into plant-based foods without defining themselves as plant-based or fully began. That is expected to grow as the distribution of Beyond and other brands become more widespread.

Indeed, it’s been a big year for the El Segundo, California, based alternative-meat powerhouse. This summer, they launched an online retail store which ships their products directly to your door in two days and debuted a “Cookout Classic” value pack of burgers at most Target and Walmart stores nationwide for $1.60 a patty. Then, in the fall, they’ve unveiled new plant-based sausage breakfast links and announced that they’re behind McDonald’s upcoming McPlant burger.

With this update on their CVS rollout, it’s clear they’re showing no signs of slowing down. That’s good news because we intend to continue to win over all the non-vegans of their life with their satisfying, shockingly realistic plant-based meat products for many years to come. Who’s throwing burgers in the pan and buns in the toaster tonight?

The post Beyond Burger to Launch in 7,000 CVS Locations Nationwide in January appeared first on The Beet.