Page 36 - JAN 2020 proof 1 The Castle Pines Connection

36 CastlePinesConnection.com
Where’s the beef?
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy Rebecca Jones
Where’s the beef? That is the question many of us are asking as we visit our favorite burger joints and eateries, remembering when there was one beef option that was 100% all beef. As the population increases, food and diet trends continue to grow. There are more resources needed to provide optimal food choices and proteins. Many plant-based protein substitutions are now available when you
Ethan Tucker, Adam Reljanovic and Bryce Grafton are quite satis ed with their Qdoba lunch of Impossible plant-based meat substitute burritos.
visit your favorite fast food restaurant chain or local grocery.
DCS Montessori’s (DCSM) Population Growth and Food Security ACE (Action- Creation-Exploration) class studied Impossible and Beyond Meat protein options as a two-part eld trip to Castle Rock’s Promenade Qdoba Mexican Grill and King Soopers. Discussions with di erent points of view regarding the industry and the growing options of plant- based proteins versus beef and how this subject closely relates to food security and feeding the growing population of the planet were had among the students.
Ingredients and nutritional di erences between beef and the plant-based products were tasted and evaluated. While visiting King Soopers, the group compared ingredients and nutritional value of Beyond Meat, a plant-based burger that looks, cooks and tastes like beef without GMOs, soy, or gluten. After talking with the store butcher, it was concluded that these plant-based products are gaining in popularity and are favored by those with speci c dietary needs, but they are by no means a ecting the sales of beef.
Impossible
plant-based
burgers are
signi cantly
lower in
protein than
beef burgers,
they contain
more ber,
are higher in
fat and contain
carbohydrates
whereas beef
burgers contain more carbohydrates.
Qdoba’s extensive Impossible plant-based
menu of tacos, burritos and bowls allowed students to really taste and compare food items. Many students enjoyed the Impossible plant- based substitute, saying it was hard to tell the di erence between it and actual beef. A few vegetarians continue to favor natural vegetables versus processed plant-based substitutes. Others choose the Impossible plant- based substitute based on their beliefs and values toward animals.
Yet, there were still a handful of students who preferred high quality beef over any substitution.
Qdoba’s Impossible plant-based substitute was similar in taste to real beef.
King Soopers shoppers Hannah Goodrich, Sophie Azzolina, Lindsey Andel and Mia Matthews-Lanpher shop and compare the plant-based meat substitute options of Beyond Meat and Pure Farmland.