Plant-based burgers – a fad or the future?

By Evan Dawson,

Published November 14, 2024 at 2:52 PM EST

Four people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at foreground left has long dark hair and is wearing glasses, a grey sweater and jeans; a woman at background left has long brown hair and is wearing a green cardigan over a blue t-shirt; a man at background right is bald with a dark beard and is wearing glasses and a white sweatshirt and is holding a blue baseball cap; a man at foreground right has short dark hair and is wearing a blue fleece vest, a white long-sleeved button-down shirt, jeans and sneakers. — (foreground) Lisa Medina, (background) Jenn Long and Chris Lindstrom on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, November 14, 2024

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

It has been eight years since the debut of the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger. The companies behind the plant-based patties promised a tasty alternative to animal meat, along with a lower impact on the environment.

Proponents of the products hoped they would upend the meat industry. Did they deliver?

According to Vox, sales of the products doubled from 2017 to 2020, but have since declined. Sticker price, nutrition concerns, and unrealistic expectations have led to industry setbacks.

So what’s next? Do plant-based burgers need a refresh to help foster large-scale change? Our guests discuss it.

In studio:

Chris Lindstrom, vegan, co-founder of the Lunchador Podcast Network, and host of “Food about Town”
Jenn Long, vegetarian for 11 years and senior content SEO manager at Zoom
Lisa Medina, vegan, AFAA-certified group fitness instructor, and development coordinator at WXXI