The First Beyond Meat Steak Option Is Finally Here

The explosion of plant-based food options in recent years leaves vegetarians, vegans and the like with far more to choose from than tofu these days. That trend is likely to continue, as a report from Bloomberg Intelligence indicates that the industry will be worth more than $162 billion by the year 2030. This is a monster increase from 2020, when the plant-based protein market was worth a comparatively small $29.4 billion.

Many companies have hopped on board the trend, adding plant-based proteins to their menus. Burger King's Impossible Whopper really set the world on fire when it was introduced to great fanfare. Made with soy and potato proteins, as well as sunflower oil, and coconut oil (among other ingredients) per The Beet, the Impossible Whopper is a huge departure from a chain that's otherwise known as very meat-and-potatoes in nature. Other chains have since launched their own plant-based menu items, like White Castle's Impossible Slider, the Beyond Famous Star Burger at Carl's Junior, and even plant-based chicken options at KFC.

Now, plant-based food developer Beyond Meat has moved into a realm where no man has gone before, thanks to its newly released plant-based steak.

Regular steak is the ultimate carnivorous experience, but Beyond Meat has managed to make a plant-based version that is the first of its kind, says Singularity Hub. There is an important distinction to make, however, as Beyond Steak is actually steak tips, rather than a slab of faux meat. Although they might fool some people into believing it's actual meat, these tips are made with wheat gluten and fava bean protein. Each serving (¾ cup) has 21 grams of protein, is also low in saturated fat, and has no cholesterol to speak of, per a company press release. The same serving of traditional steak would render a whopping 82 mg of cholesterol and 5.906 grams of saturated fat.

Beyond Steak is now available at more than 5,000 U.S. retailers, such as Sprouts, Kroger, and Walmart. The price point is $7.99 per 10-ounce package. It's also easy enough to warm and serve, either in an air fryer or in a skillet on the stove, according to the product site. Time, public opinion, and sales will likely soon indicate if this steak alternative is "well done," or not.