Beyond Meat's New Product Is Made For Steak Lovers

There's no denying that the world of food trends has changed quite a bit over the past few years. According to a survey by Medical Express, approximately 10% of the United States identifies as vegetarian, while Plant Based News notes that 32% are partially vegetarian, meaning they have a flexible diet with reduced meat consumption. With more and more people beginning to switch to plant-based diets, restaurants around the world are starting to cater to those who prefer meat alternatives, and plant-based meats from companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are a popular choice.

As Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown told the Wall Street Journal, the reasons for promoting a reduced-meat diet include "climate," "human health," "land, energy, water, and welfare." In other words, this way of eating isn't only better for our body, consuming more plant-based foods can also have less of an environmental impact.

Of course, for those who want to start a plant-based diet but think they're going to miss meat, you're not alone. One of the main reasons this happens is because of habit — you're accustomed to the taste, it brings back a fond memory, and you may be craving meat. That's where Beyond Meat products are there to help out — especially with this new product that targets steak lovers.

More and more restaurants are offering meatless options, including vegan and vegetarian meat replacements. Unlike 20 years ago, when options were limited to items like tofu and seitan, companies such as Beyond Meat are making it harder and harder to tell the difference between the real thing and the meat-free option. Not only that, the plant-based business sector is predicted to grow by 35% in the next few years.

Later this year, Beyond Meat will be launching a sliced-steak product. This should be interesting, given that the majority of Beyond Meat's product range includes items centered around its ground meat-style products including patties, sausages, and nuggets. The company's CEO, Ethan Brown, told the Wall Street Journal's Global Food Forum that Beyond Meat intended to launch the product at grocery outlets with the eventual goal of supplying restaurants as well. 

Beyond Meat is the world's leading meat substitute product and has partnerships with several major food chains, including McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Carl's Jr. Brown told the WSJ that plant-based meat was an "increasing global opportunity" with a $1.4 trillion market.