Impossible Meat burger

[enginist]

Add mine to the chorus of voices extolling the virtues of this non-meat burger.  Unless you're a connoisseur of fine ground beef, you won't be able to tell the difference.  It is not, however, a perfect food for the kidney patient.  It is not in any way organic or remotely free of additives.  But as a weekly or monthly indulgence, it satisfies a craving and makes being a vegetarian a much easier proposition.  Nutritional content: 19 grams of protein, 370 mg of sodium, 610 mg of potassium, 180 mg of phosphorous. 

I'm still pre-dialysys and my numbers are stable.  As an inveterate label-reader who has avoided sodium and the "three Ps" forever, I have a hard time trying to meet my dietitian's recommendations of 2,000 milligrams of sodium and potassium per day.  One of these burgers--or even a double--helps me meet the requirements, especially if I dispense with the cheese.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

Thanks for sharing this. They are slow to make it to market here but I am waiting in anticipation! There have only been positive reviews. I’m back to vegetarianism the majority of the time so these products are fun for a diverse diet.

[enginist]

UT, the company is hiring a lot more people and ramping up production in order to meet demand.  If you go to the Impossible Meat website and enter your area code, it will spit out all the locations where it is available close to you. Surprisingly, most Burger Kings already have it on the menu.

[Charlie B53]

I may be a Neanderthal.

I grew up eating meat, the redder the better.

I have a certain amount of scepticizm (however it's spelt) about fake meats.

I expect I will try it, just not today.

I rarely get a burger anywhere.  I actually cannot remember the last one.  I stand corrected, yes I do, it was a single quarter cheese at Wendy's along with a large bowl of their Chili.  And that's been more than a couple of months ago already.

 BK?  I get the chicken nuggets, for my dog.  He LOVES them!

I used to get their ice-cream cone, until they raised the price to a dollar.  Now it seems like I am dieting as I don't get an ice-cream cone any more.

I will admit BK's ice-cream machine always works.  Can't say that for McD's

Don't ask me how many times I get Taco's.   Way too many.

[enginist]

This is not a substitute for steak, but it is a viable option for vegetarians.  It represents a clear departure from the veggie burgers of the past and would probably dispel your skepticism about lab-grown, artificial meat.  Your dog would like it as much as chicken nuggets.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

UT, the company is hiring a lot more people and ramping up production in order to meet demand.  If you go to the Impossible Meat website and enter your area code, it will spit out all the locations where it is available close to you. Surprisingly, most Burger Kings already have it on the menu.

Sadly, north of the border, we get stuff the last so not available here yet. My town doesn't have a BK either... which I never cared about until now.  But now BK reminds me of the virus....

[iolaire]

I’ve read these are high in glyphosate.
Overall I’m a bust skeptical of highly engineered processed food. I’ve not tried in and probably will but when I do eat black bear burgers they are good so I don’t know if I’ll be impressed that they now bleed. Bit then I’m not really supportive of fake meat overall from a taste and lack of believability, I feel like if you want to go veggie eat all the great global vegetarian food options.   But I’m only a small part of the market as I eat meat and also eat vegetarian food happily.

[Charlie B53]

I can admit that I LIKE Salads.  With the many types of lettuce the possibilities are great, you can make a different type of salad almost every day.

when you look at all the different types of additive veggies then number of combinations are nearly endless.

I sometimes add fruits, berries, mushrooms, peas,, green beans, not to mention cukes, small squashes, any and all the veggies you can think of.

I've told the Wife a neat drive-thru salad bar, combinations made to order, could work.  Everyone seems so busy a drive-thru on the way home with endless salad combinations, and selected dressings, could be a thriving business.  You just need a large refrigeration and a good buyer/supplier of produce.

[enginist]

UT, I could talk myself into moving to Toronto or Quebec.  Would depend on the cost of living. 

Charlie, you're on dialysis, right?  Those of us in pre-dialysis, which I hope advances no further, have a different diet. 

I eat meat too, Iolaire, during my one free meal per week.  You and UT are post-transplant, right?   Again, a different diet.  I don't mind being disciplined most of the time and having the occasional bender.

[iolaire]

UT, I could talk myself into moving to Toronto or Quebec.  Would depend on the cost of living. 

Charlie, you're on dialysis, right?  Those of us in pre-dialysis, which I hope advances no further, have a different diet. 

I eat meat too, Iolaire, during my one free meal per week.  You and UT are post-transplant, right?   Again, a different diet.  I don't mind being disciplined most of the time and having the occasional bender.

Yes post-transplant and I'd not yet needed to fully control my diet on dialysis.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

Yes, I’m post-transpant but, I’ve been doing this vegetarian (some stages vegan) “thing” for during pre-dialysis, dialysis and now, transplant. People are going to laugh at me but I didn’t do it for health reasons. I legitimately love cows. And although I love them, I admit they are pretty tasty, since I was raised on a meat-laden (Slavic) diet.



Like iolaire, my diet wasn’t too constricted whilst on dialysis. Pre-dialysis was tougher and that’s when the dietician introduced the potassium restrictions. So, I had some low-potassium recipes that I relied on (mostly bell pepper based) if I went a little too nuts on other things during the week. While on dialysis, I still did the vegetarian thing but I needed a high potassium bath. Go figure. My iron stores were always good.



I had a veggie burger from a Canadian chain 1x per week while on dialysis. It was a regular thing... sometimes 2x per week. It was one of those days where schedules were crazy and my husband couldn’t get (mediocre) dinner on the table after the end of a session. Sure, high in sodium and potassium, but my numbers still looked good. 



Yes, I buy “plant based” “faux meat” products and yes, they are really processed. To be honest, I’m not a healthful eater. I mean, I eat healthy but it’s not my “goal.” Hell, I drink blue Kool-Aid and I would eat a crack cocaine burger if they made one. If better quality or tasting products can come out, I'm all for it. Makes life a little more tolerable! But here’s the thing... they aren’t an everyday addition to my diet. They are substitutes into something I would have made with meat anyway. Such as stew or chili. On dialysis, I still used them, but made allowances in other parts of my diet (ie: 600 mg of potassium in faux chicken breast? Skip some other stuff...)

In the case that some vegetarians or vegans have a diet heavily laden with these substitute products, that’s just really sad and questionable. I am critical of that. There are so many non-processed sources to choose from that it shows a diet that needs help. For instance, I haven’t had a plant based “meat” product in weeks (though there are some in the freezer) and tonight’s dinner will be baked zucchini coins and polenta fries.



One last point of this ramble is that one thing I like about having “plant based” options in big chains is that it allows for me to eat with my husband. He can grab a burger on the run and instead of finding a place for me to eat too, it’s right there too. Or, for plant based products at home: husband wants bacon n’ eggs? Sure... and there’s a serving for me too.



All of this said, I ate some meat (primarily chicken) when I had huge protein needs post-transplant. After awhile, I just couldn’t do it (don’t like the taste) so back to the same ol’ thing I’m used to. Besides the post-tx healing experience, my diet hasn't really changed since I went veggie all those years ago. Bananas still give me the creeps though. I'm so used to a restrictive diet for as long as I can remember that I haven't strayed much.

[enginist]

Yes, there are vegetarians who are chronically unhealthy, stuffing themselves with everything from potato chips to ice cream.  Doesn't make any sense.  I subsist on apples, cabbage sandwiches, tofu fried in olive oil, riced cauliflower with chunks of TVP (textured vegetable protein), and red bell peppers, which I eat whole like apples.  All these items have the virtue of being simple to prepare--a virtue because I hate to cook.  In any case, this virtuous diet, combined with the renoprotective properties of an ACE inhibitor, lowered my blood pressure by 15 points and raised my GFR from 16 to 26.  If I'm lucky--if I don't catch a nasty bug, causing my GFR to crash--I'm hoping that I could go a few more years like this.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

May I ask what composes a cabbage sandwich? This seems right up my ally....

[enginist]

UT, it's good enough to eat every day.  I buy a sourdough bread here with only 5 mg of sodium per slice and, at the same store, I also get a container of chopped purple cabbage, so it requires virtually no work.  Then I toast the bread in a toaster oven and slather it with a nondairy cheese-like spread made from cashews, herbs, and such.  And then I pile on the cabbage and spice it up a bit.  I hope you like it.

[iolaire]

Cabbage sandwich made me think of cabbage steak. I made that a while back probably just with salt and pepper and ate it with mustard.

I was thinking about mentioning it and then tonight a friend posted this to Facebook https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a27544267/grilled-cabbage-steaks-recipe/ it’s more complicated but probably gives good idea of how to do it.

[enginist]

Yeah, I would try a cabbage steak.  Sounds like it might be pretty good, omitting, unfortunately, the bacon and the cheese.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

Wow, both the sandwich and the steak look excellent! For the steak, I'd have to make some of my homemade coconut bacon bits and add some feta rather than the blue. I'm hungry! Will definitely pick up the supplies at the grocery tomorrow!  And I just found out a major grocery here has cashew based dips/spreads!

[enginist]

Homemade coconut bacon bits?  I think you said your husband has simple tastes, but I hope he appreciates your creativity in the kitchen.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

Yes, homemade coconut bacon bits have been a savior to some dishes. There are numerous variations online but I mainly use two. In both, the "base" of the bacon has to be unsweetened coconut flakes. Not shredded coconut, but the flakes. I pick them up at the bulk store but there are well-known brands like Bob's Red Mill that has them. 2 cups of these flakes should give you enough to break up over many sandwiches or salads... or that cabbage steak!

Version One: take the coconut flakes and toss/mix them with 2 tablespooons soy sauce (I used low sodium on dialysis/now full sodium because I can't get enough, ugh), 1 tablespoons safflower oil (or another neutral tasting one), a teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a dash of liquid smoke. Make sure all the pieces are coated.

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, obviously spread it out on the pan and bake for 6 minutes. After that, turn the pan around (so the other side can get the same dose of heat) and bake for 5 minutes. Watch it like a hawk because this stuff burns quickly so if it looks like it is getting a little too brown, take it out. Then, cool for 10 minutes. Stays good for a week or you can freeze it.

Version Two: The same method of preparation in regard to the oven/pre-heat/baking but the flavoring is a little different; a long the lines of a teriyaki sauce. Mix the coconut flakes with 1 clove of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of fresh minced ginger (you can use powdered, but taste test how much you'd like first), 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of water, 4 tablespoons of maple syrup (or honey), 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and a dash of black pepper. Mix it all up well, put in it a ziploc bag, toss the coconut flakes in, marinate and then bake.

For how much a person uses, the potassium is minimal. Such as, you get under 100 mg by adding some bits or flakes to a dish.

As for my husband, yes, he appreciates my cooking skills but sometimes, not so much! He'll ask, "Where did you get this idea?"  His version of a light dinner is an egg, black rye bread and homemade beet relish on top! Which is delicious... but I ate a lot of that during dialysis days.

[enginist]

That last dish sounds like it's Eastern European.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

That last dish sounds like it's Eastern European.

You're right on! 

[Charlie B53]

I sometimes wonder how I manage to survive as my diet is seriously lacking decent variety of veggies.

My day starts with my one LARGE cup of coffee which I add a heaping spoon of chocolate expresso mix and another heaping spoon of protien powder.  I do eat one large blueberry muffin.

dialysis days I drive thru McD's on the way in, picking up two bacon, egg, cheese biscuits and  too often two strawberry/cream cheese pies.  The other days I don't eat again til late afternoon or evening.

Taco Bell at least once a week, sometimes twice.  Three Tacos.  Nothing to drink, I'll have a mouthful of water at home when I take my pills and binders.

Two or three times a week I will fry a steak or chop, lots of lemon pepper and garlic.  No veggies, the meat alone is enough to fill me up.

I keep a dozon boiled eggs in the fridge, three or four times a week I'll crack out a couple. On rare occasion I will smear a bit of Miricle Whip on a couple of slices of that 40 carb Whole wheat and slice the eggs.

Once or twice a week Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly on that 40 carb bread.

Once or twice a month I'll take Son to the local Mexican place for whichever daily special they have for dinner.  I surprise myself that I clear the whole plate of rice and beans AND.......

I have a beer.

That's about the only time I actually drink anything other than my lone mouthful of ice water or a single ice cube.

I do have a couple of daily vitamins in my pill box.

[enginist]

Your diet, Charlie, is both more liberal and more stringent than mine.  You eat some things that I used to like but wouldn't think of eating now.  The hardest part for me would be the limitations on liquid.  I can hardly eat anything--kidney friendly or not--without washing it down with a quart of water.  And I'll have two beers a month, not one.  I love craft beer as much or more than water.  And I really miss cheese sandwiches.

[enginist]

Hey UT, I just had a grilled shitake mushroom sandwich.  It was quick and easy, with olive oil and a splash of wine.  I'll try a portobello next.  Charlie, we are now entering steak country.

[Charlie B53]

I Love mushrooms, but scared to pick any.  Long long ago as a kid there was an article in Readers Digest about a Family of 4 in Oregon that regularly picked mushrooms.  Well, evidently they made a mistake and had ONE bad one in the batch.  Everyone almost died,   By the Grace of God Everyone, all four of them, got a Tx Kidney.

Since I know next to nothing about shroom types I stay safe and only go to the store.

But I do wonder...... since our kidneys are already gone..... would it hurt us to eat the wrong one?



I do have to admit to picking some, in the cow pastures.

They taste like s&%$, but they DO have some effect!