The latest food craze has officially hit! Over the last few months, impossible burgers have become a popular food item and growing in availability. Once only available in specialty burger joints, these plant-based burgers have now even broken into the world of fast food.

While impossible burgers are definitely in the spotlight right now, they are far from the first vegetarian or veggie-based burger. Bean burgers have been around for years now and are one of the most popular vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes out there.

With both options being seemingly healthy and tasty meat alternatives, how do impossible burgers compare to traditional bean burgers?

Calories

According to Impossible Foods, a 4oz. serving of an impossible burger can contain up to 240 calories. Meanwhile, a bean burger patty made from Randall Great Northern Beans can contain less than half of that amount, starting around 100 calories.

While a healthy amount of calories are needed to energize our bodies, impossible burgers’ calorie counts do fall a little on the high side (close to the 230+ calorie count of many traditional fast food burgers) when you consider 1,500-2,500 calories per day, depending on who you are, is the recommended range for a typical diet. Bean burgers are certainly the low-cal option.

Protein

Bean burgers, impossible burgers, and traditional beef patties are all high sources of protein. But which one takes the cake? Impossible burgers, which use soy as their primary ingredient, check-in with about 19 grams of protein per serving, while a bean burger patty of Randall Great Northern Beans comes in at about 11 grams.

Your traditional fast food patty typically falls right about in the middle of those two, making both options pretty comparable! Although slightly lower in overall protein, bean protein does carry many additional benefits that greatly increase its nutritional value.

Nutrition

One of those important health benefits is fiber, which plays a big role in weight loss along with fat content. Bean burgers with Randall Beans contain a higher fiber count (6 grams versus 3 grams) and a much lower fat content (.5 grams versus 14 grams) than their impossible burger counterparts.

While impossible burgers shouldn’t be regarded as fatty by any means, bean burgers definitely hold the edge as far as the leaner vegetarian-burger option.

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, bean burgers and impossible burgers are both very healthy non-meat options for those looking to enjoy a healthy burger. The texture of impossible burgers more closely resembles ground beef, where bean patties feature a crispier, crusty exterior with a creamier texture inside.

For us though, we prefer the traditional bean burger for a couple of different reasons. Bean burgers are much simpler to prepare right in your own kitchen and don’t come at such a high cost. With impossible burgers in high demand and extremely popular right now, it is often very difficult to find them in stores. When you do, they often sell out very quickly or are available at prices well above what you pay for fresh beef.

Bean burgers don’t require complex or hard-to-find ingredients in order to make a delicious patty. Plus, all your ingredients together will likely come in at just a fraction of the price as impossible burgers if you bought them from the store.

Bean burgers also give you a little bit more creative freedom when you make them at home! You can mix in all sorts of nutritious and tasty ingredients into your patties like corn, quinoa, or peppers to create the perfect flavor profile.

Both options are tasty, but what can we say – we prefer the classic! Give one of our signature bean burger recipes a try for yourself!