Remember those days as a young kid when you would be sitting in the backseat of your parents’ vehicle and you would pass a familiar building with a red roof and a familiar yellow “M.” You would then beg your parents to stop and get you a kids meal, and you were usually met with the same answer… “We have food at home.”

Well, if you have been to McDonald’s recently you may have noticed that amongst the ‘McNuggets’ and the ‘Big Macs,’ there is a new meal on the menu: the ‘McPlant.’ 

This new product is a result of the popular fast food restaurant, McDonald’s, and a new veggie based meat company, Beyond Meat.

Beyond Meat is a plant-based meat company that produces products that are eerily similar to animal-based meat. The products produced by this company are similar to the concept of a tofu burger, but look like the real deal.

Plant-based meat has its pros and cons. While plant-based meats have significantly higher amounts of sodium and additive ingredients, a lack of red meat could result in a lower-risk of heart disease.

The hope of these companies is to take “the animal off the table,” but many people are skeptical of this ‘meatless meat.’ Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike have expressed their concerns about this product. 

There is not a lot of information that has been disclosed to the public about the effects these companies have on greenhouse gas emissions, so there is some room for concern about the environmental impacts these companies will have.

The recent popularity of these kinds of plant-based meat companies could have a drastic impact on the agriculture industry and create a large shift in the occupations in meat and packing plants.

Not only have there been many pushes for plant-based meats, there are also developments in meat that are being grown completely in a petri dish. Lab grown meats are taking the world by storm and could change the way we feed the future.

While these new advancements in food have their benefits, many are uneasy with eating such modified and “unnatural” foods, especially with their appearance being so similar to that of real beef.

What do all of these advancements mean for beef-lovers across the nation? While there is not a clear answer to this question, there are many new options and it’s up to you to decide what goes on your plate.

Will you be sticking to your Big Mac or will you branch out?