Beyond Meat began rolling out a new version of its flagship Beyond Burger earlier this month as what the company called the "next iteration" of the product. The relaunch has been one of the more talked-about moves in the plant-based category; it targets flexitarians and meat-reducers who want a burger-like experience without animal meat. Early press and tastings framed this as an anticipated update rather than a complete overhaul.
This review synthesizes reporting and testing notes from several sources: a Men’s Health hands-on review that documented the formulation changes, ingredient reporting from CookedByTaste, a NutritionFacts overview comparing plant-based to animal burgers, and consumer discussion threads such as r/nutrition. Where available, I cite specific, published changes to ingredients and nutrition from those sources.
High-level verdict: the new Beyond Burger makes measurable nutrition tweaks — calories per patty drop from 270 to 230 and total fat drops from 20 g to 14 g — and removes mung bean protein while adding B vitamins, but Men’s Health and early coverage characterize the release as incremental. If you want a slightly leaner, familiar-tasting plant patty, this is a useful update; if you expected a major reinvention of taste, texture or ingredient philosophy, this is underwhelming.
How does it taste and feel compared with what came before?
Men’s Health’s early coverage notes that Beyond Meat’s prior burger wasn’t bad and that the brand has historically produced acceptable flavor and texture — the reviewer had enjoyed earlier Beyond products and the company’s sausage line. The new release is positioned as an iteration rather than a radical change, so expect a similar flavor profile to previous Beyond patties.
Texture-wise, reporting on Beyond’s product family (including sausages) has noted acceptable bite and ‘snap’ in some formats; Men’s Health’s tone indicates the new burger preserves the familiar mouthfeel rather than delivering a step-change in juiciness or chew.
What’s actually in the new patty and what changed nutritionally?
According to Men’s Health and ingredient write-ups, Beyond removed mung bean protein from the formula, added B vitamins, and nudged macronutrients: calories per burger declined from 270 to 230 and total fat fell from 20 g to 14 g. Separate ingredient reporting lists core plant proteins used in the type of patty (pea protein, rice protein, potato starch) and also notes coconut oil, salt and natural flavors among components.
Those changes improve two headline nutrition metrics (calories and total fat) but the product remains a processed, multi-ingredient patty rather than a whole food. Public discussion and NutritionFacts coverage emphasize that trade-offs remain — plant-based patties change some nutrient exposures (e.g., cholesterol absent in plants) while raising questions about other nutrients commonly compared to meat, such as saturated fat and sodium.
Is the new Beyond Burger healthier than beef or its competitors?
NutritionFacts’ material and consumer threads on r/nutrition underline that comparisons between plant-based patties and beef are nutrient-specific and debated: plant patties eliminate dietary cholesterol but comparisons of trans fats, saturated fat and sodium vary by product. Men’s Health and community discussion make clear there’s no simple ‘healthier’ verdict — it depends which nutrients and which product you compare.
The new Beyond Burger moves the dial on calories and total fat versus the prior Beyond formulation, but that does not automatically make it categorically healthier than all beef options or all plant alternatives. The literature and community commentary recommend looking at the full nutrition panel and your personal dietary priorities.
How will it fit into weeknight cooking and menus?
Early coverage treats the new patty as a like-for-like replacement in preparations where Beyond burgers were already used — grill, pan-sear or use as a sandwich filling — because the update is positioned as a formula tweak rather than a new SKU type. Expect similar handling as prior Beyond patties.
For home cooks and foodservice, the incremental nature of the update means existing recipes, cook times and serving ideas remain applicable; the primary difference to note is the updated nutrition per patty (230 calories, 14 g total fat) if you track those metrics.
Is this a meaningful innovation from Beyond Meat?
Men’s Health frames the launch as a modest iteration: removal of one protein source (mung bean), small macronutrient reductions, and addition of B vitamins. The coverage suggests Beyond prioritized marginal nutritional improvements and stability of taste over radical reinvention.
For buyers, that means the product is a conservative brand evolution: it addresses a few nutrition talking points and may appeal to those wanting a slightly leaner patty, but it’s not positioned as a breakthrough competitor to products that emphasize dramatically different ingredient lists or wholly different textures.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ Calories reduced from 270 to 230 per burger (Men’s Health)
- ✅ Total fat reduced from 20 g to 14 g per burger (Men’s Health)
- ✅ Removed mung bean protein and added B vitamins to the formula (Men’s Health)
- ✅ Contains plant proteins commonly used in the category — pea protein, rice protein and potato starch — and maintains familiar cooking/serving usage (CookedByTaste)
- ✅ Supports meat reduction choices, which NutritionFacts highlights as impactful for sustainability
- ❌ Still a processed product with ingredients such as coconut oil, starches and 'natural flavors' (CookedByTaste)
- ❌ Men’s Health and early coverage describe the update as minor rather than a radical reformulation
- ❌ Health comparisons versus beef remain debated; community threads and NutritionFacts point to trade-offs across sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol
- ❌ May disappoint buyers expecting a substantial change in taste or texture compared with prior Beyond patties
How It Compares to the Competition
- Impossible Burger — Soy-based rival that competes on beef-like flavor and has been positioned differently in marketing and ingredient strategy.
- Beyond Burger (previous formulation) — Older Beyond patty with higher calories (270) and higher total fat (20 g) that included mung bean protein in earlier mixes.
- Conventional beef burger (ground beef) — Animal-based benchmark with different nutrient trade-offs (cholesterol present; comparisons for saturated fat and sodium depend on cut and prep).
Who Should Buy This & Who Should Skip It
Buy it if: Buy the new Beyond Burger if you want a slightly lower-calorie, lower-fat version of a familiar plant-based patty and you’re a flexitarian or someone reducing meat intake. It’s also reasonable for shoppers who prioritize a product with added B vitamins and a recognizable, like-for-like cooking experience.
Skip it if: Skip this if you’re seeking minimally processed, whole-food plant-protein options or expect a radical change in taste/texture from Beyond’s prior burger. Also skip if you need a product that has been clearly demonstrated to be nutritionally superior to beef across all metrics — experts and community discussion say that comparison is nuanced.
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