What do you think? Are you ready for plant-based burgers, sausages and steaks? Are meatless alternatives truly better for the planet than traditional beef, pork and poultry culinary entrees?

Two companies, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, produce meat patties that mimic ground beef and pork by extracting proteins from soy, coconut and yellow peas and combine them with starches, oils and juices to produce patties that sizzle, brown and bleed.

The companies say they are better than beef and pork for human health and the environment by reducing the environmental impact from livestock, the grain they consume and their waste.

Their products contain less cholesterol and saturated fats than other meats but they contain almost as many calories and substantially more sodium than beef and pork and they are highly processed, according to nutritionists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Supporters think they have a future because of the health and environmental benefits. Eating animal-based meats, like beef and pork, are linked to increased risk of cancer and heart disease. But can meatless patties pass the taste tests?

Plant-based patties tend to contain roughly five times more sodium than real beef and pork. On the other hand, meat alternatives contain no cholesterol. The trick will be to convince meat-eaters to try the meatless patties. What will vegans and vegetarians do?

The innovative company Gardein offers fishless fish, including a golden fishless fillet. The company makes a wide variety of meatless meals and snacks.

Tempeh is a great option to get the texture of meat in your dishes. It’s a soy-based product created by fermenting the curds of whole soy beans. It’s high in protein, fiber and vitamins. It contains live, active cultures. Yum!

It may come down to the trade-offs. Parents might serve their children meatless products at an early age. Young people will grow up not knowing what it is like eating real beef and pork products. Would it be any different than milkless dairy products?

In many cases, consumers have embraced processed products that are made from artificial ingredients and don’t think anything about it. The future promises big changes for many traditionalists: cars won’t require drivers and our meals won’t include animal-based meats.

If this trend catches on, what will happen to the industries that produce beef, pork, poultry (chicken and turkey) and fish and all the industries in the product chain?


Legendary college football coach Bear Bryant made this very clear, “I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game.”

The men and women who coach high school, college and professional sports are great teachers and motivators. They know what it takes to be winners on the field and in life. Good friend Ed Johnston, who turned 80 about a month ago, shared the following football quotes with me several years ago. Enjoy.

Ohio State’s Woody Hayes said, “There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.”

John Heisman warned his players, “Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble the football.”

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it,” was said by former Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz.

When Bob Devaney, coach of the Nebraska Cornhushers, was asked what his goal was, he said, “I don’t expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough games to warrant an investigation.”

“If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education,” said Murray Warmath of Minnesota.

In explaining to reporters why his team lost the game, USC’s John McKay said, “We didn’t tackle well today, but we made up for it on offense by not blocking.”

Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer explained why Volunteer fans wear orange. “It’s so they can dress for the football game on Saturday, go hunting on Sunday and pick up trash on Monday.”




How do you get a former University of Michigan football player off your porch? Pay him for the pizza.

Former Oklahoma State player Walt Garrison asked Texas Longhorn Coach Darrell Royal, “why didn’t you recruit me? Royal said, “Well, Walt, we took a look at you, and you weren’t any good.”