'MURICA — Plant-based eaters, rejoice, for the Impossible Whopper is about to hit all Burger King's across the US.<br /><br />According to the Associated Press, Burger King first launched the 0 percent meat burger a month ago in 59 restaurants in St. Louis, where it was very well received, and is now planning to expand to the rest of its US stores.<br /><br />The Impossible Whopper is made in partnership with Impossible Foods Inc., a company that makes meals using plant-based materials instead of meat and dairy.<br /><br />The meatless patty is made of heme, a protein composed of soybean roots that has a similar texture to beef.<br /><br />Surprisingly, the Impossible Whopper is not really targeted towards vegan or vegetarian consumers. CNN reports that the company mainly wants to offer meat eaters the chance to have a burger every day without necessarily having to consume beef.<br /><br />Burger King is not the first fast-food restaurant to tap into the plant-based market.<br />According to Today, back in March, McDonald's tested vegan McNuggets made with a mix of mashed potatoes, chickpeas, onions, carrots, and corn.<br /><br />Vox reports that back in April, Del Taco also dabbled in plant-based cuisine when it partnered with Beyond Meat to create vegan and vegetarian meat alternatives in their menu.<br /><br />There's a reason why plant-based eating is becoming more popular, and no, it's not because of Peta's crazy protests. <br /><br />Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in plant-based alternatives.<br /><br />According to a report by market research firm, Mintel, roughly six in 10 American consumers are interested in eating less meat, citing health concerns as their main motivation.<br /><br />Burger King's 7,200 American branches will feature the Impossible Whopper by the end of the year.
