Students at RHS’ Livingston Campus recently had a battle of the beef, comparing traditional beef burgers with plant-based alternatives in a blind taste test.
In their Science and Technology of Food course, taught by Ag and Food Science Teacher Trevor Horn, students learned about the environmental impacts of agricultural practices.
They then did research to learn more about the production of beef, Beyond, and Impossible burgers. They also analyzed the nutritional value of each then compared the data to choose which of the three is better for consumption and our environment.
From there, the students did a blind taste test of each burger. Most students chose the traditional beef burger as their favorite, however some did choose one of the plant-based options. The students who chose a plant-based burger noted they had a better flavor, which the class learned may be due to the higher sodium content.
While the lesson was extremely fun, it was also informative. Students were able to work on all five Portrait of a Graduate competencies while exploring the connections between being an aware consumer, being a global citizen and making informed decisions.