March 25, 2023
  • 12:08 pm Fall Convocation 2022: “The State of this University is Strong”
  • 9:37 pm Ogrin Brings the Thunder in Toros 12-3 rout; team plays for playoff championship tomorrow
  • 7:00 am Outstanding Professor Award Recipient’s Mic Drop Moment at Last Month’s Virtual Ceremony
  • 9:10 am Bookworms of the World Unite!
  • 7:46 pm Breaking News: All Students Living in Campus Housing Required to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
  • 9:00 am CSUDH Esports Creates International Competition
  • 9:35 am Spring Commencement Ceremonies Get Brighter
  • 3:46 pm Breaking News: Spring Commencement Ceremonies Recieve Stadium Upgrade
  • 8:00 am Testing the Teachers (and All the Educators)
  • 9:30 am CSUDH Educators and School Employees, Vaccinated Next
  • 10:30 am For White People Only: Anti-Racism Workshop Addresses Racial Bias and Unity
  • 2:43 pm Greatness Personified: Remembering Kobe Bryant
  • 10:02 am Straight Down the Chimney and Into Your (Digital) Hands: Special Holiday Edition of The Bulletin!
  • 2:44 pm Did You Wake up Looking this Beautiful?
  • 11:43 am A Long History for University’s Newest Major
  • 5:15 pm Issue 5 of Bulletin Live! Collector’s Item! Worth its Weight in Digital Paper!
  • 4:06 pm Special Election Issue
  • 4:03 pm Three best Latinx Halloween & Horror Short Films available now on HBO Max
  • 9:49 am Issue 3 of CSUDH Bulletin Live if You Want It
  • 3:24 pm Hispanic Heritage Month Update
  • 2:00 pm South Bay Economic Forecast Goes Virtual
  • 3:52 pm BREAKING NEWS: Classes for Spring to be Online, CSU Chancellor Announces
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  • 5:07 pm STAFF EDITORIAL: Even Socially Distant, We All Have to Work Together
  • 5:47 pm Transcript of CSUDH President Parham’s Coronavirus Announcement
  • 10:46 am Cal State Long Beach Suspends Face-to-Face Classes; CSUDH Discussing Contingency Plans
  • 5:26 pm Things Black People Should be Able to Get Away with This Month
  • 10:25 am Latinx Students Need a Place to Call Home
  • 2:35 pm Will Time Run Out Before Funds for PEGS? [UPDATED]
  • 8:41 am Year of the Rat? What’s That?
  • 6:20 am Artist Who Gave Life to Death and Inspired Countless Others Gets His Due at Dominguez Hills
  • 5:16 pm Why I’m Rooting for Dr. Cornel West
  • 5:00 pm Under Fire from the Feds, Vaping’s Future is Cloudy
  • 3:28 pm We’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat; Tsunami 3.0 Hits Campus, Enrollment Swells
  • 1:22 pm THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE BULLETIN IS HERE
  • 4:48 pm University Weathering a Wave of New Students
  • 9:21 pm The Bulletin’s Public Records Request Offers Springboard to Launch Gender Equity Discussion at CSUDH
  • 4:27 pm Black is the New Black: Raising the Capital on the “B” Word
  • 10:53 am Guns Up for Arrest: Student advocacy group pushes for CSU No Gun Zones–Including the Police
  • 4:09 pm Staff Editorial: Words on the First
  • 8:42 pm Carson Mayor Blasts Media, Landmark Libel Case in Keynote Address
  • 9:27 am Free Speech Week Calendar of Events Update
  • 6:02 am Food for Thought: 40% of Students are Food Insecure
  • 3:12 pm Academic Senate Rejects CSU GE Task Force & Report
  • 3:06 pm Work To Be Done
  • 5:56 pm ASI Elections: What You Need to Know
  • 8:02 pm CSUDH President Parham Announces Cancer Diagnosis
  • 9:47 am CSUDH Art Professor’s 20-Year Journey Results in First Local Showing of Film
  • 9:13 pm Free Speech or Free Hate area?
  • 9:08 pm CSUDH’s Best & Brightest Shine at Student Research Day
  • 9:05 pm Academic Senate Approves Gender Equity Task Force
  • 12:37 pm When Dr. Davis speaks, Toros Pay Close Attention
  • 3:38 pm Investing in the Future: Dr. Thomas A. Parham Reflects on the Past Eight Months and Contemplates​ the University’s Future
  • 3:24 pm Green Olive to Open By End of Feb; Starbucks Not Until Fall
  • 3:20 pm Gov. Newsom’s Proposed Budget Hailed for Extensive Funding Increases
  • 3:08 pm Out of the Classroom: Labor and Community Organizing Course Aims to Teach Students How to Organize for Social Justice
  • 2:54 pm The Other Route in Professional Sports
  • 9:02 am Hail to the New Chief, CSUDH President Thomas Parham
  • 3:36 pm Career Center Holds Major/Minor Fair
  • 5:34 pm After Unexpected Delay, Undocumented Becomes More Intimate Theatrical Production
  • 1:30 pm What to Expect When You’re Expecting New Buildings
  • 4:00 pm Perception Is Key
  • 4:00 pm Celebrating Women’s History Month Toro Style
  • 4:00 pm The Algorithms of the Internet are Biased
  • 4:00 pm Taking a Look at J. Cole’s Lyrics
  • 4:00 pm The Adventures of Pablo EscoBear

In 2019, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) became the first plant-based protein offered at a national chicken chain in the United States.

By Yennifer Ho, Staff Reporter

There is more to a plant-based diet than tofu, although I do enjoy eating it. Nowadays, there are many plant-based food manufacturers and the variety seems endless. Some grocery stores even have a dedicated section for plant-based products which is really convenient for me instead of having to scan every label.

Like many others, I love cheeseburgers and fried chicken, but I also try to reduce eating meat as much as I can. Recently, I’ve noticed that fast-food franchises are attempting to appeal to customers like me.

Honestly, plant-based burgers (specifically Beyond Meat patties) are delicious and even my boyfriend, a meat-lover, thinks so too. Beyond Meat is a popular plant-based meat substitute producer, based in Los Angeles, California. I have bought a couple of Beyond Meat products before, including their breakfast sausages. 

In collaboration with Beyond Meat, KFC chains started this year by reintroducing their “meatless” nuggets called “Beyond Fried Chicken”.

This was not the first time KFC had this product temporarily on their menu. In 2019, they launched a test run of Beyond Fried Chicken at a single Atlanta location and sold out in five hours.

Carl’s Jr., on the other hand, has a more permanent item on their menu, the Beyond Meat Burger. More specifically, it’s called the “Famous Star” and is available with or without cheese; the patty is plant-based and an alternative to beef. They have sold nearly 12 million plant-based burgers since its release. 

However, these plant-based foods are not completely “authentic”. 

For instance, some pointed out that since KFC’s plant-based chicken is fried in the same oil used to fry real chicken, there is no point in calling it plant-based. Similarly, Carl’s Jr. handles plant-based meat on the same surfaces and equipment as real meat products. 

On both KFC and Carl’s Jr.’s websites, they state that their products are not completely vegan but the Beyond Meat part is completely plant-based. They should have emphasized this in their advertising. 

But, maybe we shouldn’t rely on fast-food corporations to make vegetarian and vegan fast food accessible and instead take responsibility for ourselves to eat better while also helping the environment. 

Plant-based food can be more sustainable because its production uses fewer resources like water, energy, and land. It is reported that a whopping 80% of farmland is dedicated to livestock animals raised for meat and dairy.

Besides environmental benefits, replacing meat with plant proteins can have health benefits, especially compared to high-fatty foods like steak. 

A study conducted by Stanford University showcased the health effects of eating plant-based food among 36 participants. 

“Among generally healthy adults, contrasting plant with animal intake while keeping all other dietary components similar, the plant products improved several cardiovascular disease risk factors, including TMAO; there were no adverse effects on risk factors from the plant products,” said Anthony Crimarco, the lead author.

Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is a toxic compound produced in the stomach and can be linked to heart disease. 

So, with all of these advantages of eating plant-based, I feel like it’s worth the extra money and effort making these types of foods at home from grocery store ingredients, given the rising accessibility of plant-based items. Also, I’ll know what is really in my ingredients and whether it’s vegan or vegetarian compared to going to a fast-food place and other restaurants. 

The main criticism I have of plant-based products is their cost; most items I see are more expensive than their meat counterparts. Also, certain items are more difficult to find because it’s not in as much demand as meat and dairy products.

Nonetheless, I feel like eating plant-based is the future, and the pros outweigh the cons. There is more to diets than meat and processed foods and with more people being open to new and fascinating foods, eating plants is more than just a fad. 

The plant-based market continues to grow and is expected to reach 77.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. Beyond Meat is one of the leading producers, but there are many other brands including Tofurky and Morningstar Farms (which I highly recommend). Their products are simple and easy to cook;, you don’t have to be Gordon Ramsey.

Now, what are you waiting for? Try some plant-based foods, your stomach will thank you.

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