Applebee's Impossible Burger

Applebee's Impossible Burger rates high on this index, so it is not the gentler choice it looks like. The patty is built on soy protein concentrate and also lists yeast extract, both of which sit high for histamine, and the item carries a liberator flag on top of that.

Why applebee's impossible burger is rated high

The confusing part is that nothing about this patty is aged, cured or fermented. It is cooked to order and made from plants. The level comes from two things on Applebee's published ingredient statement. Soy protein concentrate leads the list, which means it is the backbone of the patty rather than a minor addition, and concentrated soy protein sits high on histamine lists. Yeast extract is on the list too, and it is a second high scoring component rather than a filler. Layered on that, this item is tagged as a histamine liberator, which means it may not be handing you much histamine directly so much as prompting your body to let go of what it was already storing. That is why something freshly griddled, with no aging behind it at all, can still leave you feeling the way a cured or fermented food would.

What changes your risk

• Soy protein concentrate does the heavy lifting — it is first on the ingredient statement, so it makes up the bulk of the patty. There is no version of this burger where it is a background ingredient.
• Yeast extract stacks on top — it appears further down the list, but it is a second high scoring component, so it adds to the total rather than balancing anything out.
• Soy protein isolate is on the list as well — same family as the concentrate, listed nearer the end. Worth knowing if soy specifically is what bothers you.
• Time on the pass and under the lamp — this is a protein rich patty, and protein foods can pick up histamine from bacteria when they sit warm for a long stretch, depending on how the kitchen holds them. A long hold will not lower what is already there.
• The rest of the list is mostly neutral — sunflower oil, coconut oil, methylcellulose, modified food starch and salt are not what put this item where it sits.

Lower-histamine alternatives

If you are eating at Applebee's, the lower rated items on this index include Burger Patties, so the plain beef patty actually rates below the plant based one. Diced Grilled Chicken, Sliced Turkey Breast and Prime Rib are the other lower rated proteins here, and Asian Greens is the lower rated green side. There is no lower rated meatless patty at this chain, so if you are eating plant based the honest answer is that Applebee's does not offer a good swap for this particular item.

How to lower the risk

Applebee's publishes what goes into this burger, not what can be left out, and the soy protein concentrate and yeast extract are inside the patty itself rather than sitting on top of it as a sauce or garnish. That means there is no way to order this item around the two components driving its level. If you are ordering here, build the meal from the lower rated items instead. When you are out with a group and this is what is landing on the table anyway, going at a busier hour tends to mean protein spends less time waiting on the warmer before it is served.

Common questions

Is the Impossible Burger lower in histamine than a beef burger?

Not at Applebee's. The plain Burger Patties rate lower on this index than the Impossible patty, because the soy protein concentrate and yeast extract in the meatless version are the high scoring parts.

Why is a plant based patty high if it is never fermented or aged?

Two of its ingredients, soy protein concentrate and yeast extract, rate high on their own, and the item is also tagged as a liberator, meaning it can prompt your body to release histamine it was already holding. Neither of those needs an aging step to happen.

Does cooking the patty well done help?

No. Heat kills bacteria but it does not remove histamine that has already formed, and it does nothing at all to the liberator effect.

Can I get it without the yeast extract?

No. Yeast extract is part of the patty as the supplier makes it, not a topping or a sauce, so there is nothing to leave off.