Eat Just Has Sold the Plant-Based Equivalent of 100 Million Eggs

JUST Egg reached an enormous milestone recently, selling the equivalent of 100 million eggs over the course of three years. JUST Egg debuted on the market in 2018, and since then the product’s popularity skyrocketed, become the perfect breakfast ingredients for plant-based eaters. The mung bean-derived folded and scrambled eggs come from the California-based food technology company Eat Just. Eat Just recently secured $200 million dollars in new funding, propelling the company’s financial backing and maintaining the momentum for its product’s popularity.

Eat Just rapidly expanded across the United States, setting its sights on international food companies and retailers after placing its products in nearly 20,000 retail points. As of now, approximately 1,000 foodservice locations now feature the JUST Egg on their menus. Earlier this year, a China-based fast-food restaurant named Dicos introduced the JUST egg to its menu. Although a large of restaurants in the US adopted the mung-bean Egg, the partnership with Dicos will be the first time a major quick-service restaurant will replace chicken-eggs with JUST Egg.

The company continues to expand its brand, partnering with Cuisine Solutions, the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of sous vide foods, and Peet’s Coffee to increase JUST egg’s accessibility. Cuisine Solutions will be manufacturing a line of JUST Egg Sous Vide products that will hit the market in the upcoming months, while the coffee chain will roll out a nationwide JUST Egg sandwich completed with exclusively plant-based ingredients.

The sustainable egg company recently entered the Canadian market, announcing that the folded egg product will soon be available in more than 1,000 grocery stores by April. This entrance into the market will also make the products available for foodservice companies and restaurants across Canada. Fast-casual chain Copper Branch has already teamed up with Eat Just, launching a Pumpernickel Bagel sandwich with multiple variations including the Field Roast Plant-Based Breakfast Patty & JUST Egg and the Tempeh Bacon & JUST Egg.

JUST Egg’s first range of products included a 12-ounce pourable mung-bean scramble and quickly followed it up with the release of a pre-folded JUST Egg in April 2020. The folded egg’s ease and accessibility propelled the product to become one of the top-selling frozen breakfast items.

Most recently, Eat Just has received an investment from the Qatar Investment Authority, giving the company $200 million to enhance the company’s research and development. Since 2011, Eat Just has raised $650 million, and meeting the 100 million egg equivalent milestone signals the company’s burgeoning demand and the growing likelihood that consumers worldwide will continue to propel it forward into further success.

Protein: 21 grams in ⅓ cup (1 ounce) Seitan isn’t as popular as other proteins, but it should be! Made from wheat gluten, its texture resembles ground meat. It’s often used in pre-made veggie burgers or meatless nuggets. Seitan has a savory taste, like mushrooms or chicken, so it works well in dishes that call for an umami flavor. With a hearty texture, seitan can be the star of practically any vegan main dish. Add it to stir-fries, sandwiches, burritos, burgers, or stews. Like tofu, seitan will take on the flavor of any marinade or sauce.

Protein: 16 grams in 3 ounces If you like a protein with a bit of bite, add tempeh to your list. Made from fermented soybeans, tempeh has a slightly nutty flavor and is pressed into a block. Most varieties include some sort of grains, such as barley or millet. Not only is tempeh a plant-based source of protein, but the fermentation process also creates good-for-your-gut probiotics. You can cut tempeh right off the block and use it as the base for a sandwich or pan-fry it with some sauce. Or, crumble, heat, and make it the star of your next taco night.

Protein: 13 grams in ½ cup cooked Lentils come in multiple varieties--red, yellow, green, brown, black. Regardless of the type lentils are small but mighty nutritional powerhouses. They pack a good amount of protein as well as iron, folate, and fiber. When cooked, brown lentils retain their texture and can be the base for a grain bowl or make a hearty substitute for ground meat in meatballs, lasagna, tacos or Bolognese. Red lentils are a bit softer and make a nice add-in for a hearty soup, chili, or stew.

Protein: 10 grams in 3 tablespoons Hemp seeds are a tender and nutty seed, derived from the hemp plant. They contain good amounts of omega-3s, iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese. They are also a solid source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps to keep your digestive tract healthy and humming. Because they pack a double whammy of protein and healthy fats, hemp seeds can help satisfy hunger, preventing those embarrassing stomach growls as you slog your way to your lunch break. Add them to your morning smoothie or sprinkle them on top of yogurt, oatmeal, or even a salad.

Protein: 9 grams in 3 ounces (⅕ of a block) Made from coagulated soybeans, tofu is the most popular plant-based protein. Soy is one of the only meatless "complete" proteins, meaning that it contains all of the essential amino acids that the body can’t make but needs for muscle and immune function. With 15% of your daily calcium needs, tofu is also a good replacement for dairy.

Protein: 9 grams of protein in ½ cup This sushi appetizer is a nutrient powerhouse, so eat it anytime. Edamame is really just another name for soybeans in their pods. Let’s list off some stats--a small ½-cup serving of edamame has 9 grams of protein, 15% of your daily vitamin C, 10% of your daily iron and 16% of your daily fiber. Keep a bag of edamame in your freezer to serve as a fun-to-eat side dish or opt for the shelled variety to toss into salads or a grain bowl.

Protein: 8 grams per cup (cooked) Quinoa is an ancient grain and since it's gluten-free a great choice for anyone avoiding gluten. Add it to your burger recipe to create filling texture, or instead of meat in your taco or burrito. Quinoa is among the healthiest foods on the planet, delivering phytonutrients that have anti-inflammatory qualities, so keep it in your pantry for any meal that needs a filling grain. Just remember to soak it and rinse before cooking to get rid of any bitter taste.

Protein: 7 grams in ½ cup (canned) Eating beans on the regular might as well be a prerequisite for a plant-based diet. Not only are canned black beans inexpensive, but they also contribute 10% of your daily iron and 25% of your daily fiber to your diet. For less than $1 a can, beans can be the star of tacos, quesadillas, salads, soups, burgers, or dips.

Protein: 6 grams in ⅔ cup (cooked) Chances are you’ve never cooked amaranth. But you should, since this tiny, gluten- free grain is packed with almost 30% of your daily fiber and 20% of your daily iron. Cook it like a traditional grain to yield a soft, porridge-like texture. Many people add amaranth to other a hot breakfast cereal mixture, like oats and quinoa. It also pops like popcorn. Toss it in a pot with some oil and wait for it to pop up into a nutritious snack.

Protein: 5 grams in ⅔ cup If peas were one of your most hated veggies as a kid, it’s time to give them another chance. These green beans are a great low-calorie protein to keep in your freezer. Sure, they don’t always taste great when steamed or microwaved (who wants to eat mushy, overcooked peas?), but they do blend well into a yummy puree that can be slathered on toast. To amp up the flavor, add some lemon juice or mint to your mix before you blend.