Impossible’s Vegan Nuggets Are Shaped Like Endangered Animals. Here’s Why

Move over dino nuggets - Impossible Foods just debuted its new vegan chicken nuggets shaped like endangered animals in an effort to highlight how plant-based food can stop more animals from joining the dinosaurs in extinction. Impossible’s new Chicken Nuggets Made From Plants: Wild Nuggies are shaped to resemble endangered animals including the Galapagos tortoise, black rhino, right whale, and polar bear.

Impossible intends to connect conversations about plant-based eating with the dangers of animal agriculture and the loss of biodiversity onset by the climate crisis. While Wild Nuggies will be marketed to children, the meatless product will place attention on how conventional meats – including chicken-based Dino Nuggets – contribute to the global extinction process. Impossible’s team hopes to start a conversation regarding this environmental threat for both younger and older generations.

“Our goal is to spark a conversation at the dinner table about how our food choices impact our planet, and how eating plant-based is the best way for kids to help combat the urgent threat of climate change and nature loss,” Director of New Product Development at Impossible Foods Laura Kliman said in a statement. “With our latest products, we’re showing kids and consumers that they can still have everything they love about meat, but without needing to consume any dead animals.”

Beyond the playful activism, Impossible’s plant-based chicken nuggets boast an environmentally friendly recipe and production process unrivaled by traditional meat manufacturing. When compared to conventional chicken nuggets, Impossible’s plant-based version uses 49 percent less land, wastes 44 percent less water, and emits 36 percent fewer greenhouse gases, according to its Life Cycle Assessment.

The new plant-based Wild Nuggies will not only promote environmental health but consumer health as well. The plant-based chicken is packed with 10 grams of protein per serving and contains 25 percent less total fat and 40 percent less saturated fat than conventional nuggets. The new snacks also contain no extra antibiotics or cholesterol.

Impossible is working to expand its product selections to cater to more customers than ever before. This expansion coincides with the global plant-based market, which is projected to reach 24.8 billion by 2030. Impossible’s revenue also reflects international plant-based interest. Late last year, Impossible experienced an unprecedented 85 percent spike in quarterly retail revenue year over year. This comes soon after the company exceeded the $2 billion mark in total funding.

This week, the Wild Nuggies will join Impossible’s retail selection at Albertsons, Safeways, and Walmarts nationwide. The company revealed that it will expand to other retailers in the next few months.

Impossible is helping lead the charge against the poultry industry, providing several vegan alternatives slated to undercut the grasp that the chicken giants have on the market. Recently, the advocacy organization Mercy for Animals and The New York Times teamed up to expose the appalling and dangerous conditions within the poultry industry.

The Life of Chickens video exposé dives into the poultry farms within the United States to show Americans just how deadly and inhumane cheap chicken production can be. The brutal video calls into question the entire chicken industry, noting not only the unethical conditions but also the accompanying health risks the products pose.

For healthier protein options that are more sustainable and ethical, check out The Beet's guide to chicken alternatives, or look out for Impossible Foods' new Wild Nuggies at a store near you.

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.