Skip to main content

Say hello to Impossible Meatballs, another amazing animal meat alternative

Impossible Foods is on a roll. Following the breakout success of its now-famous Impossible Burger a few years ago, the company has been busy expanding its repertoire of plant-based (and astonishingly meat-like) proteins, and today announced the launch of its latest product: Impossible Meatballs.

“Impossible Meatballs come preformed and fully cooked, and work perfectly in all of the meatball recipes that people love — from spaghetti to meatball subs,” the company said in a press release. “Each meatball is made with a custom mix of Impossible Burger and Impossible Sausage, as well as a savory homestyle meatball seasoning blend. [The meatballs] come in a resealable freezer bag and are ready to reheat via oven, microwave, stovetop, or air fryer — making a quick and convenient meal or snack.”

impossible meatballs package
Drew Prindle/ Digital Trends

In many ways, this announcement is familiar. Much like Impossible Burger and Impossible Sausage, these new meatballs are designed to mimic the look, feel, and flavor of a ground meat product. They’re also notable for their relatively small carbon footprint — requiring “75% less land, 85% less water, and 90% less greenhouse gas emissions to produce than animal-based meatballs,” according to Impossible’s own life cycle analysis.

But in other ways, this announcement is completely different. In contrast to the Impossible Burger, which was originally only available in a handful of restaurants and didn’t arrive on store shelves until years after its debut, Impossible Meatballs are set to be widely available within the next few weeks, thanks to a new partnership with Walmart.

table with impossible meatballs on it

“Available at Walmart stores starting this month and coming to additional retailers later this year, the new Impossible Meatballs mark an expansion of Impossible Foods’ presence at Walmart, which is launching a dedicated plant-based destination in its frozen aisle that will include Impossible products at more than 3,000 locations. Impossible Foods’ rapid expansion in grocery stores is a critical part of the company’s mission to transform the global food system with compelling plant-based products that consumers prefer over animal products.

Perhaps the most exciting difference, though, is price. Whereas Impossible Burger products currently cost about 67 cents per ounce in retail stores (a 12-ounce pack costs an eye-watering $7.99), a 14-ounce pack of Impossible Meatballs is set to sell for $6.48 — approximately 46 cents per ounce. That’s not enough of a price drop to make them cheaper than animal-based meatballs, but it’s certainly a move in the right direction, and an encouraging sign that plant-based meat might become even more affordable in the future as production ramps up.

Editors' Recommendations

Drew Prindle
Senior Editor, Features
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
Huawei finds its niche with the sporty Watch GT Runner
Huawei Watch GT Runner on wrist.

By focusing on a specific niche, Huawei may have found an audience for its latest smartwatch, the Watch GT Runner. It’s a spinoff of Huawei’s classier Watch GT 3 smartwatch, but as the new watch’s name suggests, it's targeted squarely at runners.

It’s a technically impressive bit of hardware, and the software is very good, so when you consider it as an alternative to other running watches, the Huawei idiosyncrasies that frustrate on the Watch GT 3 become less of a problem here. I've been trying it out and here are my thoughts.
A light touch
The Huawei Watch GT Runner is light -- just 51 grams with the very flexible silicone strap -- and that makes it comfortable to wear all day. The 46mm case is quite big, but at 11mm thick, it never feels that ungainly. For comparison, the new 47mm Garmin Fenix 7 weighs 79 grams and is nearly 15mm thick. The lightness comes from the polymer fiber case, which is given some visual appeal with a ceramic bezel and titanium crown. It’s also worth noting the huge amount of adjustment on the strap that allows it to be worn both under and over clothing.

Read more
Do you need a smart toothbrush?
Oral-B iO Series 9 Smart Toothbrush in hand

When will we come to a time when every accessory in our home is smart? Is there a limit to what should actually be smart? Let's talk about a category that may not be what you traditionally think of as a smart device -- the toothbrush.

I'm all for having smarter health products and having the best technology in our hygiene products (like bidets), but I've not put a lot of thought into how, or why, my toothbrush is smart. It's time to dive in and see if it's even worth it.

Read more
How Hawk-Eye cameras are making football fairer and faster than ever
Hawk-Eye goal line camera

Football can be a tough sport -- and nowhere more than at its most elite level where highly trained players compete for gridiron glory. There is a lot at stake, and a lot that can go wrong, too. From calls that are tough to make in real-time to the ever-present risk of season-ending injuries, you need a whole lot of eyes on the game to ensure that it runs smoothly.

Hawk-Eye is a company that's there to lend an automated assist. Used in an ever-growing number of sports, including the NFL, Hawk-Eye's tech consists of synchronized multi-angle cameras that can help track large numbers of data points on the sports field.

Read more