# Taco Bell's Ground Beef Is Less Than 35% Actual Meat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875 "2011-01-25T03:09:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/81 "2011-01-25T19:21:04Z")
Pure ground beef in tacos or burritos would be dryer than the chemical mix Taco Bell uses. I would prefer at least 60% beef. 35% seems a bit less nutritious than it should be. Once in awhile after a late day at the office I’ll get Tacos. That’s my only meal for the day. I may have to find a better alternative. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/82 "2011-01-25T19:23:01Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Pure ground beef in tacos or burritos would be dryer than the chemical mix Taco Bell uses. > > I would prefer at least 60% beef. 35% seems a bit less nutritious than it should be. Once in awhile after a late day at the office I’ll get Tacos. That’s my only meal for the day. How do we know that’s the ratio? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/83 "2011-01-25T19:24:43Z")
The lab in Alabama analyzed it. they found 35% beef. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/84 "2011-01-25T19:29:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Pure ground beef in tacos or burritos would be dryer than the chemical mix Taco Bell uses. > > I would prefer at least 60% beef. 35% seems a bit less nutritious than it should be. Once in awhile after a late day at the office I’ll get Tacos. That’s my only meal for the day. I may have to find a better alternative. ☹ Soy is very nutritious. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/85 "2011-01-25T19:30:17Z")
My mum was a big fan of “pure” ground beef. Back in her day it was common to use some sort of filler in ground beef to stretch it. I love soy, but I realize most people don’t. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/86 "2011-01-25T19:31:51Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Yeah, I’m also not sure how you can come up with 35% beef given that ingredient list unless you count water as a non-beef ingredient. I don’t see it either. And where is TVP on that list? I don’t see anything that looks like TVP. All the soy products are added in a lower proportion than onion powder, chili powder, and tomato powder. The only place where there can be a lot of filler is in the oat part, and looking at the [nutritional info](http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/taco-bell/seasoned-ground-beef/), there’s only 2g of carbs in a 43g serving of seasoned beef product. I can’t make the math work out. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/87 "2011-01-25T19:52:08Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Thats what you get when you ban trans fats. Yep. Those bastards took away my tasty tasty trans fats. Taco Bell still tastes the same to me and as long as they still sell the been burritos and nacho cheese chicken chalupas they’ll have my business. Their volcano menu is the best food they sell right now but who knows how long it will stick around. I could really go for a nacho cheese chicken chalupa right now. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/88 "2011-01-25T19:52:27Z")
This thread has made me crave Taco Bell. I’m heading out there right now. I may or may not get something with “seasoned ground beef” in it, but I’m certainly not going to avoid it just because it contains soy, or oats, or chemicals like H[sub]2[/sub]O. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/89 "2011-01-25T19:58:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I can’t make the math work out. I think that by Taco Bell’s definition, ‘seasoned ground beef’ does not equal ‘taco filling’. They list the ingrediants of their ‘beef’, then add the other fillings which make up taco filling. So while beef is the main ingrediant in their ‘seasoned beef’, it is not the main ingrediant in their ‘taco filling’. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/90 "2011-01-25T19:58:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I don’t see it either. And where is TVP on that list? I don’t see anything that looks like TVP. All the soy products are added in a lower proportion than onion powder, chili powder, and tomato powder. The only place where there can be a lot of filler is in the oat part, and looking at the [nutritional info](http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/taco-bell/seasoned-ground-beef/), there’s only 2g of carbs in a 43g serving of seasoned beef product. > > I can’t make the math work out. That’s a good point. If this stuff is really only 35% beef, something is very wrong with their nutritional labeling. Simulpost: Another good point, I wonder if that’s the explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/91 "2011-01-25T20:09:02Z")
I miss the Chillito… ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/92 "2011-01-25T20:12:47Z")
In other news today, Pope Still Catholic! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/93 "2011-01-25T20:12:59Z")
I have no problem with TVP, and think it’d make a perfectly acceptable substitute for meat in something like tacos or burritos… But isn’t TVP _more_ expensive than cheap beef? If there’s TVP in a Taco Bell at all, I would expect it to only be by request (and I can certainly see someone requesting it). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/94 "2011-01-25T20:14:50Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > It’s no skin off my nose . . . But off somebody’s, no doubt. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/95 "2011-01-25T20:15:36Z")
The food’s great, but I’m not happy about the whole “fourthmeal” idea. If I’d managed to have three square (ish) meals, I wouldn’t be headed to TB for a fourth. Usually TB is for busy days when the Chalupa & two burritos I snarf down is “OnlyMeal.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/96 "2011-01-25T20:15:55Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Soy is very nutritious. But, it does not fear or suffer when it dies! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/97 "2011-01-25T20:18:21Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > The food’s great, but I’m not happy about the whole “fourthmeal” idea. Fourthmeal = late night food (probably consumed during or after imbibing). For TB’s core target (20-something guys), it’s probably a wise marketing move. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/98 "2011-01-25T20:19:15Z")
> [@ColdPhoenix](#): > > After seeing this thread I decided to check out this Taco Bell place and it turns out they’ve opened their first two UK stores in the past 6 months. Maybe I’ll pop into one of them sometime if I’m nearby! > > The nutritional info isn’t up on the UK website yet but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t very similar to the US version. This TVP sounds like good stuff, I’d be more concerned about the beef. I’m guessing it’s mechanically recovered which is a bit gross. > > Still going to try a taco next time I’m near one though! It’s the best terrible thing I ever eat. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/99 "2011-01-25T20:29:03Z")
> [@RedSwinglineOne](#): > > I think that by Taco Bell’s definition, ‘seasoned ground beef’ does not equal ‘taco filling’. I don’t see any evidence of that. Looking at the nutritional calculator they have online, seasoned ground beef is the only ingredient in a beef taco. Here’s the breakdown: One regular taco is: 99g, 210 calories, 9g fat, 21g carbs, 10g protein Broken down as: Cheese: 7g, 25 calories, 2g fat, 0 carbs, 2g protein Lettuce: 14g, 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 carbs, 0g protein Seasoned ground beef: 43g, 70 calories, 4.5g fat, 2g carb, 5g protein Tortilla: 35g, 110 calories, 2.5 g fat, 18 g carbs, 3 g protein TOTAL: 99g, 205 calories, 9g fat, 20g carb, 10g protein I don’t see where anything else could fit in there. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/100 "2011-01-25T20:30:15Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But, it does not fear or suffer when it dies! ☹ Damn, soy is a tricky bitch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875.md?page=6)