Arby’s is Making Meat-Based Vegetables to Help Convince Your Kids to Finally Eat Their Carrots

They were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think whether they should. Some wise pop culture icon said that a couple of years back and now, it’s more relevant than ever. You had better take a seat and take a load off because, well…Arby’s is out here trying to play God. The fast-food joint announced this week that instead of following the trends of other restaurants developing plant-based meats, they were going to turn the situation on its head and try developing meat-based vegetables.

The first of their meat-based vegetables — or Megetables, as they’re calling them — is the Marrot, a…you guessed it…meat-based carrot.

“Plant-based meats are the latest incarnation of making vegetables look like what Americans really want, which is great, tasty meat,” Arby’s chief marketer Jim Taylor said in a statement. “Universally, people know we’re supposed to eat vegetables every day. But 90 percent of American’s don’t eat the recommended amount. So we said if others can make meat out of vegetables, why can’t we make vegetables out of meat?”

Taylor then worked with Arby’s VP, Culinary Innovation Neville Craw to craft the first Megetable. “Jim called me and said it’s time for us to change this paradigm of turning vegetables into meat,” Neville added. “We kicked around some ideas and landed on creating the first-ever meat carrot, or Marrot™.”

According to the release, the Marrot is a turkey breast cut into the shape of a carrot and sous vide for one hour before being rolled in a special carrot marinade and topped with a brûlée with maple syrup powder. The Marrot’s then roasted for another hour before being garnished with a fresh sprig of parsley. Arby’s considers the Marrot a good source of Vitamin A, reportedly providing over 70 percent of the recommended daily value. It also provides over 30 grams of protein.

The company admits Megetables are still far from being introduced to consumers, though they have every intention on continuing to develop the new project for store sales eventually.

“We want to continue to innovate in the space of meat craft that never existed before in ways that are surprising and delicious and exceed the expectations of what you can get through a drive-thru,” Taylor said. “Culinary innovation is one of the key tenets of Arby’s. We test more than 1,000 menu items per year, and we remain committed to providing our guests with the highest quality meats in the industry.”

What’s your favorite thing on the menu at Arby’s? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to gush over food!