Hi, I'm Dan Premack, and welcome to Axios Recap, where we dig into one big story.

Today is Thursday, July 1st.

Holiday traffic is expected to be up.

Firework supplies are down, and we're focused on America's changing tastes.

July 4th is about American independence from Great Britain, but July 4th we're going to be changing tastes.

July 4th is about American independence from Great Britain, but July 4th weekend is about food.

Lots of it. Wallet Hub reports that Americans are expected to spend around $7.5 billion,

with burgers and hot dogs at the top of most shopping lists, as they always are.

But if you peek inside the grill,

you might not always find beef burgers. You might instead find plant-based burgers from companies like Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods, because more and more Americans are trying to incorporate

their beliefs about sustainability into their diets. The reality is that factory-farmed beef,

which is what most of us eat, is awful

for the environment. A big part of that relates to cows being notorious carbon emitters,

but it's also because of the energy and resources needed to grow, process, and move around

both the cows and their food. And more and more consumers, particularly younger ones,

have taken notice and are trying to do their small part

while waiting on governments and corporations to maybe do theirs. This is the reason that burger

giants like McDonald's and Burger King now have plant-based options, and it's reflected in how

investors are valuing companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible. Americans will never stop grilling,

but what they grill could be evolving.

So ahead of the holiday weekend, we wanted to speak with Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown about changing consumer behaviors and what it means for the future of meat.

But first, this.

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