Veggie Burger Guide: Comparing the Major Brands of Meatless Burgers
Veggie burgers, meatless burgers based on various vegetable proteins, are increasing in popularity today. Even small supermarkets have a selection to choose from. Whether you are choosing a veggie burger because you are a vegetarian or for health reasons, which should you pick?
There are several brands of veggie burger on the market today. The most readily available include Boca Burger, Gardenburger, Lightlife, Morningstar Farms, and Yves. Each of these brands offers several choices designed to meet the needs of various consumers. Some burgers are targeted at those who want their veggie burger to taste like a beef hamburger. Some burgers have unique vegetable and grain flavors. Some burgers are formulated with nutrition benefits in mind and some focus on flavor.
All though each manufacturer has numerous burger products, I have selected three from each line that best represent the diversity of their products and are easily comparable to each other. Here I will briefly describe these products and then give my picks for best flavor and best nutrition.
Boca Burger has the All American Flame Grilled, the Original, and the Grilled Vegetable. The first two are designed to taste like meat, and the Grilled Vegetable has a vegetable flavor including zucchini, red pepper, and cheese. Only the Original is vegan (made with no eggs or dairy products.) The All American burgers have slightly more fat (3.5g vs. .5g) and calories (90 vs. 70) than the original and slightly less protein (9g vs. 13g), but also have a richer more beef like flavor and far less fat and calories than a traditional burger. The grilled vegetable is comparative to the others in terms of nutrition (1g fat, 80 cal, 12g pro).
Gardenburger’s offerings include the Original, the GardenVegan, and the Flame Grilled. Both the Original and the GardenVegan are veggie and grain flavored with mushrooms, onions, and brown rice dominating the flavor. The major difference is that the Original includes cheese. The Flame Grilled is relatively new to this line and Gardenburger’s offering to the meat lovers who want their veggie burger to taste like beef. Both the GardenVegan and the Flame Grilled burgers are vegan. The nutrition of all three is comparable to other burgers with the exceptions that the Original is significantly lower in protein. The stats are Original – 3.5g fat, 100 cal, 5g pro, GardenVegan – 1g fat, 100 cal, 10g pro, and Flame Grilled – 4g fat, 90 cal, 11g pro.
Lightlife’s Light Burgers are a vegan and meat flavored product. Smart Patties Burger Style burgers are meat flavored, and their Veggie Burgers are vegetable flavored with a corn, red pepper, onion emphasis. The Light Burgers are the lowfat winner with 0g of fat per burger. Both the Veggie Burger and the Smart Burger are higher in calories than most veggie burgers with 140 and 130 respectively, and the Smart Burger is higher in fat with 6g. The complete stats are Light – 0g fat, 70 cal, 9g pro, Veggie – 3.5g fat, 140 cal, 11g pro, Smart – 6g fat, 130 cal, 15g pro.
Morningstar Farms has the Griller Vegan, the Griller Prime, and the Garden Veggie patties. The Griller Vegan is their vegan product and is designed to taste like meat. The Griller Prime is designed to be as close to a beef burger as possible with a heavy emphasis on flavor as opposed to nutrition. The Garden Veggie patty is their vegetable flavored burger with the flavor emphasis being mushrooms and carrots with lots of crunchy water chestnut pieces thrown into the mix. Both the Griller Prime and the Garden Veggie patties are high in calories and protein. The Griller Prime is also high in fat. The stats for the Morningstar Farms burgers are Griller Prime – 9g fat, 170 cal, 17g pro, Griller Vegan – 2.5g fat, 100 cal, 12 g pro, and the Garden Veggie – 5g fat, 150 cal, 18g pro.
Yves only offers one veggie burger which is called the Meatless Beef Burger. It is a meat tasting vegan burger with 4g fat, 110 calories, and 14g protein.
I have enjoyed tasting various veggie burgers to find my favorite. In the meat flavored category, Morningstar Farms Griller Prime burgers definitely taste the closest to a beef hamburger. They are moist and flavorful and taste like they’ve come right off the grill even if you bake them in the oven. This is a high fat option though. Taking fat content into consideration, my favorite is Morningstar Farms Griller Vegan. This vegan option is also flavorful and has the right texture. I can eat it just plain or on a bun with topping or chop it up and add it to my favorite recipes. Boca Burgers All American Classic is my second choice. It is another burger with an excellent meaty flavor. I find the texture a little off though, making the Griller Vegan my first choice.
In the vegetable flavor category, the Original Gardenburger is my first pick. It is thick and juicy with a unique flavor that is difficult to describe if you have never tasted one. The flavor is pleasant and simple blending well with various toppings. The Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie patties are my second choice. These are thick and flavorful with distinct veggie flavors coming through. Water chestnuts add a pleasant crispness. Whatever you preference there is sure to be a veggie burger out there to meet your needs.
