We compare 9 supermarket vegetable burgers. Which one is the best?

They have been around for many years vegan or vegetable burgers, but in the first versions the resemblance to those of animal origin was reduced to the shape and appearance. No attempt was even made to reproduce the texture or flavor.

However, a new wave of veggie burgers began in 2013 when the brand Beyond Meat presented its products as practically indistinguishable from those made with beef. Since then, veggie burgers have become so popular that even some large supermarket chains offer them private label.

In this article we analyze the nutritional composition and characteristics of some of the best-selling vegan burgers in supermarkets. Which one is the best?

What are veggie burgers made of?

Vegan or vegetable burgers found on the market can be divided into two types:

The new vegetable burgers that imitate meat are made with a dough which can include pea, soy or rice protein, starch potato or corn, coconut oil, cocoa butter, sunflower oil and lecithin, fiber, yeast extract and beetroot juice, which provides color and juiciness. The proportions of these ingredients are adjusted to achieve a texture and flavor as similar to meat as possible. Nutrients such as vitamin B12 can also be added. They are, therefore, ultra-processed products, which were created in laboratories and are manufactured industrially. veggie burgers that are not intended to resemble both meat. They can be made with a less processed mixture of tofu, soy protein or seitan with whole foods such as whole grains, vegetables, quinoa, legumes, mushrooms, seaweed and spices. These products can even be organically produced. They are industrially produced, but they are not very different from the vegetable burgers that can be made at home from natural foods.

Suspicious ingredients in veggie burgers

The most similar vegetable burgers to meat they can contain, in some cases, as much saturated fat and as much salt or more as an animal burger.

They may also contain some unhealthy or suspect additives, such asor refined vegetable oils which may not be the healthiest, added sugars and different additives.

The new non-organic vegetable burgers contain methylcelluloses, a family of additives that correspond to codes E460 to E466. They come from different green plants and algae and are used to bind the mixture of ingredients. Methylcellulose is a fiber that is not digested and tends to absorb water. In moderate doses (up to 2g) it can be used as a laxative remedy.

Another suspect ingredient that can be found in most processed veggie burgers is soy leghemeglobin. It is a compound rich in iron that contributes to meat appearance and flavor, but its approval as a food ingredient is recent and there are no scientific studies on its safety for long-term health.

Are they nutritionally equivalent to meat?

Authentic beef burgers are high in protein (14-20%) and fat (12-20%, half saturated).

They also provide iron, B vitamins, including B12, and minerals, including iron. And you have to add preservative additives such as E221. This in the case of the simplest hamburgers. Others with more ingredients can include spices, sugar and a long series of emulsifying, thickening and coloring additives.

It is necessary to remember that hamburgers are ultra-processed meat products that have been considered carcinogenic by the World Health Organization since 2015. No vegetable burger has this qualification, therefore, from this point of view, it can be said that they are automatically healthier .

In any case, meat is a rich source of protein and, if you want to replace it with a vegetable alternative, it should provide a good dose of that nutrient. To check it, you have to look at the nutritional composition on the label, because the protein content can go from a low 8% to an excellent 20%.

Veggie burgers have the advantage of generally containing less saturated fat and additives. The organic ones are also free of artificial additives. and they contain healthy plant fiber, as well as the antioxidants from the natural ingredients they include.

Of course, all vegetable burgers are free of cholesterol, which makes them more heart-healthy in principle.

On the other hand, veggie burgers do not contain vitamin B12, unless it has been fortified with this nutrient, in which case it will appear in the list of ingredients. People on a strict plant-based diet should take a daily or weekly vitamin B12 supplement to avoid a deficiency that can be serious.

Therefore, when shopping, look closely at the ingredient lists and nutritional values ​​of the products.

Vegetables are better from an environmental point of view

Veggie burgers always have a minor impact on global warming. It doesn’t matter what type of plant they’re made from, they only produce a fraction of the greenhouse emissions caused by raising and processing beef.

What should be avoided in vegetable burgers?

Artificial Ingredients: A minimum presence of ingredients that are not natural foods, but additives, starches, fats and refined flours is desirable.Added sugars: Added sugars only contribute to increase the caloric value of the product and promote glucose spikes in the blood. There is a consensus on the need to avoid its consumption.Gluten: Celiac or gluten-sensitive people should avoid plant-based meats that contain seitan or gluten-containing grains.

9 vegan burgers to examine