Meatless Burgers No cows died during the writing of this article.
Posted Thursday, Oct. 19, 2000, at 3:00 AM ET
Hamburgers are bad for you. They're full of fat and cholesterol, and like all red meat they're linked to a variety of health troubles, including heart disease and cancer. But if you're like most Americans, the hamburger is an essential component not just of the backyard barbecue but also of your sense of national identity. Is there a way to eat healthy without becoming a burger-spurning Commie? In fact, a wide variety of good-for-you, non-meat burgers has crept into the U.S. marketplace. Soy burgers, veggie burgers, and their ilk are available not just from your local hippy co-op, but in your Safeway freezer section. Are any of them good? Will any of them fool you into thinking you're eating a real hamburger? I went to local grocery stores, picked up over 30 varieties, and present below the results of my humane, animal-free research.
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StumbleUponSoy Burgers, aka Fake Hamburgers
(A note on terminology: Vegetarian burgers have no meat, fish, or fowl in them. Vegan burgers have no animal products at all, eschewing things like eggs, milk, and animal-derived gelatins.)
Soy protein—which is derived from the soy bean—has been shown to provide all sorts of health benefits. It's a low-fat source of protein, and according to the Food and Drug Adminstration, "soy protein included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol" may help lower your cholesterol and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. By eating a soy burger instead of a hamburger, you are not just removing a source of ill, you are adding a likely source of good.
So it's pretty unfortunate that soy burgers are disturbingly fecal in aspect and generally taste terrible. They're shaped like hamburgers and are supposed to taste like them, but these compressed discs of brown soy protein have a singed-plastic scent that spices can't mask and a texture that leaves me gagging. They are palatable only when drenched in ketchup, and even then are a chore. But in this sea of bad burgers, one stands out as somewhat tasty. In fact, it's the only soy burger I was able to finish: the Morningstar Griller. Granted, it has more fat than all the other burgers I tried (6 grams, while most others had 1 to 2.5 grams—but still far better than a quarter-pound hamburger, which has 21 grams). But the texture was not too pencil-eraserlike, the flavor was rich, and it even tasted vaguely, dare I say, like chicken.
Vegan Soy Burgers
Boca Burgers; 365, Whole Foods store brand; and Healthy & Natural all offer vegan varieties, which contain no animal byproducts. Picking the best vegan soy burger is like picking the best way to get your arm mangled in a corn thresher. VSBs are all mortifyingly unappetizing to the non-vegan such as myself, and the only way I could handle them was to sniff it, take a bite, chew a little, and spit it out. A terrible waste, yes, but if it saves one of my dear readers from buying a package herself, I'll consider it a contribution to society. If you don't eat dairy and need a burger, though, I suppose the best of the vegan soy burgers I tried was the Meat Free Vegan Burger, produced by Whole Foods grocery stores. It's clearly good for you: no fat, 4 grams of fiber, 13 grams of protein, and 80 calories. But the difference tastewise between it and the other competitors was tiny. Basically, I liked the texture of this one the best: It was a little less sticky.
Veggie Burgers
Veggie Burgers are a whole different animal from the soy burgers. Instead of emulating meat, they simply offer a nod hamburger-ward by using the patty shape. Their composition varies from brand to brand, usually including a combination of grains, vegetables, and some soy protein.
I found quite a few regular veggie burgers that I honestly loved and would eat again. Of the varieties I sampled, four made it into the final round: the Gardenburger Original, Amy's Organic Chicago Burger, Morningstar Oven Roasted Veggie, and Natural Touch (what is this, a maxi pad?) Garden Veggie Pattie. These were all good: excellent texture, good herbs and spices, and so on. But the Natural Touch wins: It has 2.5 grams of fat (less than all the others), it's toastable (you can prepare some of these burgers without even dirtying a dish by putting them through the toaster twice), has less sodium than all but Amy's, contains no cholesterol (Gardenburger has 15 milligrams), and was satisfyingly filling. Do keep in mind that this was a very close race, though; you won't go wrong with any of the four finalists.
Organic and Vegan Veggie Burgers
Two main companies, Amy's and Hearty & Natural, make organic veggie burgers—i.e., the ingredients were grown without toxic pesticides and fertilizers and do not include any artificial or irradiated ingredients—and almost all of these burgers are also vegan. These were generally quite good (though I did not like Amy's Texas Barbecue flavor). There's one vegan variety made by veggie burger Über-brand Gardenburger, but it was bland, and strangely enough it hadn't completely shaken the shackles of hamburgerdom (brownish color, uniform texture, meatlike spices). I must admit, though, that it was far better than any of the vegan soy burgers.
The best vegan veggie burger was the California Veggie Burger by Amy's. Hearty & Natural's Veggies and Grain was a top contender for this spot mainly because it seemed proud of its veggie nature, displaying big chunks of carrot, bean, and corn. But the texture didn't quite cut it—it barely held together as I flipped it (this one was not toaster-compatible, so I cooked it in a pan). Another strange note: On the Hearty & Natural certified organic Veggie Burger Patties there was a heart logo with the words "Soy Health Claim" printed on them. Did someone forget to insert that health claim in there, or am I missing something? Anyway, Amy's California had a robust, nutty texture and flavor. Top organic non-vegan goes to Amy's as well, for its Chicago Veggie Burger. This was similar to the California Veggie Burger but was much improved by a heavy dose of cheddar cheese. Yum.
Most Nutritious
It would take a real health nut to calculate the relative merits of a vegan, wheat-free soy burger versus a flax-seed-impregnated and fiber-enhanced dairy-containing soy burger. Plus, once you're eating veggie burgers you're already on the road to a healthy diet. But in case you're at the double-black-diamond level of nutrition awareness, Gardenburger makes a fat-free LifeBurger with flax seeds (which are rich in essential fatty acids and have been shown to have a slight anti-carcinogenic effect), 6 grams of fiber, 16 grams protein (13 of which are from soy isoflavone flour, which some studies have found to be especially good for you), and 100 calories. It does have 360 milligrams of sodium—100 milligrams higher than some other burgers—but flax seed? Come on. Anything with seeds in it gets my healthy vote.
Conclusion
Be suspicious of soy in meat's clothing. In attempting to emulate hamburgers, the manufacturers sacrifice common sense: What vegetarian relishes the thought of her meal being just like the rotting flesh of the animals she's trying to spare? (The back of the Gardenburger Hamburger Style patty box perfectly expresses this misguided attitude by exclaiming, "see what a healthy 'carnivore' you've become.") And for those who have turned to veggie burgers for health reasons, the reality behind the package statements promising "a lip-smacking juicy burger" is a slap in the face. These discs of pressed soy are nothing like hamburgers. The best bets are those veggie burgers that are comfortable with their own vegginess.
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Reader Comments from The Fray:
[Notes from the Fray Editor: We're good with meatless Frays now, after our recent battle with Was Jesus a Vegetarian? (click here and scroll to the bottom). Hope says "If you think the burgers are bad, try the faux hot dogs sometime. Scary." That prompted "Lettuce Head" to pass on a rumor about what it is that gives meat hot dogs that unique taste. Like we wanted to know. Otis the Grillman described how to make soyburgers taste great--here's the link, though as it's a complex process and the aim is to make 'em taste like McDonalds, we're not sure how much of a favor this is. Perry is looking for vegetarian marshmallow. Soccer Mom spotted that there are way too many food articles and nothing about politics in Slate and tried to put that right: "No, fake burgers aren't any good and neither is Al Gore." Nik said "After reading this article, I know what's for lunch," and it was nothing vegetarian.
Garrett McGowan's was one of a fair number of posts defending Boca Burgers; this was the only product which got any significant praise in The Fray. We're not entirely sure what to make of Justin's post, but we're probably not going to be accepting any invitations to eat or sleep over at his place anytime soon. And A.G.Android (a Fray favorite) came up with a good substantial post--largely about meat-eating, but that's the way it goes.]
A vegetarian friend introduced me to Boca Burgers, and I was hooked. Sure, it's a little funky-tasting, and the texture is nothing like real meat (or veggie burgers for that matter). But it does have a sort of high school cafeteria meat patty charm to it, and is much healthier for you. My suggestion though: Pile on the toppings and condiments.
--Garrett McGowan
(To reply, click here.)
Fake hamburgers are like fake orgasms, If you don't know they're fake then why care. You get the pleasure either way...
--Justin
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There are many excellent alternatives to soy, at least for non-vegetarians. Restaurants in my area serve ostrich and buffalo burgers, which taste pretty much as good as real hamburgers (the ostrich is not quite as beef-like, but it's very good; the buffalo is basically indistinguishable from hamburger except it has more flavor than most)--and they're 97% fat free and have no cholesterol. There are some excellent turkey burgers, too, though some of them have as much fat as a regular hamburger. And it's possible to get 93% lean ground sirloin most places, which has a fat content that compares favorably to quite a few vegetarian dishes.
Also a warning: the evidence certainly isn't compelling yet, but there's some indication that soy isn't all that good for you. The phytoestrogens in soy (plant compounds that mimic estrogen) can be good for you if you're a man with heart trouble or a woman facing menopause. But they may also promote the more rapid growth of breast cancer (and possibly others) and may also have other side effects such as reduced libido, mental confusion, etc. There's some research suggesting this anyway. Not so much that I'd urge people to avoid them, but something you might want to take into account if you're thinking of going soy for health reasons. Like most dietary changes, this has its ups and downs.
--A.G.Android
(To reply, click here.)
(10/20)