Ah, the summer meal… burgers. If you don’t eat animal products, what do you do? Should you buy the faux meat burgers like the “Beyond Burger”, find a plant-based option at the grocery store or make your own? Well, it depends! I think there is room for all of the above.
The Beyond Burger is definitely for those who are looking for that meat taste and feel, or are hoping to convince meat eaters to try a veggie burger that tastes like the ‘real thing’. It is certainly fun to have a barbeque, serve Beyond Burgers and see if anyone even notices the difference! It is a great conversation starter and an easy option when you have to bring your own meat to an occasion. The ingredients speak for themselves though… definitely should be an indulgence, not a regular occurrence on a healthy diet.
Beyond Burger ingredients:
Water, Pea Protein Isolate, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Pomegranate Fruit Powder, Beet Juice Extract (for color)
As you can see, there aren’t that many ingredients in the Beyond Burgers that are actual, unadulterated food… in fact, when I look closer, there are none. All of the ingredients have been processed or manipulated in some way. The one good thing about these burgers is that they don’t have any animal protein in them, therefore there is no cholesterol. So, I guess what I am saying is these burgers should be eaten as a treat, not often!
Depending on where you live… there are numerous veggie burger options available that are premade in the freezer section of the grocery stores. I find, to mimic the thick consistency of regular burgers, you are best off choosing those with mushroom, rice or yams as a base. I really enjoy the Helen’s Burgers that are made of quinoa but they have a very different, crispy and light crunch to them.
If your ‘griller’ is anything like my husband, he/she will be looking for a burger that sticks together and doesn’t fall through the grill and into the fire! That is how my husband rates the veggie burgers I serve. Because of that potential problem, I tend to either bake them in the oven or fry them on the stove.
A friend mentioned the other day that I should post my favourite veggie burger recipe on my blog. I have made a lot of them over the years. Some good, some brutal. This one has evolved through trial and error, but seems to stick together well, is fat free, flavourful and full of only healthy ingredients. It seems like a long list of ingredients, but it’s actually simple to make, and if you don’t have all of the spices, or don’t like some of them, just adjust accordingly… Just make sure not to change the binding ingredients like rice, flax seeds and oats. If you don’t have eggplant, I think you should be okay to omit it and substitute more mushrooms and rice…
Also, if you don’t like the idea of having a bun, substitute with a iceberg lettuce leaf or a collard greens leaf. You eliminate the calories from the bun and the crunch adds to the burger and tastes delicious!
www.thevibrantveggie.com
Ingredients
Instructions