A client asked last week if I could suggest any veggie burgers or other plant-based meat alternatives. I had to admit I haven’t taken a close look at this category, but it seemed like we were due.
Plant-based meat alternatives are more widespread than I realized. In North America, sales rose 37% from 2017 to 2019, driven by a desire for more sustainable as well as healthier food.
A recent report predicted that alternative proteins will represent 11% of all protein consumed by 2035 globally if current trends continue, and even more if investors and regulators support their development.
That’s a lot of veggie burgers! Plus imitation chicken, sausages, cheese, even fish… the offerings are staggering. I was going to tackle the whole category here, but there’s too much! Today we’ll just talk veggie burgers.
Are they really healthier? But they’re so processed!
Yes, no question. While there’s lots of evidence to support plant-based diets, most studies involve whole, minimally processed foods.
On the other hand, research links so-called “ultra-processed foods,” such as veggie burgers, to increased cardiovascular disease and mortality.
So plants helpful, processed not so helpful. Where does that leave us?
No question you’d be better off making a homemade veggie burger, or grilling a portobello mushroom, although you’d still need protein from somewhere. Bean salad perhaps?
But I like to meet people where they are. Say you do want a quick burger. That leaves us with two questions:
Are you better off with a beef or plant-based burger?
I think we have to give this one to the veggie burgers. Researchers randomly assigned volunteers to eat either meat or imitation meat products at least twice a day for eight weeks. The meat was mostly beef and pork, and not lean.
Some cardiovascular disease risk factors, including cholesterol and weight, improved slightly after eight weeks on the plant-based foods, while others were similar.
This study used Beyond Meat products, which can hardly be considered the heart-healthiest veggie burgers out there, with their coconut oil driven saturated fat content and highly processed ingredients. 
If they can edge out beef and pork, imagine if you had one of the burgers below. (There aren’t any head to head studies that I’m aware of.)
Other heart-healthier alternatives to beef burgers are salmon (like this), turkey, and chicken burgers.
(Note: A reader shared this feedback about PC Blue Menu Salmon Burgers: “…they were not good – very fishy tasting! I didn’t grill them but cooked them in the oven. I have two left and I may just throw out.” Yikes. So I’ve removed that link.)
If you go for a veggie burger, which one? 
Somehow we have to figure out which ones are less processed. The broad “ultra-processed” category includes foods as diverse as soft drinks, candy, and frozen pizza. Some of those foods are clearly more problematic than others.
It’s tricky because we don’t know exactly why ultra-processed foods may cause health problems, but we have some clues…
Ultra-processed foods are engineered to taste great. Once we start eating it can be hard to stop, thanks to strategic use of sugar, salt, fat, and flavourings, as well as a shortage of fibre and protein, two nutrients known to help us feel full. And they often incorporate more partially broken down food, so-called “food isolates” like methylcellulose or potato starch.
All of this add up to eating more than we need when ultra-processed foods are on the menu.
To make this objective, I also looked at four numbers that we can easily check:
1. Fibre, aiming for 4 grams or more
That’s Health Canada’s definition of “high” fibre, and an indication of those plant-based ingredients we want more of: legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Fibre can help us feel full, lower cholesterol, and is associated with lower rates of heart disease.
2. Saturated fat, aiming for 2 grams or less
Again, that’s Health Canada’s definition for “low saturated fat.” While the link between saturated fat and heart disease is complicated, and based more on the whole food makeup than one nutrient alone, it’s a good way to root out cholesterol-raising coconut oil, which is usually the major source if you see a veggie burger high in saturated fat.
3. Sodium, aiming for 240 mg or less
Even if you don’t have high blood pressure (yet), it’s a good idea to avoid excessive sodium.
240 mg is higher than Health Canada’s “low sodium” (160 mg), because using that would have left us with just two: Dr. Praeger’s California Style and the Big Mountain Foods Original Veggie Patty. I do have those on my list, but I wanted a few more options.
The number 240 mg comes from the fact that a medium-sized whole-wheat hamburger bun adds about 260 mg of sodium, bringing the total to 500 mg, which you might recall is the rule of thumb I use for any given meal. (Of course cheese, ketchup, mustard, and pickles can all add more, but I had to draw the line somewhere.)
4. Protein, aiming for 10 grams or more
More would be better, but you’ll get about seven grams from a bun and about six grams if you use cheese, bringing us into the range that helps with satiety and muscle building. (If you don’t use cheese you might want to look for more elsewhere.)
Plus the X-Factor – ingredients
Assessing how ultra-processed a food is just from the ingredient list is a bit subjective, but I took a stab at it.
The number of ingredients I’m not worried about. Just like you can make soup (or homemade veggie burgers) from 15-20 ingredients at home, if they do it at scale and freeze it, I’m not so concerned.
Also, just because an ingredient is unfamiliar or hard to pronounce doesn’t necessarily mean it’s problematic. Cyanocobalamin sounds dodgy, but it’s just vitamin B12. Caramel colour, on the other hand, which sounds innocuous, has been called possibly carcinogenic by the WHO.
If you want to check an additive, the Chemical Cuisine directory from the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest is a good place to look.
But I did look for those food isolates, especially high on the ingredient list, which is sorted in order by weight. Plenty of ingredients like maltodextrin, modified cellulose, and potato starch were a red flag.
Of the foods that scored three or four points based on their nutrition facts, I jettisoned two based on ingredients: Walmart’s Great Value Ultimate Meatless Burger and Save On Foods’ Western Family Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burgers.
So what did that leave us?
I was pleasantly surprised to find that a few products did meet my criteria!
(Note that I limited this to three stores I can easily search online: Superstore, Walmart Canada, and Save On Foods. I’m sure I’ve missed some, but you can use these criteria to evaluate options in your local market.)
In the descriptions below I’ve mentioned which products are gluten-free and/or vegan, not because they make the product healthier, but because those things are important to many people.
Big Mountain – The Original Veggie Patty (4 points)
Website
Found at: Save On Foods, Superstore, Safeway
Gluten-free, vegan
This is the only product I could find that scored on all four of my criteria. Yay! I found them in Superstore near the tofu, near the produce. Thirteen grams of fibre, be still my heart. (From ingredients like split peas, green peas, sunflower seeds, organic chia seeds, and pea fibre.)
Tasting notes:
“…We put them on a wholewheat bun spread with mashed avocado and topped them with our own dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. We had the burgers with a red cabbage/carrot/kale and green onion salad (all from our garden) tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette with unsalted roasted sunflower seeds. It was a very quick, delicious, healthy dinner. I’ll certainly be buying those veggie burgers again.
I seared the burgers in olive oil till they were crispy round the edges and that helped stop them crumbling… I also think the avocado, sun-dried tomatoes and feta add greatly to the flavour as well as to the nutrition. We prefer that combo to traditional burger additions. I wouldn’t do these with lettuce, tomato etc.” (Carolyn P)
Thank you to Carolyn P for sharing this photo of her beautiful veggie burger meal. 😍
“5/10: Spicy, soft, mushy. Why peas? Baby food.” (Our 14 year-old taster)
“7/10: Best of the lot. Tastes like something you would make from scratch.” (Mr. Sweet Spot)
“7/10: This is my favourite. Crispier, although it fell apart a bit. I could (and since have) eaten this crumbled over a salad.” (Cheryl)
Dr. Praeger’s California Style and Kale Veggie Burgers (3 points)
Found at: Costco, Superstore, various natural foods stores
Gluten-free, vegan
Website
The Kale Veggie Burgers would have had four points too except they’re just a hair above my (admittedly arbitrary) sodium target, at 260 mg instead of 240 mg. They have 10 grams of protein, thanks to pea protein.
The California Style burgers are truly low in sodium but unfortunately lacking in protein. Think of this as a veggie burger actually made (mostly) of veggies, with the first five ingredients being “Carrots, Onions, Green Beans, Gluten Free Oat Bran, Zucchini, Peas.” Great but you’ll definitely need to look for protein elsewhere.
Tasting notes
“I have tried Dr. Praeger’s California Style burgers. They are tasty but I find them a bit greasy and a soggy texture. This is if you heat them up in the microwave. I have tried to pan fry them but I burned it, lol. I usually add a slice of cheese to add to the protein and finish off the burger vibe.” (Fran M)
“The Dr. P’s California are pretty good with lots of toppings.” (@sxwxgirl1 on Twitter)
“The Dr. Praeger’s California burgers are my favorite. They are so delicious!” (@Michellea55 on Twitter)
“Pretty much what I think of when I think veggie burger. Not bad, but not as good as a regular hamburger.” (14 year-old)
“They’re great. Happy to eat these rather than beef.” (Mr. Sweet Spot)
“Crisp up nicely in the pan with a bit of oil.” (Cheryl)
Morningstar Farms (3 points)
Found at: Costco, Walmart
Neither gluten-free nor vegan
Website
Morningstar Farms has more veggie burgers, but these were the ones I could find locally that got three points: Harvest Veggie Burger, Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burger, and the Chipotle Black Bean Burger, which I could only find at Costco.
They’re all high in fibre and low in saturated fat. The Spicy Black Bean is just a hair low in protein, but okay for sodium.
The other two which were the opposite, higher in protein but also a bit higher in sodium.
Either way, all three make the grade in the heart health department.
These use soy protein, but don’t let that put you off. Concerns are largely unfounded and it may even help lower cholesterol.
Tasting notes – Morningstar Farms Harvest Veggie Burger
“…I do buy the Morningstar Farms Harvest Veggie Burger from time to time and enjoy it. They are really thin patties. I find with the right toppings it makes for a good flavorful burger. Note: best cooked in a frying pan! The cooking instructions provide a microwave option (do not recommend, the patty gets dry and unappetizing) and also an option to cook in the oven which I’ve never tried.” (Christelle R)
“0/10: NO.” (14 year-old)
“7/10: Basic. (Mr. Sweet Spot)
“3/10: Bland, kind of mushy. (Even though we pan-fried.) Not substantial enough.” (Cheryl)
Tasting notes – Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burger
“We’ve always liked the spicy black bean burgers you recommended.”(Carolyn P)
“2/10: Beans? Very Spicy! This is not a burger.” (14 year-old)
“8/10: Crispy. Best taste.” (Mr. Sweet Spot)
“5/10: Spicy. I like it. Crispier too.” (Cheryl)
How would a lean beef burger compare?
For comparison, the lean frozen beef patties I highlighted in my last post, about label-reading, would score one point by this criteria. It’s too high in saturated fat and sodium, and lacks fibre (we wouldn’t expect any from beef).
If you made one from scratch with lean beef that would score two points, assuming your sodium was lower.
Bottom Line
If you only have a burger occasionally, go with what you prefer! It’s unlikely to make a big difference one way or the other.
But if you like a quick veggie burger and want to choose a relatively heart-healthy one, these options or similar products are among the best bets.
What meat alternatives should I tackle next? Let me know what you’re interested in.
As always, this post is not sponsored. I even turned down an offer for free samples. 😉 Here to bring you independent guidance.