Vegetarian Burgers

[BlueOvalFitter]

Since my cousin retired this past February, he's had a lot of time on his hands.
Yesterday evening (4 PM) he invited me and my lady friend over for a bbq. The menu consisted of vegetarian burgers, Brats, and potato salad.
He and his wife have been trying to cut back on red meat and decided to try some veggie burgers. The only time I have eaten a veggie burger is when BK came out with the Incredible Whopper. The burgers he grilled were not bad at all.
Does anyone else here eat vegetarian burgers, or is a vegetarian? What is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan?

 

[atikovi]

Tried the BK version and it was fine but since it doesn't have any less calories or fat or price, I don't see the point. Maybe if eating animals turns you off, OK, but that would be a very small percentage of the market.

 

[MParr]

I eat Boca Burgers, Morning Star Farms fake chicken patties and fake sausage. I usually eat these products for lunch. I’ll have the fake meat patties on English muffins. No, I’m not a vegetarian. I eat them because of the lower calories. It’s part of plan for losing weight and keeping it off. Since I have changed my diet based on watching serving size and limiting salt and sugar intake, I’ve lost 60 pounds. My cholesterol is down, my blood pressure is down and blood sugar is below 100.

 

[supton]

I will occasionally. I like black bean burgers but for some reason they do not like me—too much salt, maybe. Morningstar is what we get these days.

Vegatarians will eat milk products and eggs while vegan avoid those, zero animal products.

 

[MParr]

I will occasionally. I like black bean burgers but for some reason they do not like me—too much salt, maybe. Morningstar is what we get these days.

Vegatarians will eat milk products and eggs while vegan avoid those, zero animal products.

I also like the black bean burgers. Yes, they have more salt in them than other offerings. I look for those with lower sodium. The Boca Original have less salt and that’s what I usually buy. I avoid chips with mine and have celery and carrots in their place.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Haven't tried one in years as they were usually much higher in salt.

 

[xBa380]

I love vegetarian chicken patties, nuggets (for wraps), black bean burgers, sausage patties (for breakfast sandwiches), etc... I eat meat, but I also like to balance it out by meat-alternative options as well at times. Also will cook meat-free dishes throughout the week if possible.

Have made my own black bean burgers as well, which have been really good (for those who are after lower-salt alternatives). You can easily control the amount of salt there. Need to work on my recipe a bit more though, mainly for a firmer texture. It's been a while since.

 

[Passport1]

I like Soylent Green burgers. 100% sustainable food product. BTW, the American Indian tribes had a common word for vegetarian. Roughly translated it meant 'poor hunter'.

 

[DuckRyder]

….Does anyone else here eat vegetarian burgers, or is a vegetarian? What is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan?

I’ve had impossible burgers and beyond burgers, the impossible is a bit better to me.

Vegans do not eat (or use) any animal products, so no milk, eggs, honey, real butter and so forth. Vegetarians are much less strict.

 

[oggb]

I think the Impossible and Beyond Meat burgers taste fine. They don't taste exactly like beef but I honestly wouldn't feel let down if had to eat one.

Boca burgers/morningstar are not my favorites.

 

[simple_gifts]

Big fan of Franklin Farms original veggie burger.

https://www.franklinfarms.com/our-food#veggie-burgers-1

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Textured Soy Flour, Portabella Mushrooms, Carrots, Corn, Onions, Red Peppers, Soy Protein Concentrate, Canola Oil, Cultured Dextrose (Maltodextrin, Cultured Dextrose), Organic Wheat Free Tamari Sauce (Water, Organic Soybeans, Salt), Rice Starch, Natural Flavors Methylcellulose, Sea Salt, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). Allergens: Soy

A lot of people seem to think veggie burgers are trying to taste like meat; although some are, most aren't. It is just a different taste and some people can't get past that.

 

[Rmay635703]

Some fake meat burgers have questionable highly processed ingredients

Mycoprotein for example can add Unami that all all veggie burgers miss but it isn’t “natural “ given the high degree of processing needed to make it safe, also similar to MSG (which is a thing on avoid lists) likewise moderation, some people are very allergic to it though.

The best for you veggie burgers usually don’t really taste like meat but still can taste good in their own way and depending on your goals any veggie burger can be better than other highly processed just gotta check the nutritional label, some certainly aren’t a Health or diet food.

 

[simple_gifts]

MSG (which is a thing on avoid lists)

Do you realize the MSG hysteria is all premised on a 1970's hoax?

 

[4wd]

I have had a few at the Marriott IAH … they put some good black grill marks on them so I started calling them
carbon fiber burgers

 

[NitroM3]

To preface for save the debate yes you can live well on a dairy and red meat free diet. I have been a vegetarian since 1982. I have been on and off vegan but my wife and I are 100% only Vegan now.

The ingredients makes or breaks the true nutritional and health value of the Vegan food like "burgers". It really is all about the ingredient's. Unfortunately no all those "burgers" mention are the healthiest and some have ingredients that can effect your health in the negative the same way red meats can. What for salt amount. Monkeys and humans love their salt. At least Monkey use sea salt and not processed salt.

Here is the funny thing about being a vegan or vegan why do the food have to look like real animal meat? LOL
My wife makes vegan balls, vegan sausage, burgers and even vegan spare ribs and they all look like real animal meat products?

Some of you might try Field Roast Hand form burger.

All Natural 100% Vegan

 

[totegoat]

As a kid I spent a month in Loma Linda Hospital........no meat. Good care, lousy food imo.

 

[Rmay635703]

Do you realize the MSG hysteria is all premised on a 1970's hoax?

I would argue MSG is better for you than underground mold extract which some people have major reactions to.

Do you realize people with health problems can have issues with sodium containing substances like MSG and MSG like substances can cause elevated heart rate in susceptible individuals?

That’s why I keep a shaker of msg and soy sauce in my cabinet but I do try to avoid mold extract.

 

[DBMaster]

The veggie "meat" products have come a long way in the past few years. Beyond sausage (bratwurst style) comes out great in the air fryer and even smells just like pork sausage while it's cooking. The Beyond meatballs and Impossible burger patties I've had are very good, but they do smell weird (kinda unappealing, actually) while cooking. If you ignore that the end result is hard to tell from actual meat. I think the idea isn't to replace meat for omnivores. If a meal here and there is made with the fake stuff it can reduce overall meat demand. Meat production has been a target due to the quantity or resources required. Vegan "meat" also has fiber and respectable protein content. Is it better for you? The jury's still out as far as I'm concerned. As mentioned earlier, there's still plenty of fat in these products.

 

[Bud]

I grew up eating Worthington and Loma Linda foods. I still eat them along with Morningstar Farms products as I like all of them. I also love real burgers, chicken, brats and steak.

 

[Pablo]

We eat vegan 2-3 days a week, and by default vegetarian 3-4.....which means I get some real (lean) animal protein 2-4 times a week. At 62, no I am not perfect, but at 170#'s I can mountain bike, hike all day, work my assets off..........my weakness is BREAD. And last I checked, no animal products. Sugars I can resist easily. But white flour plays havoc with my blood sugar.

So my experience with Beyond Meat is interesting. We bought the patties once. Taste was good, you know ate as a patty, no bun. Second time taste was OK, maybe a little odd. 3rd time we bought them we both looked at each other and said........."these taste odd".............but maybe got a bad batch. 4th time, they tasted absolutely horrible. Could not even finish them. Not sure why. Not sure if we changed, or the formula changed. We will not eat now.

Both of us make black bean veggie burgers. BOTH are really good, but different. Use beans that you soak and cook. Canned beans taste funky IMHO. My wife has an home made adapted recipe, I use the recipe pretty much as written (kind of hassle recipe though) from "How Not to Die Cookbook", which is from the highly recommended "How Not to Die" book:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/9123734256/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The MD is pretty much a nut. BUT he's not wrong about everything. I disagree with him on EVOO and eggs, for example. But he comes down hard on chicken, especially processed chicken. Down on added sugars, etc. He is 100% plant based, but IF you eat meat, get local, or your own. Know where it's been.