Burgers: Vegetarian edition

RyanB

RyanB

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Tonight I took the plunge and tried some vegetarian burger patties. Normally, I don’t eat these meat substitutes, but these were on sale so...why not give them a shot.

Surprisingly, they actually taste pretty good. The first impression was that they do have a meat-like texture, but they could’ve cooled it on the sodium. They’re a bit thin for my liking too (similar to Wendy’s or BK).

I’ll probably get some lip for this one too, but I actually would buy these again. Easy to just throw one in the micro and make a quick bite. The macro nutrients aren’t too bad either:
6g Fat
5g Carb
15g Protein
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You should do a side-by-side with the Beyond Burger:

http://beyondmeat.com/products/view/beyond-burger

vegan_plantbased_burger-470x310@2x.jpg
 
There should be a law that bans this compressed chlorophyll fibre with its cellulosic sawdust texture from being called burgers. Talk about false advertising...
 
AKiss20 said:
The morning star chipotle black bean burgers are really really good. Highly recommend them if going for veggie options.
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Concur - so far, tbe best I've encountered, and I have been testing a lot of brands.
 
I tried the Morning Star a few years ago. Obviously not the real thing, but for a substitute...not bad. My daughter would LOVE them.
 
Morning Star is good, we've had them. We like boca burgers a bit better. Like the OP said, something quick and nutritious. I bought some Quorn for the first time over the weekend. It is a bit pricey, we'll see how it stacks up.
 
You know it's funny, seems like people love to complain about how pushy and holier-than-thou vegetarians are, but having lived in Berkeley and Boston, being a vegetarian with lots of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free friends, I have seen a lot more mocking from meat eaters for my and other vegetarian's choices than derision from vegetarians for the choices of meat eaters. This thread seems to be a great example of that. It started as just a discussion on the best veggie burgers as an alternative to the other thread, not disparaging of regular burgers and meat in any way, and has become full of people mocking those who chose not to eat meat, or even just enjoy a veggie burger instead of a regular one. Why the need to mock? Just sayin'

Trader Joe's offers a decent selection of veggie burgers that make a decent snack. They have some very good veggie meatballs as well for those interested.
 
AKiss20 said:
You know it's funny, ... I have seen a lot more mocking from meat eaters for my and other vegetarian's choices than derision from vegetarians for the choices of meat eaters.
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By my count, it’s about a 3:1 ratio of neutral or better posts to potentially poking fun of the subject, not the person.
 
TCABM said:
By my count, it’s about a 3:1 ratio of neutral or better posts to potentially poking fun of the subject, not the person.
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And in the burger thread, how many vegetarians came in and poked fun?

Back to the topic, I agree with steingar, making my own veggie burgers has proven more difficult than anticipated. The texture is a tough one to nail properly, even if the flavor was good. The Morning Star black bean burger has the best texture I have found so far. Slightly less related, Whole Foods has this "General Tso's chicken-less chicken" made from seitan which has a very good texture. My entire family (all non-veggies besides me) loves it and swears it's pretty damn close to chicken.
 
They always look better than they taste.
 
So far the best patties I've made were from VGP (textured vegetable protein, for those unfamiliar). We had gotten logs of the stuff years ago not knowing what to do with it. I rehydrate in veggie soup broth, all sautéed romantics, vegetables, and spices, and use eggs for binder. I add brown rice or quinoa if its too wet.

I usually make a bunch these with little buns to fit them. A bit of mayo or mustard and they are quite good.
 
steingar said:
So far the best patties I've made were from VGP (textured vegetable protein, for those unfamiliar). We had gotten logs of the stuff years ago not knowing what to do with it. I rehydrate in veggie soup broth, all sautéed romantics, vegetables, and spices, and use eggs for binder. I add brown rice or quinoa if its too wet.

I usually make a bunch these with little buns to fit them. A bit of mayo or mustard and they are quite good.
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Sounds interesting, do you know where you can buy it? I do the majority of my shopping at TJs and they don't have it, but there are whole foodses nearby.
 
Usually Morningstar Spicy Black Bean or Tomato Basel something.

We like them on a toasted onion bun with cheese and maybe onion or a slice of tomato.

Personally, no meat in over 40 years and don’t miss it. Obviously, not the choice for everyone.
 
AKiss20 said:
You know it's funny, seems like people love to complain about how pushy and holier-than-thou vegetarians are, but having lived in Berkeley and Boston, being a vegetarian with lots of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free friends, I have seen a lot more mocking from meat eaters for my and other vegetarian's choices than derision from vegetarians for the choices of meat eaters. This thread seems to be a great example of that. It started as just a discussion on the best veggie burgers as an alternative to the other thread, not disparaging of regular burgers and meat in any way, and has become full of people mocking those who chose not to eat meat, or even just enjoy a veggie burger instead of a regular one. Why the need to mock? Just sayin'

Trader Joe's offers a decent selection of veggie burgers that make a decent snack. They have some very good veggie meatballs as well for those interested.
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Nahhhh. C'mon, we're having fun making fun of Ryanb for putting that shet on here. We all pretty much make fun of or attack any post here. Burger thread? Go ahead and slam us meat eaters, but be prepared for the response. You're taking it too seriously. I don't care what anyone's chooses to eat, not my business. But ya gotta have thick skin to play on here.
 
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AKiss20 said:
And in the burger thread, how many vegetarians came in and poked fun?
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Um, there was no need? Meateaters were making fun of each other in the thread. See the teasing given to the guy who can only have one a year. Or the vegan option of a pack of no-filter smokes. Or the dude that thinks burgers missing buns = not a salad.

Many of us have a good online relationship built, and pile it on whenever/wherever.
 
TCABM said:
Um, there was no need? Meateaters were making fun of each other in the thread. See the teasing given to the guy who can only have one a year. Or the vegan option of a pack of no-filter smokes. Or the dude that thinks burgers missing buns = not a salad.

Many of us have a good online relationship built, and pile it on whenever/wherever.
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Not to mention those jerks who put ketchup on hot dogs.
 
AKiss20 said:
You know it's funny, seems like people love to complain about how pushy and holier-than-thou vegetarians are, but having lived in Berkeley and Boston, being a vegetarian with lots of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free friends, I have seen a lot more mocking from meat eaters for my and other vegetarian's choices than derision from vegetarians for the choices of meat eaters. This thread seems to be a great example of that. It started as just a discussion on the best veggie burgers as an alternative to the other thread, not disparaging of regular burgers and meat in any way, and has become full of people mocking those who chose not to eat meat, or even just enjoy a veggie burger instead of a regular one. Why the need to mock? Just sayin'

Trader Joe's offers a decent selection of veggie burgers that make a decent snack. They have some very good veggie meatballs as well for those interested.
Click to expand...

That’s because when 99.999999999% of society does one thing, and a tiny fraction of people intentionally choose to do something weird, people will mock them. Note how vegetarians will make fake “burgers” because they miss the MEAT but have their “principles.” You’ll never see a meat eater eat a fake salad. ;)
 
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AKiss20 said:
Sounds interesting, do you know where you can buy it? I do the majority of my shopping at TJs and they don't have it, but there are whole foodses nearby.
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Whole foods will have it for way too much money. Anyone that has a decent selection of Bob's Red Mills will probably have it. It is a bit spendy, but not ruinously so. Nice thing about it is if you need some protein in your food in it goes, and it is fairly neutral in flavor. Just checked, it is also available on Amazon.
 
steingar said:
Whole foods will have it for way too much money.
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Everyone says that, but I’ve price compared at several places and Whole Foods is actually quite competitive, especially now that Amazon got a hold of it. I usually choose to buy all of my meats, seafood and produce from there.
 
Ryanb said:
Tonight I took the plunge and tried some vegetarian burger patties. Normally, I don’t eat these meat substitutes, but these were on sale so...why not give them a shot.

Surprisingly, they actually taste pretty good. The first impression was that they do have a meat-like texture, but they could’ve cooled it on the sodium. They’re a bit thin for my liking too (similar to Wendy’s or BK).

I’ll probably get some lip for this one too, but I actually would buy these again. Easy to just throw one in the micro and make a quick bite. The macro nutrients aren’t too bad either:
6g Fat
5g Carb
15g Protein
View attachment 62766
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Here's a cheaper alternative, half the protein, twice the carbs:
V-burger.jpg​
$2.49 for a 4-pack @ ALDI's. Three minutes on one side, then two on the next. Gonna have one now. :)
 
dtuuri said:
Here's a cheaper alternative, half the protein, twice the carbs:
$2.49 for a 4-pack @ ALDI's. Three minutes on one side, then two on the next. Gonna have one now. :)
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Don’t think I plan to make these vegetarian burgers a common occurrence, but the reason I like the MSF brand is due to their protein to carb ratio (15:5). Not sure I’d want less protein and higher carbs, but I appreciate your suggestion.
 
Ryanb said:
Not sure I’d want less protein and higher carbs, but I appreciate your suggestion.
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Between the burger and two tortillas I folded around each half the daily protein requirement is 15% covered. The total calories are just 231. Fat's the problem with these things--27% for this snack, which is twice what I strive for.
 
dtuuri said:
Here's a cheaper alternative, half the protein, twice the carbs:
$2.49 for a 4-pack @ ALDI's. Three minutes on one side, then two on the next. Gonna have one now. :)
Click to expand...

I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole. Beans just make you fart. I can't digest them. I sit in intense pain all night.
 
[QUOTE="Sac Arrow, post: 2515251, member: 7476. Beans just make me fart. I can't digest them. I sit in intense pain all night.[/QUOTE]

FTFY

I don't fart after eating beans. Sometimes. :D
 
Sac Arrow said:
I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole. Beans just make you fart. I can't digest them. I sit in intense pain all night.
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You’re missing out on a good protein source.
 
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