While veggie burgers were once considered an alternative food choice found only in health food groceries and vegetarian restaurants, these tasty burgers have gone mainstream in the last few years. Not only can you find them in your local grocer's freezer case, but fast food giant Burger King even offers a veggie burger on its menu.
It's not only vegetarians who are enjoying a hot veggie burger for lunch but even die hard nonvegetarians are discovering their taste potential. Many people choose vegetarian burgers in the belief they provide a healthier alternative to a high fat, high calorie beef burgers. Are veggie burgers healthy when all is said and done? Here are some benefits of eating a veggie burger over a standard all-beef hamburger:
Reduced risk of E. coli infection
Recently there's been publicity regarding E.coli bacteria found in beef products. A meatless burger is at low risk for being contaminated with harmful E.Coli or Salmonella bacteria making it a viable choice for those who are concerned about the threat of foodborne bacterial illness.
They're lower in fat
This is of particular importance if you're trying to cut your intake of saturated fat. Even a lean standard hamburger patty can have close to ten grams of fat. Compare this to your average veggie burger which has around three grams. It's important to read labels as some brands of veggie burger can have a significantly higher fat content, charting in at up to fifteen grams which can be more than some of the very leanest ground beef preparations.
They're lower in calories
As a generalization, most veggie burgers will be lower in calories than a comparable beef burger. Veggie burgers vary in calories from seventy for a South Beach endorsed Boca burger up to around 180 calories for some brands. In contrast a comparably sized ground beef burger will average around 200 calories. Three ounce versions of lean ground beef will run around 140 calories. If chosen carefully, a veggie burger can offer considerable calorie savings over a beef burger.
They're higher in fiber
If you're concerned about colon cancer, a veggie burger should be your obvious choice over a ground beef burger. Not only is a veggie burger higher in fiber, they contain no red meat which has been correlated with colon cancer risk in some studies. While red meat is devoid of fiber most veggie burgers will give you around three to five grams of heart healthy fiber in a single serving.
The drawbacks of veggie burgers are the fact that some can be rather high in sodium, averaging around 300 milligrams. Again, it pays to read the nutritional charts. Burger King's veggie burger has a whopping 1100 mg of sodium per serving which may be a problem if you're on a low sodium diet. In addition, some veggie burgers contain soy protein which can cause allergic reactions in certain people. Plus, soy is somewhat controversial as far as its health benefits particularly in populations who have had breast cancer. Veggie burgers can also be expensive which can be offset by making your own at home.
Are veggie burgers a healthy meat alternative? On most nutritional counts, veggie burgers win out over their higher fat, higher calorie meat counterparts. Just be sure to read the labels carefully to make sure you're not buying a higher fat version.
