With a world of veggie burgers to choose from at the grocery store, making a decision can feel like Mission Impossible. We tried and tested 19 veggie burgers (yes, 19), and compared their taste, nutritional information, and how well well they hold up on the BBQ. Basically, we ate our weight in veggie burgers to save you from doing the same. Consider this your complete guide to veggie burgers whether you’re an avid meat eater, new vegetarian, or have sworn-off meat for life.
I remember when I was in university and there being ONE option for a veggie burger at the grocery store (it was Money’s Mushroom Burger… and it was really good for the record). With an increase in demand for more plant based options times have certainly changed. You’ll now find oodles of options for veggie burgers at every grocery store, and the category is expanding by the day.
So, what is a person to do with all of these options? We decided to eat our way through the veggie burger aisle and in the end, broke the burgers into 2 categories: traditional veggie burgers and those that are trying to replicate the experience of eating meat.
The truth is, people eat veggie burgers for different reasons. Some people choose them because they don’t like the taste of meat, others are trying to make healthier options while a growing number of people are trying to make a more ethical decision for the sake of the animals or our planet.
We included a little summary of each burger below including if they are vegan and/or gluten free, some tasting notes, how they held up during cooking and some key nutrition takeaways. If you are looking for more detailed nutrition information we included a chart [1] that breaks it down further even down to the cost per burger and if it is certified gluten free or just labelled gluten free (note: the price listed was what we paid for the burgers, this may vary)!
While there was a lot of variation among the burgers, we found that every veggie burger we tested was better when pan fried vs on the BBQ – the burgers were more moist and held up a bit better. That being said, all but one held up on the BBQ.
Though we would have loved to try every flavour variety in each brand family we simply ran out of belly (and freezer) room! We picked what we thought would be the most popular flavour out of the ones available.
Scroll down to the bottom for our top pick from a nutrition angle and our first choice (with a runner up) from a taste perspective!
“Meat-Like” Veggie Burgers
These burgers resemble the texture, and to some degree the taste, of a ‘real’ burger. These burgers are typically more processed than the traditional veggie burgers listed in the next section. They also tend to contain more protein and fat compared to the traditional veggie burgers and more closely resemble the nutrition profile of a meat burger (usually). All that being said, if you are looking for a true burger experience these are your best bet!
Yves ‘The Good Veggie Burger’
- great texture, slightly chewy
- bit of thinner patty compared to some others
- close resemblance in texture to meat
- widely available (often in the produce section) and one of the lowest costs out of all the burgers
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has only 100 calories, 2 grams of fat and 13 grams of protein and 2 grams fibre (vegan)
Beyond Meat Burger
- exceptional taste – easily one of our favourite veggie burgers we tried!
- very moist, a thicker patty and most closely resembled a traditional meat hamburger patty
- we found it in the meat aisle: it was the most expensive out of all of the burgers
- Nutrition Notes: nutrition profile similar to a meat burger with 270 calories, 18 grams of fat (5 grams saturated), 2 grams fibre and 20 grams of protein (vegan and gluten free)
Field Roast Company Hand-Formed Field Burger
- extremely flavourful, moist and chewy
- bit of a thinner patty
- great meat-like texture
- Nutrition Notes: nutrition profile similar to a meat burger with 290 calories, 16 grams of fat (5 grams saturated), 3 grams fibre and 25 grams of protein (vegan)
President’s Choice Beefless Undeniable Burger
- resemblance the look and texture of a real beef patty
- perfect size for a hamburger bun
- tomato flavour undertones
- Nutrition Notes: nutrition profile similar to a meat burger with 250 calories, 14 grams of fat (5 grams saturated), 2 grams fibre and 27 grams of protein (vegan and gluten free)
President’s Choice World’s Best Meatless Burger
- firm large patty that holds together well
- texture less grainy and meat-like than the others, more like firm tofu
- Nutrition Notes: nutrition profile somewhat similar to a meat burger with 260 calories, 12 grams of fat (2 grams saturated) and 29 grams of protein but very high in sodium with 640mg per burger
Yves Veggie Chick’n Burger
- we found that it had a soy flavour (not a bad thing)
- appearance similar to a chicken burger
- widely available (often in the produce section) and one of the lowest costs out of all the burgers
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has only 100 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 390 mg sodium and 13 grams of protein and 3 grams fibre (vegan)
Sol Cuisine Extreme Griller Burger
- chewy with a smoky flavour
- satisfying, great alternative to meat
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has only 90 calories, 4 grams fat, moderate sodium (240mg), 4 grams fibre, 10 grams protein (vegan & gluten free)
“Traditional” Veggie Burgers
These burgers tend to be made from grains and/or vegetables, tend to be less processed and have a more distinct plant-forward flavour. As such they tend to be higher in fibre but often lower in protein. These burgers don’t pretend to be meat – they own their veggies! It’s a different experience altogether but they are super satisfying and delicious in their own unique way.
Dr. Praeger’s Black Bean Quinoa Burger
- great flavour with a simple ingredient list
- traditional veggie burger in texture
- Nutrition Notes: Each patty has 140 calories, 7 grams of fat (.7 grams saturated), 7 grams fibre (good), moderate sodium (280 mg) but lower protein (5 grams) than many other burgers (gluten free and vegan)
Amy’s California Burger
- similar to a veggie burger you would make at home; simple ingredient list
- starchy and earthy
- tastes rich with pronounced mushroom flavour
- Nutrition Notes: Each patty has 150 calories, 5 grams fat (.5 grams saturated), 4 grams fibre (moderate), 500 mg sodium (a bit high) and 6 grams protein (vegan)
Gardein Veggie Burger
- not similar to a traditional burger
- distinct vegetable flavour with a grain-heavy texture
- very satisfying!
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 120 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 330 mg sodium, 3 grams fibre, 4 grams protein (vegan)
Original Wild Onion NutBurger
- very flavourful… we all loved this one!
- slight crunch from the nuts, crispy outside; a little crumbly
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 340 calories (highest of them all – nuts are energy dense), 28 grams fat (2.5 grams saturated), 300 mg sodium, 4 grams fibre, 11 grams protein (organic)
Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger
- spicy!
- southwest flavours (would be great with avocado and piles of cilantro!)
- grainy and chewy
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 130 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 220 mg sodium, 6 grams fibre, 9 grams protein
President’s Choice Lentil, Bean, Quinoa Burger
- strong cheese flavours
- perfect diameter to fit a bun with a thick patty
- grainy and softer texture
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 200 calories, 6 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 390 mg sodium, 8 grams fibre, 8 grams protein
President’s Choice Portobello Swiss Burger
- strong mushroom flavours
- very soft (not our team’s favourite burger from a taste perspective, but other people have commented that they love it so it is very subjective!)
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat (3 grams saturated) and 17 grams of protein but very high in sodium with 570 mg per burger (gluten free)
VG Artisan Veggie Burger
- lots of black beans with a slightly acidic taste
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 180 calories, 6 grams fat, 280 mg sodium, 9 grams fibre, 8 grams protein
Wholly Veggie Curry
- not similar to a traditional veggie burger or meat patty
- very starchy
- reminiscent of samosa filling
- would be great with chutney and pickled onions
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 120 calories, 3 grams fat, 210 mg sodium, 3 grams fibre, 7 grams protein (gluten free)
Big Mountain Food Original Veggie Patty
- visible veggies: you can taste the peas
- not satisfying as a burger but a great veggie heavy option!
- good flavours
- Nutrition Notes: Each patty has 230 calories, 10 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 135mg sodium (low), 13 grams fibre (high) and 12 grams protein (vegan and gluten free)
Qrunch Organics Quinoa Burgers
- very heavy on the quinoa – super grainy
- didn’t hold up great on the BBQ
- would be good as a salad topper
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 140 calories, 4 grams fat (2.5 grams saturated), 240 mg sodium, 4 grams fibre, 4 grams protein (vegan)
Hilary’s World’s Best Veggie Burger
- A bit on the dry side and quite grainy
- Not our team’s favourite but taste is very personal!
- Nutrition Notes: each patty has 190 calories, 7 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 350 mg sodium, 4 grams fibre, 4 grams protein (vegan & gluten free)
You can find a full breakdown of nutritional facts and product information here [1] in a table.
The Results
We loved the amount of diversity among these different burgers! While every burger had it’s own strengths, we’ve chosen our favourite for taste and crowned a winner for the most nutritious.
Best taste for ‘Meat Like’ Burger:
Beyond Meat Burger
Runner up: Field Roast Veggie Burger
Best Taste for ‘Traditional’ Veggie Burger:
Original Wild Onion Nut Burger
Most Nutritious Burger*:
(*criteria: less than 250 mg sodium, 1 gram saturated fat and over 5 grams fibre per patty):
Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean