Vegan Burger Comparison

Name	Calories	Total Fat	Sat. Fat	Cholesterol	Sodium	Carbohydrates	Protein	Calcium	Iron
Beef Burger	322	22g	8g	102mg	99mg	0g	28g	3%	17%
Boca Burger	100	2.5g	0mg	0mg	470mg	9g	13g	10%	8%
Morning Star	110	4g	1g	0mg	350mg	9g	10g	4%	4%
Dr. Praegers	110	5g	0g	0mg	250mg	13g	5g	4%	14%

When I initially became a vegetarian, my parents and doctors (and everyone else around me, for that matter) lectured me ad infinitum about the importance of maintaining a balanced diet by getting all the right amounts of protein, vitamins, iron, and everything else essential to keeping up a healthy lifestyle. The question now is, what meat substitute might best support this vegetarian diet? While it would be extremely easy to eat a diet of mostly carbohydrates as a vegan, in forms such as pasta, assorted vegetables, potatoes, bread, and rice, people who choose to eliminate meat from their diet need to keep in consideration the importance of protein and other nutrients which are stereotypically found in animal products.  Take a hamburger, for example. The chart above details the nutritional facts for three vegan burgers as well as a typical 1/3 lb. serving of a beef hamburger. As you might imagine, there are many different factors that play into which veggie burger makes the best substitute.

It is no shocker that these meat substitutes, all of which are found in the freezer isle, each contain a substantially high amount of sodium for both preservation and flavor. The Boca Burger has the highest, with 470mg (20% of suggested daily intake) while the Dr. Praegers burger has the lowest, with 250mg (10% of suggested daily intake). Doctors who talk to vegetarian and vegan patients all seem to have one common concern as number one - protein. Of these burgers, the Boca Burger comes in first for protein content, with 13 grams (just under half that of the regular burger). Although a vegetarian diet is said to be low fat in nature, buying a lower fat veggie burger certainly would not hurt. The Boca Burger appears to be the lowest in fat, with 2.5 grams (4% of the daily value). Another factor that is important to take into account is the amount of carbohydrates. The Boca Burger and Morning Star Burger both have a relatively low amount of carbohydrates, with nine grams. One last factor, which is particularly important in a vegan diet, is calcium. Because vegans do not get calcium from sources such as milk or yogurt, a Boca Burger might be a pretty smart choice,with 10% of the daily value of calcium, compared to the other burgers with just 4%. Overall, it is certainly a close call, though I would have to say that the Boca Burger is the best all around substitute for a beef burger. The main reasons for this assessment are the high protein content, the fact that it is relatively low in fat and carbohydrates, and the high calcium content. Plus, it certainly doesn't hurt that it tastes good!