Veg out, burger style

Chances are you've tried a veggie burger. You can get one at McDonald's, Burger King, Harvey's, not to mention countless family-style restaurants. And you can pick up a box at your local grocery store in the freezer or refrigerator section.

Veggie burgers are growing in popularity as more Canadians add meatless meals to their menus. Diets that emphasize plant foods over animal foods are lower in artery-clogging saturated fat and higher in protective phytochemicals and dietary fibre.

What's more, a regular intake of soy protein, the chief ingredient of many veggie burgers, can help keep cholesterol levels in check.

If you're feeling virtuous for grilling a veggie burger instead of a beef patty, be forewarned: Not all veggie burgers are created equal. Check the label to determine if a particular veggie burger is better for you than a beef burger.

Veggie burgers run the gamut from those that try to mimic the taste, texture and appearance of traditional beef burgers to patties whose only burger-like trait is the ability to fit nicely on a bun (a fact that may hold appeal for some vegetarians).

Those that try to fool your taste buds into thinking you're eating beef are made from soy protein, vegetables, seasonings and, often, vegetable oil. Their higher protein content makes them a good substitute for hamburger. Most 75-gram soy burgers have roughly 15 grams of protein; a 75-gram beef patty has 20 grams.

Not all veggie burgers pack in the protein.

Grain and vegetable-based "patties" list ingredients such as brown rice, corn, lentils, black beans, peas and carrots. Because they're not made from soy protein, most veggie patties contain less than half the protein in soy burgers. Vegetarians looking for a balanced meal will have to get their protein elsewhere.

Most veggie burgers and patties are lower in calories, fat and saturated fat than a beef burger. Yves Veggie Cuisine's The Good Burger (75-gram or 2.6-ounce patty) has 111 calories, four grams of fat and less than half a gram of saturated fat. Compare that to a similar-sized lean beef burger at 175 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 4.4 grams of saturated fat. And let's face it -- most people enjoy beef burgers that are larger than 2.6 ounces. A five-ounce (142-gram) patty made from lean ground beef adds 330 calories and 8.3 grams of saturated fat to your bun.

Trans fat alert

But not all veggie burgers are low in fat. Some brands pack in extra fat from added cheese, egg and vegetable oil. Although it has only one gram of saturated fat, Our Compliments No Meat Burger derives 45 per cent of its calories from unsaturated fat (canola oil). A Lick's Natureburger gets 47 per cent of its calories from fat, again mostly from unsaturated fat. Unlike saturated fats found in animal foods, unsaturated fats in vegetables oils won't raise your cholesterol level.

Worse, though, are veggie burgers made with hydrogenated vegetable oils, a source of trans fat. Like saturated fat, a steady intake of trans fat can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

But unlike saturated fat, too much trans fat can also lower your HDL (good) cholesterol level. That's why you might want to stay clear of President's Choice The World's Best Meatless Burger. This hefty soy burger (142 grams) serves up 18 grams of fat, including 5.1 grams of saturated fat and 4.3 grams of trans fat. World's Best? Don't think so.

Most veggie burgers are a good source of fibre. Some brands pack in as much as eight grams per patty -- one-third of the recommended daily fibre for a woman (25 grams). That's something that beef burgers can't do.

Unless they're fortified with nutrients, like Yves Veggie Cuisine Prima Veggie Burger, PC Blue Menu Soy Burger and Our Compliments No Meat Burger, veggie burgers can't match the iron, zinc and vitamin B12 found in beef. But even if they're not fortified, those made from soy protein are still a fair source of iron and zinc.

Unlike homemade beef burgers, veggie burgers can pack in the sodium. To limit salt intake, choose brands that lists no more than 400 milligrams of sodium per patty.

Personal favourites

Even the healthiest of veggie burgers may not satisfy everyone's taste buds. If you're craving the juicy taste of charbroiled beef, you might want to keep plenty of condiments handy. Indeed, not all veggie burgers make the grade on taste. A few of my personal favourites include Yves Veggie Cuisine's Prima Veggie Burger, Amy's Texas Veggie Burger and Sol Cuisine's Spicy Bean Burger.

If you've tried veggie burgers only to find they taste like cardboard, you're not alone. The most common mistake is to overcook them.

Cook times are short, usually no more than three to four minutes per side, since veggie burgers are precooked and need only to be reheated. (Some grain and vegetable-based patties don't hold up on the grill and are better suited for heating in the microwave, oven, or a non-stick skillet.)

You probably won't mistake their taste for the real thing. But with a little mustard or ketchup, onions and relish, you might be surprised at how close some veggie burgers come.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Visit her website at lesliebeck.com.

Nutrition by number

Shopping for a soy-based veggie burger? Better choices have no more than 4 grams of fat and 1 gram of saturated fat, zero grams of trans fat, and no more than 400 milligrams of sodium per patty.