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JUST Egg: Everything You Wanted to Know About This Plant-Based Egg

August 21, 2020 by Jeffrey Trull

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission. See my terms here. Thanks.

Vegans have been defying culinary norms for years by using alternatives like tofu to trick their taste buds. The one animal product that’s late to the vegan game: eggs. Enter JUST Egg.

Plant-based food companies are stepping up their game. In recent years, we’ve seen bleeding burgers, meat-like sausages and dozens of non-dairy milks. But few have succeeded in making a plant-based egg alternative that actually tastes like eggs…until now. The newly-launched JUST Egg has shocked vegans and meat eaters alike.

How did they make plants taste like eggs? Let’s find out.

What is JUST Egg?

JUST Egg is a vegan egg substitute made from mung beans. It comes in a liquid form, so it’s sold in the refrigerated section next to liquid eggs.

Hen’s eggs are notoriously high in cholesterol. Since JUST Egg is cholesterol-free, it’s touted to be a healthier alternative to eggs.

If you take your eggs scrambled, you’re in luck. JUST Egg is best used to mimic scrambled eggs as opposed to sunny side up, poached, boiled, etc. It can also be used as an egg replacement for baking.

Meet the Makers

JUST Inc. is the creator of JUST Egg. They’re known for their vegan mayo, but they also make dressings and cookie doughs free of animal products.

The company gets its name and mission from the desire to eradicate the unjust practices in the food system.

Eggs, like other animal products, take a hefty toll on the environment, human health and animal welfare. The makers of JUST Egg want to disrupt the egg market with an alternative that’s more sustainable, healthier and kinder to animals.

JUST Egg Ingredients

The main ingredient in JUST Egg is one that Americans don’t consume frequently but has been around for more than 4,000 years.

It’s mung beans.

As JUST Inc. found out, mung beans gelatinize and scramble when they cook, making for the perfect egg texture. Add in some turmeric and carrot extract for color, and you’ve got yourself chicken-free eggs.

Here is the full list of JUST Egg ingredients:

Water
Mung Bean Protein Isolate
Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil

Contains less than 2% of: Dehydrated Onion, Gellan Gum, Natural Carrot Extractives (color), Natural Flavors, Natural Turmeric Extractives (color), Potassium Citrate, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Sugar, Tapioca Syrup, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Transglutaminase, Nisin (preservative).

JUST Egg Nutrition Facts

Aside from the JUST Egg being more sustainable, it’s main appeal to meat eaters is the impressive nutrition facts. It’s high in protein yet free of cholesterol.

Here are the JUST Egg nutrition facts:

Serving size: 3 tbsp (uncooked)
Calories: 70
Total fat: 5g
Saturated fat: 0g
Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 170mg
Carbohydrates: 1g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 5g

JUST Egg Folded is a different format of the same product. These “folded plant eggs” come frozen, ready to pop into a toaster. They’re especially handy for making a plant-based egg sandwich. Nutrition information for Just Egg Folded is:

Serving size: 1 piece (57g)
Calories: 100
Total fat: 7g
Saturated fat: 0.5g
Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 300mg
Carbohydrates: 3g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 7g

Since JUST Eggs are made with mung beans, which are legumes, it’s quite high in protein. A medium-sized egg contains approximately 5.5 grams of protein, so the JUST Egg has nearly the same amount of protein as a chicken’s egg. If you consume eggs frequently, you can still meet your daily protein requirements by swapping in JUST Eggs.

Dietary Concerns and Allergens

Like many vegan meat substitutes, this egg alternative contains soy. Specifically, the liquid version of JUST Egg contains Soy Lecithin. JUST Egg sold in patty form (to restaurants only) is reportedly soy free.

However, JUST Egg is gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s also egg-free (obviously).

Is JUST Egg Vegan?

Yes, JUST Egg is vegan. It’s made with 100% plant-based ingredients, and it’s not tested on animals. No chickens were harmed in the making of JUST Egg, so vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters can enjoy this plant-based scramble.

Why People are Eating JUST Eggs

Vegans have taken a liking to the JUST Egg for obvious reasons. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the savory taste of eggs without contributing to the egg industry?

Surprisingly, meat eaters are just as excited about JUST Eggs. Not only is JUST Egg sold alongside real eggs, but it’s also beating out the non-vegan competition. In just one week, the vegan egg outsold liquid Egg Beaters.

Giving up meat seems like a huge life change to some people, but swapping out eggs isn’t as threatening. Here’s why non-vegans are giving the JUST Egg a chance.

Health: Cholesterol-Free

One of JUST Egg’s main selling points is that it’s cholesterol-free. Considering the amount of cholesterol in one chicken’s egg, this is a big deal to people who are monitoring their cholesterol levels.

The USDA estimates that one medium-sized egg contains 164mg of cholesterol. Compared to JUST Egg’s 0mg of cholesterol per serving, the cholesterol in eggs will add up quickly.

Well, how much cholesterol is too much? In 2015, the USDA changed their position from recommending an upper limit of 300mg of cholesterol per day to recommending “as little dietary cholesterol as possible.”

Sustainability: Requires Fewer Resources

Like the Impossible Burger, the JUST Egg appeals to people from an environmental standpoint. Producing any type of animal products requires tons (literally) of water, land, waste, gases, etc.

According to JUST’s sustainability metrics, consumers of JUST products have saved approximately 295 million gallons of water, 2.9 million kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions and 4.5 million chicken’s eggs.

Does JUST Egg Taste Like Real Eggs?

Vegans, non-vegans and even professional chefs have all praised the JUST Egg for its realistic taste and texture. It cooks up like scrambled eggs, but can it fool a scrambled egg enthusiast? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious.

Like real eggs, the JUST Egg needs to be jazzed up. The founders recommend cooking it with butter and milk like you would with real eggs. Vegans can, of course, use plant-based butter and milk.

JUST Egg Reviews

The Washington Post conducted a blind taste test of the JUST Egg and real eggs. The tester immediately identified the vegan option and endorsed it as a tasty alternative to hard scrambled eggs. However, she astutely described the real eggs as being “eggier” than the JUST Eggs.

Buzzfeed also tried and liked the JUST Egg. The tester described the flavor as “insanely similar” to real eggs. Even her dog was convinced they were real.

Where to Buy JUST Egg

After years of development, the wait is finally over.

JUST Egg is now available in all Whole Foods Market and Sprouts locations. Check your local health food store now because some locations are already carrying it as well.

JUST Egg is also available on Amazon for online ordering and delivery from Whole Foods too.

It’s also available in select stores like Wegmans, Hy-Vee, Fresh Thyme and Safeway.

To find a JUST Egg retailer near you, use this store locator.

Final Thoughts

Eggs are a staple in many American households. They’re a classic breakfast food, and they’re a must-have for baking.

Vegans have hailed the tofu scramble as the plant-based version of scrambled eggs, but anyone who has tried a tofu scramble can attest that it’s simply not the same.

With JUST, we can all enjoy the familiar taste of eggs without the cholesterol, cruelty and environmental toll. I’d say that making your omelet with mung beans is an egg-cellent alternative.

(Top image: JUST)

Vegan Protein Sources Chart – Which Plant-Based Foods Have the Most Protein?

August 19, 2020 by Jeffrey Trull

Wondering how much protein you can actually get in common plant-based and vegan foods? We’ve compiled a vegan protein sources chart so you can find the vegan foods with the most protein.

Vegan foods with the most protein

Food	Protein	Serving size
Seitan	30g	per 4 oz
Impossible Burger/ Beyond Burger	19g/ 20g	per 4oz burger patty
Tempeh	18g	per 3 oz
Lentils	18g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Edamame	18g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Chickpeas	18g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Mycoprotein (Quorn brand meatless pieces)	17g	per one serving (110g)
Split Peas	16g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Black beans	15g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Kidney beans	15g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Pinto beans	15g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Black-eyed peas	14g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Bagel (Dave’s Killer Epic Everything)	13g	per bagel
Pasta – chickpea (Banza Penne)	13g	per 2 oz (dry)
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)	12g	per 1/4 cup (uncooked)
Lima beans	12g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Hummus	9g	per 1/2 cup
Tofu (House Foods Extra Firm)	8g	per 3 oz
Peanut Butter	8g	per 2 tablespoons
Nutritional yeast	8g	per 1/4 cup
Quinoa	8g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Soy milk	8g	per 1 cup
Pasta – Whole Grain	8g	per 2 oz (dry)
Almonds	7g	per 1/4 cup
JUST Egg	7g	1 piece (57g)
Spinach	5g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Asparagus	5g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Collard greens	5g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Seeds (pumpkin)	5g	per 1 oz
Bread (Ezekiel 4:9® Sprouted Grain)	5g	per slice (34g)
Broccoli	4g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Plant-based yogurt (Forager Project unsweetened plain)	3g	per 5.3 oz container

Many of the best vegan protein sources come soy-based foods, an excellent source of protein in a vegan diet. Don’t count out beans, which are an excellent whole food that also provide a lot of fiber.

Highest protein foods per 100g serving*

Food	Protein per 100 g
Nutritional yeast	53
Seeds (Pumpkin)	28
Seitan	26
Peanut Butter	25
Almonds	21
Impossible Burger/ Beyond Burger	17
Tempeh	16
Quorn Mycoprotein	15
Bread – Ezekiel 4:9® Sprouted Grain Bread	15
Bagel – Dave’s Killer Epic Everything Bagels	14
JUST Egg	12
Edamame	12
Pasta – Banza (dry)	11
Tofu	9
Pinto beans	9
Lentils	9
Black beans	9
Chickpeas	9
Kidney beans	9
Split Peas	8
Black-eyed peas	8
Hummus	8
Pasta – Whole Grain (dry)	7

* – all foods cooked and/or ready to eat, unless otherwise noted

You may be surprised to see that some of the foods with the most protein per 100 grams are different than the vegan foods with the most protein per serving. Keep in mind that while vegan foods like nutritional yeast and pumpkin seeds may have high protein density, eating 100 grams of these foods might not be healthy nor enjoyable.

Soy and “fake” meats with most protein

Food	Protein	Serving size
Seitan	30g	per 4 oz
Beyond Burger	20g	per 4oz burger patty
Impossible Burger	19g	per 4oz burger patty
Tempeh	18g	per 3 oz
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)	12g	per 1/4 cup (uncooked)
Quorn Mycoprotein	10g	per one cutlet
Tofu	8g	per 3 oz
Soy milk	8g	per 1 cup
JUST Egg	7g	per 1 piece (57g)
Plant-based yogurt (Forager Project unsweetened plain)	3g	per 5.3 oz container

A lot of vegan “meats” and soy products contain quite a bit of protein. The Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger both contain comparable amounts of protein to that of a beef burger.

Beans/Legumes/Pulses with most protein

Food	Protein	Serving size
Lentils	18g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Chickpeas	18g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Split Peas	16g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Black beans	15g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Kidney beans	15g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Pinto beans	15g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Black-eyed peas	14g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Edamame	13g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Lima beans	12g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Hummus	9g	per 1/2 cup

As mentioned above, beans and other pulses are quite nutritious. It’s not hard to see how these foods can offer a lot of variety as well as nutrition that includes a healthy dose of fiber.

Grains with most protein

Food	Protein	Serving size
Bagel – Dave’s Killer Epic Everything Bagels	13g	per bagel (95g)
Pasta – Banza	13g	per 2 oz (dry)
Quinoa	8g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Pasta – Whole Grain	8g	per 2 oz (dry)
Rolled oats	6g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Buckwheat	6g	per 1 cup (cooked)
Brown rice	5g	per 1 cup (cooked)

Many incorrectly assume that grains don’t have protein, but that’s not true, as you can see. While it’s true that grains often have less protein than primary sources like beans and soy, their protein content is far from zero. Better yet, grains are often used a side or compliment to a main protein source. Throw in some brown rice with your pinto beans, and you’ve got an even greater protein boost.

All nutrition information for generic foods taken from USDA FoodCentral.

Vegan protein sources FAQ:

How much protein do I need?

That depends. You can read more about that here. Most people in the U.S. get more than enough protein every day. You can easily get enough vegan protein by following a balanced diet that combines foods like beans, soy, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Don’t I need to be concerned about complete proteins and essential amino acids?

The idea of vegan diets lacking “complete proteins” has been debunked as a myth. Vegan diets that are well-balanced contain all the essential amino acids. These foods do not need to be combined or eaten in the same sitting.

Is vegan protein as good as protein from animal sources?

Yes. In fact, many think plant protein is better than animal protein. Plant proteins contain all the essential amino acids plus they often include fiber and other nutrients that animal proteins don’t have. A wide range of vegan protein sources ranging from hemp seeds to black beans are high-protein foods with these attributes.

Are vegan “fake” meats bad for you?

Generally, vegan meats like the Impossible Burger or Beyond Sausage are no worse for your health than “real” meat. However, these vegan products often still have a significant amount of fat, saturated fat, sodium, and calories. Because of this, I treat these foods more like a treat than an everyday food. I don’t eat Impossible Burgers every day, just like most people wouldn’t eat a hamburger every day on an optimal diet.

Best Vegan Cheese: The Ultimate Guide [17+ Cheeses]

May 19, 2020 by Lacey Bourassa

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, we may earn a commission. See wesbite terms here. Thanks.

For many people, a life without cheese is unimaginable.

There’s a general consensus among foodies that veganism is too intimidating because they “can’t live without cheese.”

Some have even gone as far as comparing cheese to crack.

The truth is that vegans still indulge in all the cheesy goodness that we’re all shamelessly anddicted to.

How so? Vegan cheese.

There’s just one largely important thing to remember about plant-based cheeses: Some will blow your mind, but others can turn you off of non-dairy cheese forever.

Luckily, with so many options these days, many taste like the real thing (or at least very close).

To experience vegan cheese the right way, stick to these tried and true brands and recipes.

Vegan Cheese Brands You Can Get in Stores

No matter where you live, you should be able to find at least one of these vegan cheese brands that are actually worth trying.

Vegan Cheese Shreds

As cheesy as it sounds, the sky’s the limit with shredded cheese. You can put it on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, pizza, mac n’ cheese, vegan eggs, etc. Here are the ones that can actually replace shredded cheese forever.

Best: Follow Your Heart Shreds

Follow Your Heart is one of the top vegan cheese brands. The shreds come in a wide variety of flavors: mozzarella, cheddar, fiesta blend, and pizza blend. The base is palm oil, so these shreds are perfect when you want a gooey quesadilla or greasy pizza. Find them here on Amazon (though looks only large quantities currently available) or search here for a nearby store.

So Delicious Dairy Free Shreds

I have to give a shout out specifically to the So Delicious cheddar jack shreds. So Delicious vegan shreds also come in mozzarella and cheddar. They’re made with coconut milk, but you wouldn’t know it based on taste alone. Find them here.

Daiya Cutting Board Shreds

Daiya makes seven vegan cheese shreds in total, but only the three Cutting Board Shreds varieties (pepper jack, mozzarella, and cheddar styles) are worth your time. The ingredients are mainly vegetable oils and tapioca starch, so they’re easy to melt. Their Shreds line is soy free too. Find them on Amazon here and in stores here.

Violife Shreds

Violife vegan cheeses are top-quality among all categories. They currently offer the two most common flavors in this category: mozzarella and cheddar. The core ingredients are coconut oil and various starches. Violife also puts a lot of effort into flavoring their cheeses, so both the texture and taste are spot on. You can buy on Amazon here via Whole Foods and also search for stores here.

Vegan Cheese Slices

There’s nothing more American than sliced cheese. If you’re a fellow grilled cheese lover, this is all you. Vegan cheese slices also go perfectly with a meaty Impossible Burger.

Best: Field Roast CHAO Slices

CHAO cheese melts perfectly on grilled cheeses and burgers, and they’re super convincing. The creamy original flavor is the most versatile—you can use this to substitute essentially any type of sliced cheese. These are made with tofu (though they don’t taste at all like the tofu you’re thinking of). They’re available on Amazon and you can locate them in stores here.

Follow Your Heart Slices

Unlike the shreds, Follow Your Heart slices are made with coconut oil. Their slices are among the best and come in a wide variety of flavors. They have classic flavors like American and even Smoked Gouda, Provolone, and Pepper Jack. These slices are soy free as well. Available here on Amazon and also find them here.

Tofutti Dairy-Free Cheese Slices

Tofutti is a brand that’s usually easy to find and affordable. The American slices are reminiscent of Kraft singles. They also have a mozzarella flavor. Like the name suggests, Tofutti cheese is made of tofu. Find them here.

Violife Slices

Some cheese slices (vegan or not) are slimy and slippery, but Violife slices aren’t. They’re thick and hold up well on sandwiches. There’s a fair amount of flavors, too, ranging from mature cheddar to hot pepper. They’re all made with a base of coconut oil. See em here on Amazon and find in stores here.

Vegan Cream Cheeses

Cream cheese is all about the texture. Is it thick? Spreadable? Level-10 creamy? I’m impressed with these vegan cheeses because they meet my strict requirements for this category.

Best: Miyoko’s Vegan Cream Cheese

Miyoko’s specializes in creamy vegan products, so it’s no surprise their vegan cream cheese is the clear winner. It’s cashew-based, so it’s very spreadable and indulgent. It also has a gourmet feel to it. There are three flavors: classic, lox, and scallion. Available on Amazon here and also find them here.

Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

Tofutti uses a blend of oils and tofu as the base of their four vegan cream cheeses: plain, herbs and chives, garlic and herb, and whipped. The plain isn’t savory at all, so it’s a great choice for making vegan desserts. I’ve actually made cannolis with it! It’s here on Amazon and with store listing here.

Trader Joe’s Vegan Cream Cheese

If you want vegan cream cheese on a budget, go to Trader Joe’s. The texture is exactly what you’d expect, and the plain flavor is versatile. The base is coconut and soy. Find them here.

Violife Just Like Cream Cheese

Everything made by Violife is delicious, including their cream cheese. It comes in five flavors: original, herb, hot pepper, tzatziki (Greek), and tomato basil. They use a similar recipe for their other products. Amazon has it here and search stores here.

Gourmet Vegan Cheeses

I love a good vegan cheese board with all the fixins’ for aesthetic reasons, but it also has to taste amazing. When you want to impress friends and family, these are the spreadable vegan cheeses to wow them with.

Best: Treeline Creamy Soft Treenut Cheese

Treeline has a variety of soft vegan cheeses and aged nut cheeses. You guessed the main ingredient: cashews. Toss one of these bad boys onto a cutting board with some crackers and veggies, and your tastebuds will be blown away. Find them here.

Miyoko’s Cheese Wheel

Miyoko’s has 10 different vegan cheese wheels, and they’re each equally addicting. The texture is creamy, and the presentation is on-point. Like Treeline, these are also made with cashews. These slice like butter and make for a tasty spread. Amazon has the Double Cream Chive and the Aged English Smoked Farmhouse. You can also find them in other stores here.

Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread

Technically, this is a vegan cream cheese. But it belongs in the “gourmet” category because it’s rich and luxurious. It comes in four savory flavors and one sweet flavor: plain, chive, jalapeno, everything, and strawberry. The base of each one is almond milk with various added flavors. Find stores here and also check them out on Amazon through Whole Foods.

Vegan Mac N’ Cheese

We all grew up on it, so naturally we try to recreate it. Vegan mac n’ cheese exists, and it’s amazing. These boxed vegan mac n’ cheeses are comforting, salty, and cheesy.

Best: Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac

Daiya’s Deluxe Cheezy Mac is one of their stand-out products. In fact, I think it’s their best product overall. If you want a boxed vegan mac n’ cheese that will take you back to your childhood, this is it. The Cheezy Mac comes in both cheddar and alfredo. They’re available for Prime shipping on Amazon.

Chao Creamy Mac N’ Chao

This vegan mac n’ cheese is interesting because it’s found in the freezer section and can be microwaved, yet it has a gourmet flavor. The cheese is very thick and creamy, though it’s not trying to be cheddar. The two flavors are creamy original and chili mac. Find them here.

Amy’s Non-Dairy Macaroni

Another vegan mac n’ cheese you can find in the freezer is Amy’s. Just make sure to grab the vegan option, because Amy’s has non-vegan products, too. Their vegan mac n’ cheese is made with Daiya cheese. It’s a very cheesy and convenient grab-and-go option. They offer a gluten-free vegan variety too. See the Vegan Shells here on Amazon and Gluten-Free Vegan Elbows here.

Road’s End Dairy-Free Shells & Chreese

This vegan mac n’ cheese is made with simple ingredients, yet it gets consistently good reviews from people who try it. The cheesy flavor comes from nutritional yeast, a delicious plant-based protein source. The mac n’ cheese also has gluten-free and alfredo variations. Find them here.

Other Store Bought Vegan Cheeses

Vegan cheese has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go. There’s basically an endless supply of cheddar and mozzarella alternatives, but we’re still waiting on more flavors. Here are some of the other store-bought plant-based cheeses that don’t fall in the main categories.

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Vegan Cheese Blocks

Violife Blocks

Vegan Queso (aka Nacho Cheese)

Plant-Based Cheese Recipes You Can Make at Home

The beauty of making vegan cheese at home is that you can make cheeses that you can’t buy at the store. Homemade vegan cheese is usually healthier, too.

Vegan Mac N’ Cheese Recipe

This vegan mac n’ cheese recipe uses cashews as the base, and it’s flavored with nutritional yeast and spices. This is a great dish to bring to a potluck because non-vegans will love it. Bonus points if you bake it in the oven with breadcrumbs on top!

Vegan Blue Cheese Recipe

There aren’t many vegan blue cheeses on the market, so this is the perfect example of vegan cheese you can try to make at home. This vegan blue cheese recipe gets its color from spirulina and its creaminess from soaked cashews.

Vegan Brie Cheese Recipe

The creator of this vegan brie cheese recipe describes it perfectly: “Sharp, creamy with a white and flowery rind. Before going any further, be aware this is not a quick recipe, don’t expect to have a cheese ready tonight. The whole process will take you about three weeks. BUT: It is totally worth it!”

Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe

The easiest vegan cheese recipe award goes to Minimalist Baker. This vegan parmesan cheese recipe couldn’t be any simpler. It has four ingredients and can be used on top of salads, pizza, and pasta.

Which Vegan Cheese is Best?

The best vegan cheese really depends on what you’re trying to make with it. Here’s a quick breakdown of the best vegan cheese based on use.

Best Vegan Cheese for Pizza

For pizza, you should obviously go for mozzarella. The So Delicious Mozzarella Shreds would work perfectly. They melt nicely in the oven, and they have that classic mozzarella taste. Follow Your Heart also has a delicious Pizza Blend.

Best Vegan Cheese for Burgers

If you want a white cheese, try the CHAO Creamy Original slices. If you want American cheese on your burger, the Tofutti American slices have that classic taste.

Best Vegan Cheese for Mac N’ Cheese

Vegan mac n’ cheese is really easy to make at home if you have vegan cheese shreds on hand. Just melt them on the stove top with some plant milk, vegan butter, and some spices. For mac n’ cheese, you can melt down any cheddar shreds or even slices. The Follow Your Heart Gourmet Cheddar shreds would do the job perfectly. You can even mix brands for a complex flavor.

Best Vegan Cheese for Mexican-Style Food

Hands down, the best vegan cheese for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas would be the So Delicious Cheddar Jack shreds. They would melt down nicely in a quesadilla, too.

Vegan Cheese FAQ

In which we answer everything you’ve ever wanted to know about vegan cheese.

What is vegan cheese made out of?

Store bought vegan cheese is typically made with vegetable oils, nuts, starch, and/or tofu. It’s common to see coconut oil or palm oil as the base of a store-bought vegan cheese. Softer vegan cheeses might use various nuts and/or tofu as the base.

Is vegan cheese healthy?

Vegan, plant-based cheese isn’t trying to be a health food. The store-bought options are usually high in calories, fat, oil, and salt. Though they may be made with plants, vegan cheeses are still processed foods.

Is vegan cheese healthier than real cheese?

Probably. Real cheese is high in cholesterol and animal fat. Homemade vegan cheese is especially healthier than real cheese. If you follow some of the recipes above, you’ll see they call for mostly whole foods.

What is the healthiest non-dairy cheese?

The healthiest vegan cheese is probably one you make at home with minimal ingredients. Out of the store bought vegan cheeses, Treeline soft cheeses have some of the cleanest ingredients lists.

Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Vegan Cheese?

If you’ve ever had awful non-dairy cheese, don’t let one bad experience turn you away from vegan cheese forever. There are hundreds of options now, and you’re bound to like a few of them.

So, what’s the best vegan cheese for you? Your best bet is to find a brand you really like and stick to that brand until you’re ready to experiment some more. Follow Your Heart and Violife are some of the most universally liked plant-based cheeses, and they both have multiple flavors and types to choose from.

When you’re introduced to the world of vegan cheese, you realize that you don’t have to live without dairy. You can still eat cheese regularly if you’d like. Just eat cheese made from plants instead of animals. It’s a win-win.

The Beyond Burger: Everything You’ve Wanted to Know

May 19, 2020 by Lacey Bourassa

Beyond Meat changed the vegan meat game when they launched the Beyond Burger in 2016.

The Beyond Burger made national headlines as the “bleeding burger” made exclusively from plants AND being sold alongside real beef patties in the meat section.

Although the Beyond Burger is a vegan product, it’s not just for vegans. Now that the Beyond Burger is available at thousands of U.S. fast-food and restaurant locations, meat lovers are wondering whether or not they should give the bleeding plant-based burger a try.

What’s are in the ingredients in the Beyond Burger? Does it taste like meat? Is it healthy?

Here are all of your questions about the Beyond Burger answered.

What is the Beyond Burger?

The Beyond Burger is an all-vegan substitute for traditional beef patties. It’s made entirely of plants with the main ingredient coming from pea protein.

From the package to your plate, the Beyond Burger looks, feels and cooks like a real beef burger. It even bleeds like raw beef and has a pink center! However, no animals were harmed in the making of this beefy burger.

The Beyond Burger is on the rise as a popular meat substitute because of its umami flavor and lesser impact on the environment. It’s also marketed as a healthier alternative to meat.

History of the Beyond Burger

The Beyond Burger was launched by Beyond Meat in 2016.

In 2019, the recipe was reformulated and the Beyond Burger 2.0 was released to the market.

The company started in 2009 and brought several high-protein meat alternatives, including the Beast Burger, to the market.

Beyond Beat’s other products include Beyond Beef Crumbles and Beyond Chicken Strips. In 2018, Beyond Meat launched their Beyond Sausages, meat-free sausages that look and taste like the real thing.

Beyond Burger Ingredients

Beef patties have just one ingredient: beef. Since the Beyond Burger is entirely plant-based, it requires a few more ingredients to create a meat-like flavor. Fortunately, you can probably pronounce all of them.

Here is the full ingredients list of the Beyond Burger:

Water
Pea Protein Isolate
Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil
Refined Coconut Oil

Contains 2% or less of the following: Cellulose from Bamboo, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Natural Flavor, Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Dried Yeast, Gum Arabic, Citrus Extract (to protect quality), Ascorbic Acid (to maintain color), Beet Juice Extract (for color), Acetic Acid, Succinic Acid, Modified Food Starch, Annatto (for color)

In case you glossed over that chunk of text, let’s go over the main ingredients in the Beyond Burger.

Main Ingredients Broken Down:

Pea Protein

The reason why the Beyond Burger is so high in protein is thanks to peas. Instead of using soy protein or wheat protein, the Beyond Burger uses non-GMO pea protein in order to remain soy- and gluten-free.

Oils

There are three oils in the Beyond Burger: canola oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil. The Beyond Burger has a juicy, moist texture thanks to these wisely chosen oils.

Potato Starch

This is another ingredient that helps keep the Beyond Burger gluten-free. Potato starch is a healthier alternative to wheat-based thickening agents used to make the burgers thick and bulky. The Beyond Burger doesn’t fall apart like other veggie burgers partly due to the potato starch.

Beet Juice

Everyone’s asking the same question about the Beyond Burger: “How does a plant-based burger bleed like real meat?” The answer is simple: beet juice. The Beyond Burger is naturally colored with small amounts of beet juice. You can’t taste it, but you can definitely see it. The inclusion of beet juice is simply for color.

Cellulose

The Beyond Burger contains two types of cellulose: cellulose from bamboo and methylcellulose. These ingredients are used as gelling and binding ingredients to make sure everything stays together on the grill. Both share the purpose of giving the Beyond Burger its firm, hearty texture.

Beyond Burger Nutrition and Dietary Concerns

Part of what makes the Beyond Burger so appealing is the nutrition facts. Take a look:

Serving size: 4oz (113g)
Calories: 270
Total fat: 20g (31%)
Saturated fat: 5g (25%)
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 380mg (16%)
Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)
Fiber: 3g (13%)
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 20g (32%)
Iron: 30%
Phosphorus: 25%

Beyond Burger Protein

The Beyond Burger is one of the highest-protein veggie burgers out there. It’s packed with pea protein, giving it 20g of protein per serving. This is about the same amount of protein, if not slightly more, as a regular beef burger.

Beyond Burger Allergens

The Beyond Burger is very allergen friendly. It’s free of the major allergens commonly found in vegan products: gluten and soy. There’s also no dairy, eggs, shellfish, tree nuts and corn.

It’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians as well. The Beyond Burger is also Kosher certified.

At this time, the Beyond Burger is not Halal certified.

What Makes Beyond Unique?

The Beyond Burger isn’t beef, but it’s not quite a veggie burger either. Frankly, the Beyond Burger belongs in its own category.

Like beef, the Beyond Burger is sold in the meat aisle of the grocery store. In order for a retailer to carry the Beyond Burger, they must agree to sell the plant-based burger right next to the beef patties.

However, Beyond Meat has beef with beef.

Beyond Burger vs. Beef

On their website, they taut all the ways the Beyond Burger is superior to beef:

More protein
More iron
Less saturated fat and total fat
No cholesterol
Fewer calories
No antibiotics, hormones, and GMOs

So, while the Beyond Burger looks like beef and has a strong meat-like flavor, it’s still made of plants. Does that make it a veggie burger?

Not quite. The Beyond Burger aims to satisfy your palette like beef but without the health risks, environmental toll and animal sacrifice as traditional meat.

Beyond Burger vs. Standard Veggie Burgers

If you’re searching for the most realistic veggie burger on the market, the Beyond Burger is superior to your typical black bean burgers for obvious reasons.

Taste aside, let’s compared the burger to a standard veggie patty in terms of nutrition. The Beyond Burger wins by a landslide in terms of protein. It’s also lower in carbohydrates, sugar and iron.

However, there are some places where the Beyond Burger falls back. It’s higher in calories, fat and sodium than your average vegetable patty. The Beyond Burger is also more processed than traditional veggie burgers and has been criticized for the amount of additives in the ingredients list.

When it comes down to nutrition, the results are mixed—you just have to pick your battles.

When it comes down to taste, the Beyond Burger is sure to win over any standard veggie burger.

Beyond Burger vs. Impossible Burger

“Beyond Burger or Impossible Burger” is the new “Coke or Pepsi.”

Both the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger launched in 2016, both were reformulated in 2019, and both are strikingly similar to beef in taste and texture. That’s not where the similarities end, though. Both burgers also have roughly 20g protein, are more environmentally friendly than meat, and rival beef in terms of nutrition.

Where the Beyond Burger dominates is that it’s more allergen friendly than the Impossible Burger, which contains soy. The Beyond Burger is also slightly more affordable and accessible.

The Impossible Burger, however, takes the advantage when it comes to taste. More people are blown away by the realistic beef-like flavor of the Impossible Burger than with the Beyond Burger.

Of course, taste is subjective, but you can’t ignore the shocking reviews of both burgers.

Beyond Burger Reviews

The Internet was buzzing when the Beyond Burger launched in 2016. Social media went haywire every time the Beyond Burger became available at a new restaurant or grocery store. Since 2016, people looking for meat-free options have loved and supported the Beyond Burger.

It’s not just vegans and vegetarians giving praise, though.

A writer at TheSpoon said the Beyond Burger 2.0 at Carl’s Jr. reminded her of a stereotypical fast-food burger, which is a win for anyone looking to satisfy your burger cravings with plant-based options.

Eater compiled a list of Beyond Burger reviews, all of which were overwhelmingly positive in regards to nutrition, cooking, taste and authenticity.

Despite the positivity, the Beyond Burger isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Hardcore meat lovers agree that the Beyond Burger is tasty, but it’s not going to beat out a beef burger in a side-by-side comparison.

Why Choose the Beyond Burger?

When it comes to choosing plant-based meat over real meat, there are three main reasons to opt for the former: Health, Environment and Animal Welfare.

While animal welfare is up for debate, the facts that the Beyond Burger is healthier for you and the planet are not. Let’s take a look.

Is it Healthy?

There’s no denying that the Beyond Burger is healthier than your typical 80/20 beef burger. After all, it contains no cholesterol, hormones or antibiotics. It’s also lower in fat and calories, yet higher in fiber and iron.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that the Beyond Burger is a processed meat alternative with a long list of ingredients.

While you should choose the Beyond Burger over a beef burger for health reasons, we wouldn’t recommend you choose it over unprocessed whole foods. Like a normal burger, the Beyond Burger is an indulgence.

The Beyond Burger isn’t trying to be labeled as a “health food”—it’s trying to be labeled as a healthier alternative to meat.

Sustainability

If you recycle, take shorter showers and drive a Hybrid, then congrats! You must care about the environment. If so, you’ll be bummed to find out that your favorite cheat meal—a big, juicy burger—is one of the least environmentally friendly purchases you could make.

One of the Beyond Burger’s main selling points is its leg up on sustainability.

According to the Beyond Meat website, the Beyond Burger uses significantly fewer resources than a beef burger:

99% less water
93% less land
90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions
46% less energy

Sustainability plays a large role in why many people are looking to vegan protein sources instead of protein from animals. The Beyond Burger helps fill that demand.

Where to Find the Beyond Burger

If you’re curious about the meaty burger made from plants, you’re in luck. The Beyond Burger is one of the most accessible vegan products on the market.

Where is it sold?

The Beyond Burger is sold in a variety of restaurants and grocery stores. Some large chains include TGI Friday’s, Veggie Grill and BurgerFi.

As of January 2019, the Beyond Burger is now available nationwide at more than 1,000 Carl’s Jr. locations.

The Beyond Burger is also available at most grocery store chains, including Target, Albertsons, Kroger and Safeway.

See where the Beyond Burger is sold near you by using the Beyond Meat store locator.

Final Thoughts on the Beyond Burger

The demand for vegan products is steadily increasing, and the Beyond Burger was the first plant-based burger to shock the nation at how realistic veggie burgers have become.

Since Beyond Meat paved the way, several companies—Impossible Foods, Don Lee Farms, etc.—have launched eerily meat-like and “bleeding” vegan patties.

While some are more realistic than others, it was the Beyond Burger that started it all.

There’s no other veggie burger in the world that’s sold in the meat cases at grocery stores, which is a testament to how satisfying the Beyond Burger is.

Will you fall in love with the Beyond Burger? The only way to find out is to give it a try.

Plant-Based Diet in 2020: The Ultimate Guide to Eating More Plants

January 8, 2020 by Jeffrey Trull

Want to eat a more plant-based diet in 2020? This is the guide for you!

Eating plant-based is easier than it’s ever been. And that’s thanks to trends and changes in 2019 and recent years.

No, this isn’t a post with just a bunch of recipes. Rather, it’s tips and strategies you can actually use to eat more plant-based in 2020.

Whether you’re looking to adopt a fully plant-based or vegan diet, or if you’d just like to incorporate more plants into your everyday eating, you’ll love this guide.

Let’s do this!

1. Try plant-based at your pace

Many people approach going plant-based and eating less meat with an “all or nothing” approach. And while jumping straight to eating 100% vegetarian or vegan works for some people, it just doesn’t work for a lot of people. And when it doesn’t work out, many people give up.

Don’t let this happen to you! If you’re not sure you’re ready to go all-in, one of these approaches could be easier for getting started.

Try Veganuary

Committing to being vegan permanently can be a daunting undertaking. Not ready to make that leap, especially without trying it first? Sign up for Veganuary.

Veganuary is simple: go the whole month of January as a vegan. There are all sorts of resources and other things to help you succeed for a month. It’s a great way to experiment with something new alongside others doing the same.

At the end of the month, it’s up to you if you want to continue with the vegan diet or not. But either way, at least you gave it a shot, right? It could change you life.

If Veganuary has already passed by the time you’re reading this, take on your own one-month vegan challenge anytime you’d like.

Be flexitarian

If the idea of ditching all animal products overnight sounds intimidating to you, try this instead: going flexitarian.

“Flexitarian” is term used to describe those who are part-time vegetarian eaters. They actively eat less meat and more veggies, but they’re not 100% plant-based.

Reducing the amount of meat you eat is likely better than not reducing it at all. So for anyone who isn’t ready or doesn’t want to eat 100% plants, flexitarian may be the way to go.

Remember: just because you start out flexitarian doesn’t mean you can’t slowly progress to eating less meat and more plant protein.

Go easy on yourself

If you want to eat more plant-based foods or be 100% vegan, don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go perfectly. Foods (especially unhealthy ones) are extremely tempting, especially when others dangle them in front of us.

Unfortunately, I see people beat themselves up all the time because they committed to giving up animal products only to eat a cheese pizza days later. But hey, it happens! Few, if any, have followed a diet without any missteps.

If you “screwed up” your diet, the best thing you can do: start over again. The past is the past, and you can’t take it back. Forgive yourself, and do your best to get back on track.

Remember:

Replacing unhealthy animal products with healthy foods is still better than whatever you were doing before (even if it’s not zero animal products yet).
This isn’t a competition. Do your best, and don’t worry about anyone else.

2. Make cooking simple

Eating plant-based foods is about a lot more than eating beans and salads 24/7. If you’re eating only big plates of lettuce, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Choosing what to plant-based foods to eat doesn’t have to be complicated.

Eat plant-based substitutes

In recent years, we’ve seen more delicious meat substitutes than ever become available.

While plant-based burgers have gotten a lot of attention, there are plenty of other animal-free options now available.

Some of my favorites are:

Beyond Sausage
Impossible Burger
Field Roast Sausage
Chao cheese
Gardein meatballs
Soy curls

For a full rundown of these foods and more and how they can be used, check out 15 Vegan Meat Substitutes Even Carnivores Will Love.

One thing to keep in mind: while foods like Impossible Burger and Beyond Sausage are both plant-based and incredibly delicious, they’re really not healthier than your standard beef burger or sausage.

The Impossible Burger has more saturated fat than 100% beef patties (100g) as well as about three times as much sodium.

So enjoy these plant-based meats from time to time as a splurge but avoid making them part of your daily diet long term.

Veganize your current favorites

A major myth of going plant-based is that you have to give up all the foods you love. Not true!

It’s possible to make veganized versions of a ton of dishes that you may have thought only existed as non-vegan meals.

The plant-based meats mentioned above can also help with this too.

For example, you can:

replace the meat in chili with beans or meat “crumble” substitute
take the cheese off pizza to make it vegan and add other toppings (including vegan cheese, if you’d like)
make all kinds of veggie burgers
use seitan or soy curls in place of chicken

People have found ways to create vegan wings, ribs, and other meat favorites from 100% plant-based ingredients. The only limit to what can be made vegan is creativity.

If you’re not sure what to substitute, Google search is your friend (as well as Facebook groups mentioned in this post).

Find free recipes

It’s no secret that there are millions of recipes on the internet. It’s no different for plant-based foods.

Simply googling “vegan recipes” or “whole food plant-based recipes” turns up a mountain of results.

That said, I’ve found it easier to stick to a few different recipe sites I like for most of my recipes. These sites often use similar ingredients in their recipes, so I’m not always running out to buy rare spices and things like I don’t have in my kitchen already.

Some of my favorites:

MinimalistBaker.com – specializes in “recipes requiring 10 ingredients or less, 1 bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare.” Recipes are generally very tasty, though not all are “healthy.” Note that while the site used to be 100% vegan, there are now some recipes that have non-plant based ingredients.
ForksOverKnives.com – free database of hundreds of whole-food plant-based recipes. If you’re wanting healthier options, this is the place for you.
Oh She Glows – covers a wide range of vegan recipes, so there’s something for everyone here.

I’ve also put together some recipe lists right here that can help:

I like to have 5 to 9 go-to recipes at a time that I can make on rotation and enjoy without too much repetition. I often freeze leftovers to eat later on too.

Try a meal plan

The best part about using pre-made meal plans is simplicity. There’s no need to spend time searching for a new recipe then trying to figure out if you have the ingredients (which you often won’t).

Meal plans give you predetermined dishes to cook along with a grocery shopping list. Simple, right? They generally provide enough food for a full week (or however many meals you need). Some meal planning services and tools to use:

Most of these services cost around $14-20 per month or $100-120 per year. While you may be able to get similar recipes for free, these tools add convenience and time saving for planning and shopping as well as variety and customizations to meet your nutritional goals.

Sign up for meal delivery services

Meal delivery services are probably the easiest way to start cooking and eating plant-based foods at home.

Just keep in mind that thanks to the convenience, they’re likely going to be more expensive than other options. But if you’re truly unsure how to get started or short on time, these can be a good way to get started.

Some meal services for plant-based meals include:

Each of the above either has vegan options or is 100% plant-based.

3. Discover your motivation

Plant-based diets are getting a lot of attention right now (as they should!) There are many reasons for adopting such a diet.

With any “new” thing, a lot of people want to try a plant-based diet because off the buzz they’re hearing right now.

While I’m 100% in support of plant-based eating, starting on a plant-based diet just because it’s something new isn’t going to be enough for most people. It can be challenging to stick to any type of diet.

That said, you’re going to want to have some reasons for eating more plant-based foods.

Health is a leading factor for many people. Eating plant-based can help reduce the risk of many leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more.

Some other reasons people choose to eat a plant-based diet are:

Animal welfare
Climate change
Human rights
Air and water pollution

So, what’s your own reason and motivation for eating more plant-based foods?

If you’re not so sure what your reason for eating more plant-based, explore the following resources to learn more.

Watch top plant-based films

Documentaries that cover whole-foods plant-based diets can be both extremely powerful as well as relatively quick and easy to digest. Some of my favorite movies include:

The Gamechangers (available on Netflix)
Forks Over Knives (Netflix)
Cowspiracy (Netflix)
Eating Animals (Hulu)

Each of these films provides a solid background on at least some of the reasons to adopt a plant-based diet.

Read up on benefits of eating plant-based

If you’re looking for something a bit more in-depth than films, the books below cover a wide range of topics related to plant-based eating:

How Not to Die by Michael Greger MD
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Animal Liberation by Peter Singer
The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World by John Robbins
Proteinaholic by Garth Davis M.D.

There’s no need to read all these books, but you might find learning exciting and be motivated to keep reading.

Join Facebook groups

Even if you’ve read or watched a ton about plant-based foods, you likely still have some questions or just want recommendations on what to eat. My favorite source of support: Facebook groups.

The reason I recommend these groups is:

You can get support and recommendation from real people
You can ask your own questions and get specific answers
You can see and relate to the struggles others go through

Some Facebook groups I’ve found helpful:

If Facebook isn’t your thing, reddit also has various sub-reddits where you can find support too.

Be ready for criticism

Making a major change to your lifestyle often makes others uncomfortable. Choosing a vegan or plant-based diet is certainly no exception.

Considering that around 95% of people on this planet eat meat, you’re definitely bumping up against other peoples’ beliefs by giving up animal products partially or totally.

That said, it can help to have some talking points down about why you’re interested in a plant-based diet. Be honest about why you’re looking to eat more plants and less meat. Some phrases I use are:

“Eating plants is better for my health since I’m getting more fiber and other nutrients I need.”
“Why eat a cow when I can eat the same stuff cows eat — plants?”
“Some of the longest-living people in the world live on primarily plant-based diets.”
“The American Heart Association actually recommends ‘eating a mostly plant-based diet.'”

Keep in mind that many criticisms come from others’ insecurities. It’s more about them than it is you. And it’s not always possible to change other peoples’ minds or even convince them that you’re doing the right thing.

I like to keep the dialogue open and friendly, but at the end of the day, I make my own choices about what’s best for me.

4. Make Eating Out a Breeze

In 2020, there are more vegan restaurant options than ever. More restaurants are offering plant-based meals. But it still can be tricky to find restaurants that have the most options.

So how do you make it easier? Using a few tools.

Look for these new vegan options

In 2019, vegan options at chain restaurants hit the mainstream. Here’s a list of the most exciting vegan offerings now available:

Impossible Whopper (at Burger King) – enjoy a whopper with the Impossible plant-based patty at all 7,200 locations in the U.S. Leave off the mayo to make it 100% plant-based.
Beyond Burger at Carl’s Jr. – get the Beyond Burger at all Carl’s Jr. locations by order the Beyond Famous Star or substituting at Beyond Meat patty on any burger. Hold the cheese and mayo to make it vegan.
Various options at Taco Bell – choose from Crunchwrap Supreme (remove beef, sour cream and cheese), bean burrito (again, no cheese), and more. Check out a whole list of items here.
Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich at Dunkin’ – order it on an English muffin with no egg or cheese.
Beyond Avocado Taco at Del Taco – get a taco filled with Beyond Meat or order virtually anything that adds Beyond and takes out dairy and meat. See a vegan menu here.
The Impossible Slider at White Castle – enjoy these small sliders for $1.99, and yes, the bun is now also vegan. Just hold the cheese.

There are plenty more options where you can leave off cheese on a Pizza Hut or Domino’s pizza, or piece together various sides to make a vegan meal. See Buzzfeed’s full list for even more options.

Target restaurants more likely to have vegan foods

What about when you want to get a little fancier than fast food? There are still tons of options, though you do have to be selective. It’s less likely that your local steakhouse is going to offer superb plant-based options compared to other types of restaurants.

These restaurant types are more likely to have plant-based options than others:

Thai – many Thai restaurants offer tofu as a protein in both curries and noodle dishes. Just make sure there’s no fish sauce, egg, or egg noodles used.
Mexican – burritos and tacos with beans are a great option (just check that they’re vegan), and you generally can’t lose with chips and salsa. And, of course, guacamole!
Sushi – order options that contain vegetables like avocado, cucumber, carrot and more.
Ethiopian – non-meat options are generally a wonderful mix of vegetables accompanied by injera, a flatbread that’s also generally gluten-free.
Mediterranean – dishes like hummus, tabouleh, eggplant, olives, and falafel fill out the many options here.
Indian – a lot of Indian food is already vegetarian. You’ll need to avoid ghee, paneer, and (often) naan. Chana masala and dosas are often vegan, though.
Pizza – the crust is often vegan as-is (though ask to make sure). If there’s no vegan cheese offered, just ask for no cheese (it tastes better than you might think!).

In all cases, I definitely recommend scoping out the menu ahead of time. Every restaurant is different, and unfortunately, it’s not always possible to walk in and find a satisfying plant-based meal.

Use the Happy Cow app

Happy Cow is like Yelp except it only lists restaurants that have at least some vegetarian and vegan options. In my experience, it’s much easier than trying to sift through Yelp and Google, which are often inaccurate in terms of figuring out what’s vegan.

Happy Cow also features reviews and ratings from others who eat plant-based foods, so you can more clearly tell if they like the plant-based options without having to sift through reviews of meat dishes.

It works throughout the U.S. and all over the world, too. I’ve used it in New Zealand, Germany, Poland, and other places on my travels.

The Happy Cow app (iOS/Android) costs $3.99, but you can use the web-based version from their home page for free.

When desperate, go to the staples

If you’re eating plant-based, there are probably going to be times where you’re stuck eating somewhere without any viable plant-based options.

When this happens, you might have to go the simple, go-to foods. If you’re desperate, you can pretty much always eat:

French fries
Pasta (without egg or dairy)
Baked potato
Bread
Hummus
Side of vegetables
Side salad (but hope it doesn’t come to this!)

While so many dishes contain meat by default, you can often request they leave off the meat on things like salads to turn it plant-based.

My strategy: always look at the menu beforehand. If vegan options are slim to none, I either eat something beforehand or plan to eat afterward.

How will you eat in 2020?

I’m excited for all the new vegan options from past years as well as what will happen in 2020; we’re clearly headed in the right direction for plant-based foods!

What are you most excited to try out for your diet in 2020?

Leave a short comment below and let me know!

We Analyzed 35+ Top Veggie Burgers. These Are the Healthiest Burgers

October 3, 2019 by Jeffrey Trull

You might’ve heard that Beyond Burger and other veggie burgers are taking off in popularity. Beyond Meat has surged in the stock market since it’s early-2019 IPO.

Of course, with the increase in popularity comes additional news coverage. And some of it is not positive. There have been plenty of news stories about how these burgers are processed and that some have as much fat, calories, and other “bad stuff” as an actual beef burger.

To set the record straight, we looked at the complete nutrition information for over 35 top veggie burgers and compared it to a 100% beef patty (found in the USDA database). The goal: find out which are the healthiest veggie burgers out there, and which you may want to enjoy less frequently.

Below are the burgers ranked from high to low in terms of their nutritional values along with where the 100% beef patty ranks as well.

Protein

Brand	Protein (g)
1. (tie) Dr. Praeger’s All American Veggie Burger	28
1. (tie) Sweet Earth Awesome Burger	28
3. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL) (Non-GMO soy)	26
4. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL)	24
5. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)	23
6. (tie) Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger	22
6. (tie) Upton’s Naturals Classic Burger	22
8. Beyond Meat Beyond Burger	20
9. (tie) Hodo Tofu Veggie Burger	19
9. (tie) Impossible Foods Impossible Burger 2.0	19

31. (tie) Qrunch Green Chile with Pinto Beans Quinoa Burger	3
31. (tie) Qrunch Spicy Buffalo-Style Quinoa Burgers	3
31. (tie) Hilary’s World’s Best Veggie Burger	3
34. (tie) Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger Gluten Free	2
34. (tie) Dr. Praeger’s Korean Veggie Burger (formerly BiBimBap Veggie Burger)	2

Interestingly, five veggie burgers contain more protein than the beef patty, with Dr. Praeger’s All American Veggie Burger and Sweet Earth Awesome Burger tied for the most plant-based protein at 28 grams. Seven veggie burgers analyzed have at least 20 grams of protein, and 12 pack 15 or more grams of protein.

However, there is a wide range of variability in protein in veggie burgers. Those at the bottom of the list contain little protein. Eleven burgers contained fewer than 10g of protein per burger. So if you’re looking for a protein-heavy veggie burger, you need to look closely at the nutrition of each one.

Calories

Brand		Calories
1. Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger		340
2. Sweet Earth Awesome Burger		290
3. Before the Butcher Uncut Burger		260

8. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)		231

33. (tie) Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger		90
33. (tie) Gardenburger Portabella Veggie Burger		90
33. (tie) Sol Cuisine Spicy Black Bean Burger		90

In total, seven of the burgers we looked at have more calories than the beef patty. Most of these burgers are from the new “it bleeds” category, including the new Sweet Earth Awesome Burger and the Before the Butcher Uncut Burger.

However, there’s quite a bit of variation. The veggie burgers with the fewest calories have less the calories found in a beef patty.

Total Fat

Brand			Total Fat (g)
1. Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger			24
2. Before the Butcher Uncut Burger			19
3. (tie) Sweet Earth Awesome Burger			17
3. (tie) Beyond Meat Beyond Burger			17

6. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)			17

33. Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger			3
34. Gardenburger Portabella Veggie Burger			2
34. Sol Cuisine Spicy Black Bean Burger			1.5

As with calorie count, several veggie burgers have more total fat than a beef patty (five of those analyzed). Most of the fat in these veggie burgers can be attributed to oils (typically, coconut, canola, or palm oil) that give it a flavor closer to beef.

Still, the majority of veggie burgers have less fat than the beef burger, though these tend to be black bean burgers and similar varieties.

Saturated Fat

Brand		Saturated Fat (g, %DV)
1. (tie) Impossible Foods Impossible Burger 2.0		8 (40%)
1. (tie) Before the Butcher Uncut Burger		8 (40%)
1. (tie) Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger		8 (40%)
1. (tie) Sweet Earth Awesome Burger		8 (40%)

5. (tie) USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)		6 (30%)

31. (tie) Gardein Chipotle Black Bean Burger		0 (0%)
31. (tie) Upton’s Naturals Classic Burger		0 (0%)
31. (tie) Gardein Ultimate Beefless Burger		0 (0%)
31. (tie) Amy’s All American Veggie Burger		0 (0%)
31. (tie) Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger		0 (0%)

Some of the fattiest veggie burgers once again outranked the beef patty in terms of saturated fat. This again is likely due to the use of oils in the veggie patties.

Sodium

Brand	Sodium (mg, %DV)
1. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL) (Non-GMO soy)	920 (38%)
2. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL)	700 (29%)
3. Amy’s California Veggie Burger	550 (24%)

32. Before the Butcher Uncut Burger	150 (6%)
33. Qrunch Spicy Buffalo-Style Quinoa Burgers	140 (6%)
34. Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger Gluten Free	125 (5%)
35. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)	84 (3%)

Actual beef patties came in the lowest here. However, it’s possible salt is added to beef patties during the cooking process whereas that’s often not needed for most veggie burgers.

Beyond Burger (390 mg, 16% DV) and Impossible Burger (370 mg, 16% DV) were both outside the top 10 highest burgers in terms of sodium.

Cholesterol

Brand	Cholesterol (mg, %DV)
1. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)	86 (28%)
2. Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL)	10 (3%)
3. (tie) Boca All American Veggie Burger (Non-GMO soy)	5 (2%)
3. (tie) Gardenburger The Original Veggie Burger	5 (2%)
3. (tie) MorningStar Farms Tomato & Basil Pizza Burgers	5 (2%)
3. (tie) Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL) (Non-GMO soy)	5 (2%)

(tie) All other brands	0 (0%)

The beef patty easily came out on top in terms of the amount of cholesterol with nearly eight times as much as the veggie burger with the most cholesterol.

All but five of the veggie burgers analyzed had zero cholesterol. These five burgers all contain dairy, so they’re not 100% plant-based.

Fiber

Brand	Fiber (g, %DV)
1. (tie) Boca All American Veggie Burger (XL) (Non-GMO soy)	8 (32%)
1. (tie) Hodo Tofu Veggie Burger	8 (32%)
1. (tie) Sunshine Organic Black Bean South West	8 (32%)

31. (tie) Field Roast Hand-Formed Fieldburger	2 (8%)
31. (tie) Dr. Praeger’s Korean Veggie Burger (formerly BiBimBap Veggie Burger)	2 (8%)
31. (tie) Beyond Meat Beyond Burger	2 (8%)
31. (tie) Upton’s Naturals Classic Burger	2 (8%)

35. USDA Commodity 100% beef patties (100g)	0 (0%)

The veggie burgers with the most fiber contain nearly one-third of the recommended daily fiber intake. Additionally, all veggie burgers in this analysis contained at least some fiber.

Like all foods that come 100% from animal sources, the 100% beef patty does not contain any fiber.

Veggie burgers and beef burgers — alike, and different

Overall, there’s quite a bit of variability in veggie burger nutrition. In nearly every nutritional category, there are some veggie burgers that contain more and some veggie burgers that contain less of a given nutrient compared to beef patties.

Veggie burgers vary so widely across nutrition that it’s pretty hard to say what the healthiest veggie burger options are.

Here’s a Google Sheet of the full data used in this analysis, including additional information.

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