The plant-based burger industry seems to be exploding. They’ve taken over the meat department at the local grocer so I need to see what the rage is all about. Are they any good? Do they taste like a real burger? What is the health benefit?
I bought three different brands in order to do a taste test. Because I’m gluten free, I found ones that do not contain wheat. Here are the brand I tried: Pure Farmland, Laura’s Classic Recipe, and Lightlife. Below are the nutritional details and pricing for each brand. I also included the nutritional information for regular ground beef (80%/20%) to compare.
Pure Farmland
Price: $8.99
Patties: 4 – 4 oz
Price per Pattie: $2.25
Calories: 240
Total Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 13g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholestrol: 0g
Sodium: 580mg
Total Carb: 9g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Total Sugars: 0g
Protein: 14g
Laura’s Classis Recipe
Price: $6.99
Patties: 2 – 4 oz
Price per Pattie: $3.50
Calories: 230
Total Fat: 13g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholestrol: 0g
Sodium: 480mg
Total Carb: 11g
Dietary Fiber: 5g
Total Sugars: 0g
Protein: 16g
Lightlife
Price: $6.99
Patties: 2 – 4 oz
Price per Pattie: $3.50
Calories: 270
Total Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholestrol: 0g
Sodium: 540mg
Total Carb: 10g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Total Sugars: 1g
Protein: 20g
Ground Beef (80% / 20%)
Price: $4.99
Patties: 4 – 4 oz
Price per Pattie: $1.25
Calories: 209
Total Fat: 13.7g
Saturated Fat: 5.2g
Trans Fat: 0.96g
Cholestrol: 70mg
Sodium: 58mg
Total Carb: 0g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Total Sugars: 0g
Protein: 19.8g
And the results...
The Pure Farmland patty is thin and wide while Laura’s and Lightlife have a thicker patty. I like it a bit thicker because it gives a meatier texture. Each patty was cooked on my George Foreman grill and I just ate them them plain to start out with. The Pure Farmland patty is seasoned and has a pretty peppery taste. Laura’s has a slight smoke taste but it tasted more like a hot dog smoke flavor than a char-grilled smoke. Lightlife had a very neutral flavor and is seasoned with onion and garlic. Here is my initial vote:
- 1st Choice: Lightlife
- 2nd Choice: Laura’s Classic Recipe
- 3rd Choice: Pure Farmland
Next, I dressed the burgers up and make sure they tasted great with a bun and all the fixings. I used Udi’s gluten free hamburger buns (which I am very impressed with) and heated the buns slightly in the oven. They were topped with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickles. This was definitely a better way to eat the burgers. I thought they were all pretty tasty but my choice selection did not change.
So the winner on this round is Lightlife. It has a neutral, meaty texture that makes it a great plant-based alternative to eating ground beef.
Let's talk about nutrition...
Ground Beef vs. Plant-based Burgers:
I’m a little surprised how similar the nutritional information is between the plant-based burgers compared with ground beef. The main difference is that the ground beef actually has lower calories, lower fat content and significantly lower sodium. Be careful as sodium can add up quickly dependent on how you season your patty but at lease you have control over that. The saturated fats in ground beef are higher than Laura’s and Lightlife but are significantly lower than Pure Farmland. Since cholesterol is only found in meat products, you will find it in ground beef but not in the plant products.
Plant-based Brands:
When comparing the plant-based products, the calorie count, sodium level, carbs and protein levels are pretty similar from brand to brand. The big difference to note is that the saturated fat level in the Pure Farmland brand was significantly higher. This is due to having a higher amount of coconut oil. So do we care? What is the difference between plant vs. animal saturated fats?
Plant vs. Animal Saturated Fats:
The difference between plant vs. animal saturated fats is controversial. Is one better than the other? From what I have read, plant saturated fats are actually better than animal saturated fats. However, they are still a saturated fat which is considered an unhealthy fat. My recommendation would be to eat saturated fats sparingly. Stick with the healthy fats when you can. These will be the mono, poly and omega fatty acids. I personally have a high lipid panel so it’s best for me to stay away from any unhealthy saturated fats (plant or animal) when possible.
Below are the types of fats that each plant-based brand uses:
- Lightlife: Canola and coconut oil
- Laura’s Classic Recipe: Canola oil
- Pure Farmland: Coconut and safflower oil
Final Thoughts:
Update:
I recently tried two more of the most popular plant-based burger brands and compared them to Lightlife. Click HERE to read that post.