You Won’t Even Miss Beef After Trying These Delicious Plant-Based Burgers

Veggie burgers are more prominent than ever, with a new plant-based patty option popping up seemingly every week. If you’re starting to cut meat out of your diet (or simply looking to switch up your meatless meals), they can act like a bridge between meat and vegetables—you can almost trick yourself into eating less meat, without sacrificing those juicy, flavorful burgers in the process.

The positives of plant-based eating aren’t unique to vegans and vegetarians—anyone who emphasizes plants in their diet can start to feel healthier. “Research has shown that increased consumption of plant-based foods may help lower the risk for certain cancers, for heart disease, for high cholesterol,” says Keri Gans, M.S., R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. “I like to think of [veggie burgers] as an option that can create a 100% plant-based meal that perhaps you’re not getting on a regular basis.”

Beyond the health benefits, plenty of veggie burgers simply taste great, especially with hearty ingredients like beans and grains. But all the ingredients, options, and brands can turn a trip to the frozen aisle into a dilemma—which burger is right for you?

Back up: What are veggie burgers made of?

There are two main types of plant-based burgers: veggie burgers, which have been around forever, and non-meat burgers, which are newer to the market and simulate meat. Both are vegetarian and most often vegan, but there can be major differences in their ingredient lists and nutrition. The distinction between veggie and non-meat burgers is important, Gans says, because some “are not made with just veggies. Some of them, if you read the ingredients list, don’t have a single vegetable.”

Veggie burgers are made primarily of vegetables like beans, greens, and mushrooms, plus grains and extras like onion, corn, and beets. Some are styled after meat, but most seem to do their own thing—you get the familiar shape of a burger, but not the familiar meaty flavor or texture. Non-meat burgers, on the other hand, mimic beef very closely and tend to have much more protein than their veggie counterparts, with levels directly comparable to meat. The trade-off is that they contain few (if any) actual vegetables—they’re made with soy, pea protein, wheat, and other grains and processed legumes.

Another important element in non-meat burgers is fillers, which you’ll find in just about any brand. “There are going to be ingredients that people might not recognize, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad for you,” Gans notes. Fillers are used for consistency, texture, and binding, making the overall eating experience much more pleasant.

“For example, methylcellulose [which is found in Beyond Meat burgers] just helps hold the ingredients together, and that’s totally safe,” Gans says. Others, like potassium chloride, are minerals, probably included to mimic the nutritional content of red meat. “Just because there’s a longer ingredient list doesn’t mean that it’s unhealthy for you—it just means that perhaps you don’t know what the ingredients do.”

How to choose the best veggie or plant-based burger for you

This will depend on your unique goals and purpose for turning to a meat alternative. Just remember that veggie burgers are not necessarily healthier than their meat counterparts, says Joan Salge Blake, Ed.D., R.D.N., L.D.N. “Veggie burgers have a halo effect, where one assumes they’re naturally superior in nutrition to a burger that would come from an animal,” she explains.

Gans echoes that warning. “What’s funny is that now, a plant-based burger can turn into a high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium bomb,” she says. “Anything is possible, so one should look and choose wisely.” Here’s what to search for in your ideal plant-based burger:

Focus on protein. Salge Blake recommends choosing a veggie burger that’s high in protein, ideally close to the 20 grams of protein offered by a regular burger. There is no one best source of protein in a veggie burger, from pea protein to soy, Gans says—they’re just options. The amount of protein is most important, so if you don’t get enough from the burger alone, be mindful of adding protein-rich sides or add-ons to balance out your meal.

Scan for sodium and fat. “The biggest things to be wary of are the sodium content and the saturated fat,” Gans explains. “If it’s going up in saturated fat, it’s just like having a regular burger.” Ideally, your choice will have less than 400 milligrams of sodium and less than 5 grams of saturated fat per burger. That’s not always possible, though; Salge Blake recommends adjusting your diet elsewhere (say, skipping out on that side of chips) to accommodate for the sodium and fat that may be present in your patty.

Dress them up wisely. Because of the health halo effect, it’s too easy to overdo it on toppings, basically canceling out the positives of meatless burgers in the first place. Gans recommends being mindful of your additions—for example, you might also want to skip the cheese, onion rings, or crab dip. The same goes if you’re crumbling the patties to create “ground beef”—don’t assume your meal is automatically healthy just because it’s meatless. Whole-wheat buns, veggies, and condiments like mustard, meanwhile, are great options.

Got all that? Great, you’re ready to dig in! Below, you’ll find our favorite veggie burger brands worth trying.