4th of July is right around the corner and I really can’t think of a better way to celebrate Independence Day than a good old fashioned BBQ. But I have to be honest here, attending a BBQ produces a bit of anxiety for me every time. Will the host serve only beef hamburgers and hotdogs? (I don’t eat beef or any type hot dog.) Will the meat be organic? Will there be vegetarian options? Will the cook char the meat to death and produce heterocyclic amines that are known to cause colon cancer?
Needless to say, I am honestly a little disappointed when the host decides to serve things I don’t eat but get even more anxious when they offer to pick up some veggie burgers from the store for me. I am downright frightened of the ingredients in those frozen meat flavored patties. My response to their offer is always “No, thank you, I’ll bring a dish” and here’s why:
- Neurotoxins & Carcinogens – The majority of store-bought veggie burgers contain some form of soy. Non organic soy is extracted using hexane, a chemical byproduct of petroleum refining. The food industry uses the hexane extraction method because it is cheap. Several studies have been published about the neurotoxicity of exposure of humans and animals to hexane, but the most alarming ones link exposure to brain tumors. Currently the FDA sets no limit to the amount of hexane that can be used in non-organic soy products and no one knows for sure how much residue is being consumed by the American public. If you want more info on this – the Cornucopia Institute released an excellent report about several popular veggie burger brands that use hexane. To quote top researcher Charlotte Valleys, “The bigger picture here is that hexane is being released into the atmosphere—since it’s an air pollutant. It leads to smog, which is ground-level ozone, which leads to a whole bunch of health problems, like asthma in kids. These effects are very real.” I don’t want this in my body or in the air I breathe – do you?
- Cheap Oils – If you see the words “canola oil, soy oil, corn oil, sunflower, and/or safflower oil” it is likely extracted with hexane too. But what further complicates this matter (if having a neurotoxin byproduct in your burger is not enough) is that the overconsumption of these cheap oils are causing an abundance of Omega 6 fatty acids in our diets. The imbalance of Omega 6 fatty acids increases the risk of inflammation, heart disease, obesity, and prostate and bone cancer.
- Textured Vegetable Protein, aka “TVP” – Several frozen veggie burgers available are developed using soy products and Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP). TVP is one of those foods I avoid at all costs and no one will ever convince me to eat something this processed. TVP is extracted from soy at a super high heat and made into a powder before it is “reshaped” into strips, chunks and granules and put back into food. The processing can also add artificial and natural flavors, MSG, colorings, emulsifiers and thickening agents, including nitrosamine, which is a carcinogen no one should be consuming. Does this picture of TVP look like nutritious nuggets of real food to you?
- Chemically Altered Flavorings & MSG – There are several hidden sources of MSG found in vegetarian meat substitutes. The food industry uses MSG to make processed food that is low in nutrition taste good, tricking your taste buds into liking something that isn’t real food. Futhermore, MSG increases your insulin response, tricking your body into thinking you can eat more than you actually should. And this is exactly how scientists make rats obese, by feeding them MSG laced food. I don’t know about you, but knowing there is a potential substance that can trick me into eating more food is reason enough to avoid this at all costs. But MSG is linked to all sorts of terrible reactions in humans like migraines, toxicity, and autoimmune disorders that you can read about in this tell all book about MSG.
- Full of Genetically Modified Ingredients (GMOs) – If the burger contains anything derived from corn or soy, you can almost guarantee it comes from genetically modified seeds unless it is certified 100% organic. Genetically modified foods have been linked to toxicity, allergic reactions and fertility issues and have not been studied for their long term effects on our health. Unfortunately, here in the US, companies can get away with including GMOs in our foods without us knowing it. If you want to know if GMO’s are in your food – support the Just Label It.org by signing their petition to the FDA
The Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burger, along with several other brands are guilty of every one of these points above. This burger is marketed as “healthy” and has even more questionable ingredients like caramel coloring (which is linked to cancer) and a slew of other chemical based preservatives. Knowing that I used to eat this particular brand many years ago on a weekly basis, absolutely disgusts me now. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of processed and convenience foods making a fool out of me…share this info with all your veggie burger buying friends and spread the word.
If you know someone who could use this information, please share it with them, you could be a lifesaver!
Cheers,
Food Babe
P.S. This is one of my favorite homemade veggie burger recipes ever.
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I’m coming up on my 30th year as a complete vegetarian. At age 57 I can compete with men half my age in most sports, and I have other health benefits I won’t mention here. I’ve eaten most of the “naughty” vegeburgers mentioned in the article for most of the 30 years. I know that a living organism like the human body has an incredible ability to cleanse and repair itself if the damage is not chronic nor intense. With meat, fish and poultry, however, the damage to internal organs and blood systems is so insidious and pernicious that toxins build up and tissues break down. Given the choice I have in my job (I’m a foreign service officer) between eating animals or vegetables, I’ll gladly take the latter!
Thanks, John. I am trying to eat less meat and I have been eating everyone of the products mentioned in this article. I was happy to hear that you have and are eating them as well. I guess moderation is always important. I eat them for the protein. I imagine there must be other sources of protein other than the convenience foods mentioned above.
Thanks again,
Willie B
Well said, John Elliot. I agree completely! My husband and II likewise have over 30 years without eating other beings, and rejoice at the variety and ease provided by the meat substitutes. We are past our mid-60′s and still work full-time at regular jobs in addition to running a full-service animal shelter that takes in 9,000 animals a year, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic that alters over 6,000 animals a year, and an equine rescue that houses over 40 equines at all times. We run a bingo to fund it all, and haven’t had a weekend off for 27 years. We run circles around our younger friends and associates as well. Men half my husband’s age marvel at his stamina and hard work at the equine rescue farm where he does all the heavy lifting and manual labor. Thanks for your comments.
Fuuuck all you guys, bring on the meat, sweets! If it shoots real blood, put it on my plate with a nice ceasar salad.
so your body knows the difference? A toxin is a toxin.
John,
Check out the veggie burgers from Hilary’s Eat Well. They currently have four flavors available nationwide that are all non-gmo verified, gluten free, organic and allergen free! Agree with you to always avoid the big brands. Hilary’s burgers are the best!
@Janet, thank you for the shopping info, very good lead!
Lol, I was going to suggest Hillary’s Eats Well as well. They are amazing. Of course I am bias, she is my cousin. She worked very hard to develop these burgers in her restaurant “Local Burger”. She has put much love, time and energy into developing whole food products. I love her products and her dedication to wholesome healthy food.
I’m 25 and on my 7th year as a vegetarian… Your response inspires me…I hope I look as good as you do at your age…
Go eat a nice healthy chunk of dead cow.
Bambi, Bullwinkle and Bugs Bunny’s relatives are preferred on my dinner plate. Lower in fat, high in protein and so delicious. Never a trace of pink slime.
It is too bad you don’t list the many healthy vegan options that are available.
Love the heads up on all these products, thank you, but can you list healthy alternatives as well??
Besides making your own?
Honestly, none of these are THAT bad. I’m a vegan & YES canola is a “cheap” oil, but hey– no one eats these things EVERY DAY.
Check out the veggie burgers from Hilary’s Eat Well. They currently have four flavors available nationwide that are all non-gmo verified, gluten free, organic and allergen free! Agree with you to always avoid the big brands. Hilary’s burgers are the best!
I prefer making my own from scratch (for all meals!), but obviously that’s not always viable, especially if you’re short on time.
If I have to eat a frozen burger patty, I go with Amy’s. They’re one of the few frozen food companies I feel comfortable buying products from as they seem to be pretty up-front with their ingredients. In particular, their Sonoma and California burgers have a fairly small ingredients list without all the weird junk found in most frozen patties.
Post writing is also a fun, if you be familiar with then
you can write or else it is difficult to write.
Try making your own lentil burgers! It is pretty easy c:
Upon closer scrutiny the ok to eat burgers are listed above in a list with green background on the left at top says “No hexane extracted soy ingredients” and to the right with the red background are listed the no nos.
It’s all in the moderation. No one lives off these things.
I only keep them in a fridge as an emergency food…& they’re tasty enough for my non-vegan friends to enjoy when I don’t have the time to cook something up.
Ever had a BBQ in the summer? That’s when these come in handy. Of course, I try to make my own, but frozen patties tend to hold better for grills.
I would like to be informed of the value of foods that the public has to deal with
I’m not sure where you are getting your info, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for fantastic information I was looking for this info for my mission.
Tempeh and edamame are the most nutritious form of soy beans. Tofu, vegeburgers and tvp are very highly processed and the least nutritious. People who need a meat substitute are lost in a jungle of potentially bad choices. My advice is to eat food that tastes really good to you from the healthiest and most nutritious ingredients. It is a real stretch to think you can find something in a plant based diet that tastes like either a raw or cooked animal. But it is a very achievable goal to eat meals that are satisfying.
I am reading a lot lately about how pesticide laden soy beans and corn are today (now that corporate farming and Monsanto have taken over production). I know it is important to ck. labels for soy as a hidden ingredient, but I didn’t know edamame was a soy bean?!? Help! It is so hard to stay on top of all this information. Of course it doesn’t help that corporate America has done everything it can to keep us in the dark.
Yes edemame is the Japanese word for soybean.
Forget this processed burger stuff. Just eat India’s Indian and Sikh Vegetarian cuisine, 100% healthy , 100% mouthwatering, India is the longest civilization been vegetarian for 10′s of thousands of years. Sikhs are by Spirituality not to eat meat, how cool! Just look up Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan.
The reason India is mostly vegie is because they are poor and don’t have any room to raise cattle like US or Australia. It is also why they use so much Curry. Curry a) masks the taste of most food and b) it is a germ killer, as is most hot spice sauces. That is why you don’t have to refrigerate hot sauce. Everything in moderation. I have been a Vegie since 1972 and 3 years ago I started eating high grade chicken and “Amy’s” style foods. High grade bacon. I feel fine.
Statements made from ignorance—yes, India has many food-insecure areas, but not because they don’t raise cows for meat. Indian veggie cuisine uses LOTS of milk products so nthe people still get a good protein source w/o slaughter.
Good advice Mary!!!
Ok this is it I’ve always though there had to be something bad in the imitation food I was raised on. From now on its only real meat for me!
Easy healthy veggie burgers
Fry 2 – 3 clove garlics, 2 large onions 2 red peppers and 2 courgettes.
Boil 1 cup brown rice and 1 cup quinoa/barley/ buckwheat in stock.
Blend 1/2 cup sundried tomato, ½ tin aduki beans, 1 cup walnuts and a handful basil.
Blend all ingredients and add breadcrumbs or flour to get burger consistency.
Fry and serve with salad.
These freeze really well and can be reheated on a BBQ.
When buying this type of burger, avoid the big brands and go organic or homemade. It’s not hard. It’s not rocket science.
Check out the veggie burgers from Hilary’s Eat Well. They currently have four flavors available nationwide that are all non-gmo verified, gluten free, organic and allergen free! Agree with you to always avoid the big brands. Hilary’s burgers are the best!
The Truth About Grassfed Beef
Published December 19, 2012 | By John Robbins
http://www.foodrevolution.org/blog/the-truth-about-grassfed-beef/
Ummm…why not just eat a portabella burger? Easy enough to find organic ones, and only one ingredient. I don’t understand the whole trying to be healthy thing and then scarfing down foods LOADED with crazy chemicals. I’m a vegetarian, but I’d honestly feel safer eating organic, local beef before I’d eat a processed veggie burger.
I prefer making my own from scratch (for all meals!), but obviously that’s not always viable, especially if you’re short on time.
Thanks for mentioning that this isn’t always viable. I’ll go a step further and just say that it’s not viable at all for most people, and we don’t need to get defensive about the reasons why. Maybe we don’t have time…maybe we just hate cooking…maybe we don’t want to spend our time worrying about every last molecule that goes into our bodies. My goodness…it sounds like I need to live on my own organic farm in the unspoiled wilderness if I want to live a long life and die and peaceful death. But I’ll be all alone without any of the comforts and leisure of modern life. No thanks.
Check out the veggie burgers from Hilary’s Eat Well. They currently have four flavors available nationwide that are all non-gmo verified, gluten free, organic and allergen free! Agree with you to always avoid the big brands. Hilary’s burgers are the best!
Thanks! I just looked at their website. The ingredients look good.
How do you feel about “Hillary’s” brand? Have you tried them?
They are amazing! They are made with out all the yucky stuff listed about.
Have not tried but I’m going to. They sell them at Earthfare!
It is all about moderation of everything and eating fresh grain fed meat is much healthier than eating a processed soy burger. I love the Morningstart burgers but now will not eat them because I don’t like what I just read. Shame on them and other food manufacturers whose only thought is how to make money and have no concern for our health and well being.
i agree with you on one level, and disagree on another.
i think you’re thinking too much at the level of the individual making a single momentary food choice.
the fact is, we are part of a food SYTEM, and all parts are intimately linked to eachother – from pesticides, herbicides, to what kind of agriculture, to who is the farm laborer, to how far it travels to you, to what kind of foods are commonly available and what foods are subsidized and which are not, to what is advertized to children, to what you THINK you are putting in your body vs. it’s long-term side effects, the addictive qualities of food, medical bills, etc etc etc. It is ALL CONNECTED.
So, while I agree with you on the factual “truth” of your statement, I think the point that “it is not which food matter you put in your body in any given moment but how much and how often” is a non-starter. It’s almost entirely besides the point. It is distracting from much, much bigger issues about a food SYTEM. We cannot think about each individual action as SEPARATE from all of this!
No one is obligated to buy these. Vegans/Vegetarians that want to enjoy a burger with the rest of their family will purchase these. They’re not meant to be all that nutritious. Labels are there for a reason. Anywho, broccoli is a known carcinogen. So are apple seeds (toxins) & honey. But guess what? No one cares or ultimately looks at it that deeply. Hating on these products makes them NOT want to make a better product & just leave the industry completely. I love my black bean chipotle burgers. I make my own, but keep these in the freezer as an emergency food (unexpected hungry guests on my birthday…cause I don’t keep track of the calender & whatnot).
Also, vegetables are healthier than meat any day. Go back to living environmental science, the food chain & energy/nutrition absorption & study animal proteins & the affect of said proteins on cancerous cells.