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’d like to caution you all about the “wisdom” of ‘Rupert Rutabega’ as he posts here (see his post). Medical physicians get only a very tiny amount of information about nutrition in medical school, and the information they get is incorrect as a whole and hopelessly out of date. So PLEASE, consult a licensed ALTERNATIVE nutritionist. These people know what the hell they are talking about because they keep up with cutting edge research, unlike mainstream nutritionists. And just so you know… Rupert Rutabega doesn’t even know how to spell rutabaga. Have a great day… and watch out for quacks like Rupert and mainstream medical quacks.
Igcamp is correct. Just because someone is a doctor (“quack” or not) doesn’t mean they know any information that’s not handed to them, usually by some branch of the government… or “official” medical studies that often run decades to confirm something that common sense and experience has told many of us already. I KNOW that MSG gives me headaches and makes me feel slightly disoriented, it gets proven time and time again every time I indulge in cheap greasy (sometimes delicious) Chinese-American takeout.
Also be aware of studies done in other countries that DON’T have lobbyists tying up every bit of information the government releases to consumers. Just look at how many E Coli and Salmonells epidemics related to food happen here in the US. The regulatory agencies are overstaffed/broken/censored by big business interests, and should not be relied upon.
You’re so right!!!
This article is not accurate and is full of a bunch of old undated information. Maybe the so called “doctors” should actually do their research before trying to use scare tactics on people. Get to a real nutritionist, not a doctor that only has a little knowledge of nutrition as most general physicians do.
My nutritionist, someone who actually studied nutrition said that in moderation these foods are fine. As with any type of foods, you should not live on veggie burgers but instead eat a varied diet
OMG…your comments made me laugh. Your own “nutritionist” advised you that in moderation “these foods” (poisons that slowly addict and shorten your lifespan) are “fine”. LOL…too funny. Keep listening to this so called credentialed expert and continue spreading this nonsense. The planet is after all becoming way to populated.
Absolutely Bingo! Moderation is key. Otherwise how can you say one thing is bad for all people? I have known a few folks that lived a long life, smoking like a chimney day in & day out. Others have died of lung cancer who never smoked. Be knowledeable about your family health history, pay attention to nutrition reports, and let your conscience be your guide. There is a Nutrition Publication out of Washington, DC that really uses logical studies. More fruit & veggies are great for all of us, unless imported from a 3rd world country soaked with pesticides, waxes, gasses.
Do you know anything about Natures Promise?
ou bring to a dinner? Every meat substitute I find usually has wheat in it (AKA don’t eat the wheat meat?) I started drinking a Hemp protein drink, but would rather just have some real food, but I don’t do eggs or milk. Please help me find meat alternatives with protein!
Nuts or beans are healthy protein alternatives.
Red beans & rice is a perfect protein.
Beans are rice, eaten at the same time, can make complete proteins…very important.
Hi, guys! Frances Moore Lappe emphasized the importance of combining vegetable sources of protein to provide complete protein in the first edition of her DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET, which has had some 20 editions! She also shows the proper proportions to use of vegetables, grains, and legumes to get the optimal protein. Equal amounts of beans and rice are NOT it. DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET is available in hardback and paperback, and includes recipes that are actually edible.
They do not have to be eaten at the same time. A varied diet of plants will give you a nice balance and sufficient amount of proteins.
I was taught in Organic chemistry that, when combining amino acids for nutritionally superior combinations, they SHOULD be eaten at the same time – for optimal benefit.
So, combining amino acids, as in: any pea, bean, or legume… combined with a whole grain…. will yield plenty of protein – by combining amino acids. Lots of other protein sources too.
Its other micronutrients that people lack, not so much protein. Raw juicing is a GREAT way to provide micronutrient supplementation, and get your protein from a variety of other non-meat sources if thats your thang!
This article isint addressing protein as much as the CRAPPOLEE that is found whenever food gets “processed”…
Pretty much everything has protein. The question is just how much and which?
I would be less concerned with getting enough protein and more concerned with consuming enough Vitamin B12 – a vital nutrient for which it is difficult to find enough of in non-meat sources. I know because I am a pescetarian non-dairy vegetarian.
B12 is found in ALL animal products, not just meat, so vegetarians are not at risk of deficiency, contrary to popular opinion.
Non-animal sources (such as spirulina, fermented soy and nutritional yeast) have not been proven to have the same B12 as animal sources.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12
http://ezinearticles.com/?Vitamin-B12-Sources&id=190857
Quinoa is a complete protein and a superfood we all should be eating regularly.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa#Nutritional_value
You are absolutely correct I eat it just about every day
Blue Mango Veggie Burgers
There is not enough protein in nuts.. There is some in beans but loades with carbs. Something not well tolerated after the age of 35 . Unless you want to get fat
I HAVE TWO MORNING STAR BURGERS LEFT IN THE FREEZER. I HAVE GOUT AND COPD
SO RED MEAT AND SALT ARE ON MY DON’T EAT LIST! BEFORE I TOSS THIS BOX CAN I FEED GIT TO MY DOG !
If you won’t eat, why feed it to your dog? Toss it.
Thank you, Louise, I so agree with this! Also, I have heard people say “Oh, it is not THAT spoiled, give it to the dog” If it is not healthy for you, why would you give to your pet!
I wouldn’t give my dog soy products, it causes bloat and is a killer of giant breed dogs
Hey guys, look at going raw vegan or straight vegan, it’s ht Ernest thing we ever did for our health and weight. Our dog is raw too and he is still kicking along at 15, he is a full pedigree Golden Retriever, average life span 10 years. The proof is in the pudding, you are what you eat, so eat food that is fresh, grows and comes with no labels, packets, instructions or ingredients. Just pure goodness from the earth.
The BEST thing I meant, blasted auto spell check 🙂
What raw food does your dog eat?
wow this is so stupid. all that “scary research” is based on levels of exposure far, far higher than anything you’d find in “hexane extracted soy”. but for the general idiot population, having a little tanty that goes “soy is extracted with hexane! here is a bunch of research saying hexane is dangerous!” is all you need to give the appearance of saying something clever. this research is irrelevant to the issue at hand and the author and most of the commenters are idiots. what’s really going on is that “alternative” health nuts are gradually building up an encyclopedia of fake “facts” that they can boringly spout at people over dinner tables
No kidding! I have a friend who could have written this. She’s only into chemical free healthy foods and whatever her beloved acupuncturist prescribes. She avoids all ‘chemicals’ but has a big basket of tiny bottles full of tiny pills that are supposed to help her stay well, feel well, etc. which has ingredients she knows nothing about and is made in an unknown country supervised by unknown people, if any. Problem is she’s among the least “well” feeling individuals I know, and is depressed besides. I think this is a form of obsessional thinking and happens to people so they won’t have to really LOOK into their life and address the real issues. This fills their minds instead.
Yeah those Damn hippies really grind my gears too
“Those damn hippies” are the people that brought you all natural foods insted of all the junk crap you do and have been eating.
Some news for you, shite-spitter. I am a former Battallion Chemical Weapons Defense Staff Officer, United States Army. I have studied University-level chemistry, and am here to tell you that MOST of what these “damn Hippies” are telling you is SPOT-ON and perfectly TRUE!
next they will tell me no ham in hamburgers,wendys still puts bacon on burgers and its yummy
Absolutely right about your friend!!! She can be so fixated on her “health pills” that it can ruin her health.. She needs to go outside to a park and literally swing on the swings for awhile. Laugh…be a kid again a bit…every day…and her health will do much better than being on those “supplements” alone… too many people (i know one too) are regimented about their diet, supolement, and exercise, that they forgot that some things ur not supposed to be fanatically regimented on. Again…go swing and laugh!
I have friends like that too. They are hyper picky about what they eat and stuff themselves with salads and vitamin pills and herb drinks recommended by their ‘doctor,’ yet they are the unhealthiest people I know. And, they dare to tell me what to eat!
well, actually, for me its the principle. You are what you eat just because its cheap to use hexane doesnt mean its right to use some random ass chemical to do it. Keep it simple..
I try to eat an ultra-health diet and find that it is difficult to get enough of all the vitamins and nutrients you need. I don’t know her situation but I would say your friend is suffering from a vitamin deficiency. Once you get it right you feel like a million bucks – but it a long road to understanding all the nutrients your body needs and how to get them from healthy, chemical free sources without resorting to “little pills”
So your advocating Hexane as being good Huzzah for Hexane poisoning mind Body and soul of our beautiful universe.
Yeah dammit! How dare anyone think they should avoid all the various chemicals and GMOs in highly processed food?? I mean if it doesn’t kill you in a short amount of time then why worry about it? So what if you get cancer or something 20 or 30 years down the road? LOL
Yeah, anybody who would seriously say “Does this picture of TVP look like nutritious nuggets of real food to you?” has no business giving people nutritional advice. I have a lot of friends who are into this natural food stuff – none of them have any idea what they’re talking about. They just throw around words like “neurotoxin” as if they know what it means. What most people in this food-scare-of-the-month thing don’t get is that ALL FOOD IS TOXIC. There’s nothing in nature, anywhere or anything, that doesn’t contain carcinogens and “neurotoxins”. Cooking it in your own kitchen doesn’t magically make something non toxic. Growing it in your garden doesn’t make something non toxic. And as for hexane, HEXANE IS PRODUCED NATURALLY BY FRUIT. It’s the n=6 alkane – it’s ubiquitous in nature and you’ve been eating trace levels of hexane your whole damn life. Saying hexane is a toxic is like saying water is toxic – it sure is. Drink enough water and you’ll die. Drink enough hexane, and you’ll die. It’s the amount that matters.
lol as a boring health nut nearing my 50’s, looking and feeling like I’m in my 20’s, my only health concern is the packaged, processed messes, that leave much to be desired and that I’m stuck w/living in an area where the nearest Whole Foods is several counties over and REAL FOOD is over priced and often not very fresh because Joe Public has little to no clue how valuable the stuff that actually grows out of the ground really is and so they don’t buy it. Thus forcing the grocery stores to happily keep up the packaged food crap. Real Food is disappearing from the shelves, to my utter horror and disdain!!!
Did you know that a product is sold to you for human consumption that can kill in at least three different ways? That consumed to excess has been shown to cause brain damage and even death? That the government is regulating the quality of, but does not limit the amount in your diet? Indeed the government is trying to persuade most people to consume more!
This is, of course, water.
That is the style of this laughable article – perhaps completely true, but out of context utterly misleading and dishonest.
“Neurotoxins & Carcinogens” perhaps, but the poison is in the dose. Almost everything can kill. Oxygen is poisonous, and I have already pointed out that water is too. In the doses in this food none of these things are harmful.
As for TVP – you won’t eat it because of what it looks like? That shows the inanity of this ridiculous article if nothing else did.
Water will never kill you on a prolonged use. Small doses of water over time will never kill you. If you dilute your cells in one sitting and drink more than you’re body needs than water toxicity will kill you , but its not easy to kill yourself on water if you consume it regularly. Now what about carcinogenic ingredients and poison? Once it enters you’re body it stays there. Little by little you are causing damage on a daily basis until you’re body pays the price. So small doses will over time kill you. Unlike water. So don’t even try that !
Lilly you are a thorough idiot. Do you not remember that it was poisoned water that PG&E let people in cetral California drink and subsequently got chromium poisoning from their tap water or do you think Erica Brokavich is just a fun movie????
Matt, it doesn’t help to insult someone, just because you don’t like her reasoning. The idea, at least for people like me, is to find an answer, not to win an argument.
But on a completely different tack, I’ve never seen “Erica Brokavich”, and I don’t intend to. Mass media is famous for creating a fuss, oversimplifying, so they can make a buck. That there happens to be one kernal of truth in a movie doesn’t in any way mean it’s important. It CERTAINLY doesn’t mean that it’s a valid reference. It would be immediately thrown out as a reference in Wikipedia, for being unencyclopedic. I.e., stuff largely invented by some scriptwriters, that the film producers thought would make them a buck.
It’s a hard concept for people to understand … I know this from working in a major research center … but fiction is just that: entertainment. And even most PBS documentaries are just popularized schlock. Buy a 400 page book on a subject. Read it. Think about it for a few weeks. Then you will have an opinion based on some thought.
Um, first of all, the woman’s name was Erin Brockovich. She is a real person. If you don’t want to see the movie, fine — read a book instead. The court documents are also a matter of public record. I think you will discover that the cancer deaths of several CA residents were in fact attributable to hexavalent chromium which entered the water table from (as I recall) inadequately lined evaporation ponds.
Yes, hexavalent chromium is toxic. This is a fact. The events depicted in the film which you deride are at their core factual, and the film depicts an actual court case which really happened. Therefore, it is both incorrect to refer to the subject matter as fiction (even if the script was dramatized — some people omitted, some events simplified or combined) and an affront to the victims’ families.
The fact that you chose to berate Matt for referencing a film which dramatizes a real person’s legal crusade and real events (including real people’s deaths) shows that you were more interested in smacking someone down than in dealing with truth. I thought you said we were looking to find an answer (and by this I assume you mean a correct answer, not just any old answer). If that’s the case, that’s another way of saying we’re seeking the truth. But while you say we’re not here to win arguments, it looks to me that you’re doing precisely that. And also showing some of your less savory biases in the process.
Of course, Matt got at least one thing wrong. No, not referencing a film which popularized a very real issue that you seem to be ignorant of. Matt didn’t realize that he brought up an example of a carcinogen (hexavalent chromium, to be specific) which can build up with long-term exposure. The toxin that leached into the water supply is what made the water toxic.
On the other hand, he was right to take Lilly to task for her claims, although perhaps not for the right reasons, because her claims are written in absolute terms that are not universal. For example, not all carcinogens build up in the body over time and stay there forever. (Lilly also misses Doubting Rich’s point by a mile. When he’s talking about water killing at least 3 different ways, you have to realize that water toxicity is only one of them, and that the other ways include drowning… which is not toxicity, but water in the lungs preventing oxygen uptake.)
And please… this is not an academic forum, and nobody is using Erin Brockovich (the film or the real woman) as any kind of reference. But there’s a lot more than a “kernel” of truth to this particular film, and even more truth to the real-life court battle that inspired it. It most certainly is not unimportant.
While we’re spouting off our bona fides… and honestly, I would love to know what you meant by a “major research center” (bought and paid for by whom, I wonder?)… I might as well mention that I was a student at two major research universities, MIT and RPI. And I’ll tell you that real research involves more than reading 400+ page tomes — it involves doing science, as in experiments, and data analysis and reduction.
Not that most professors I know read every single paper put in front of them. Most of them read the abstracts, which tells them if there’s anything interesting enough to warrant further reading. An abstract is a summary — much like a documentary is for the general public, despite how you might feel about documentaries. (For the record, PBS documentaries are still typically much higher quality than what you find on various cable channels, e.g. the Science Channel. Or Discovery. Or the “History” Channel. PBS documentaries are even used as supplementary teaching material in grammar schools and high schools, and I think some of the greats still hold up, e.g. Cosmos. They’re not all gems, but I’d hardly characterize “most” of PBS’s documentaries as “popularized schlock.” If we’re using Wikipedia as our standard of acceptance, I would give you a [citation needed].)
For anyone who’s interested in the real Erin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Brockovich
And for anyone who wants to get a decent summary of the groundwater contamination case, including some recent developments:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinkley_groundwater_contamination
Your killing me. LOL her name is aron brockovich.
you’re?? ignorance of grammar is a sign of a paragraph to be ignored
“Water will never kill you on a prolonged use.”
No, prolonged excess consumption of water can be and is lethal. This is well known in medicine. You cannot acclimate to a lethal dose of water.
“Now what about carcinogenic ingredients and poison? Once it enters you’re body it stays there.” No, that is not true in general. It’s true for a few substances, but most things don’t accumulate. Simply because something is a “carcinogen” or “poison” does not imply that it accumulates in tissues.
Look, you have no idea what you’re talking about – why are you going around giving out advice when you don’t even know basic facts? I don’t get you people. Are you trying to kill someone by telling them these absurd things?
Bozo-Ben:
GALLONS! If the same 50 gallons is consumed over a little LONGER period of time, it will cause NO harm! SOME poisons though, ACUMULATE. The chemical half-life of DDT in the human body, is more than 40 YEARS, meaning what you absorb today will probably STILL be there when you are OLD, and the LD-50, meaning the dose that will KILL HALF of those who get it, is one HELL of a lot LESS than 50 gallons!
so you would eat Tvp then ? wait… what, water is poison ? Oh my goodness that would explain why I only drink Gin good healthy Gin . mmmmmm
This article made me want to barbeque up a quality all beef hamburger patty, with cheese, onions, dill pickles, tomato, barbeque sauce, and a quality mustard. It sounds like this would be a healthier choice than a lot of the veggie burgers out there. And just one of those real burgers would satisfy enough cravings in me for at least a year. But I am having a salad instead.
I love Salad also even though you don’t win friends with it!!!!!
Probably so.
“Doubting Rich” is taking an extreme example (that water can be bad for you) and misapplying it. But he has a point that it’s extremely difficult to police our food. And not only that, what’s terrible for one person (say a pre-diabetic) can be perfectly fine for another.
So I use a much more basic approach, which is paying attention to my body. I tried some of those veggie burgers when they were on sale a few times. No matter how I tried to convince myself they were healthy, they didn’t make me feel good, I realized.
Because food is widely distributed, we live in a world where if one person eats, another person does not. And that also means there are many people living on the margin who are willing to compromise, rather than go hungry. I shop at high end stores, but buy the most economical things there. That’s much preferable to going to Trader Joe’s, where discount-minded shoppers get the appearance of having a full range of good, expensive food, but where corners are being cut everywhere. In particular, for example, avoid their fish. (“But it’s such a good deal!” a friend said to me.) Right, it’s a good deal. And there’s a reason: Three times, from three different Trader Joe’s I bought swordfish with huge, long worms. How did this happen? Easy. I could see the scars on the skin where the swordfish had been mauled. It’s illegal to sell such fish, but neither complaints to Trader Joe’s management or the Health Department seems to have changed the practice.
Trader Joe’s did offer to refund my money, but that’s not the point. I don’t have the time to police everything I buy, that could literally be a full time job. So I buy stuff that’s simple, buy at expensive stores, and pay attention to what my body tells me.
I do not believe you about the worms since I’ve bought TJ’s swordfish and seen no such thing. You seem more interested in maligning TJ’s. Why?
I do agree that their fish isn’t the best, but then fish is best bought super fresh from a fish market. Would you categorize Whole Foods as an expensive, up-market store? It’s certainly expensive, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s better!
Hi Marty, no problem, I’m following your thinking pretty well.
I realize Whole Foods isn’t the absolute best, but it’s a store folks would recognize. I happen to live walking distance from what might be the most awarded butcher in my state, but not every reader has that luxury.
Trader Joes’ acted disreputably, which is why I called them out. When I phoned the Health Department, they were definitely interested. I purchased swordfish in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Napa, and all had the worms, at various times. This happened a few years ago, so it may not be their current practice. But the fact that the management at two stores just couldn’t possibly care less suggests the rest of their food is pretty much passed over with a blind eye, too.
And as for the worms … well … this is not PG … I’ll tell you exactly what they were like. Picture a garden worm, of the kind that come up when ground is flooded. Now, triple the width, and make the length 9+ inches. Smooth out the ridges. Color the whole thing the same as the fish. The first time I thought it was part of the natural fish — the spinal cord — and cooked it. But these worms, in combination with the very obvious teeth marks biting completely through the swordfish skin made it clear this was an infection caused by the local wound. It’s illegal to sell fish in California that have been wounded like this, and by even doing it — leave the worms aside — Trader Joes’ was grossly breaking the law. And they either didn’t know or didn’t care. I NEVER shop there any more. My guess is that they should be shut down for their practices. The “unusual”, “bargain” brands one gets there absolutely cannot have all gone through rigorous health inspection. I’ve shopped in Chinese and Indian stores, and I can state for 100% certainty, those imported foods are not all rigorously inspected, even if they are sold in the US.
Look at the ingredients of the Gardenburger compared to the other frozen “meatless” burgers! There is nothing BAD in them! I am a personal friend of the creator of the Gardenburger, and ate one of the very first ones he made many moons ago right there in his kitchen! Shame on you when there is much POISON FILLED FOODS ON THE MARKET!
@Gardenburgergirl –
Gardenburger is most likely filled with GMO corn, soy, & canola, plus all of the MSG and who knows what in the “natural flavorings”, & carcinogenic carmel coloring. That’s just a quick rundown of the crap in Gardenburger. It may look more innocuous, but it is just as poison filled as the others.
and don’t forget that a lot of changes get made between creation and mass production. ‘real’ ingredients get swapped for fillers and cheaper substitute ingredients, and sodium and other preservatives get added for flavor and to extend shelf life.
the only two brands I trust with burgers are Amy’s and Sunshine Burgers. Look at their ingredients and you’ll see why. And they’re both organic.
There are lots of easy to make nutloaves with veges in them that you can make easily in a food processor. Some of us use a dehydrator to dry them out and some cook theirs.. Use google took in the vegan world and the raw food world…read China Study to understand need for protein better. We get it in most fruits and veges and overproteinize, which is a precursor to cancer, esp. with flesh protein.
I’m glad you mentioned The China Study. This report from a major, on-going study launched in 1982 about the relationship between nutrition and the spread of cancer, motivated me (at age 87) to transition from an animal based diet to a plant based diet. I was amazed to learn that animal based protein contains an enzyme which contributes significantly to the progression of many forms of cancer as well as many other diseases which bedevil those of us who have lived a lifetime of consuming a lot of animal products + a lot of processed foods + a ton of sugar.
Yes, the causes of human diseases are very complex and the conclusions drawn by T. Colin Campbell and his son from their analysis of the China study data, may be arguable, but a modicum of respect for current research methodologies and a little faith in probability theory make The China Study worthy of our serious consideration. It has revolutionized my eating behavior, and I have solid evidence that my health is improving. My present goal is to be pronounced as one of the more healthy old coots around on the same day that I die.
I feel bad for the commenter above who has to live on $600 per month. His current food choices appear to be contributing to some serious long range problems and misery. I am convinced that for the same expenditures, he could live far better on a plant based diet with a lot of veggie color on his plate and including lots of brown rice, beans and lentils. One does, however, need to pay attention to getting adequate amounts of vitamins A, D and B12; even by using supplements from time to time if necessary. GS
I went to Dr. Campbell’s book signing for “China Study” and heard him speak at the Border’s Book Store. What impressed me was what he said about cancer. He said that the “seeds” of cancer are ubiquitous–we are all exposed to them. But if, like seeds, they do not take root and find nourishment they do no harm. Then he pointed out that cancer’s favorite food is casein, the protein found in dairy products. That was a red flag for me. I avoid cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream and the whole crop of dairy foods. I don’t overdo the other kinds of protein either and consume carbohydrates for 60% of my meals. Here is a link to a documentary on the science behind the dangers of dairy: http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/dairy-foods/the-shocking-truth-about-dairy.html
I am trying to survive on less than $600 a month. I can’t afford anything healthy. I consume white bread, fake chicken wieners, fake chicken patties and no name brand hamburger patties that render a 1/4 cup of fat cooking just one burger. If I have two I must discard a HALF a cup of fat. Pasta, minute rice and peanut butter round off the diet.
There is not a damned thing I can do about it.
Thanx for listening.
“I can’t afford anything healthy” is the most absurd comment of the day. You can’t afford PREPARED food that is healthy, sure, but “healthy” wholesome foods to prepare yourself are generally CHEAPER than more processed foods. A pound of dried beans only needs to be brought to a boil, left covered with the stove off for an hour, rinsed, and simmered for 2 hours in fresh water, for FAR more value than a canned beans. “Minute” rice is also more expensive (and generally less healthy) than good old “regular” rice that you actually cook for half an hour, and if you live by a store with bulk bins, organic rice is generally $2/pound or less. Sales prices on whole wheat bread are no more expensive than white bread. You are certainly not forced to eat “bad” quality meat as opposed to cheaper, and much healthier, forms of protein like beans and lentils. There are many simple recipes for wholesome ingredients like these. Claims that you can’t “afford” to eat healthier disgust me and are entirely untrue.
It’s good that you know how to cook. Obviously, C Smythe does not.
Explaining how C can get more value for his (I assume) money is great. Insulting him and saying that he “disgusts you” for not knowing how to cook food from scratch . . . how exactly is that helpful?
Mike, I’m not sure what’s wrong with your computer screen, but my sentence clearly says “Claims that you can’t “afford” to eat healthier disgust me and are entirely untrue,” not that he “disgusts me” for not knowing how to cook food from scratch. Perhaps you should re-read before you post.
Smythe has noted in his post far more intricate cooking abilities than are necessary to soak and boil beans and rice, lentils, numerous other grains, and the list goes on indefinitely. Nowhere did I suggest that cooking gourmet or fancy foods is necessary to eating better quality foods. His claim is that he can’t “afford” to eat better, which is a claim that is blatantly untrue, as healthier, more wholesome foods do not, actually, cost more than unhealthy foods when being a smart purchaser, and is, yes, a claim that disgusts me. Why you would pretend that either his or my post was about cooking abilities is beyond me.
…And maybe C.Smythe didn’t know s/he could eat healthier for less or how to do it, you self-righteous witch! Why do you feel the need to insult someone for simply being unaware of cheaper ways to eat? Just instruct and move on without putting someone down! It’s not that hard.
People like you who think they have the right to insult someone who genuinely seems unaware that they can eat healthy foods that are fairly inexpensive just because you are more educated about the subject disgust ME. At some point in time, you didn’t know either. You weren’t born with the knowledge – someone told you. Grow up and learn to respect your fellow man.
My son (11 yrs old) has a rare juvenile kidney disease. After years of trial and error and lots of research, we decided to create an alkaline lifestyle for all of us, and incorporate juicing, along with a vegetarian diet. He has been, miraculously, in remission for a YEAR. We are all so much healthier it’s insane. Also, we save so much money not buying meat! We never ate processed or frozen foods, so that hasn’t been a loss, and we keep things as simple as possible. “Can’t afford” is just a hollow excuse from someone just not willing to change. My monthly grocery bill has gone down. 🙂
YESSS! My monthly food bill for my family of 4 has gone way down because a year and a half ago we gave up meat. I too cook brown rice, homemade veggie soups, vegetarian chili’s, egg dishes (we aren’t vegen), stir fry veggies and quonia (did I spell that right?)…and we eat really, really well. It’s been super affordable, and we always have left overs for lunch and dinner on the run! I make giant pots of different kinds of veggie soups and freeze single serving containers in the fridge for “fast food” meals. It’s WONDERFUL!!! I’m saving money, and we are eating better than ever before!
Whoa! No need for meanness. I also am passionate about this issue. I was a broke, starving student for YEARS and managed to eat well on little money while living in a slum and depending on public transportation. Suffice it to say, if you care about consuming a clean, healthy diet, you simply MUST make cooking a larger priority. Use simple, fresh, high quality ingredients. Beans and legumes, once prepared, can be stored in the freezer and used as a base and to add protein to a multitude of dishes. I have been involved in multiple aspects of the organic food manufacturing industry, as well as in organic farming and food production. That is entirely another discussion and probably not worth getting into because it only depresses and confuses further. Even organic isn’t always what people think it is.
Try cooking up organically grown dried beans, and when mixed with a starch like rice or pasta, they make a complete protein with all the needed amino acids. Also use whole grain products whenever available. They fill you up faster and longer. Always use brown rice, and buy whole grain cereals and or breads (try shopping at a bakery thrift store). Never buy package products, always cook from scratch. Look into applying for food stamps. Use meat as a garnish, not an entree (if at all). Buy “reduced for clearance” fresh produce. Pop corn yourself for a snack – never buy chips or other commercially produced snacks. Drink tea instead of coffee.
Granny, that is all great advice! It is absolutely possible to make major improvements to our diet, while being on a tight budget. I say tackle one meal at a time. Come up with some healthy dinner alternatives first…then lunch…then breakfast. 🙂
CSmythe – Sorry for Halli’s ignorant, insulting post. Hopefully it didn’t deter you from coming back here to read the replies, and hopefully you will read this.
Check in your local area for a farmer’s market – there’s bound to be one. I live in a very small town, and about four years ago we started having a farmer’s market every Friday. This past weekend, I was able to purchase 3 pounds of tomatoes for just $2. I also purchased five pounds of oranges for $3, three bell peppers for $1, and five pounds of zucchini squash for $3. That’s a lot of food for just $9!
Dried beans, rice, flour, etc. can often be purchased in bulk for a very small price. If you do not live near a store with bulk bins, they are still affordable when purchased in prepackaged bags from your local supermarket. Try to stay away from minute rice as it’s more expensive. As well, I’m not sure if you’re purchasing pre-formed burger patties (from your post, it sounded like you might be), but it will be much cheaper to purchase packages of meat and make your own burger patties.
Is there a discount bread store near you? There are several types of bread on the market (Nature’s Own comes to mind) that are free of high fructose corn syrup and are 100% whole wheat, no bleached or enriched flour – and they can be found in discount bread stores for about $1 a loaf! Make sure you keep extra loaves in the fridge or freezer so they do not spoil (they are usually close to expiration date [but not expired], which is why they are so cheap).
I wish you luck. It may take a little looking, but you can eat fairly healthy – and perhaps for less money than you are spending now – very cheaply.
I applaud you Lillie for helping C instead of bad mouthing him like the witch.
Excellent advice. Thank you. Possibly Halli is just tired of hearing the excuse that people cannot afford to eat well. It is a pretty lame excuse and entirely untrue. When you feel strongly about something, sometimes one gets a bit militaristic. This is a very important topic. We should aim to assist and educate, not attack.
Buy most of your groceries in the produce section, eschew meat and all meat products. Check out “101 Best Vegan Foods” at your library–a truly great cook book. I live on a Social Security stipend. Since I was able to find an apartment in a low cost federal housing program I manage to pay rent and eat on $800 a month–a miracle in these inflationary times. A dozen NFL players have adopted a vegan diet and claim they feel better and perform better in their sport. Meat is expensive and dangerous to your health. Read “MAD COWBOY: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat” by Howard F. Lyman and Glen Merzer. It is probably available in your public library.
Hi, I’m sorry to hear about your food budget. That must be stressful, to have to make that stretch for a whole month. I have a small food budget for a family of 4 and have a few tips I could pass on to you, that might help you begin to incorporate some healthy items into your months worth of food. I make a big pot of veggie soup, and divide it up into containers and freeze it. It’s really cheap to make, and stretches far, and YUM and very, very good for you. It couldn’t be easier to make: 2 tiny cans of tomato paste in a big pot, add chopped up carrots, cabbage (the best cheapest thing EVER), celery, onions and garlic (I sauté onions and garlic first), canned chopped tomatoes, frozen or fresh green beans (watch for a sale for fresh, so yum.)…cover all with water…almost to top of pot. Cook for 1 hour. When you defrost one of your handy dandy containers, you can create variety by adding beans (super cheap) that you’ve soaked over night, or adding grated cheese (even cheap parm is good), or if you eat meat, you can chop up a chicken thigh/breast/leg and add the meat to your serving…I don’t eat meat, so I don’t do that. You can also make quick dumplings with bisquick (if you eat that, I don’t) or some natural pancake mix…and drop cook them on top of your reheating soup. So many ways to eat well on the cheap. Lots of websites with advice on how to do this too! Good luck! Don’t despair, you can make improvements…even if you start out with baby steps. Every little bit helps. 🙂
Yesterday I celebrated my 1 year anniversary as a vegetarian. I’ve been a foodie all my life and I’ve eaten as well or better this last year than I ever have. One thing I have never liked is imitation food. If I am not going to eat meat, I am not going to eat fake meat.
The best food is eaten as close as possible to the way it came out of the ground. As soon as it is picked food starts to deteriorate. Whenever it’s processed it deteriorates. Is there anything more delicious than a carrot, or cucumber or pepper or tomato that you just picked from your own garden? Not to me.
This disturbs me. I cannot eat many meats due to the effect of severe arthritic pains which are crippling. No beef, lamb, bison, turkey, and some chicken. I have eaten Gardenburgers Garden Vegetable Patties for years, since I still crave burgers. I like the taste of this particular veggie burger only! I can see the black olives, onions, and bell peppers,or parsley in them when I break them in half, and before I cook them those are obvious along the sides of the burgers. I do not know if I can give them up. I do eat chicken, fish and some shellfish; ;but sometimes, sure would like turkey and dressing or a good steak, or meatloaf,or hamburger. Not possible if I want to stand and walk or sit without pain. When I eat a forbidden meat; I am unable to raise my arms to brush my hair. I like the Garden Vegetable Patties.
Can I suggest you look at going raw and reading Victoria Boutenko’s book Green Power and her Roseburg Study. It has been proven that a high raw, high alkaline diet will get rid of most ailments which are largely created by food for example, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, chronic fatigue etc. the other book I recommend is Lick the Sugar habit by Nancy Appleton, this will open your eyes to sugar and how it’s killing us.
Can I also suggest you go to http://www.ted.com and watch Dr Terry Whals talk on her Hunter gatherer diet. Basically she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, incurable apparently, and by year 7 she was immobile. She switched to this diet lifestyle and is now riding horses.
Also google a talk called From the operating table to the dining table, can’t remember the doctor but he explains what happens when we eat commercial food as opposed to a vegetarian diet.
It’s not rocket science, what it is is understanding what we are putting in our bodies. Two more things, please watch the movie Food Inc, the scariest movie about our food source and food chain, then watch Fork over knives.
I hope this helps and I’m willing to put money on this, if you change your diet as per the above recommendations, I fairly certain most of your symptoms and ailments will cease to exist.
Good luck!
MISTAKE. The brand of garden vegetable patties I eat are MORNINGSTAR FARMS! I do not eat Gardenburger products. The exact combination of veggies which I like are Morningstar Farms Garden Vegetable patties! I hope they are full of real veggies, and as nutritious as I like to think!
I appreciate the info on how to be more conscientious consumers, but at the same time it’s important to give some sort of reasonable alternative. This info here is a good reason for us to all voice our opinions to the food producers, letting them know that we’re onto them and demand better. However, if you follow this up with just a home-made veggie burge recipe you have to realize that without a good alternative, people might just go to some other equally-unhealthy or worse (meat) alternative. Processed foods are far from ideal, but for some peoples’ reality they are necessary at times. What is the best way to balance this?
She provided a list of non-hexane veggie burgers in the very first picture at the top of the article. Most are also Organic so you are not going to have GMO’s and MSG in them. Just an FYI….
Man, it seems like you’re terrified of everything! What DO you suggest we eat?? I’d starve to death if I took articles like this seriously.
People: don’t freak out. Remember that the poison is in the dose.
Vegetarian, or vegan. Watch the movie Food Inc, it will help
Here is a link to the definitive scientific research on life expectancy based on different dietary patterns. It is an hour long but the best hour you could ever spend on your own nutritional enlightenment. http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/
I’ve been vegetarian from 25+ years, and get so mad when I read these articles. People tell you not to eat meat, ok, no meat. Don’t eat anything but organic veggies, ok. Don’t eat veggie products like burger, um ok. Don’t drink the water, WTF!!! I am a true believer in everything in moderation, unfortunately we live in a world where some people have no choice in the foods they consume and to belittle them on sites like this is so unhelpful, and so condescending. We all do the best we can and for someone to tell us to just eat beans because they are cheap, good for you etc…. is silly. Rice and beans for every meal, every day? Get over yourselves.
articles like this frustrate me. I am trying really hard to limit the amount of meat my family eats, but as life long omnivores its tough. I admit I buy the soy based meat look alike stuff on occasion, because it looks and feels like beef and my family will eat it. But instead of saying good for you, it may not be the healthiest but at least you are making a start, you get articles screaming abut how horrible we are for eating this garbage. Its why a lot of people are so reluctant to go vegetarian, not because they don’t like veggies, but because if you go vegetarian you still risk being the wrong “sort” of vegetarian. Honestly its enough to make me want to go buy a bunch of steaks and give up the attempt.
Good for you for trying to go more vegetarian (or 100% vegetarian). What the Food Babe is trying to say is that manufacturing companies are misleading us. They are marketing these veggie burgers as healthy when in fact eating these products may lead to just as many negative health complications as eating their real meat counter parts. There are healthy veggie burgers out there made by companies that are not cutting corners or using inexpensive ingredients. Yes they are usually organic and cost a little bit more, but they are worth it in the end. And often times they are still cheaper then buying real meat. Also, if cost is really a big thing make your own. There are lost of recipes online and they are very simple to make. You can make them in big batches to as they freeze well.
Yes and be careful of soy products, watch the movie Food Inc for further information
As if the “soy” part, even organic, wasn’t bad enough. Hypothyroidism is nothing to mess with- why eat soy and take the probable risk?! Unless you’re eating tablespoons of organic fermented soy per week I would recommend staying away from it. My Korean Mother told me this (and also warned me of msg) a long time before the science officially came out.
Shame on Veggie Burger companies who bring all of this poison together to make
us sick. I ate them at one time, but after I read about them I switched back to veggies
and fruit. One way you can tell if your food is good is to lay it out along the road nearby
road kill. If the next morning you notice that the road kill is gone and the product you
were testing is still there, you have your answer. In some cases, road kill is better for
you than processed food. Just be careful if it is moving.
Health is Wealth Sprouted Burgers are amazing! Certified Organic and Non GMO Soy!
I’m really glad I found this site! I’m all about reading labels, and getting toxic chemicals out of our lives! So, I’ve subscribed and will be following this site! Love it!
Thanks!
It is always something. Everyone is different. Watch the labels, learn to cook.
I fail to see why you think someone throwing a BBQ should cater to your needs. It’s their party. If you have dietary restrictions, take some responsibility for that and bring your own entree. Geez!
It might sound stupid to say you cant afford to eat healthy but it is often very true. Organic foods are far more expensive than the crap on the shelves. If you dont believe it, try it yourself. 600 Dollars is not much to live on and maybe its better not to judge people before you know all the facts. I have been a vegetarian since I was 3 and found out where meat came from. Its the lifestyle I have chosen for myself. Vegeburgers can be delicious and I really like them so I will continue to eat them regardless of these “facts”. I had to laugh at the person who says food preferences should not be considered at a BBQ. I come from a very long line of carnivores who have only recently started to consider what I would eat at their house. I appreciate that more than you can know. My daughter, also a vegetarian, and me have always wanted to throw a BBQ with all veggies and veggie products. Somehow, I am thinking Liz might change her mind regarding catering to the needs of others. I congratulate any article that brings things like this to light but I am not sure Americans can do anything in moderation these days. We are no longer the home of the brave, but have become, home of the scared.
Why should I change my mind? I don’t go to other’s people’s homes expecting them to prepare special food for me. If I were having a one on one dinner and I knew the folks were vegs, then it’s another story but when I throw a bbq and it’s a large group of folks, I don’t spend an inordinate amount of time thinking “oh so and so is allergic to wheat and so and so doesn’t eat meat”… Take some responsibility for your diet and your choices I say. In fact, say to the host, hey, since I’m a vegan why don’t you let me bring a special dish! It should not be on the host to dissect everyone’s preferences and needs.
The previous comments have been some of the most informative and entertaining facts and opinions I’ve read in a long while. Thank you all. Btw, great response Rob P.
In 2009 the mom’s in my vegan/vegetarian cooking classes asked me to come up with a healthy veggie burger recipe because of all the reasons in this article. I created a recipe based on quinoa and vegetables and also free of the top 10 food allergens. Long story short we ended up producing these vegan burgers for the public and are now in 5 regions of Whole Foods as well as independent health food stores. We are listed in the list in the article by the cornucopia institute as hexane free veggie burgers. Sadly most people still are not aware of all the information in this article as well as many of them containing GMO and these products are still sold and consumed by many people. Hopefully the information will continue to get out there and informed people can make a better choice.
…I didn’t see Quorn listed in the list of companies that may use hexane? How does that company rate among the evil dooers of veggie burgers and meat alternatives? It’s a job to know what to eat as we “assume” that by choosing a vegetarian alternative it’s better for us but then again, there’s so much information and mis-information and grey areas, who knows what’s truly healthy anymore?
Quorn is awful!
Hello FoodBabe,
Could you please be more specific about Quorn — why are they “awful”? Thanks.
Folks, we shouldn’t expect much from someone who calls herself ‘The Food Babe’.
The topics explored are valid. The chick in charge doesn’t appear to be very serious.
‘Quorn is awful’. How enlightening.
Yeah, I’d like to know why it’s so awful.. Don’t just throw out a blanket statement and not back it up silly babe.
FB,
Quorn is a protein from a soil mold, referred to as mycoprotein
Now, eating soil mold may sound ‘yucky’, but it has to be the most direct cultivation of food from nature. It eliminates animals, insects, even plants from the food chain and provides an extremely efficient way to feed people
What other information can you provide that makes quorn ‘awful’?
Quorn is the only type of Veggie “meat” I can consume because I am unable to eat soy and have to limit my carbs as per doctor’s orders (lowering carbs is the only thing that keeps my cholesterol in check).
I am thankful every day for Quorn ad the only soy-free product currently in the US that I can find.
Quorn is horrendous. I’m sorry to break the news.
Quorn, made from “mycoprotein” or processed mold is one of the most disturbing products I’ve seen being sold at natural food stores everywhere. Many people have gone to emergency rooms for treatment of Quorn-related reactions like vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and, less often, hives and potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions. The British and American governments acknowledge that Quorn foods cause allergic reactions, but rejected Center for Science in Public Interest’s recommendations to bar the use of mycoprotein or require Quorn foods to bear a warning label. I would avoid this product at all costs.
http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=451420348226015&set=pb.132535093447877.-2207520000.1365557840&type=3&theater
So since I have been eating it for over a year with no allergic reaction, then I think that means I am good.
My sweet husband just sent me an email about this article since I have remained a pesceterian for over three years, that is, I eat wild caught seafood, but no meat. On occasion, I have eaten soy burgers, one of them from Trader Joe’s. Your warning about some of these “burgers” has really opened my eyes about the deceptive practices in the food industry. The listed ingredients appear to be benign and beneficial, and we who are consciously trying to eat healthy thought these products were good for us! Not only has my vocabulary been enriched with the word hexane, I am wondering what all of us who are concerned can to do to address this to the grocery stores that market these products, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and any organizations out there who are consumer advocates to make this a greater awareness for the public. Thank you for featuring this story and I have signed up to subscribe to “Food Babe”!
In the Uk we are somewhat tighter regulated about a lot of things in our foods- but as has been in the media here recently highly processed items like burgers pies and ready meals can get stuff slip through , reckon the only way you can be 100% certain of what you are eating is to make it yourself, but someone in a low paid job, working long hours with a family to feed will tend to look for shortcuts that save both time or money, or ideally both and it is these people, not the time rich or cash rich who suffer from the bad practices of Big Food, they are the ones who buy cheap low welfare meat- it’s cheaper than properly raised, they’d buy gm foods-again it’s cheaper, they’ll buy bargain basement food which no-one knows what it really is, or what has been added to it , and this is more what needs to be fixed it’s no good telling people to eat grass fed beef, organic this and that if they can’t afford to buy it
If you want a real eye opener, read and listen to Michael Greger, M.D. and his Daily Nutrition Facts.org Blog
He presents facts about food, additives, carcinomas, etc. We all should all be Vegan. It will give you a healthier life and world.
I read and listen to him and Food Babe.
I know it’s not a good idea to eat processed food but sometimes it’s ok to let yourself have something easy to eat. Not everyone has the time or money to make fresh meals daily. Also, sometimes it’s perfectly fine to have something bad for you. I’m a vegetarian but still eat dairy and eggs because not only do all cheese replacements taste horrible I also have a chance to support my local markets. My local Kroger carries Amy’s burgers for $5.00 per pack and Morningstar for $3.00. It’s perfectly fine to have a quick burger every so often so you can do something with your time besides stand in front of a stove. Cooking is suppose to be a pleasure not a burden and these handy meals allow for time better spent doing something else.
here are two great videos from the university of california which should be ‘must see’ for anyone interested in improving their health:
The Role of the Body’s Natural Defenses in Preventing and Treating Cancer – UCTV – University of California Television
http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=18160
Sugar: The Bitter Truth
http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16717
Wow, some of you are getting very upset that Food Babe has exposed some of these “food-like products” for what they really are. Don’t shoot the messenger. Learn how to read labels, and give food companies your feedback. If it upsets you that this stuff is in your veggie burger, let the company know.
We love this brand of veggie burgers…http://www.hilaryseatwell.com/retail-products
Great stuff! All natural and noooo crap or crappy oils
For being healthy food “experts” these people are astonishingly ignorant or apathetic about the needs of diabetics, especally insulin dependent diabetics. I like the homemade veggie burger recipee, but without knowing the breakdown in terms of gms of fat, protien, and carb per ounce or other measurable unit, impossible for me to safely incorporate it into my diet.
While all you other people are stressing about cancer in 10 or 20 years, i have to worry about a food miscalculation leading to permanent harm or death later this afternoon from blood sugar problems….
Quorn products are not organic. I quit buying them because of this. They are soy and meat free. I have come to the conclusion that we can never be 100% sure about any foods sold. So I try to support my local organic farmers by buying their produce and products at the farmer’s markets whenever I can. It is my understanding that eating a lot of anything, especially processed foods isn’t a good idea, so take it in moderation. I happen to be vegan not because I dislike meat and fish and dairy, because I loved it. But the factory farms and slaughterhouse practices educated me and I can’t do it for ethical purposes. If you wish to avoid GMO products/ingredients, you must be sure the product is organic, and as with Quorn, it doesn’t say organic so you can assume there is GMO used. But everyday I read nightmare tales about what we are eating, and all I can do is try to eat in moderation as much fresh foods as possible and avoid as much processed foods as possible. But none of us will ever be protected from the food industry or the USDA or FDA. Just do the best you can to eat healthy!
So after reading this article, I went to the “About” section. I wanted to learn this lady’s name and do some research on her. I found through my 14 years as a vegetarian that a helluva lot of people who write articles such as these are often employed clandestinely by some of the companies they say are “healthy.” This Food Babe lady does not have her real name listed anywhere. Makes me a little curious as to what she is hiding.
That being said, I have talked to a lot of nutritionists over the years and have never been told to stay away from hexane. You know it IS naturally occurring in nature, and like anything in extreme amounts, can be toxic. Keyword CAN. Just like caffeine, sugar, meat products, hell broccoli can kill you if you eat too much of it. Make smart choices for your diet yourselves, do not accept as Gospel the rantings of someone who will not give her real name on her own website. Listen to everyone, take on blind faith nothing.
My name is Vani Hari – research away! Have fun… you may want to check out my press page too. I’m self employed.
Her name is definitely published and posted A LOT. I don’t know where you’re not looking… She is very transparent; you don’t have to attack her character to make your point. She’s trying to help people and attempting to educate about what is in our food. Take it, or leave it.
Whole foods are always best, especially, whole organic foods. A good rule is, if you can recognize the product (ie an apple or a tomato), or know what’s in it just by looking at it, then it’s probably good to eat. Of course if you made it yourself, then you know what’s in it and presumably you chose healthy ingredients. ANY processed food is bad for you, not only because of the ingredients, but because during processing the food substances are altered. The goal in eating, after all, is to get the nutrition that our bodies need, and you need to be aware that any processing – even cutting up veggies (as in veggies that you buy which have been pre-sliced or chopped) reduces the nutritional value, as does the amount of time that passes since the produce was picked. Grow or pick your own, buy local (organic if possible), and avoid processed foods. Bon appetit!
One more comment – in regard to hexane. Substances that occur in nature and those that are artificially produced are not the same. As with arsenic, for example, which occurs naturally in fruits such as grapes, the amount and quality of what is in the fruit is not toxic, whereas if it is synthesized or given in greater quantities it becomes toxic. (MSG is another example of this, a substance that occurs naturally in some sea weed.) When a substance occurs in nature, in a fruit or a vegetable, it is in combination with other elements that balance and counteract it and all the substances work together for your health. That’s why whole foods are best because you are not isolating any substances from their companions. God made them perfect and you can’t improve on perfection, though we do keep trying! 🙂
Guess what. We’re all going to die anyway! Better 65 happy years enjoying life than 80 miserable years. Eat, drink and be merry!
Who wants to be last after a gillion comments. I’m new, and wouldn’t have sign on had I known the blasting a person exposes themselves to on this potentially wonderful site. As for vegitarian, and soy. It is all disingenuous to claim soy products are bad. For some perhaps. But what I see is so much negative because of soy products, that I know There is a devil who hates for it to be a substitute for the flesh of dead animals. And that devil promotes its disuse. Soy products and all excellent foods need to be used in moderation. The flesh of dead animals is cancer causing; soy is not!
Why do people who seemingly don’t want this information spend so much time commenting on it?
Part of the discussion was how vegatarians handle a BBQ invite. Some recommended bringing their own dish. Vegan BBQ baked beans is a natural choice, but becareful they don’t fall through the grill… 8^)
What are good , organic, vegetarian burger suggestions that can be purchased?
I believe that most reasonable, educated people want to eat healthy and according to what their bodies will or will not tolerate. My daughter is allergic to soy products, for example. Everyone’s daily diet is greatly influenced by budgetary needs as well as convenience. Our lifetime dietary history is really critically important, too. It’s very difficult to deny ourselves that which we have relished eating all of our lives, even if someone like the Food Babe throws up cautionary prohibitions. After reading all these comments about forbidden hexane and the hidden dangers of vegetarian burgers (I must say I love the Morningstar “Grillers” and I am a committed carnivore, too), I will not give up eating one or two “Grillers” a month, either, no more than I’ll turn up my nose at beef steak every two or three months; what I can afford. I advocate “cooking from scratch” as much as I can and no longer eat processed meats like hotdogs, lunch meat or sausage. I use whole wheat products like bread, rolls and pasta; I enjoy brown rice instead of white. Note: recent findings dictate that brown rice must be rinsed and rinsed prior to cooking to lessen the amount of arsenic in it from processing. My daily fiber intake is important and I eat legumes religiously. Note: I was a vegetarian for two years and must say it was healthy eating at its best, but eventually I NEEDED to eat chicken one day…so I ate it! Considering the quality of my life, my needs supersede health concerns these days (I am 75 years old and in generally good health). The dietary routine I’ve established for myself pleases me and I say IS GOOD FOR MY SOUL! I’m too old to deprive myself of good things between now and death simply because Food Babe says it’s a good idea. I am a good cook and fortunately have the opportunity to enjoy life with my family and friends. And that’s the way (uh-huh) I like it! 🙂
GMO
All these “natural” burgers rely heavily on the most commonly genetically modified agricultural products:
rice, soy, sugar, corn, canola and cottonseed.
Many rely on the “dirty-dozen” too – the most heavily chemically sprayed/treated agricultural crops:
potatoes and soy to mention just two.
Our best solution?
Make it at home with non-gmo, organic, local products.
Mix up a big batch, make the patties, and freeze them (vacuum pack if possible) for future use if convenience is the reason you grab these off the grocery shelves.
The BONUS?
They’ll taste way better than the cardboard variety anyway.
Food Babe mentioned a great source for scientifically-based information regarding the foods available to us both in stores and fast food restaurants, it’s the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). CSPI publishes a monthly newsletter called The Nutrition Action Healthletter, which has a plethera of great information on all kinds of food-related subjects. They accept NO paid advertising and have no connections to the food industry whatsoever, they are truly researching and publishing scientifically-based information. The newletter costs about $15 a year and is written in layman’s terms, so it’s an easy read. Check them out at cspinet.org and you can find out more about the Healthletter there. They have been around since 1971, and if you research it, you can verify that they are a good source of information on this subject. It’s pretty horrifying what’s happened to our food supply in the past 40 years or so, and it is more complicated than most of us can understand, as you can see by the chemist’s remarks, but if you get a few really good sources of information, you can figure out what works best for you. It all depends upon what’s important to you and what your priorities are.
Having read this I believed it was really enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this short article together.
I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and leaving comments.
But so what, it was still worth it!
Good day! I know this is kinda off topic but I
was wondering which blog platform are you using for this site?
I’m getting tired of WordPress because I’ve had problems with hackers
and I’m looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be fantastic if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
Real food anyone?
Heh, …just a little frightening.