Frequently Asked Questions

Where do veggie burgers get their protein?

First of all, burgers made with animal products bring saturated fats, and cholesterol along with protein. Our body then expends energy to convert the animal protein to amino acids and then our body makes protein from those amino acids. The ingredients of veggie burgers provide all the amino acids required for the body to build protein without expending the energy to digest the animal products.

Is the plant protein in veggie burgers healthier than animal protein?

Animals including dairy cows are fed antibiotics, hormones and grains loaded with toxins. The animal then concentrates these ingredients 1000:1 in their fat cells. The medical field is now faced with children coming into hospitals developing prematurely. S. Sukmar, PhD head of the Johns Hopkins research department on breast cancer gave a talk, at Veggie Fest Chicago 2009, describing the state of young children coming into the hospital. She attributed their premature sexual development entirely to the over consumption of animal products. On the positive side, the World Health Organization has shown worldwide the direct correlation of increased consumption of unrefined plant foods, the kind used in veggie burgers, to a decrease in deaths from heart disease and cancer. This was also found in the most comprehensive study published to date – the China Study.

How many veggie burgers do I have to eat to get comparable protein as from meat?

Actually broccoli has the same amount of protein per calorie as steak. Veggie burgers are very rich in unrefined beans, grains and veggies – providing more than adequate high quality protein without the saturated fats and cholesterol.

Why will I lose weight eating veggie burgers?

Veggie burgers are nutrient dense with protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals – you don’t need to eat between meals. They are very low in total and saturated fats while providing small amounts of good fats such as polyunsaturated and mono-saturated oils as well as being an excellent source of Omega 3’s. Eating veggie burgers can be one important step in breaking the addictive eating habits of high calorie, low nutrient density junk food snacks in between meals or for the main meal. Sugar and caffeine trigger brain receptors that make us crave them more because they don’t do the total job. Veggie burgers rich in amino acids provide the body with what it takes to produce the hormones that naturally trigger the brain receptors – thus being a vital part in breaking the addictive habits that lead to obesity.

Why are veggie burgers good for those who exercise?

Exercisers eating veggie burgers before a workout will not experience energy crashes. They are also great after a strenuous workout – helping you recover faster. Take a look at most energy bars and energy drinks – they are loaded with white sugar and caffeine. These are artificial ways to maintain energy. World class bikers on the Tour de France eat food rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and good for you fats while completely avoiding excess sugar and caffeine which cause temporary ups followed by crashes in energy. Unrefined plant foods found in veggie burgers release their energy to the blood stream slowly over time.

“I love Veggie Power Burgers after a hard workout. Veggie burgers taste great, fill me up and provide all the nutrition I need to power my next physical session.” Brian M. Chicago

(Brian led bicycle (mountain and road bicycle) tour groups from Canada to Mexico on the continental divide trail and across country from San Diego to Jacksonville.)

Are the veggie burgers vegan?

28 out of 30 veggie power burgers are vegan. All 10 of the breakfast patties are vegan and 18 of the 20 veggie burgers are vegan. The two that have cheese can be converted to vegan without changing the taste. The Japanese Aduki Bean burger has goat cheese, but vegan white cheese can be substituted. The Italian mushroom burger has swiss cheese, but vegan cheese can be substituted too.

Are the veggie burgers made with soy?

Of the 20 burgers and 10 patties and only 2 burgers contain soy in the form of extra firm soy cakes, while two contain soy in the form of tempeh, fermented soy. Veggie burgers are made with a wide variety of beans and grains, not relying on soy as a main ingredient.

What about gluten – can the veggie burgers be made gluten free?

Many of the burgers are thickened with whole wheat bread crumbs and/or quick oats (both of which contain gluten), but they can be thickened with whole grain gluten-free corn or rice flour.

Where can I buy the veggie burgers described in your cookbook?

For now, the veggie burgers are only made by you at home. We are looking into making them available in your food market as frozen food next year.

How much does it cost to make veggie burgers and how long does it take to prepare them?

For less than $5 you can make 12 veggie burgers in about 30 minutes.

What are the kitchen tools you need to make veggie burgers at home?

The basics would be a potato masher or strong fork to crush the beans, a knife and cutting board to chop the veggies, a frying pan to sauté the veggies and then either mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with the same potato masher or if you own a food processor, use it.

Why do the veggie burgers in your cookbook prevent diabetes type II?

Type II diabetes is very dependent on our diet. A lifestyle change of consuming most of your calories from unrefined plant foods has been shown to prevent and reverse type II diabetes. See Eat To Live, by Joel Fuhrman, MD for his recommendations. Always be sure to work with your own physician.

Isn’t it easier to prevent cancer by taking pills with the same ingredients in them as found in your veggie burgers?

Joel Fuhrman, MD has stated, “Cancer is much more preventable than treatable,” p58 Eat to Live. Natural food substances such as: allium compounds, flavonoids, isoflavones and lignans (and more than one can count – over 10,000 natural ingredients have been found in tomatoes) are found in unrefined plant foods that have been proven effective in preventing cancer through many rigorous scientific studies. There are 27 categories of natural food substances in unrefined plant foods. Their synergistic effect can only be had by eating the foods they come in, not by taking pills. Veggie burgers, as part of a lifestyle change to consume more unrefined plant foods, particularly cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, and cabbage (high in isothiocyanates), and onions and leeks are particularly beneficial in preventing cancers.

Are veggie burgers high in calories?

Veggie burgers range from 70-130 calories each. They are high in protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber, all of which promote good health.

Will my blood pressure go down as a result of eating Veggie burgers?

One cause of increased hypertension is our reliance on salt to make food taste “good.” This is an acquired taste. The recipes for veggie burgers recommend sea salt “to taste.” No salt is actually required to make a veggie burger taste great – instead these Power Burgers rely on a variety of spices. Foods naturally have sodium in them – why add more salt. Over time, our tastes adjust and we come to enjoy food with a variety of spices rather than making a boring food palatable by adding salt. A second reason for hypertension is the low consumption of fiber in our diets. All the veggie burgers in our cookbook contain unrefined legumes (beans) and whole grains both rich in fiber.

Will my cholesterol go down as a result of eating veggie burgers?

Twenty eight of the thirty burgers are vegan containing no cholesterol. The other two veggie burgers can be made vegan by substituting vegan cheese. As part of a lifestyle change, the portion of your blood cholesterol contributed by food will definitely decrease. Fiber contained in unrefined plant foods in veggie burgers has been found to lower (LDL) bad cholesterol and raise good (HDL) cholesterol.

Why are veggie burgers Eco-Friendly?

It is impossible to deny that the animal producing industries such a meat, chicken, turkey, pork, and dairy contribute more to the pollution of our planet and more to global warming than even driving an SUV to work. Then there is the issue of water consumption – animal products use thousands of times more water to produce the same calories and proteins as do unrefined plant foods. Starvation in third world countries could be avoided by shifting our food production away from the use of grains to feed animals to grains that could be exported to those in need. Unrefined plant production does not require the use of growth hormones or antibiotics as routinely used in animal production. Organic farming eliminates the use of pesticides that pollute our planet. But even non-organic farming is far safer for the planet and for our bodies. As we go up the food chain from the simple plants used in a veggie burger to an animal such as a cow, the pesticides found in the grain fed to the cow are further concentrated to higher more toxic levels in the animal’s fat.

Can veggie burgers and patties be frozen?

Most veggie burgers are freezer friendly. An exception would be the burger containing celery. The patties are particularly good taken from the freezer and sautéed for a high energy breakfast.

I’ve read that arthritis results from inflammation caused by the food we eat. Do Veggie burgers reduce inflammation?

CAD, coronary artery disease, has been directly linked to high cholesterol. The China Study, the World Health Organization’s studies and NIH show that CAD is extremely rare in populations that eat most of their calories from unrefined plant foods. An increase in the B vitamins, found in abundance in veggie burgers naturally decreases arterial inflammation that leads to CAD. Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis by adding green leafy vegetables, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, ginger, and walnuts to your diet.

Why are phytochemicals found in veggie burgers important?

Unrefined plant foods are loaded with a variety of natural food substances such as phytochemicals that have been proven to reduce the risk of both cancer and heart disease. A tomato, for example, has over ten thousand such ingredients. It would be impossible to capture the totality and synergistic effects of these substances that are only now being studied in detail, in a pill. Veggie burgers are loaded with all the natural substances found in the vegetables, legumes, grains and spices.

Why do veggie burgers aid in preventing cancer?

Doctor Joel Fuhrman, MD, in his best selling book, Eat To Live, has stated cancer is easier to prevent and difficult to treat. He recommends a vegan diet with very little oil. Veggie burgers can be cooked using only Canola or Olive oil sprays. Eating veggie burgers as part of a total lifestyle change including the consumption of most of our calories from unrefined plant foods, increased exercise and meditation to reduce stress are large steps in the prevention side versus the treatment side.

There is a quinoa burger in your veggie burger cookbook. What is quinoa and why is it good for me?

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah) is a seed. Quinoa is a gluten free grain that is very high in protein, calcium, iron and a good source of vitamin E and B vitamins. Quinoa contains all the essential amino acids plus several not found in other grains such as wheat: lysine, cystine and methionine. Quinoa is easy to cook in a ratio of 1:2 grains to water in only fifteen minutes. Lightly frying (without oils) uncooked quinoa first adds a toasty flavor.

What is tempeh and how does it differ from adding soy to veggie burgers?

Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake with a nutty mushroom taste. It is a complete protein food containing all the essential amino acids along with the highest concentration of isoflavones that strengthen our bones and contribute to overall health. It is usually steamed a few minutes to remove any bitterness but many eat it raw.

How will veggie burgers help in maintaining my youthful appearance?

Veggie burgers in this cookbook are rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids that increase the metabolic rate in your tissues and keep your skin soft and your hair shiny and soft. These veggie burgers are also rich in folic acid which stimulates the regenerative processes for your cells and tissues. Zinc which is a trace element in nuts, participates in over 300 enzyme reactions in our body to rejuvenate your connective tissues, provide healthy skin and help maintain mental alertness. When we are over stressed, zinc is a great healing remedy.

If I eat veggie burgers will I still need to take a multi-vitamin with minerals?

Most health professionals recommend we take a high quality multi-vitamin supplement on a daily basis, particular as we age and our body’s ability to absorb vitamins and minerals decreases. Many vitamins and minerals are more readable absorbed from natural unrefined plant foods than from animal products or pills that often go through our digestive system without completely dissolving. Calcium is a perfect example. The rate of absorption of calcium from dark green leafy vegetables versus from dairy is much higher. Furthermore, dairy products come loaded with phosphorus that must be PH balanced in the bloodstream by extracting calcium from our bones. To prevent osteoporosis the two things you can do are stop drinking sodas loaded with phosphoric acid and animal products which are high in phosphorus.

I like to eat fish, aren’t they as healthy as veggie burgers?

Recent studies show fresh water fish from streams across the entire United States have high toxic levels of mercury – a result of rain containing mercury compounds from burning coal. The toxic levels are higher in fish than in plant foods because the mercury is concentrated in the body of the fish over several years as the fish grows to maturity. The plants found in veggie burgers are harvested on a seasonal bases and don’t have the same concentrating mechanisms as do animals.

Are there any uses of the veggie burger mixes other than making a burger?

In Joel Fuhrman’s best seller, Eat To Live, he recommends that we treat the salad as the main meal. Sprinkling a crumbled up veggie burger that has been sautéed with only a light spray of canola oil on the pan, is a great way to turn a simple salad into a complete satisfying and filling meal.

Are there any specific products you recommend above others when you make veggie burgers?

If you look at the salt content of a soup, you will be startled at how many mg of sodium it contains. Canned beans have less but often contain as much salt as soup. For the veggie burgers in our cookbook, we recommend using Eden organic no salt beans or purchasing raw uncooked beans and cooking them yourself. The veggie burger cookbook has a table on “how to” cook beans. Of course canned beans are cheap, but raw beans are even cheaper.

If you don’t add salt to veggie burgers where does the flavor come from?

First of all, all plant products naturally contain some salt. Typically a veggie burger will already have between 30 and 100mg of naturally occurring salt. We use spices and natural flavorings to enhance the taste of the beans, grains and veggies in the veggie burgers. A list of the flavorings and spices is as follows (each burger has a different mix of these ingredients hence the wide variation in tastes of these burgers with international flavors:

Agave nectar
Ancho chili powder
Basil
Chili powder
Cilantro
Cloves
Coriander powder
Cumin powder
Curry powder
Garam masala
Garlic cloves
Ginger grated
Honey
Kalamata olives
Lemon juice and lemon zest
Marjoram
Mint
Molasses
Mrs. Dash
Mustard – dry
Nutmeg
Orange juice and orange zest
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Salsa – medium
Sesame oil – toasted
Sundried tomatoes
Tahini
Tamari – fermented soy sauce
Tarragon
Thyme
Turmeric
White miso

Do your veggie burgers contain nuts and seeds? I’m allergic to peanuts.

Since these veggie burgers are prepared by you from a cookbook, you have total control over what goes into them. Several of the veggie burgers call for peanuts – if you are allergic to peanuts, simply avoid them – or substitute another nut you are comfortable with. For example the Thai Peanut Burger could be made with cashews and cashew butter instead of with peanuts. The variety of nuts and seeds in these veggie burgers enhances the healthy properties of the burgers and many vitamins and minerals are found in nuts and seeds. The table below lists the variety used in the 30 veggie burgers and patties:

Almonds
Caraway seeds
Cashews
Peanuts and peanut butter
Pumpkin seeds
Quinoa
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts