Boca Burgers

I think veggie burgers have gotten a bad rap. The days of cardboard textured, dry, tasteless veggie burgers are over. There are some decent tasting veggie burger options out there and I try to use them as part of our personal healthy eating program.

Don’t get me wrong, I like a big, juicy beef burger every once in a while. If you eat meat there’s not much that beats a good burger, especially from the grill. But eating real burgers everyday is not the best long-term healthy diet program. So, can a veggie burger replace a real beef burger? Realistically no, but they can taste pretty good if used properly.

Our current favorite veggie burger is the “Boca Burger Original Vegan”. We have them about once a week in one meal or another. They are low in calories and fat, have a good amount of fiber, and taste pretty good. We get ours at Costco in the 16 burger box, which is enough for at least one month in our two person household. So, how do I prepare these things anyway?

  • As a “traditional” burger- I’ll cook them in a non-stick skillet using a teaspoon of olive oil. Since the burgers are frozen I start them off on medium for a few minutes to thaw them a bit before finishing them off on medium high. They can dry out if you cook them too long so keep an eye on them. I put them on a toasted whole grain bun and garnish them with tomatoes, lettuce, onion, catsup, and relish. Not a bad substitute for the real thing and definitely a lot healthier.
  • As a meat substitute in recipes calling for beef- This has become my favorite way to use veggie burgers. Whenever I cook something that has beef in the recipe I use an equivalent amount of Boca Burgers. I just heat them up in the skillet to thaw them out, chop them up, and put it in whatever I am cooking. Chili, stews, soups, tacos, and burritos are all fair game for the “fake” beef. The texture is a very good substitute for real beef.

If you are looking for a healthy alternative to traditional beef burgers, give the Boca Burgers a try. They aren’t a 100% substitute for the real thing but they have the texture and flavor to make them a palatable alternative.

How do you use veggie burgers and are there other veggie burgers you like better than Boca Burgers?