From Experience Life Magazine:
Most people think of veggie burgers as inherently nourishing, but too many patties are light on vegetables and rely instead on processed soy to achieve a meat-like texture and flavor. Some ingredients to watch out for include Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) which is cheap, chewy and easily absorbs flavor-enhancing chemicals like monosodium glutamate (MSG). Also watch for Caramel Color which many times is made up of sugar and ammonia which yields toxins. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein is a flavor enhancer which is made by boiling plant-based protein in hydrochloric acid and then adding sodium hydroxide. The extracted liquid usually contains MSG. Doesn't sound so appetizing, does it?
Never fear. There is always a whole food alternative. If you're shopping for a good veggie burger, the first ingredient should be a whole food (a vegetable like mushrooms or a legume like black beans or even a whole grain like barley. If you want to get even simpler, try grilling portobello mushroom caps or thick slices of eggplant and zucchini instead. Enjoy!
Most people think of veggie burgers as inherently nourishing, but too many patties are light on vegetables and rely instead on processed soy to achieve a meat-like texture and flavor. Some ingredients to watch out for include Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) which is cheap, chewy and easily absorbs flavor-enhancing chemicals like monosodium glutamate (MSG). Also watch for Caramel Color which many times is made up of sugar and ammonia which yields toxins. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein is a flavor enhancer which is made by boiling plant-based protein in hydrochloric acid and then adding sodium hydroxide. The extracted liquid usually contains MSG. Doesn't sound so appetizing, does it?
Never fear. There is always a whole food alternative. If you're shopping for a good veggie burger, the first ingredient should be a whole food (a vegetable like mushrooms or a legume like black beans or even a whole grain like barley. If you want to get even simpler, try grilling portobello mushroom caps or thick slices of eggplant and zucchini instead. Enjoy!
RSS Feed