The Healthiest Store-Bought Veggie Burgers

We picked the healthiest and best tasting store-bought veggie burgers for you.

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Published on July 9, 2018

The veggie burger section has exploded with more options than ever, especially when it comes to believably beefy flavors and textures. But are store-bought veggie burgers good for you-and do they taste good? We love making our own homemade veggie burgers when there's time, but keeping a box of veggie burgers in the freezer can be convenient and healthy. We inspected the nutrition labels of 23 varieties, tasted 14 patties that stood up to our standards, and flipped for these winners.

Best Store-Bought Veggie Burgers

Beyond Meat: The Beyond Burger

The texture and taste are truly beefy. It even cooks like meat-rare to well done.

Field Roast FieldBurger

Shiitake and porcini mushrooms give this burger an irresistible umami kick.

MorningStar Farms Grillers Original

Veggie burgers can be dry, but these patties are deliciously moist.

Amy's All American Veggie Burger

We liked the spices in this hearty burger, made with organic bulgur.

The Impossible Burger

The Impossible Burger is one deliciously meaty meatless option we're fans of. Made with a yeast-based "heme" to mimic blood, it even oozes juices like meat. You can't buy it in stores.… yet. But restaurants ranging from hip gastropubs to White Castles are now serving it up. Visit impossiblefoods.com to find locations near you.

Numbers to Look For

(per patty)

Sodium: ≤440 mg

Protein: ≥8g

How to Buy a Veggie Burger

Sleuth the Sodium

Veggie burgers are sodium-rich by nature and that's before you add the bun, ketchup and cheese. We chose patties with 440 mg or less to allow for all the other good stuff.

Pump Up the Protein

Generally, plant-based burgers aren't as high in protein as those made with meat. To get a sustaining dose, look for versions with at least 8 grams.

Don't Sweat the Calories

What?! No calorie target? Yes, you read that right. The average veggie burger has about 200 calories (of our picks, the highest was 290). We aim for entrees to come in under 500 calories, so even with a bun (about 120 calories) and toppings, almost any veggie burger is a light choice.