The Hi protein veggie burger is a plant-based burger that is high in protein. Veggie burgers like this are becoming increasingly popular among vegetarians, vegans, and even meat-eaters looking to add more plant-based options to their diet. Knowing the ingredients in the Hi protein veggie burger can help you understand what gives it its nutritional profile as well as appeal to your personal dietary preferences.
Main Ingredients
The main ingredients in the Hi protein veggie burger are:
- Soy protein concentrate – This is the primary source of protein in the burger. Soy protein provides all 9 essential amino acids.
- Pea protein isolate – Pea protein also contains high quality protein and boosts the protein content further.
- Vegetable fiber – This adds texture and bulk to the burger so it has a meaty, juicy bite.
- Sunflower oil – The main added fat source that provides flavor and moisture.
- Natural flavors – Help replicate the taste of meat.
- Spinach powder – Provides extra vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
- Beet powder – Adds striking color to mimic raw meat.
- Methylcellulose – Used as a binder to hold the burger together.
These core ingredients give the burger its distinctly meaty texture and taste while providing high protein content from plant sources.
Nutrition Facts
Here is the nutrition information for the Hi protein veggie burger based on a 113g patty:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 190 |
| Total Fat | 7g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 350mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 9g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g |
| Total Sugars | 1g |
| Protein | 26g |
| Calcium | 100mg |
| Iron | 3mg |
| Potassium | 300mg |
As you can see, the Hi protein veggie burger is high in protein at 26g per patty, which is about 50% of the daily value. It is also rich in fiber, calcium, iron, and potassium while being low in saturated fat and sodium. The calories come mostly from the protein and healthy fats. There are no cholesterol or trans fats.
Benefits
The Hi protein veggie burger has several benefits that make it a smart choice compared to beef burgers:
- Higher in protein than beef – You get 26g protein for 190 calories compared to 20g protein for 257 calories in a beef burger patty.
- More fiber – At 4g of fiber, the veggie burger provides more satiating fiber than a beef patty.
- No cholesterol – The plant-based burger contains no cholesterol unlike beef which has over 80mg in a patty.
- Less saturated fat – With just 1g saturated fat, the veggie burger is lower than the 5g in beef.
- Packed with nutrients – The veggie burger provides 100mg calcium, 3mg iron, 300mg potassium plus vitamins and antioxidants from ingredients like spinach.
- Environmentally friendly – The plant-based burger has a lower carbon and environmental footprint than beef production.
Overall, the Hi protein veggie burger provides an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals from plants without the downsides of saturated fat, cholesterol and high sodium content in beef. It’s an excellent option for those looking to add more plant-based foods to their diet.
Potential Concerns
While the Hi protein veggie burger has some clear advantages over beef burgers, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Allergies – Some of the ingredients like soy could cause issues for people with food allergies.
- Less “meaty” – The flavor and texture, while very close, may not fully replicate beef for some.
- More processed – With extra ingredients and processing required, it is more processed than plain beef patties.
- Higher sodium – With 350mg sodium per patty, it is moderately high in sodium content.
- Non-GMO status – The product packaging does not indicate if ingredients used are non-GMO.
Checking for any allergy risks, paying attention to sodium intake, and verifying production methods may be warranted based on individual preferences and dietary needs.
Ingredient Sourcing
The company website and packaging does not provide a lot of details about where they source their ingredients for the Hi protein veggie burger. However, here are some reasonable assumptions:
- Soy protein is likely sourced from major soy producers like Brazil, the United States, or Argentina.
- Peas for pea protein could come from Canada, France or China – top pea producing nations.
- Vegetable fiber likely comes from abundant sources like sugar beets, corn, oats or wheat.
- Sunflower oil probably comes predominantly from Ukraine, Russia, Argentina, China or Europe.
- Spinach is a globally produced crop, the powder could come from anywhere including the U.S.
- Beets are common in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Eastern Europe so the powder may be sourced from those regions.
Ideally, the company would provide more transparency about their supply chain and source ingredients from ethical producers. But in absence of specifics, these are safe assumptions on potential geographic sourcing based on top global producers of the ingredient crops.
Production Process
While the full manufacturing process for the Hi protein veggie burger is proprietary, we can make some educated guesses as to how it is produced based on some typical steps used in making commercial veggie burgers:
- All the dry ingredients like soy protein, pea protein, vegetable fiber, spinach powder, beet powder, and flavors are added to a large high-speed mixer.
- Liquids like sunflower oil and water would be added to the dry mix and thoroughly combined to form a batter.
- The methylcellulose binder helps the batter emulsify and take on a meat-like texture.
- The batter is likely extruded through a die machine to shape it into patties.
- The shaped patties are then sent through an oven, grill or possibly steam chambers to cook and set the structure.
- After cooking, the burgers are quickly cooled in a chiller.
- Finally, the patties are packaged either fresh or frozen depending on distribution requirements.
This represents typical large-scale food processing techniques used for producing veggie burgers in mass quantities. The equipment allows efficient forming of the patties to consistent sizes and thorough cooking for food safety.
Nutritional Comparison to Beef Burgers
Comparing the Hi protein veggie burger to a typical beef burger patty shows some distinct nutritional advantages:
| Nutrient | Veggie Burger | Beef Burger |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 190 | 257 |
| Protein (g) | 26 | 20 |
| Total Fat (g) | 7 | 18 |
| Saturated Fat (g) | 1 | 5 |
| Fiber (g) | 4 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 350 | 74 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | 80 |
The veggie burger clearly wins when it comes to protein, fiber, sodium and cholesterol. The only advantages of the beef burger are slightly fewer calories from fat and no processing. But overall, the nutritional profile of the Hi protein veggie burger is superior.
Cost Analysis
The retail cost of the Hi protein veggie burger versus beef burger patties reveals that the veggie option is more expensive:
- Hi protein veggie burger – $5.49 for 2 patties ($2.75 per patty)
- Beef burger patties – $3.99 for 4 patties ($1.00 per patty)
This works out to the veggie burgers costing about 2.75 times more than the basic beef patties. Factors that contribute to the higher cost include:
- Specialized ingredients – The unique mix of pea protein, soy protein, vegetable fiber and beet powder is more expensive than just ground beef.
- Involved manufacturing – Extensive processing, cooking, freezing, and packaging ramps up production costs.
- No government subsidies – Unlike beef which is heavily subsidized in the U.S., veggie burgers lack government support.
The added cost may be worthwhile for some consumers depending on their budget and values. But there’s no doubt beef still enjoys an advantage in terms of basic ingredient and production costs. Innovation in manufacturing and increased consumer demand may help lower veggie burger prices over time.
Conclusion
The Hi protein veggie burger delivers high protein, fiber and nutrients from its blend of soy, pea, and vegetable ingredients. It has noticeable advantages compared to beef when looking at most nutritional parameters. The higher cost can be justified for many consumers by the environmental and health benefits. Checking for allergies and sodium levels provides prudent precautions for certain dietary needs. Overall, the Hi protein veggie burger provides a nutritious plant-based option as an alternative to traditional beef burgers. Careful selection of quality ingredients and efficient manufacturing techniques allow this innovative commercial product to mimic the satisfying taste and texture of meat while providing a more balanced nutritional profile.