Gardein Burger

I wasn't always Vegan; in fact, it's only been about 10 years since I've eaten meat and 7 years since I quit dairy, BUT what I do remember is what a juicy burger tasted like. Like many of us Vegans, we didn't stop eating meat because we didn't like the taste of it, we quit because we no longer wanted to contribute to the suffering of another being. Now, Vegan Burgers are becoming crazy popular which leads us to only one possible conclusion - Vegan Burger Taste Test. 10 years ago, all of these Vegan Burgers were NOT available! I mean, Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger have just come out over the past 2 years. How lucky are we ALL to have incredible options. No one NEEDS to eat meat anymore. For this Vegan Burger Taste Test, I have chosen the 3 most animal burger-like burgers I could get my hands on and cooked them each in their own pans as to not mix any juices. -> That statement just weirded me out but honestly I want to give a review that you can take to an omnivore as well and ask them to try one of these. Mr. VeggL came in to this test having NO idea which burger was which. I labeled the bottom of 3 plates with each one. Let's Get Started! The Contestants: The 365 Whole Foods Plant Based Vegan Burger ($3.99 for 4) 120 Calories 11 Grams Protein Primarily made of Soy Contains Wheat GMO Free The Beyond Meat Burger (5.99 for 2) 290 Calories 20 Grams Protein Primarily made of Pea Protein Soy Free & Gluten Free GMO Free The Gardein Ultimate Beefless Burger (4.79 for 4) 140 Calories 9 Grams Protein Primarily made of Soy Contains Wheat GMO Free The Toppings: Romaine Lettuce 365 Cheddar Slice A Spicy Mayo with Chili Garlic Sauce Earth Balance Vegan Mayo Pickle Sandwich Slice The Verdict: 365 Whole Foods Plant Based Burger Jen: #1--My Favorite! Back in my animal meat eating days, Burger King's char-grilled taste was my preferred burger. THIS one reminds me so much of this, it honestly shocks me. Ryan: #1a. This was my favorite just barely edging out the Beyond Burger. It reminded me of a Whopper patty from Burger King, as well. The patty was thin with a char-grilled taste--really closely mimicked the taste and texture of a burger. Beyond Meat Burger Jen: #2 in the order of best burger. Eating Beyond Meat Burgers kind of weird me out. I know that by eating it at home, it is vegan, because I physically take it out of the package. Out at a restaurant, I get a little nervous and second guess that it might be meat. This one really is the most like animal meat because of the texture, taste AND look of it. Even when it's cooked, it still has that red color of a medium cooked burger. I generally do not seek out a Beyond Meat Burger nor do I buy it often--cost is higher than the others. Ryan: #1b. The Beyond Meat Burger was my second favorite, although, it was really close to the 365 Burger. The patty is much thicker than the other 2 and looks visibly more like a burger than the others. Taste and texture were also very close to an animal based burger but taste-wise I liked the 365 a bit more. Gardein Jen: #3--last place :( Yes, the Gardein Burger is in last place; however, I still really do like this one and buy it to cook at home. This does have a burger taste--it just doesn't have the taste I prefer or the look that would necessarily appease meat eaters or those transitioning. Ryan: The Gardein was my least favorite of the 3, but having said that, I still enjoyed it. I enjoyed it in the same way that you enjoy the burger that obviously came out of the economy box of animal based burgers that you grill up on a 4th of July BBQ. It had the taste and texture of one of those cheap burgers but with a little ketchup and mustard and the right situation, it can hit the spot. As you can see, we really have no gripes on any of these--I think they are personal preference. Let us know on Instagram or Facebook which is YOUR favorite! + Edit Addition: After we posted this review, we had Mr. VeggL's parents visit for a weekend. I made them Vegan Burgers with our #1 pick, the 365 Plant Based Burger. They chose to top it with the Follow Your Heart American Cheese, a slice of tomato and Hellman's Vegan Mayo. To preface, The Follow Your Heart American Cheese AND Provolone were both eaten as a plain slice by my mother-in law. She knew it was Vegan but could NOT tell it was. Same thing with the Mayo--she tasted NO difference than an animal based product. As for the Burger, both of them really liked it, especially my mother-in-law. She mentioned it tasted grilled and could not believe it was completely vegan. She has been choosing to eat less red meat so finding out that plant based options are JUST as good, was huge for her! I think THIS is a pretty great review coming from omnivores! If you enjoyed this vegan burger taste test, sign up for our super awesome vegan emails so you can get reviews like this one right in your mailbox. Happy Grillin' -Jen