“Fake meat” products

As a vegetarian I find that sometimes (for a BBQ or easy dinner) I get the beyond meat type products. I know these are not meant to be a super healthy food but I’m curious your thoughts on them and if there is things in particular that I should be looking out for on the occasions that I do buy them.

Hi Melissa,
We definitely prefer whole food sources of protein whenever possible. For a barbecue, try making a black bean or quinoa burger (we have a recipe for Black Bean Burgers with Parsnip Fries you can try)! You can always freeze them for quick and easy dinners and BBQ’s down the road, too. For lazy weeknight dinners, you could do lentil pasta with nutritional yeast or a quinoa bowl (prep quinoa at the beginning of the week to use all week long). If you must buy ready-to-go burgers, still look for ones that are whole food based. Steer clear of uber-processed ingredients (like isolates), natural and artificial colors and flavors, and inflammatory oils like canola or vegetable oil. If you’re choosing a burger with soy or corn in it, make sure to look for organic or non-GMO verified. I looked at a couple of the better options and it looks like most of them use expeller pressed canola oil but for an occasional treat I’d say Beyond, Dr. Praeger’s, and Hilary’s are probably the best options out there. Hope this helps!