subject: Organic Vegetable Burgers: Why They Are Good For You [print this page] Veggie burgers are all the rage among vegetarians, the health conscious or the weight conscious these days. To be able to eat something as delicious as a meat hamburger sans the cholesterol, disease or cruelty is a very good idea indeed. But even when they are now ubiquitous all around the United States, many Americans are still reluctant to replace their meat burgers with veggie burgers. If they only knew how nutritious veggie burgers are. And if they were made from greens of the organic variety, they would even be healthier because you wont get exposed to the health hazards of pesticides and other dangerous chemicals. This is very similar to choosing baby safe natural cleaners and eco-cleaning products and opting for non-toxic cleaning methods to protect your family from exposure to toxic hazards.
But what exactly do they put in a veggie burger patty? Since veggie burgers were originally made for the non-meat-eating public, they were, and still are, made using all-vegetarian ingredients like vegetables, mushrooms, soy, nuts and wheat. It may contain egg and dairy products if the person eating it is an ovo-lacto vegetarian.
As to the question about why some people choose organic veggie burgers over conventional burgers, here are a number of reasons:
Less intake of saturated fat. One of the most common reasons why people opt for veggie burgers is to reduce their intake of saturated fat. Depending on its size, a regular hamburger may contain 4 to 8 grams of saturated fat, which is a significant part of the recommended daily limit of 15-25 grams. On the other hand, veggie burgers contain just 0 to 1 gram of saturated fat.
Less likely to be contaminated. Some people choose to eat veggie burgers because they are less likely to be contaminated by pathogens commonly found in meat, namely E.coli and Salmonella bacteria.
Very nutritious. The nutritional content of veggie burgers is another reason to consider so that you can convince yourself to switch. Veggie burgers made from soy have the phytochemicals known as isoflavones, which may help reduce the risk of cancer or help with the symptoms of menopause. However, people who have had breast cancer are sometimes advised by physicians to eat soy in moderation because of its possible effect on the body's estrogen levels, so always make sure to consult your doctor first before going on any soy-based diet.
Soy is also favored by many people for its protein content. The kind of protein it offers is one that could help lower blood cholesterol levels. Of course, other veggie burgers like those made with nuts and beans are also good sources of protein.
Other veggie burgers are made from another nutritious ingredient: mushrooms. Did you know that a study found out that shitake and white button mushrooms may also help reduce the chances of cancer in people? In 2009, researchers from The University of Western Australia and Zhejiang University in China (2009) found out that the two potent mushrooms have anticarcinogenic properties that stimulate immune responsiveness when consumed together with green tea. The scientists discovered this after studying the dietary habits of more than 2,000 women in southeast China.
So if you're looking for a healthier, natural substitute to beef burgers, going veggie is the way to go. Organic veggie burgers are nutritious and they contain less bad fats for a slimmer, healthier you.
