I was really excited when “Sunshine Burgers” offered to host my review lunch. I already knew that I liked them and thought “What a great excuse for a girlfriend’s lunch”!
Having been a vegetarian my whole life, I’ve eaten my share of Veggie burgers good and bad. Recently I’ve been making an effort to pay more attention to the ingredients in my prepared foods. I was shocked that some of the packages have things listed that I cannot even pronounce and have no idea what they are. This is an ingredient list in a packaged veggie burger from a major brand.
All this time I thought I had been clean eating! Clearly there was room for improvement. A few months ago, while shopping at Whole Foods, I found Sunshine Burgers. When I checked the label on these babies this is what I found:
Organic cooked brown rice, organic ground raw sunflower seeds, organic carrots, organic spices, sea salt.
– See more at: http://www.sunshineburger.com/products/garden-herb/#sthash.zbVPcM6Y.dpuf
5 ingredients! I know what you’re thinking-the same thing I was-how could these possibly be good? You would be wrong and so was I. I was immediately hooked on these. They have a homemade flavorful taste and feel that is satisfyingly good. I knew instantly that these were my new go to for a quick healthy lunch.
According to their site http://www.sunshineburger.com/products/garden-herb/
“Sunshine Burgers are made with whole good ingredients. We start with organic ground raw sunflower seeds and organic cooked brown rice, other organic ingredients are added to create seven distinct flavors.”
The Flavors:
Garden Herb
Loco Chipotle
Shitake Mushroom
Black Bean Southwest
Quarter Pound Original
Barbeque
Breakfast Hemp and Sage
Falafel
All products are Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan, Verified Non-GMO certified organic and fully cooked. This makes them versatile enough to add into any diet.
Sunshine Burger has been dedicated to offering delicious, wholesome, vegan burgers made with non-GMO, organic whole-food ingredients. Our burgers are pre-baked and browned, and are free of gluten, wheat, soy, corn, oats, dairy, eggs, tree nuts and peanuts.
– See more at: http://www.sunshineburger.com/about-us/#sthash.fZ0kszIy.dpuf
I thought it would be fun to have a few of the girls over for lunch and a taste test. 5 friends joined me for the feast, only 1 of whom is a vegetarian. We had two varieties of Sunshine Burgers to try today “Loco Chipotle” and “Garden Herb”. I decided to go with a Southwestern theme making a layered salad and serving the Sunshine Burgers on top with a cilantro lime vinegarette.(recipe below)
We all tasted both the Loco Chipotle and the Garden Herb on top of our salads with a mango salsa. One friend preferred the milder taste of the Garden Herb but felt even her kids might eat the Loco Chipotle. Another commented, “this is the first ever veggie burger that I’m actually going to look for in the store and try with my whole family”. She felt her husband would find it satisfying for a meal if served with a bun. My health conscious vegan friend who is on a pretty strict diet, was amazed that she had never seen or heard of these before. She has a hard time finding prepared foods that fit her needs. She loved the taste of the Loco Chipotle and was excited to share her find with her husband, who is also a new vegetarian. Another friend, was surprised by how satisfying they were for the calories.
Looking at the nutritional info, I notice the low sodium and sugar content as well as the 8 grams of protein. The majority of the fat comes from the healthy Polyunsaturated type.
Nutritionally, it’s hard to find a prepared vegetarian/vegan protein source of this quality. Everything tends to have so much added salt and sugar. Paired with my salad, this was a satisfying lunch even a non vegetarian would love. I didn’t feel the need to snack in the afternoon today and didn’t feel like I was eating any kind of “diet” food.
In my area, Sunshine Burgers are carried at Whole Foods and Safeway. I have only been able to find 2 varieties of the 7 to try. I am on a mission to find the rest especially the Falafel and the Breakfast Hemp and Sage.
Make one of these amazing salads for yourself- it’s super easy with a big “Wow” factor
- lettuce of your choice-chopped to fill half the bowl
- bag of shredded carrots
- bag of frozen corn thawed
- edaname-defrosted
- Cucumber sliced
- Cherry tomatoes-halved
- 2 Avocados sliced
- Dressing:
- juice of 1-2 limes
- bunch of cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper-seeded
- 1/2 C Apple Cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- Layer ingredients in any order you choose alternating colors of vegetables until you fill the bowl.
- For dressing:
- blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth
You can also make this super easy Lime Cilantro dressing. I like to whip some up and use it during the week on different salads or for a marinade.
I love that I found these veggie burgers and that they are a healthy way for me to get more protein into my salads.
Have you tried Sunshine Burgers? What is your favorite flavor?
What is your favorite Vegetarian Protein source?
Although Sunshine Burger provided me with the products to taste, all opinions and comments are my own.
About
Garden Herb uses only whole food ingredients including fresh herbs and spices. Our organic Garden Herb burgers have a mellow yet satisfying flavor and are a versatile addition to your meals. Low in sodium and a good, plant-based source of fiber and protein, Garden Herb Sunshine Burgers are also a good source of vitamin A, vitamin E, magnesium, and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Try them with your favorite fixings or enjoy alone!
Ingredients
Organic cooked brown rice, organic ground raw sunflower seeds, organic carrots, organic spices, sea salt.
– See more at: http://www.sunshineburger.com/products/garden-herb/#sthash.zbVPcM6Y.dpuf
I love that you pulled together a girls gathering like this! What a super, awesome idea! I bet it was lots of fun 🙂
Thank you for telling me about the Sunshine Burgers. I have never heard of them but am always looking for good companies that support real foods! And look at all those flavors! YUM!!! I’m in!
They were surprisingly good and are now my new staple. I just ate one of the leftover ones for breakfast!
I haven’t eaten store bought veggie burger in forever because of the ingredients so I am happy to hear about these. I will be trying them out for sure. The salad looks delish too!
They are surprisingly good! Check them out. Thanks for stopping by the blog have a great day!
The ingredients are what sold me and the taste is really amazing. Hope you like them. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read the blog.
You KNOW I will be trying your salad – your presentation is gorgeous and it includes some of my favorite ingredients! Thanks for pointing out Sunshine burgers. Honestly, I’ve never tried them, as the calorie content looked a bit high for the protein content, but you make such a great point that the quality is high. Ingredient lists are the first thing I look at, and this ingredient list is wonderful! Will have to pick them up next time I see them!
Thanks! The salad is great and so many variations you can do. The veggie burgers are a must try. I was a little reluctant of the calories at first but they are good quality ingredients and very filling.
Yum! Love finding good packaged food options. Will be on the lookout for these! #wowlinkup
They really are great and “clean eating” approved. Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read and comment.
Love that salad recipe! Thanks for sharing. #wowlinkup
The salad is great and there are so many variations you can do with it. Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by the blog!
As someone who attended this lovely luncheon, I can honestly say I really liked the taste of the Loco burger. I’ve eaten my fair share of bad veggie burgers, most of which have the texture and I can only assume the taste, of a damp sponge. Not the the Loco burger, it was really good. It had a little kick to it, great texture and no bad aftertaste. I think the pico, lime cilantro dressing and the avocado were the perfect pairings for this yummy burger.
It was so great to have you there! You’re right some veggie burgers just taste like cardboard. Glad you liked Sunshine burgers and I know your hubby will too! The Loco is my favorite as well. I know you like to eat clean and these fit right into your diet. Thanks for stopping by the blog!
That looked so good that I literally went right to their webpage to see where I can buy them locally…luckily they’re at the Whole Foods right between my office and my house!
Love the dressing recipe as well, definitely going to have to try that! #wowlinkup
Oh that’s great! I know you will love them. Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. Hope to see you again.
What a fun way to taste test a product! I have not heard of this brand before but I now I want to track them down! That salad is the prettiest salad I have ever seen.
They are so good! You have to try them. The salad is super easy give it a try. Thanks for stopping by!
I have never heard of these and even though I am not a vegan you make these sounds divine. I may have to seek these out and try them out. I have both Whole Foods and Safeway out this way. #wowlinkup
You have to try them! I’m not a vegan either and honestly they are so good and filling too. Thanks for stopping by! #wowlinkup is great!
THE BEST! When you can read all the ingredients and UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE! I am thrilled to see SunShine Burgers doesn’t add extra non-sense!! 🙂 Keep on eating them!
Absolutely! It is hard to hard clean eating foods even when they are vegetarian. Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again!
What a great idea to combine a girls’ get together with a food review – I always think anything tastes better with good company and conversation! I’m not veggie, but rarely cook meat at home and am always on the lookout for new options for quick and healthy. I doubt these will be available in Sweden, but will definitely have a look at Whole Foods next time I’m in London!
You’re right everything is better with friends!You should try to find next time you in the US or London. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. Have a great day!
There is no way my hubby would eat this meat substitute, LOL but I would love to try this on my salad. I have been doing the South Beach diet and have been eating mainly salads at lunch. Thanks for the review and I would definitely get the spicier choices like the, Loco Chipotle or the Black Bean Southwest. Visiting from the #wowlinkup.
My hubby wouldn’t eat it either but I love them! They are great for South Beach. Thanks for stopping by the blog and taking the time to read and comment. Have a great day!
How fun! I love Sunshine Burgers :).
They are so good! I am so glad that I discovered them. They are so much healthier than my previous brand. Thanks for stopping by!