Product Review: Sunshine Burgers - Vegan, Organic, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Veggie Burgers

Sunshine Burgers was started by a woman named Carol who created these sunflower seed-based burgers as an organic, healthier alternative to soy- and gluten-based veggie burgers. They are vegan, certified organic, gluten-free, soy-free and a good source of protein and fiber.

Sunshine Burgers come in four flavors - Original, South West, Barbeque and Garden Herb. Sunshine Burgers can be a little hard to find, but they are available at Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats and many locally-owned health or natural food stores. I purchase them at Central Market in Mill Creek, Washington where they sell the Garden Herb and South West flavors. I plan to seek out the Original and Barbeque flavors for future reviews; however, this review focuses on the Garden Herb and South West versions.

Sunshine Burgers Product Review: Taste and Texture

The South West Sunshine Burger has an incredible spicy flavor from the organic jalapenos, cilantro, bell peppers, garlic and other spicy goodness you will find on the all-organic ingredient list. I love, love, love the taste of this burger. It is a bit spicier than I expected, which is great for me, but a tad too spicy for my partner (he liked it, he just commented on how much kick it had) - so, if you like a spicy burger you absolutely must try this one.

The Garden Herb Sunshine Burger also has a great flavor and an incredibly short ingredient list - which always makes me happy. I could taste the sunflower seeds in this one, which wasn't off putting for me, but if you aren't a big sunflower seed fan, you may want to go with the South West Sunshine Burger to avoid tasting them. The Garden Herb Sunshine Burger is a safe bet for those who enjoy a lighter tasting burger that is filling and goes well with the usual burger accoutrements.

The texture is great - perfect density, not at all chewy - and the only comment I would make on this is that they were a bit crumbly and falling apart the first time I cooked them on the stovetop. This has been easily remedied by using a spatula instead of a fork to turn them over. The only reason I mention it at all is that I have not cooked them on a grill yet, so am issuing a word of caution to those of you who try it before I do.

Sunshine Burgers Product Review: Nutrition

The Garden Herb Sunshine Burger contains 190 calories, 13g fat (1.5g saturated fat), 320mg sodium, 3g fiber, 2g sugar, 8g protein. It also has 90% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A, 10% of vitamin C, 15% of iron and 4% of calcium.

The South West Sunshine Burger contains 240 calories, 12g fat (1.5g saturated fat), 240mg sodium, 9g fiber, 2g sugar and 6g protein. It also has 50% of the recommended amount of vitamin A, 2% of iron and 2% of calcium.

As you can see, as far as choosing which is a healthier addition to your diet, there are pros and cons for both flavors. The South West version is higher in fiber and lower in sodium and fat, but it also is considerably lower in vitamins and minerals, while having more calories per serving. The Garden Herb burger offers more protein, vitamins and minerals, but is much lower in fiber and higher in sodium.

Vegans and vegetarians sometimes find it difficult to incorporate enough iron and calcium into their diets, so the Garden Herb flavor might be a better option if that is a concern. Both are solid nutritional additions to your diet - unless you are really watching fat intake - and if you are eating a balanced diet otherwise, the nutritional differences between these two flavors are not going to make a significant impact on your health.

When compared to other veggie burger products there are also pros and cons to consider. Sunshine Burgers are higher in fat than any other vegan burger product I purchase and offer less protein and fiber than some. However, they are organic, and soy- and gluten-free, which outweighs the higher fat content for some consumers. It really comes down to your particular diet - are you trying to maintain a low fat diet? Are you gluten-free? Are you concerned about the health issues surrounding too much soy?

One thing that I find interesting - the website and the box both make kind of a big deal out of the fact that sunflower seed-based Sunshine Burgers are an excellent source of vitamin E, which is great for reducing stroke and cardiovascular disease among other things, but I was not able to find anything on the box or website that actually said how much vitamin E was in the burgers.

Sunshine Burgers Product Review: Overall

Overall, both the Garden Herb and South West Sunshine Burgers are tasty, healthy additions to your vegan, vegetarian or otherwise healthy eating plan. The flavor is great and they are easy and quick to cook. The South West Sunshine Burger is my favorite and, if you like a bit of kick to your burger, it will soon be your favorite as well.

They are not meant to be a substitute for beef burgers; therefore, they were not created to mimic the texture or flavor of beef. If you prefer a meatier veggie burger, or are transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet and are missing beef, you may want to try something more along the lines of the original Boca Burger. It isn't my favorite, since I haven't eaten meat in over two decades and am perfectly happy to never experience that texture or taste again, but many folks who are just transitioning to a healthier diet find Boca Burgers to be a good beef burger substitute.

The only other thing that I would mention about them is that they are sold in packages of three, which I found sort of odd since most vegan or vegetarian burgers come in larger, even-numbered packages. I'm guessing this is to keep the price point down since they use all natural ingredients, and I imagine that a sunflower seed base is more expensive than gluten. I was still quite happy with the price of $3.99 for a box of three. For an organic, gluten- and soy-free product I think that is an acceptable cost. The only reason I mention this is for those of you who are going to run out and grab some and might not read the box (since you would assume that they would at least have four patties, which is more common). So, if you have a family of three, you would be all set, but if you are gearing up for a barbeque or have a larger family, you will need to grab more than one box.

The Sunshine Burgers website is very basic, but it offers product information on the four flavors and a store locator for the larger chain stores that carry their products. To find out more information or a store near you, visit www.sunshineburger.com.