Summer’s too short to make your own veggie burgers.
Of course, if you want to spend time in the kitchen when you could be lounging by the pool, sprucing up your garden, or relaxing on the porch with a glass of sangria and a good friend, be my guest.
But as I see it, we only get a few blissful months of long days, soaking sun, and warm weather. Hence the recipes I’ve posted lately—chocolate-cherry ice cream, blueberry bliss breakfast bowls, copycat Hidden Valley Ranch dressing—all take about 5 minutes to make.
Because I like to spend my summers doing, well, outdoorsy summer stuff.
The catch? Summer means grilling, and for me, grilling means veggie burgers.
Which I’m clearly not going to spend time making. 😉
However, as you’ve probably noticed, store-bought veggie burgers typically contain eggs and gluten. Worse, they tend to be loaded with fat. (I’m talking to you, decadently delicious Beast Burgers!)
Since I try to follow a lower-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet, I felt like I only really had one option: Engine 2 burgers. (Read about them below.) Now, while I love Engine 2 burgers, everyone needs to change things up now and again. So the gluten-free, low-fat, vegan veggie burger hunt was on!
The Challenge
My goal was to find veggie burgers that met all four of the following criteria:
- Vegan (free from animal products)
- Gluten free
- Low fat (<3 grams of fat per burger)
- Delicious!
Honestly, I sort of felt like I was wandering around the woods looking for a unicorn—I mean, it’s hard enough to find a decent veggie burger, much less one that checks all the boxes above. And while I did have to venture outside of my usual grocery stores, I found some winners! I even taste-tested all three of them to make sure they were bun-worthy.
Speaking of buns, I have yet to find a low-fat, gluten-free, vegan burger bun at the store. So for these photos, I used Food for Life brand Gluten Free Multi Seed English Muffins, which is my “special occasion” bun substitute. With just 1 gram of fat and 4 grams of fiber per muffin, they’re definitely McDougall friendly. Since I can easily sit down and eat three in a row, though, (they’re really good), I usually wrap my burger in a corn tortilla or lettuce leaves instead.
So if anyone knows of a low-fat, gluten-free, vegan burger bun, please share in the comments! It would be so great to have a burger on a real bun that I don’t have to make.
In the meantime, I officially liberate you from the kitchen on cookout days. Go enjoy that summer!
3 Low-Fat, Gluten-Free & Vegan Burgers You Can Buy (Under 200 Calories!)
1. No Bull Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Burgers
Forget putting ketchup and mustard on these flavorful burgers! Bursting with savory sun-dried tomatoes, onions, and lentils, they’re loaded with flavor all on their own. (Although they would be amazing with basil and white bean dip or oil-free pesto.)
In fact, the family-run business that makes them is called Oh My Gosh Yum! LLC. (Seriously.) In my opinion, they’ve earned the name!
Anyhow, these gluten-free vegan burgers are handcrafted in small batches and are basically the kind of veggie burger I aspire to make at home. Only now I don’t have to. 🙂 They’re not yet available in every state yet, but in a pinch you can order them online.
Nutrition Facts:
- 160 calories
- 2.5 grams fat
- 7 grams fiber
- 9 grams protein
- 450 mg sodium (19% daily value)
Where to buy: Multiple groceries and markets in the U.S. (Find a store near you.)
2. Engine 2 Tuscan Kale and White Bean Burgers
This is my everyday, goes-with-everything burger. You can pair it with traditional condiments like mustard, ketchup, and pickles, or you can get wild and add grilled pineapple and avocado. Fresh lettuce, sprouts, and red onions are also nice!
White beans, brown rice, and oats are the base of this versatile burger studded with roasted red peppers.
Unlike pretty much every other brand of veggie burger on the market, Engine 2 Burgers (which come in other flavors like curried lentil and poblano black bean) are truly whole-food and plant based. They’re free from added oil, refined flour, and additives, and very low in sodium. Yet still healthy, moist, and tasty!
Nutrition Facts:
- 130 calories
- 1.5 grams fat
- 4 grams fiber
- 4 grams protein
- 15 mg sodium (0% daily value)
Where to buy: Whole Foods Market
3. Sol Cuisine Portobello Mushroom Burgers
I’m not exactly sure why, but these tasty burgers have a summery, crabcake flavor. Not only are they delicious, though; they’re packed with breast-healthy mushrooms and soy protein.
They’re also absurdly low in calories, so if you want, you can make yourself a (plant-based) Big Mac—and feel great about doing it!
Nutrition Facts:
- 90 calories
- 1.5 grams fat
- 3 grams fiber
- 8 grams protein
- 290 mg sodium (12% daily value)
Where to buy: Major supermarkets and natural food stores in the U.S. and Canada (Find a store near you.)
So there you have it: 3 low-fat, gluten-free, vegan veggie burgers you can buy at the grocery store.
Happy summer!
Pin it for later.
Your turn:
- Do you know of a gluten-free vegan burger bun you can buy? If so, leave a comment and let me know. I’ll be your new best friend!!
- What’s your favorite store-bought veggie burger? (Gluten free or otherwise)
- If you make your own veggie burgers in the summer (egads), what’s your favorite recipe? Link your own recipe if you have one! 🙂
Shared on the Healthy Living Link Party, Plant-Based Potluck Party, and Healthy Vegan Fridays.
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I'm Lee, an RD thriving on a healthy plant based diet.
Hey Lee! I REALLY appreciate this post. As it gets hotter, I have less motivation to cook, and for some time now, I’ve bee meaning to go find the Engine 2 Burgers at Whole Foods. Thanks for the kick in the butt! 🙂 Also, I was delighted to see the Sol Burgers are also at the Whole Foods nearest me and several New Seasons in Portland. Alas, NoBull–god, how I love that name–are not out west yet. . .they sound delicious. . .
As for (burger) buns, I, too, have used a food for life gluten free english muffin as a bun to good effect. If I find spelt ones that are vegan, I eat those too. But yeah, they are hard to find. Rudi’s makes some, but they are not vegan (eggs in or egg whites, to which I am allergic, in them).
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Maria, glad you liked the post and that it gave you the motivation to try some new burgers! I mean, I love cooking and all, but summer’s too short. (And too hot for the oven, ugh.)
So funny that you use the same English muffin as a burger bun! They are surprisingly good, no? 🙂 Spelt is still out for me, alas. I typically avoid Rudi’s/Udi’s because of the eggs, although I’ll eat them in a pinch if someone else bought them for me. (Of course, I’m not actively allergic to eggs, so that helps!)
Just had my first Engine 2 White bean and kale burger tonight, crumbled up on some millet and bok choy salad. It was yummy! 🙂
Yay! Glad you liked them (and found them)! They tend to go well with whatever they’re paired with, so I’m not surprised they were good with a millet and bok choy salad. What did you use for dressing?
a little bit of chickpea miso, a little bit of molasses, a little bit of tahini, a little bit of water –all mixed together in a little jar 🙂
Amy’s Sonoma veggie burgers (vegan, gluten free and soy free) have been my go-to burgers for a long time. They taste okay with lots of catsup, but they clearly have more fat than you recommend because they’re made with oil. I’ll see if I can find something better. Thanks for the tips on the ones you like.
Hi Gwenyth! I confess, I love Amy’s Sonoma burgers too! And lately I’ve been eating them a LOT, even though they have more oil than I prefer. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to find some alternates; I was starting to eat them even more than the Engine 2 burgers. (I’ve been getting a little free and easy with the fat lately and having an uptake in breast pain as a result.) :-/
So if you find any other burgers that fit the low-fat/GF/vegan bill, I’m all ears!!!
Food for Life makes vegan, gluten-free english muffins? Damn. I’m getting to the game late ;p I honestly tend to just eat my burger plain with a slice of tomato on it. I’m too lazy to look for bread – although I will have to try the english muffins!
I’ll be honest… I want to like Engine 2 Burgers soooooo much, but they are a little bland 🙁 I’ve also been on the hunt for a good vegan & gf burger, I also want them high in protein.
I haven’t had No Bull – I’m not sure I’ve seen them actually, it doesn’t look like they sell them near me unfortunately. But there’s a restaurant in San Francisco that may have them.
I have seen the Sol burgers though – I’ll give them a try.
I’m realizing the burgers I normally buy are actually quite high in fat, so I’ll have to switch it up!
Hey Kimmy! The Engine 2 burgers contain very little salt, which is great for people who are sodium-sensitive (and used to eating that way). 😉 Although I confess, I usually eat my Engine 2 burgers with pickles, ketchup, and mustard, which kind of negates the low-sodium part, lol! The No Bull ones are super good; I’m hoping the restaurant near you serves them! (They’re also high in protein for a whole-food burger.) Let me know what you think of the Sol burgers; I swear they taste like crab cakes!
I’m a veggie burger lover so I can’t wait to try these burger options! No Bull Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Burgers seems to be my favorite although I have a weakness for mushroom burgers. I am so glad you shared these healthy, yummy veggie burgers with us at the Plant-Based Potluck Party. I’m pinning and sharing.
Hi Deborah, I hope you’re able to find the sun-dried tomato and spinach burgers—they are knock-out good!
Great post! I’m always looking for new healthy vegan burgers. I’ve only seen the Engine 2 burgers before, not the others but I’m really liking the looks of the sun-dried tomato one.
You always have such great post ideas! Love the “challenge” because sometimes burgers can be vegan, it’s not always easy to find the healthiest ones.
I’ll email you this week with ideas like we talked about!
Hi Mary Ellen, I know, finding healthy vegan burgers is way harder than it needs to be. I hope they have the sun-dried tomato burgers in your neck of the woods—they’re so good! Honestly, sometimes I eat them with nothing else on them. (Not even a bun/english muffin!)
I have health problems and gained too much weight. I’ve been buying veggie burgers from Sam’s Club. Going to check them out at Whole Foods. Thanks!!
Hi Maria, I hope you’re feeling better, and that you found some healthy veggie burgers that you like! It’s hit-or-miss with veggie burgers–some of them are really healthy, some of them are disastrous health-wise.
There is a company called “Schar” that makes Gluten Free buns. They are available at Walmart. I tried some recently and they are pretty good.
I know this is from a few years ago but my local Whole Foods has the No Bull burgers! Can’t wait to try them! Thanks for this article.