Trader Joe’s is a popular grocery store chain known for its unique, affordable products. One of their most popular items is their line of veggie burgers, which come in varieties like black bean chipotle and quinoa crunch. While convenient and tasty, many health-conscious shoppers wonder whether these veggie patties are overly processed. In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the ingredients and nutrition facts of Trader Joe’s veggie burgers to determine how processed they really are.
Ingredients
When examining how processed a food product is, the first place to look is the ingredient list. Here are the ingredients for two of Trader Joe’s most popular veggie burgers:
Trader Joe’s Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burgers
Water, black beans, wheat protein isolate, expeller pressed canola oil, bulgur wheat, onions, cornmeal, toasted wheat crumbs, contains 2% or less of potato starch, sea salt, yeast extract, chipotle chile pepper, spices, natural flavors, dried garlic, lime juice concentrate, sunflower lecithin, malted barley extract, ascorbic acid, citric acid, maltodextrin, gum Arabic.
Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers
Organic quinoa, filtered water, organic expeller pressed canola oil, organic onion, organic carrots, organic dried yeast, sea salt, organic garlic, spices, organic evaporated cane juice, citric acid, ascorbic acid.
At a glance, the main ingredients in both burgers appear to be whole foods like beans, grains, vegetables, and seasoning. While not completely unprocessed, these relatively short ingredients lists are reassuring and contain no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or sweeteners.
Nutrition Facts
Looking more closely at the nutrition facts and macronutrient breakdown provides more insights into how processed these veggie burgers are:
Trader Joe’s Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burgers (1 patty)
| Calories | 130 |
| Fat | 4.5g |
| Carbs | 16g |
| Protein | 9g |
| Fiber | 5g |
| Sugar | 1g |
Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers (1 patty)
| Calories | 120 |
| Fat | 5g |
| Carbs | 12g |
| Protein | 5g |
| Fiber | 2g |
| Sugar | 2g |
The veggie burgers are relatively well-balanced nutritionally. They contain a mix of protein, healthy fats, and fiber rich carbohydrates. The fiber content is a good sign that these contain significant amounts of whole food ingredients. They are also low in sugar, with only 1-2 grams per serving.
Ingredients to Watch Out For
While the Trader Joe’s veggie burger ingredients look relatively wholesome, there are a few processed additives to be aware of:
- Wheat protein isolate – A purified protein extracted from wheat. It enhances the protein content but is more processed than whole wheat.
- Potato starch – Used as a binder and adds carbohydrates. A processed form of potato.
- Yeast extract – Adds umami flavor but is also high in salt.
- Natural flavors – May contain extracts from various processed ingredients.
- Ascorbic acid – Synthetic vitamin C.
- Citric acid – Often derived from genetically engineered corn and used as a preservative.
- Gum Arabic – Sticky substance derived from acacia tree sap that acts as a thickener and stabilizer.
While these additives are not the most wholesome, they are quite mild compared to many ultra-processed foods. The burgers could achieve “cleaner” ingredient profiles without losing much taste or texture.
Processing Methods
In addition to ingredients, the degree of processing a food undergoes affects how healthful it is. Here are some of the likely processing steps for Trader Joe’s veggie burgers:
- Cleaning and chopping veggies like onions, carrots, and garlic.
- Cooking beans, grains, and veggies.
- Mixing cooked ingredients in large batches.
- Forming mixture into patties and freezing.
- Packaging frozen into bags or boxes.
The veggie mix appears minimally processed compared to reconstituting ingredients from powders or extracting proteins. The burgers likely undergo one round of processing from whole foods into patties. Freezing preserves them without heavy preservatives.
Are They Ultra-Processed?
According to definitions of ultra-processed foods, Trader Joe’s veggie burgers would not fall into this highly processed category for several reasons:
- Main ingredients are whole foods like beans, grains, veggies.
- Short ingredients lists with recognizable ingredients.
- No artificial colors, flavors, or chemical preservatives.
- Nutritionally balanced with fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
- Minimally processed in a single processing step.
While not completely unprocessed, Trader Joe’s veggie burgers undergo relatively mild processing compared to shelf-stable, hyper-palatable snack foodsfull of additives.
Healthier Alternatives
For those wishing to avoid even mildly processed veggie burgers, there are healthier alternatives:
- Make homemade bean or veggie burgers from scratch.
- Choose veggie burger brands with organic, non-GMO, whole food ingredients.
- Try burgers made from minced mushrooms or other blended vegetables.
- Explore options from the frozen section instead of shelf-stable.
- Select raw veggie crackers or sticks with homemade dips instead.
With a little extra effort, less processed veggie burger options are widely available.
Conclusion
Trader Joe’s veggie burgers contain a relatively wholesome mix of beans, grains, veggies and minimally processed ingredients. While not completely unprocessed, they are significantly less processed than many snack foods and convenience meals. The burgers undergo just one round of processing, contain no artificial additives, and are nutritionally balanced. Those concerned with ultra-processed foods can find even healthier veggie burger options, but overall Trader Joe’s provides a convenient, moderately healthy choice.