Veggie burgers

If it looks, cooks and even “bleeds” like red meat, is it still a veggie burger? Some newcomers to the veggie-burger scene hope to make consumers do a dinnertime double-take. These new products combine plantbased proteins with other ingredients to create a rich mouthfeel and meatlike taste and color.

How healthy is it? Consumer Reports’ nutrition team tested two new “meaty” veggie burgers. The Beyond Burger, available at select Whole Foods stores around the U.S., is similar calorie-wise to a same-size burger made from 80 percent lean ground beef, but it has less protein and one-third less saturated fat. The Impossible Burger, on the menu at a few restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, has about the same number of calories and amount of protein as a similar-size 80 percent lean beef burger, but is higher in saturated fats.

How does it taste? Testers

tried both burgers at company-hosted events introducing the new products. Both came closer to real beef in flavor and texture than any other veggie burger tasted at Consumer Reports, though neither one quite measured up to ground beef in flavor. Still, “on a bun with toppings like lettuce, tomato, cheese, a Thousand Island-style sauce and pickles -- which is the way I was served the Impossible Burger -- you might be hard-pressed to say these weren’t beef burgers,” says Claudia Gallo, a chef and food tester at Consumer Reports.

Kefir

Like yogurt, kefir (most often pronounced “kuhFEER” or “KEE-fur”) is a fermented milk product with a tangy, somewhat sharp flavor. It’s riding the bandwagon of the fermented-food trend that’s been going strong for the past several years. That’s probably because of emerging research about the role the microbiome -- the ecosystem of good bacteria in your gut -- plays in your overall health.

How healthy is it? Kefir and other fermented foods, including yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh (a fermented soy product), kimchi (a traditional Korean dish of salted and fermented vegetables, often cabbage) and kombucha (an effervescent fermented tea) are rich sources of probiotics. They’re associated with a healthy microbiome and a number of other health benefits, such as weight loss and improved digestion and immunity. Kefir has about twice as many probiotics as yogurt, according to one manufacturer. But some kefir products are high in fat, and flavored versions may have added sugar, so be sure to check the label before you buy.

How does it taste? Plain kefir tastes similar to plain yogurt, with a slightly tarter flavor and a thinner consistency. Flavored versions are widely available, and the sweetness of the fruit or other flavoring tends to balance kefir’s natural sourness.