Customer Reviews

Fantastic World Foods Nature's Burger, 10-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off let me say that I have been eating vegetarian and soy made meals, burgers, and other concoctions for nearly half my life, from the really great tasting to the not so great tasting. So when I stumbled on this burger mix in my local bulk foods section I jumped on the chance to taste this stuff and am VERY happy I did.

Making the burgers is very easy, just add the same amount of warm/hot water to burger mix, stir well, let sit for a while, then form into a patty and cook. Very simple and easy to make. What I like to do is make a bunch of the mix ahead and stick it in the fridge so you can enjoy one almost anytime you want.

Now these burgers aren't meant to taste like a beef burger, I would say they are an alternative to the "real thing". They are well seasoned and have a great hearty texture to them. Throw them on a bun with some fixings and you have yourself a very health lunch, snack, or dinner.

So in addition to my regular veggie burgers that I buy, this mix has become a staple in my health lifestyle and would recommend this to anyone looking for an alternative to meat or even some of those really untasty soy burgers that are out there (there are a few, I know because I ate them for years).

PROS:
Easy to make.
Doesn't taste like beef or any of the frozen soy burgers out there, so if you don't like beef or any of those soy burgers give this stuff a try!
Can be made ahead of time and stuck in the fridge.
Very healthy, low sodium, yet tastes very well seasoned.
Other things can be added to the mix.
The mix can be added to regular hamburger to create really tasty meatloaf.

CONS:
If not mixed with the correct amount of water patties tend to become extremely crumbly and fall apart.

We like this because it is simple to make, use it at home and camping. Low calorie and fat, decent fiber and protein. Cant find it locally, so we order from Amazon.

It can get dry and stick to your hands when forming the patties- oiling your hands with olive oil when forming the patties makes it much easier. We also add a little oil to the mix. Fry slowly in a little olive oil in skillet or on an electric griddle type grill. Add more oil to mix if the patties end up too dry.

This product is a great value as well as good for you. It has a falafal type texture that is easy to prepare and cook. We make our Fantastic Burger mix into small patties and freeze them. Its then easy to take what we need for each meal from the freezer. You can microwave them on high for about a minute each to get a firm texture. We're going to try baking them as well as making a "meat" loaf with the mix. We really like this product.

One day over 20 years ago I detected a wonderful smell in my kitchen and it turned out to be some Nature's Burger mix + water being prepared by one of my house mates. He was letting it soak in preparation for frying. Eventually I bought some in bulk at the local market and I've kept some on-hand ever since. Occasionally I make a Nature's Burger instead of a hamburger when I have the impulse. Since I only make this occasionally, I keep the mix in a bottle in the refrigerator to ensure freshness. It seems to stay fresh for years if kept this way. Today I glanced at the list of ingredients posted where I buy it in bulk for $2.99/lb:

1/4 cup (47 g) Nature's Burger:

170 calories
25 calories from fat
8 grams protein

I figure that these burgers cost less than 1/3 of meat burgers, are very tasty and nutritious. What's not to like?
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Feb. 24, 2011 edit:

Today I went to replenish my supply at the Berkeley Bowl and see that the price/pound has been jacked up to 4.29. Argh! So, I inquire if they have the boxes (I remembered that buying it at Amazon was barely more than the bulk at the Berkeley Bowl), and was directed to where it would likely be if they had it and sure enough they had a selection of various Fantastic Foods products in 10 oz boxes. The price/pound was about the same as bulk, so I got a box. Currently, Amazon's price (comes to 3.33/pound) is easily the best I can get so I'm buying 12 boxes here.

This is cheaper than ground beef, and I figure better for you in a lot of ways, though it's probably a bit lower in protein content. Anyway, it's quite delicious and easy to prepare. Lately I soak 2 oz in 3 oz water for a few minutes. I don't bother to use my hands to form patties, I just scoop it out of a rounded bowl using a rubber spatula and press down with utensils to form the patty right on an olive oiled cast iron skillet. Fry on one side and press lightly with a spatula to flatten somewhat after turning, then fry the 2nd side. I like them between toasted whole wheat bread slices with a little mayo and some lettuce and perhaps a slice of red onion.

This product is great!!! It makes wonderful "meatballs" (I call them "eatballs")for to put in vegie soup. 100% recommend!

This doesn't even come close to mimicking a real burger in taste, texture, color, etc. It does make a nice sandwich and I have been able to get my family to eat it willingly enough, but it is not the burger substitute I was hoping for nor does it satisfy that burger craving. It is low fat though and I am more than happy to feed it to my family it was just not what I was expecting from the claims on the box. I added some mashed black beans to the mix and was happy with the results.

I bought this to try, as my daughter is a vegetarian. We both love it! Very tasty and filling; it hits the spot at lunch. I mix up a box at a time and keep the made up mix in a baggie in the fridge, ready to whip out and fry at a moment's notice. I just spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and use a little olive oil as well. I will be buying this again when we run out. I also buy the taco "meat" from this company.

I've been making Veggie Burgers from scratch for a few years and decided to try this product. Very pleased with the taste and ease of making the burgers.

Not just for lunch, snacks, and dinner, but anytime! I'm having a delicious NB breakfast patty right now. Shelf life is positively incredible: This box said Best by Sept 2006 but is still just fine! Today I've cooked up the last of the mix I had made up in the fridge for about a week. Sometimes I've kept on hand some NB muffins as grab-n-go snacks or as quick entrees-for-one, since my family won't even try it. (all the more for me!) Last week I made and savored a Nature's Burger Patty Melt, toasted crispy whole grains bread, toasty/caramelized onion, crispy NB patty, a smattering of mustard to bring out the zing of the (imitation) cheddar cheese. Serve with kosher pickle and baked chips, so good and satisfying. Another way I like NB, I have some super zesty relish and NB takes the inedible heat off the relish so I can enjoy the pepper flavor. Very important: veg oil will keep patty from crumbling and/or sticking to hands and pans.

I couldn't wait to try this product, as I'm trying to ease into a vegetarian diet. I prepared a patty as directed on the package - equal parts product and hot water, let it soak, formed a patty, browned it lightly. There were two problems. First of all, the product did not want to stick together. I had to keep "reassembling" it because it fell apart in the pan. It smelled wonderful, though. I chose to eat it plain so I could taste it by itself with no embellishment. The flavor was palatable and interesting - sort of nutty and oniony at the same time, not bad. Within a half hour of eating it, however, I got horrible heartburn and acid reflux. It was consumed at 6:30 tonight, and it is now midnight and the distress is still in full burn. Needless to say, I won't be eating any more of this! Too painful! ....... If any readers of this review have ideas about what might have caused this trouble or suggestions on other products to try, I'd appreciate hearing from you!